The sessions which started at the end of last year with a winter tree ID afternoon, before moving this week to lichens and mosses, are already proving to be very popular.

Currently being held monthly at the Trust’s Hauxley nature reserve, it is hoped that, once the weather gets warmer, they will be fortnightly and will include plant and bird identification as well as beach sessions on what lives in the sea and along the Northumberland coastline.

Led by Trust education officer Alex Reynolds, the hand-on sessions are aimed primarily at 7–10-year-olds, with the aim of encouraging independent thought and questioning skills, social interaction and confidence building as well as nurturing a love of nature that can last a lifetime.

Alex Reynolds says:

“I believe all children should have equal opportunity to access nature whether you're educated at home or at school. At the Trust we champion outdoor learning and bringing classroom topics into real-world context and I'm delighted to offer this opportunity in addition to our traditional in-school education offer.”

The sessions are free, but places are limited and need to be booked by emailing Alex at alexandra.reynolds@northwt.org.uk.