Education at Severn Valley Country Park
Severn Valley Country Park offers a variety of educational activities that make for a great morning, afternoon or whole day out. The wonderful rural setting along one of the most beautiful stretches of the River Severn, comprises a great mix of habitats from reclaimed land to semi-natural ancient woodland; fantastic for looking at adaptations to habitats or even taking part in activities such as orienteering and map-reading skills.
All of the activities provided at the Park are delivered by qualified rangers, and have valuable links with the national curriculum in the Key stages 1 & 2 sciences, geography and history.
Mini-beast hunts: Finding mini-beasts is very easy and great fun for all age groups. Children can act as nature detectives for an enjoyable but informative session looking at creatures in different habitats, and finding out how and where they live. Identification and recording skills are developed in conjunction with an understanding of a variety of wildlife and their habitats. Children will be amazed at the number and variety of creatures they will find. Using sweep nets and log searching, children can collect and study mini-beasts from various habitats. This allows them to observe and then consider the adaptations that these invertebrates have made to live under different conditions.
Severn Valley Country Park
Orienteering: While participating in an enjoyable physical activity children can study various subjects such as geography, natural history and of course map reading. The activity can be pitched at any level to suit their learning age as there are three levels of difficulty available. Reading and writing skills as well as map reading, team building and personal development can all be achieved through this activity
Pond dipping: Illustrating a method of sampling the rich diversity of life within a pond habitat. Children of all ages and abilities can investigate different habitats and discover the different creatures that live within them. This can help with identification and recording skills, as well as understanding the relationships between creatures living in the same habitat. Ponds are an excellent place to study food chains, species distribution, the water cycle and the effects of pollution.
River study: The study of a river system, along with its flora and fauna can be both interesting and informative. The powerful effects of water erosion, and the opportunities for wildlife these create, can easily be seen along the banks of the River Severn. In addition, several smaller streams flow through the park and these can be traced from source to the Severn. The river’s importance as a trade route to the sea has had an effect on our national development, and its support of wildlife is vital to biodiversity locally.
The River Severn running through the Country Park.
Scavenger hunt: This is a simple activity in which children are given a list of things to find and collect. The list can include shapes or colours as well as naturally occurring objects such as feathers and leaves. This is an excellent way of getting children of all ages to look more closely at their environment, while at the same time enjoying themselves outdoors. It also promotes good observation skills. The activity can be altered to accommodate the children’s age and ability. For older children, lists can be made more complex to add greater interest to the exercise.
- For further infomation please visit the Park’s website
- Email: outdoor.recreation@shropshire.gov.uk
- Phone: 01746 781192
