Early years nature lessons enjoyed on Meadows Day

Five-year-old Connie Thorley, from Selby, ticks wildlife off her list at a Discovery Day held at Three Hagges Wood-Meadow at Escrick, near York. Picture by Mike Cowling.

More than 130 visitors explored wildlife at Three Hagges Wood-Meadow in Escrick at the weekend which organisers said they hoped would boost children’s knowledge of nature.

A recent survey by national charity Plantlife revealed that one of the nation’s best-loved wildflowers, the common native bluebell, was completely unrecognisable to 49 per cent of people aged 16-24.

Rosalind Forbes Adam, chairwoman of the Hagge Woods Trust, said: “It is one of the fundamental aims of the Three Hagges Wood project to teach children about nature and instil in them the joy of learning about birds, flowers, butterflies, insects and trees.

“We believe that if children start to appreciate nature in all its beauty and variety when they are young, they are likely to value and love it for ever.”

At the Three Hagges event, children learnt how to identify wildflowers and the difference between dragonflies and damselflies, how to calculate the age of trees, investigate owl pellets for dietary clues and detect pond life.

Drop-in guided meadow walks are on offer this weekend at The Yorkshire Arboretum at Castle Howard, between 10am and 4pm both days. No advanced booking is required.