Feed

We visited a variety of different potential Habitats and used binoculars to see the birds from a distance, even from the safety of our minibus as the wind and rain lashed down. With the help of Countryside Ranger Gavin we replenished bird feeders and were surprised at how quickly the local wildlife flocked down to great us with open beaks and hungry bellies. Gavin explained the need to feed the birds with the correct food and showed us how to go about this, however when considering the intensity of the feeding we had a feeling that we would have to return soon to restock!!

This was the second day and it was a baptism of fire, well may be ice. The temp was -3 and there was a brisk wind bringing the temp down to about -5 deg C. however the pupils got on and we carried out the task of clearing the grass and weeds around young trees. The trees were planted about 4 years ago by former pupils, which were donated to us from the Woodland Trust. We worked for about an hour and had a hot drink break, the temperature meant that some were starting to feel the cold so we took the decision to climb a small hill and observe the town from an elevated position. This warmed them up and the chill was forgotten, they also showed team work by demonstrating what happens to ice when dropped. Spoiler, it smashed into small pieces.

A VERY cold day at Kinghorn Loch today, it was life jackets on at all times for anyone near the waters edge today, due to the icy conditions. Safety first, and as ever the club were absolutely on top of this. The group did get out on the boat however, Duncan, Glen and Sophie had their first shot at coxing the boat today, and were widely praised by the Rowing Club volunteers for their efforts. Parts of the loch were frozen, and birds could be seen walking on the ice. We also had some really great displays of the geese flying past from the loch side. It's great to nature in all it's glory during all the seasons. We went back to the shed at the Ecology centre for hot chocolate and a heat before the hot rolls arrived. We all had a good chat about how today had gone. Volunteer Peter has his 80th birthday on Saturday, so we sang happy birthday and shared birthday cake after our hot rolls. Looking forward to another session next week, the weather looks better than the -3 it was at the loch this morning!

John Muir said 'In every walk with nature one receives far more than he seeks'. This is certainly the case for our Glasgow Kelvin Explorers Group as we set off once more with our amazing Countryside Ranger Friends. Learning outdoors in an active and engaging way is a fantastic experience, every week Linzi and Fiona challenge is to do something new and today was to be no different.....

We decided to wort in a completely different part of the park today as we went in search of more birdlife to compliment our findings from the previous week with Countryside Ranger Gavin. Through the ancient woodland of Pollok we roamed laughing and learning as we adventured through the woodland. We were lucky to see a variety of birds such as Long Tailed Tits, Tree Creepers and Nuthatch. Linzi and Fiona explained how the birds survived, how trees grow, drop their leaves and produce their magnificent displays as spring and summer poke their noses around the corner of winter. We talked about the ancient history of Pollok and looked forward to the green wild carpet coming back to the woodland as bulbs and wild flowers prepared to make a comeback!! Active Learning in Wild Spaces really is the way that we want to grow....

Here's a few extra photos from yesterday's adventures in the cold! Thanks to the Kinghorn Rowing Club for arranging a nice warm base for the group at the Ecology Centre. We wanted to share a couple of photos of the views at the loch too.

Day 3 of the experience finds us at St Mary's Field garden. The garden is run as part of Sustainable Kirriemuir a local group involved in making the community a better place. The gardener, Emily was on hand to give guidance on the tasks for the group and share her knowledge and expertise. They had to use their teamwork skills shift a small shed, different methods were employed eventually using batons to slide the shed along. They also had to clear dead willow herb and cut back overgrown trees. The weather was almost spring like and the group enjoyed the experience, looking forward to the next time in a few weeks time.

Our first week taking part in the Discovery Award. We ventured out to our school garden. Did a spot of tidying up. Discovered the fire pit area and moved some logs around so that we could sit around and have a chat. We challenged ourselves and all had a go at starting a fire with a flint and steel!