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• Developing Wyre Estuary Country Park as an educational resource

• Date:

  20th February 2008

• Contact:

  Sarah Egerton

• Organisation:

  The Civic Trust

Green Flag Award-winning Stanah Picnic Site at Wyre Estuary Country Park has become a valuable resource for school pupils after a chance query from a local teacher.

Following a discussion about a school group visit to the park Mrs Wards, a teacher at Hodgson High School in Poulton-le-Fylde, enquired about the possibility of the site’s rangers helping out with an after and out of term time, school activity.

Country Park Manager Charlie Pass gave this some thought and came up with an idea for a project which would make this possible. Analysis of recent site visitor surveys had illustrated that facilities for children were limited and could be expanded.  He suggested the students lend a helping hand with a nature trail project at the park. The family area at the park was the ideal location to develop this and a small woodland area could feature the development of the new woodland trail to be designed and constructed with the help of the students and volunteers.

The high school students were invited to the park late last summer to familiarise themselves with the area and develop their ideas and trail designs onto paper.  The designs were constructed and illustrated in the Wyreside Visitor Centre for visitors to see throughout the autumn and winter.

In the new year, Mrs Ward and the students got together at a site meeting to generate the first development stages of the trail. This led on to students researching about local wildlife that is found at the country park, particularly concentrating on the local flora and trees.  This information will be used to create a series of illustrated hand wooden carvings to be placed in the small woodland.  The students are also developing an activity trail pack which visitors can collect from the Wyreside Visitor Centre as an aid to discovering the trail.  Future exciting developments and ideas for the trail also include a Minibeast Safari, Estuary Wildlife, and Recycling.

Mr Pass said: “This is a fantastic project that developed from an initial talk about a school visit.  It has long term goals and is achievable.  The involvement of local communities is paramount to the management and development of the Wyre Estuary Country Park.  Thanks to Mrs Ward and students from Hodgson High School for all your work.”