Day 87 - Wild Wednesday: Meadow Magic

The last Wild Wednesday with Derbyshire Wildlife Trust. This week the them was 'Meadow Magic' and I was the only volunteer who could make it so there were only two of us to run the event but luckily for us, it wasn't as busy as the previous four Wild Wednesdays have been, so we managed fine.

I didn't take many photos at all as I was either at the desk for greeting and signing in families or running the sweep netting or fire sessions so I didn't have chance to take photos of many of the activities. Today we made shieldbug shields (colour in an A4 shieldbug, cut it out and add a strip of card to the back to make it into a 'shield'!), butterfly feeders, painted pebble bugs, cooked bread on the camp fire (with optional honey for dipping). There was also bug hunting with sweep nets (on my session we caught a butterfly, three caterpillars, a few shield bugs and spiders and a lot of froghoppers) and there was also a 'meadow trail' where children learned about the food plants of several butterflies and moths.

Whilst I was at the desk, this shieldbug fell (or was blown) out of the tree next to me, and fell to the desk with a thud!  I think it was slightly dazed, but it did recover and was put back on the tree.

It was a good day - and despite looking threatening a few times, it didn't rain on us! I will look forward to volunteering for future Wild Wednesdays and I'm glad I've been able to help each week this summer.  I'm shattered this evening, though I think that has more to do with my 1am bedtimes this week the nights before full days of Wildplay.  I could really do with a day off tomorrow but I said I'd do another day of Wildplay for SWT as my boss there is seven months pregnant and beginning to struggle with the all outdoors days!