It’s hard to keep up when you’re too tall to fit under the obstacles!
In a previous post, Michael Thompson described the exciting time the Beavers had at Fleet Pond Nature Reserve on Saturday 13 September.
In this follow-on post, Michael conveys what they all gained from it.
Please see Part One for details of the set of activities undertaken (the pictures shown here have been selected to give a flavour of the event).
Seen along the way – for an article on butterflies at the Pond, see here
Michael writes:
Here are a selection of comments from the Beavers and parents:
“I liked the water. I liked walking in it and finding out how deep it is with a stick. I liked looking at the animals in the water.”
“Just to say that he thoroughly enjoyed his time at Fleet Pond last Saturday. He especially loved discovering all the wildlife. Overall the freedom and permission to splash and get mucky ‘from head to toe’ was liberating!!”
“I had one happy but tired girl that day :-)”
“What I liked best was Catching Bugs and seeing a snake !”
“His favourite bit was going into the stream x”
Michael Thompson talking to the Beavers
and Holly (Helen Anderson), the Beaver Scout Leader of 10th Farnborough, had this to say:
“This was the colonies 8th visit to Fleet Pond over the years but the first time we had joined up with the Fleet Pond Society. The effort that Michael and Colin had put in before and during our visit was phenomenal and ensured that the Beavers had an exciting and educational experience. The pond dipping and stream walking were particular favourites. Just as a result of our visit to Fleet Pond the Beavers gained:
- 5 x Hikes Away 1 Badges (9 others added another hike towards their Hikes Away 5)
- 4 x Adventure Activity Badges
- 4 x Outdoor Challenge Badges
- 5 x Explore Badges.
We look forward to our next visit”
Some Beavers tried log rolling!
Making good use of the walking sticks during the stream walking (see Part One)
Some words of caution:
Our stream walk was very carefully planned and the children supervised by an expert guide to minimise risk to the children, and disturbance to the wildlife.
Children love playing in the water, and we encourage them to experience nature close up, but please be aware of the hazards associated with the water:
- Don’t go in the pond. The water isn’t very clean and the bottom is dangerously soft, deep mud in many places. It can be difficult and expensive to rescue people (or dogs for that matter) from the pond.
- The water level in the feeder streams varies from a gentle trickle to a raging torrent. It can change rapidly – particularly after a period of heavy rain or snow melt.
- Always wear boots to protect your feet when paddling in the water. There can be sharp objects buried in the silt. Volunteers and rangers try to remove all the litter from the streams, but we sometimes we miss bits.
- There are some nasty bugs in the water, so always wash hands and feet etc. that get wet as soon as possible afterwards. Cover any cuts/grazes with waterproof plasters before going in the water.
Bring a towel and dry shoes and socks to walk home in.
And most importantly, have a fun day out 🙂
Building sandcastles on water is harder than it looks!
If a similar event would be of interest in the future, please contact Colin Gray, Chairman of Fleet Pond Society. Colin’s contact details are:
Phone: 01252 616183
Email: Colin Gray.