Waterlooville family awarded for showing appreciation of natural world with fun outdoor activities
FAMILIES showed their appreciation for the natural world by taking part in fun outdoor activities.
People from across the south east took part in the John Muir Award programme over the spring and summer months – doing everything from nature walks in the woods to building bug hotels.
Inspired by the ‘founding father’ of the National Park movement, John Muir, over 70 families explored green spaces on their doorstep – ranging from gardens to parks or nature reserves.
Those who completed over 25 hours of nature-based activities earned themselves a Family John Muir Award.
Waterlooville mum Vicki Stewart and her sons Hugo, six, and Charlie, eight, were among the families to claim an award after exploring the national park, including Butser Hill and Queen Elizabeth Country Park.
She said: ‘We loved every minute of it. We had not long got a puppy so we thought it was a brilliant way for us to explore more of the local area.
‘Then we went into lockdown and it became a great excuse to just get outside and get some fresh air.
‘At first we did loads of research and found out about the local area we live and where we could explore. We didn’t realise how many amazing places we had access to.
‘My boys just loved the exploring part – they’re little adventurers. They would get all their gear on and binoculars ready and it felt like a big day out for them.’
The inspiring scheme was spearheaded by the National Park’s new families outreach officer, Siân Jones, who produced a series of newsletters and things-to-do sheets, packed with ideas of fun nature-based activities families could do at little cost.
Over 70 families signed up to the newsletters and used them as inspiration for activities over the summer, sharing their experiences with others.
‘It’s been so lovely working with all the families and hearing about how much they’ve enjoyed the experience,’ Siân said.
‘One of our participants summed it up for me with their testimonial: “It makes you realise how precious nature is”.’
Over the next year, Siân and her team will be trialling more face-to-face family work with charities such as Enable Ability, which is Portsmouth-based and works with young people who have a disability.
For more information about completing a John Muir award with the National Park please visit www.southdowns.gov.uk/john-muir-award-in-the-south-downs-national-park/