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 10^th Farnborough, had this to say:

“This was the colonies 8^th 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.

[vimeo 96064846 w=500 h=281]

From the RSPB site (here):

“Nature is struggling, but if we all pull together and do small actions for wildlife in our garden and outdoor spaces, we can make a real difference. After all, if there’s no home for nature, there will be no nature.

Request your ‘Give Nature a Home’ guide packed full of simple, fun activities to help wildlife where you live. It’s free and available for download or free postal delivery.”

The direct link for ordering the guide is here.

Michael Thompson talking to the Beavers (see halfway below)

Michael Thompson writes:

On a warm Saturday afternoon in September, Fleet Pond played host to the 8th annual visit of the 10th Farnborough Beaver Scouts. This year though things were a little bit different.

Fleet Pond Society Chairman Colin Gray and myself had laid on a few special treats as the 14 beavers and 17 supporting entourage went for a hike around the nature reserve. Everyone was given a walking stick to help them on their way, and off we went…

The afternoon began with a picnic lunch atop the recently constructed Lions’ View platform from where the Beavers could see just how far they were going to hike. Well fed and undeterred, we continued…

It’s surprising how many people can fit on the viewing platform when you pack them in like this

Before long we arrived at Boathouse Corner where some of the Beavers took time to appreciate the new benches installed the day before by the Fleet Pond Society Last of the Summer Wine volunteers:

While the children watched the ducks, Colin explained a little bit about the history of the pond (see picture below):

After a brief stop atop the bridge over the outflow to look out at the new islands, we arrived at the pond dipping platform:

Using nets, trays, magnifiers and identification charts provided by Fleet Pond Society, we set about seeing what we could find in the pond:

Water snail

Water scorpion

…and many more creatures that wouldn’t stay still long enough to be photographed.

Some of the locals even popped over to see what we were up to. Next came the 1.5km hike from one end of the reserve to the other. We looked at lots of different habitats on the way and spotted some interesting things:

Forest of fungi

As it was a warm day and the water level was low, it was safe to explore the Gelvert Stream at water level. I treated the beavers to a short lesson on navigating a watercourse safely:

• Check how deep it is.
• Check how solid the bottom is.
• Check how fast the water is flowing.
• Check you won’t disturb the wildlife.
• Check you have an exit route.

Suddenly the walking sticks became really useful (as seen in the picture right at the top of this article). We set off on an adventure down the stream looking at how the water has formed the stream and the plants that grow along its banks on the way. We had agreed with the Rangers not to disturb the fish in the deeper parts, so we climbed out and watched them from the bank instead.

Once we reached the end of the stream, where it opens out into Sandy Bay, we had a bit of time left to play.

Everyone went for a paddle.

Building sand castles

Like all good Scouts they came prepared so everyone had dry clothes to go home in:

There will be a follow-on post to this one shortly, Part Two, that gives some additional photos plus very interesting feedback on the event from the Beavers and their Leaders. Keep an eye out for it!