Minibeasts, Mice and the Mole

The Mole Valley provides many superb and diverse wildlife habitats. Discover the amazing animals that live under our noses. River dipping, minibeast hunts, small mammal trapping, walking.

There is a wide range of possible activities on this family wildlife course and the programme will be tailored as closely as possible to the interests of the families present. You might go river dipping, sampling invertebrates in the leaf litter or go for a nature walk in the beautiful countryside around Box Hill. You will set small mammal traps to get a close-up look at the creatures living in the grounds of Juniper Hall before releasing them back into their natural habitats.

Activities include: River Dipping, Minibeast Hunts, Small Mammal Trapping, Walking. Activity sites may be a short walk away.

The course will be taught by our tutors all greatly experiences at delivering high quality education to young children

All food, activities and accommodation are provided allowing you all to enjoy a half-term break.

The course is suitable for families with children aged 4 – 8 years. Please note: You will be sharing a room with just you and your family.

Example Timetable

Friday arrival at 5pm

Welcome talk and look through the course program.

Dinner

Team Challenges on the lawn

Set Humane Mammal Traps and moth trap (if weather permitting)

 

Saturday

Open small mammal traps and moth traps to discover what nocturnal life lives within the Juniper Hall grounds and reset them for a daytime trap

Wolly Worm Camouflage game- can you be a bird and find the woolly worms hidden on the lawns?

Invertebrate hunt in grassland –use sweep nets in the meadow to look for life living in there.

Lunch (at the river if weather permitting)

Drive to the river Tillingbourne.

Families sample the river to see what invertebrate life lives there.

Mini rafts and duck races – design and make your family mini rafts to race down the river, will your ducks stay onboard? Who’s will be the fastest?

Microscopes and invertebrate passports – take a closer look at some of the invertebrates you have found today.

Dinner

Campfire and songs.

Setting humane Mammal Traps (if requested by group)

Sunday

Open humane mammal traps and footprint traps to see what mammals have been in the grounds of Juniper Hall over-night. (if traps set the night before).

Set off on a nature walk to the lodge hill woodland (Box Hill), this short walk is a chance to enjoy some of the beautiful views and some of the local nature to be seen.

Shelter Building on lodge hill

Lunch in the woods (weather permitting)

Orienteering – Follow a map around the grounds of Juniper Hall to find the hidden markers.

Natural Art – families reflect on their time at Juniper Hall and create some natural art, inspired by Andy Goldsworthy to express their personal highlights.

Review of the course

4pm Course Ends

All activities are subject to change due to weather conditions and the needs of the group

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  Expert Tuition
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  Free Wi-Fi
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  Full Board Accommodation
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  Hot and Cold Drinks
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  In Course Transport

In-course transport is provided for families. As per the latest government guidance, Field Studies Council do not provide car seats for our minibuses, if you require your child to travel in a car seat you will need to provide your own.

What to bring

Please bring the following with you if you can:

• Binoculars
• Camera
• Waterproof clothing
• Stout shoes (wellies can be borrowed from the Centre at no extra cost)
• Lunchbox
• Water bottle and/or thermos flask
• Small rucksack