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Description

A walk exploring Nowton Park, navigating with maps, with a maze challenge.

Resources

- Print-outs of: (i) Nowton Park map; (ii) maze map. Enough for one between 2 or 3 Beavers.
- Wipeable pens to mark points on map.
- Pencils
- Paper
- crayons

Instructions

In advance:
- Tell adults that: (i) We will be meeting at Nowton Park for a navigation and exploring session. We'll meet at the picnic tables next to the car park; (ii) Beavers to dress appropriately (e.g. in Summer bring a water bottle, waterproof top, and sun hat); (iii) Finish time back at car park.

Meeting:
- As Beavers arrive, ask them to split into groups of 2 or 3, and give each group a map. Ask them to: (i) work out where we are; (ii) find the toilets, football pitch, and maze on the map; (iii) use the key to see what else we might find on a walk through the park.
- Once all have arrived and have had a look at the map, do the opening ceremony.
- Tell all of the key risks: crossing road, open water, trip hazard, thorny and sharp plants, lost child.
- Discuss: (i) how to dress appropriately; and (ii) the equipment we will need. Check that Beavers have a waterproof top, water bottle and sun hat.

Navigating:
- Mark on the maps the first location: the bug hotels. Ask Beavers to work out which way we need to walk to get there. Then all walk there together.
- At the bug hotels, decide where to explore (the answer is the maze).
- Mark on the maps the second location: the pit in the woods. Ask Beavers to work out which way we need to walk to get there.
- At the pit, discuss what we expect to find on the walk.
- Mark on the maps the third location: the beehive. Ask Beavers to work out which way we need to walk to get there. Walk there. Find a pine cone on the way.
- Ask Beavers to find the fourth location on the map: the woodland garden. Ask Beavers to work out which way we need to walk to get there. All go together, potentially via the bird hide, and take care crossing the road. Find blackberries on the way.
- Ask Beavers to find the fifth location on the map: the maze. Ask Beavers to work out which way we need to walk to get there. Walk there. Find a golden leaf on the way.

Maze:
- Beavers hand back maps.
- Send a leader and adult to the middle of the maze with the maps. Keep a leader at the entrance to the maze, with other adults.
- Beavers told no running in the maze, no crawling through hedges, and warned of overgrown bushes and brambles.
- Beavers find their way to middle of maze.
- Wait for all to get to middle.
- Then hand out maps, pencil and paper, and ask Beavers to use the map to find as many animal signs as they can in the maze in 5 minutes. (the animals are: frog, deer, hedgehog, rabbit, owl, cat, fox, wolf, beehive, dogs, duck, squirrel.
- Call Beavers back to entrance, and ensure all reach entrance.

Exploring:
- Lead Beavers back the quick way, past the residential home, over the road, and down the avenue. On the way:
- do a bark rubbing
- identify redwood trees. One is 140 years old, 40m high, but still only 1/3rd of the height of the tallest tree in the world, which is also a coast redwood.
- find blackberries, butterflies, bench, bee, deer.
- the lime avenue is from about 1880, and is one of the best in the country. There are about 100,000 daffodils along the avenue in spring.

Back at car park:
- Beavers to feedback what they found on the walk
- Closing ceremony.

Tags

(none)

Badge Links

• Adventure - Outdoor activity
• Adventure - Walk
• Explore - Explain
• Explore - Explore
• Explore - Predict
• Explore - What and where
• Navigator - Equipment
• Navigator - Features
• Navigator - Key
• Navigator - Locate
• Navigator - Use map
• Navigator - Use map