Friends of McIlroy Park
Saturday, 29th September 2012
McIlroy Park, Tilehurst ~ Family Nature Day

At the end of September nature nurture a local community interest company (CIC) in collaboration with the Norcot Early Years Centre held a Family Nature Day in McIlroy Park at which Econet and
The Conservation Volunteers had a joint stall.

Econet hoped the day would make people aware of the work of the Friends of McIlroy Park in managing the Park.

We demonstrated building a loggery, a home for stag beetle larvae, and the making of bird feeders using pine cones and peanut butter .....

..... but inevitably it was the slowworms which won the day.

Whatever your age, few seem able to resist the opportunity to handle a slowworm.

But slowworms weren't the only creatures to be found .....

..... and if you couldn't find any you could always make your own.

And when you'd seen sufficient creatures there were den's to be built, .....

..... trees to be banged (musically of course), .....

..... and hills to be climbed.

Being outside, getting dirty can be fun!

At the end of the day there was the chance to say what you thought .....

..... and most seemed to have had a good day.

We're not sure whether we managed to recruit any new volunteers but at least the parents were made aware of the Park as a place where they and their children can learn about and enjoy the natural world, and we hope will come to appreciate it as such.