The summer holidays are here!

The summer holidays are a particularly interesting time for us in the education team. Schools are enjoying their break, so our warm summer days are spent leading a variety of different groups to locations that we unfortunately only get to visit occasionally during the rest of the year.

Getting close to nature!

Summer 2017 has been a whirlwind of outings and sessions: Our Family Wildlife Safari group have just left (having spent the week hunting for the “Big 5” creatures in various tranquil and scenic locations all around Shropshire), the Young Darwin Scholarship group are in next week for an action packed residential and the Secret Hills walking holiday gets underway.

Last week we had a new group – the “Duke of Edinburgh’s Award Biodiversity and Conservation residential”. A group of 16/17 year olds who didn’t know each other came to FSC Preston Montford to learn more about biodiversity and conservation, and also to improve their social skills. The group spent the week getting to know each other, whilst we guided them around the county in a variety of tasks from surveying Darwin’s childhood garden to bracken bashing with the National Trust and a Spider identification workshop here at FSC Preston Montford. Keen photographers took part in a photo competition, with some brilliant results (see below!). Knowledge was built up and all left with new friends – a great week that will also help them complete their Gold DofE!

Three brilliant competition photos

Good times have been had by all, with many memories being made! The life of an FSC tutor is certainly a varied one!

We are looking forward to the return of our regular programme in September when the first of the next wave of school groups return to our door. If you are interested in exploring Shropshire with us next summer, then book yourself onto one of our summer courses – we’re certainly looking forward to them!

Jonathan Calcraft, Education Team

For more information about the courses offered at FSC Preston Montford please go to http://www.field-studies-council.org/centres/prestonmontford.aspx, alternatively please contact us on enquiries.pm@field-studies-council.org or telephone us on 01743 852040.