Tree Trail opened

Follow the Tree trail- 

For visitors with time on their hands at the Field Centre our Education Assistant team has developed a self guided trail around some of the trees on the estate. This is aimed at our younger visitors and links into an informative display in Darwin building with more detailed information about living trees, woodland and  deadwood. 

 Adrian Pickles

Keystage 1 and 2 residential groups at FSC Preston Montford- Learning Outside the Classroom

Bomere Heath, Cleves, Cranford, Eversfield,  Holy Trinity, King Henry VIII, North London Collegiate, Oxon, South Farnham, Surrey Hills and Tettenhall College have all brought junior school groups to work with us at FSC Preston Montford this spring.Every programme is developed individually for each school but there are a number of common experiences. 

Visiting the exploratorium and orienteering around the grounds have been done by practically all groups.

Natural history is usually encountered on the Centre estate in lessons around the ponds and woods. After lessons the resident snails provide a great source of interest particularly on the warm, damp evenings there have been so many of this year. The commonest snails are the banded Cepaea nemoralis which come in a variety of colours and forms.

For history and heritage the fantastic Victorian opportunities provided by Ironbridge are always a popular choice and an adventurous exploration of the Shropshire Hills feature in most programmes.

Juniors students are always enthusiastic and they certainly make the Centre come alive whether they are singing around a bonfire in the evening or making dens in the bushes before work starts in the morning

Adrian Pickles

Wild Flowers at Llanymynech

Fiona Gomersall ran a successful Wild Flower day at Llanymynech on June 16th...There will be a further visit to see the late summer flowers in August.

Contact enquiries.pm@field-studies-council for more details

Bee hotel has residents....

Following on from this year's successful courses on Solitary Bees and Bumblebees run by Ian Cheeseborough we are pleased to announce that the FSC Preston Montford Bee Hotel has residents in one of the rustic style accommodation blocks.

 You can tell they are resident because they shut the door behind them

Ian will be running a weekend course on Dragonflies and Damselflies from July 6- 8th this year and the bee and dragonfly courses will be running again in 2012

Adrian Pickles

May flies by and here we are in June..

This adult Green Drake ducked out on the windowsill of the Darwin Building library on May 31st.
 

Adrian Pickles

Dragonfly cast-offs come in handy

A day on Dragonflies and Damselflies was organised by Gareth Parry the Shropshire County Council Wildlife Officer. This was held at FSC Preston Montford making use of our ponds and was lead by Sue McLamb, the Shropshire County Dragonfly recorder. Sarah Anstis-Smith attended from the field centre adding to her local knowledge and also some dragonfly exuviae to our collection of interesting things for visitors to look at.