Environmental activities
Darley Park provides an ideal venue for discovering the wonders of nature and the impact of humans on the environment. The activities are split between Environmental Heritage, Environmental Wildlife and Environmental Discovery.
Environmental heritage
- Medieval life: Tour the park to find features, including plants, which would have been useful for living off the land in Medieval times. Complete a checklist to see which team could outsmart Robin Hood!
- Round the world in 80 minutes: Follow the park's tree trail to taste life as a Victorian plant collector, and find out about different countries on the way.
- Heritage: Look for clues to past uses of the park using old maps and pictures to spot the differences.
Environmental wildlife
- Habitats and ecosystems: Investigate and map Darley Parks natural habitats including woodland, meadow and rivers. Discover mini-beasts and birds,and find out about food webs and how people affect them.
- Tree activities: Find out the age of trees in the park (without feeling them!) and work out their height. Use branching keys to identify the different trees and investigate their leaves and bark, finding out which trees are best for wildlife.
Environmental discovery
- Sensory activities: Children and young people can use their senses and imaginations to:
- listen and identify the sounds of the park
- hunt for different colours to create a 'rainbow'
- create a smelly cocktail
- find different textures in a 'feelie walk'
- imagine life as an ant on the ground
- use mirrors to explore high up in the trees
- take part in a scavenger hunt.
- Survival hunt: Discover how useful natural resources can be. Find out how features in Darley Park, including many plants, would be useful if you were stuck in a wild place.
Ratio: One instructor to 30 participants.