Education and outdoor learning

Park rangers take groups around the Country Park to learn all about the woodland and beach habitats. This can involve a beach themed handling session, a woodland exploration and a beach hunt looking for all types of seashore life, shells and fossils. Sessions last from one to two hours and are based upon Key Stage 1 and 2 in Science, with links to English and PSHE skills. 

Both sessions starts with a 30-minute handling of seaweed, crabs, shellfish, and geological items, such as fossils, at the country park. Students get to see, smell, touch and learn about seashore life and the rocks and fossils found along this section of coast.

Students enjoy a walk around the park's 22 hectares of woodland, learning about the wildlife and habitats which includes red squirrels, dormice, and bats. You will also discover how the Island's woodland is different to the mainland woodland, as we have no deer, and how being separated from the mainland has helped local wildlife preservation.

We then take a footpath down to the beach to enjoy a shoreline rummage, looking for some of the things they saw earlier and being encouraged to search out seashore and rock pool life.

You can choose to focus on either the beach or woodland habitat.

Beach walk to explore the coastline and habitats after learning about various creatures during the handling session. Students will enjoy a shoreline rummage on the beach. We ask you to help our rangers by finding different types of seaweed, shells and looking for crabs and sea anemones, as well as stones and fossils.

Or you can choose a woodlands wander around our woods looking at the woodland habitats and learning about the plants and animals that make use of them. We also discuss how separation from the mainland has benefitted some of our wildlife.

Our rangers can also provide other outdoor learning activities such as:

• a rockpool rummage
• woodland exploration
• art
• bespoke learning for older students, such as GCSE and A-level.

Costs for these outings

The 2023 cost is £5.00 per child. Minimum charge £70.00 (15 children).

To find out more, contact our ranger on 01983 760860. Alternatively, you can email commercial.services@iow.gov.uk, or visit the Ranger's office.