Twenty years on, and after an enforced three-year break, Woodlands Alive finally came back to life once more with the peal of children’s laughter with the Oysters Coppice Volunteer Group on Thursday 16 June.
Over 150 children from years two and three, from schools across Tisbury, Semley, Wardour, Ludwell, Hindon, and Chilmark, left their classroom behind and enjoyed a volunteer run event at the beautiful Oysters Coppice in Gutch Common, near Shaftesbury.
This next generation of tiny David Attenboroughs spent the day in the sun-dappled woods visiting more than 10 different volunteer and expert-run stands, from bushcraft around a campfire, pond-dipping, clay modelling, bird box building with Chalk and Chase, bug-hotel building, mini-beasts, meeting live owls, to seeing badgers’ setts and finding out all about the smaller mammals such as shrews, frogs, and voles.
The event is part of Wiltshire Wildlife conservation work, tackling the climate and ecological crises but building a stronger connection with nature on our own doorstep.
“Our volunteer group has coordinated this run for the children for over 20 years now,” said Kat McLean, “and is a fantastic day out in the woods for local school children that helps to encourage them to develop more of a passion for nature in life.”
For more information on how to help volunteer with future events, including the next Oysters Coppice Working Party, a free introduction for adults into wood management, coppicing and path maintenance, visit the Wiltshire Wildlife website
www.wiltshirewildlife.org/oysters-coppice-salisbury.