On 6th February 2008, both year 2 classes visited Mop End Environmental Centre to look at signs of Winter.  Luckily, the recent heavy rain held off and it was a bright, sunny day, although quite cold.  Leaders from the centre took the children out and about to undertake a variety of tasks -  feeling trees, making 'smelly cocktails', listening for sounds, burying nuts and making glis glis nests.

A glis glis is similar to a dormouse with a bushy tail and is only found in the Chilterns area.

A big thank you to the helpers who gave up their time to come with us!

'Feeling the trees' involved feeling a tree whilst blindfolded and then trying to find it again using the sense of touch - not as easy as it sounds in a wood!

Listening for sounds of the woods and drawing what we could see and hear - mostly birds and leaves and trees.

This group are looking for different natural objects  to stick on their colour palettes - luckily no-one caught a squirrel to win the £10 prize!

Each child was given 2 broad beans ( pretend nuts) and they had to bury them in a small copse.  Then 20 minutes later, they had to try to find them again.  Squirrels do this every Autumn for their winter hoard.

Groups of 4 were given a 'glis glis' ( really a plastic cup and a paper glis glis outline).  Their task was to find a warm place for a nest.  Then they were filled with 'blood' (a Centre secret!) and the temperature was taken. 

15 minutes later, the temperature of the 'blood' was taken to see how successful the nest site had been. 

This nest wasn't as successful as one placed under shrubs in the sun.