I ddarllen y blog yma yng Nghymraeg cliciwch yma os gwelwch yn ddaThis summer I have taken on the role of RSPB Cymru’s Family Events Officer in the local green spaces of Swansea. Being passionate about nature it’s great to spread the joy I get from being immersed in the natural world with others, especially to a younger generation of budding wildlife detectives! The role requires engaging up to 1,250 children with nature through a range of hands on experiences in Swansea’s wild spaces.
Experiences include discovering all our urban birds where children can use binoculars and identify a range of species using our guides. We also have minibeast challenges where children can search under rocks, leaf litter and crevices to find all kinds of invertebrates and examine them under the microscope.
Above: Images by David Broadbent (rspb-images.com)
Where possible I or a volunteer accompany families to help them in their quest to discover our urban wildlife. For little explorers who want to get involved, treasure hunts are available for getting to grips with the colours, shapes and textures of different wild objects that can be found all around us. Pond dipping experiences are also always fun as children not only learn to identify what critters live in ponds but also learn about the life cycles of these beasties, inspiring them to continue to discover our wonderful wildlife year on year.
One of my favourite activities to undertake, however, is rock pooling. I love it because you never know what you’re going to find from one pool to the next and I love that each area is different. The possibilities of what you might discover are endless! Guides, buckets and nets are provided and our volunteers are on hand to offer some top tips, encouraging children to care about these habitats.
A new activity that I’m looking forward to running in the next few weeks is our coastal butterfly walks. As I am quite passionate about butterflies and moths I am very aware that these beautiful insects are in rapid decline and feel it’s important to inspire the next generation to care about them and discover how we can help boost their numbers. Coastal areas are one of the best places to see them in the summer dancing amongst the heather, gorse and nettles and with the big butterfly count coming up in July it would be great to get as many families counting them as we can!
Every day is different in the RSPB so far and it’s great to get out in the wild and hear all about how families are enjoying our outdoors activities. I’m looking forward to what tomorrow will bring! If you’d like to receive more information about our free family events in Swansea you’re welcome to drop me an email on Cerys.Felton@rspb.org.uk