In a week that started with rain and ended with storm Eunice, it was incredible to find ourselves welcoming 71 children and 38 adults on a sunny morning for our Winter Tree Trail in Pembroke Lodge Gardens on Thursday 17th February.
As they were welcomed each child was given a mini guide for the trail with a pencil, a promise that they will have a fun time and a surprise activity at the end. As they walked around they were guided by volunteers who showed them various tactile samples of wood, bark and twigs. They also helped the children with identifying various trees and taught them about how trees function.
We all took in the beautiful gardens and marveled at all the plants including the seasonal patches of snowdrops.
Unusual trees such as the Persian Ironwood and Himalayan birches were spotted and discussed as well as the hazels’ catkins, tiny red flowers and some of the evergreens. At the end of the trail the children were invited to make a paper pot out of old newspaper and they planted a seed and took this home to watch it grow into a tree.
It was a fun morning in the winter sun and we all learnt a lot
