Get outdoors!
Book your trip now
Amazing new opportunities through the
Wild Lizard Project
Working together
Linking the Lizard Countryside
Partnership
Wild Lizard Project
Part of Linking the Lizard Countryside Partnership
Bookings now being taken for school visits in 2014
Extended programme of outdoor learning opportunities
Call: Claire Scott 01326 291184
Email: [email protected]
The National Trust is the largest
The Helford Marine
Natural England is a non-
conservation charity in Britain.
Conservation Group is a
departmental Public Body with the
For over a hundred years the
voluntary organisation
purpose to protect and improve
Trust has worked towards
working to safeguard the
England’s natural environment.
conserving and promoting the
marine life of the beautiful
They manage the countries’
built and natural environment for
Helford River, to increase
National Nature Reserves
both wildlife and people to enjoy.
its biological diversity and
including the Lizard NNR spanning
They manage several properties
raise awareness of its
across Britain’s most southerly
and land across the Lizard
marine interest and
peninsula
including Poltesco
importance
The Wild Lizard Project is a year long project that aims to promote
understanding of the wildlife and its management on the Lizard by
increasing opportunities for local communities and volunteers to be more
involved in their local natural environment. It looks to continue the
momentum of the current education programmes and find a long term
solution to ensure that school children on the Lizard gain a deeper
understanding and knowledge of their local environment to ensure it is
cared for in future generations
Exciting new role offers great outdoor learning
opportunities for local area
A new Wild Lizard Ranger post has been created on the Lizard, funded through a unique
partnership between the National Trust, Natural England, the Helford Marine Conservation
Group and Goonhilly Community Fund. This new post will deliver environmental learning,
with the aim to promote a joined up approach to nature conservation education on the
Lizard. As well as public events school visits can now also be held on the Lizard National
Nature Reserve, National Trust land and the Helford VMCA. There are fantastic
opportunities for your school to enhance your curriculum and take a walk on the wild side.
What does this mean for your school?
With a designated ranger in post to create, plan and facilitate your outdoor visits, the
possibilities are endless. More sites to explore, new skills to learn, bespoke visits to fit with
your curriculum requirements or just a fantastic day outside.
We are also able to offer teacher taster days with a chance for those involved in teaching to
try new activities with an outdoor approach to teaching the curriculum. Led by the Education
Ranger and can be tailored to subjects and outcomes although the cross curricular approach
is often adopted.
Many of you will have already come out for visits either with The National Trust to Poltesco,
Natural England on the Lizard National Nature Reserve or to the Helford VMCA as part of
the Your Shore Project. All these opportunities still stand with the addition of some new ones
including outreach sessions and Forest Schools.
How do I plan and book a visit?
Included is a brief outline of some of the activities that you can take part in and the sites you
can visit. New ideas are welcome and sessions can be designed to include a variety of
subjects. Where ever possible we try to deliver the events for free but there may be a small
charge for some activities to cover the costs of materials.
Who to contact?
The Wild Lizard Ranger post is based at Poltesco, contact Claire Scott to discuss your ideas
Phone 01326 291184 or email [email protected]
Activities
Seashore Safaris
Discover the weird and wonderful creatures lurking in the rock pools. Investigate habitat adaptations
to this harsh environment and find out who eats who by creating a seashore food chain. Have a go
at sea creature beach art using materials scavenged from the seashore, get involved in sea creature
drama and a beach clean. Session includes habitat investigation, adaptations, interdependence,
food webs, creativity and environmental awareness.
Bushcraft Days
Based on Forest School ethos find out more about survival in the wild. Discover how to camouflage,
build shelters, make string from natural materials and cook lunch over the fire. Session includes
team building, communication and confidence building in the outdoors and letting imagination run
wild.
Wild Art
Based on natural environment as inspiration create masks, puppets and sculptures. Enjoy a creative
messy practical session, themes such as mini beasts, birds, local stories and animal tracks can all
be linked to this session. Session includes creativity, drama, English. Completely flexible and can be
tailored to any subject.
Experiments with Rocks
Discover the amazing geological history of the Lizard why it is so important to us now. Investigate
the properties of the rocks and put rocks and soils into a real life context. Also available is an
outreach session looking at where the rocks of the Lizard came from and why they are so unique.
Session will cover materials, their properties and classifying materials.
Heathland Explorations
Goonhilly Downs NNR is sited next to the Goonhilly Satellite Station. Visit the unique stone monolith,
the World War Two buildings that were part of RAF Dry Tree, and find wild plants so rare that they
are found almost nowhere else. Take the Goonhilly Challenge around the easy access trail and
bring this landscape to life. Session includes habitats, wild art, communications and local World War
Two history.
Activities
Pondlife
Dip in and discover how different creatures have adapted to survive in the aquatic environment. Meet
snorkelers, scuba divers and veracious predators. Session includes habitat investigation,
adaptations, interdependence and food webs. This can also be incorporated into completing an
OPAL Survey which links directly back to specific National Curriculum Learning Outcomes.
Bronze and Iron Age Days
A day in the life of an ancient inhabitant of the Lizard. Water collection, wood gathering and cooking
over a fire give a real taste of daily life 5000 years ago.
Bear Hunt
A morning session for Foundation and Key Stage One based on the book ‘We’re going on a bear
hunt’ by Michael Rosen. Following the song and the adventures in the book, the group discover a
snowstorm, a river, mud and a bear’s picnic. An outreach visit is available for this session to make
binoculars and to practice the song. Pick your favourite story and make a morning or afternoon of it
through specially designed sessions.
Surveys
This is an excellent opportunity for children to become involved in Plantlife’s Bee Scene Surveys to
see how suitable your local environment is for bees and how to improve it! A really fun session
learning more about our amazing bee life.
OPAL (Open Air Laboratories)
OPAL produce annual survey packs available to schools and are aimed to fit in with the curriculum.
These are ongoing surveys and range from air quality and biodiversity surveys to bug and pond
dipping surveys. They are aimed at all ages and are therefore easy to follow and can be carried out
almost anywhere. The collected data is then put onto a national database, giving scientists a bigger
picture on a scale that would otherwise not be feasible.
Sites
There are a wide variety of sites and habitats to visit :
Goonhilly Downs
Kynance Cove
Poldhu Cove
Tremayne
Lizard Point
The Waterings
Poltesco
Higher Bochym
Kennack Sands
St Anthony
Frenchmans Creek
Carleon Cove
plus many more….
Forest Schools
The Wild Lizard Education Ranger is a qualified Level Three Forest School Leader. For
the first time on key sites Forest School sessions are available. There is a subsidised
charge of £3 per child, per session with numbers limited to ten participants per group.
These sessions run with the same group in blocks of eight weeks. These blocks will
book up very fast and we have a limited capacity as to the number we can run at a
given time. Booking well in advance is advised.
Higher Bochym Yurt
At Higher Bochym there is a fantastic new resource available for visiting groups and
school groups. A 22ft Yurt complete with wood burner provides a comfortable base from
which to explore the surrounding area and to undertake field work. The wood burner and
winter cover now means that field trips aren’t just restricted to summer term and can be
taken all year round. There are ponds with dipping platforms, heathland and small willow
copses which are haven for all sorts of birds, plants and insects.
Special Projects
If you have an idea for a special project then get in touch and we may be able to help
with your day. Recent projects include Four Schools Day, Pinhole Camera Project with
University College Falmouth and Mullion Space Wildllife Garden
Working together in partnership
Linking the Lizard Countryside Partnership
www.the-lizard.org
To book your session or discuss ideas please contact
Claire Scott
[email protected]
Poltesco: 01326 291174