As always, the Friends of Rushcliffe Country Park (FoRCP) have been hard at work building new activities and facilities and upgrading existing ones to give visitors of all ages a fun and educational experience.
Here are just a few of their latest projects:
A 5* Bug Hotel – the ‘Bug Ritz’. A chain of bug hotels is currently under construction in the Park, offering a cosy retreat to creepy crawlies of all kinds. The first Bug Ritz has been built in the recently-refurbished tree nursery, whilst Bug Ritz 2 is located in the Activity woodland. Both hotels have been made from recycled materials and are already welcoming a host of visitors from the insect kingdom.
Message in a Bottle. A new kids’ activity, message in a bottle involves children using a specially-designed sheet (available from the Visitors’ Centre) to locate 15 children who’ve been stranded on individual islands following a shipwreck.
Only 14 children have been found so far and by following the messages around the Park, you can work out where each one has been stranded, eventually discovering the name and location of the missing 15th child.
Sensory Trail upgrades. The popular Sensory Trail, located near the Visitors’ Centre, has received a few enhancements recently, including a set of giant hit-pipes.
These discarded pipes from floating islands have been given a new lease of life as musical instruments, creating super-deep sounds when hit with the paddle provided.
A new pan-stacking puzzle has also been added to the Trail, and the buckets have been replaced with 16 new ones featuring wildlife images and tessellation patterns for kids to enjoy.
For more information on FoRCP, their activities and how to get involved, please visit www.friends-of-rcp.co.uk.
With thanks to Roger Bryne.
By Faye Stenson