| Hello, |
| I'm delighted to welcome you to our Wildlife Club, |
| and very pleased that you're interested in the countryside |
| and the plants and creatures of this area. |
| I think you'll be surprised at the variety we have here, |
| even though we're not far from London. |
| I'll start by telling you about some of the parks and open spaces nearby. |
| One very pleasant place is Halland Common. |
| This has been public land for hundreds of years, |
| and what you'll find interesting is that the River Ouse, which flows into the sea eighty kilometres away, |
| has its source in the common. |
| There's an information board about the plants and animals you can see here, |
| and by the way, the common is accessible 24 hours a day. |
| Then there's Holt Island, which is noted for its great range of trees. |
| In the past willows were grown here commercially for basket-making, |
| and this ancient craft has recently been reintroduced. |
| The island is only open to the public from Friday to Sunday, |
| because it's quite small, |
| and if there were people around every day, much of the wildlife would keep away. |
| From there it's just a short walk across the bridge to Longfield Country Park. |
| Longfield has a modern replica of a farm from over two thousand years ago. |
| Children's activities are often arranged there, like bread-making and face-painting. |
| The park is only open during daylight hours, so bear that in mind if you decide to go there. |
| Longfield Park has a programme of activities throughout the year, |
| and to give you a sample, this is what's happening in the next few days. |
| On Monday you can learn about herbs, and how they've been used over the centuries. |
| You'll start with a tour of our herb garden, |
| practise the technique of using them as colour dyes for cloth, |
| and listen to an illustrated talk about their use in cooking and medicine. |
| Then on Wednesday you can join local experts to discover the variety of insects and birds that appear in the evening. |
| We keep to a small number of people in the group, |
| so if you want to go, you'll need to phone the park ranger a few days ahead. |
| There's a small charge, which you should pay when you turn up. |
| I'm sure you're all keen to help with the practical task of looking after the park, |
| so on Saturday you can join a working party. |
| You'll have a choice of all sorts of activities, from planting hedges to picking up litter, |
| so you'll be able to change from one to another when you feel like it. |
| The rangers will be hard at work all day, |
| but do come and join in, even for just a short while. |
| One thing, though, is to make sure you're wearing something that you don't mind getting dirty or torn. |
| And finally I'd like to tell you about our new wildlife area, Hinchingbrooke Park, |
| which will be opened to the public next month. |
| This slide doesn't really indicate how big it is, |
| but anyway, you can see the two gates into the park, and the main paths. |
| As you can see, there's a lake in the north west of the park, |
| with a bird hide to the west of it, at the end of a path. |
| So it'll be a nice quiet place for watching the birds on the lake. |
| Fairly close to where refreshments are available, |
| there's a dog-walking area in the southern part of the park, leading off from the path. |
| And if you just want to sit and relax, you can go to the flower garden; |
| that's the circular area on the map surrounded by paths. |
| And finally, there's a wooded area in the western section of the park, between two paths. |
| Okay, that's enough from me, so let's... |