15 November 2024
Our Hertfordshire site is nestled within areas of ancient broadleaved woodland and sweeping grassland. Hornbeams twist their way through a canopy of old oaks covering a rich carpet of woodland plants, including the iconic British bluebell. This biodiverse woodland supports a variety of creatures that children may be lucky enough to spot during their stay. Glimpsing a lizard slither through the grass, a bat swooping between the trees or a badger scurrying amongst the leaves is a truly magical experience.
We feel a great responsibility to protect our wonderful woodland for future children to enjoy. Click here to read more about what we are doing to support conservation. (link to sustainability page).
Why do children need nature?
Why time in nature is more important now than ever before:
- Limited exposure to natural environments is increasingly being shown to contribute to negative mental and physical health ramifications.
- Children spend more time indoors now than ever before, this coupled with increased screen time and access to social media is have detrimental impacts on children’s wellbeing (Child Mind Institute).
Benefits of time in nature:
- Increased confidence: Access to large safe spaces allows children to have control over their actions and build confidence in their own abilities.
- Promotes creativity and imagination: unstructured play allows children to interact meaningfully with their surroundings, allowing them to think more freely and approach the world in a more inventive way.
- Responsibility: Entrusting children to be around other living things (bugs, plants etc) and allowing them to experience the consequences of mistreating a minibeast or pulling a flower out by its roots teaches responsibility.
- Exercise: Children very rarely have access to space to simply run, play and jump. Not only does this improve their physical health but it has also been shown to help cognitive function, improving focus, particularly in children with ADHD.
- Reduced stress: Time in nature has repeatedly been shown to lower stress levels and cognitive exhaustion.
Overview of the three main habit types at our Hertfordshire activity centre
- Woodland
- Lowland mixed deciduous woodland
- Neutral grassland
- Site contains areas of ancient woodland, 12 areas of semi-ancient woodland within 1 km of the site boundary.
- Site has a range of tree species, and is rich in woodland plants such as bluebells, dogs’ mercury and wood melick.
- The surrounding lanes are lined with old hedgerows and broad-leaved trees.
- Areas of ancient woodland filled with hornbeam, pedunculate oak and wild cherry trees
- Next to one of the only remaining areas of unimproved calcareous grassland in Hertfordshire. SSSI
- Our pod village is situated in an area of grassland bordered by beautiful broadleaved woodland .
- Four species of protected birds on site: Red Kite, Firecrest, Redwing, and Fieldfare
- Common Lizards on site
- Ten protected bat species present on site
- Roost in the woodland
- Badgers found on site
- Birds
- Red Kite
- Firecrest
- Redwing
- Fieldfare
- Lesser Spotted Woodpecker
- Tawny Owl
- Common Lizard
- Common Toad
- 10 species of bat
- Pipistrelle Bat
- Brown Long-eared Bat
- Noctule Bat
- Badger
- Fox
- Brown Hare
- Glis glis
- Muntjac
