Freshwater Fun

We once again teamed up with the National Trust South Lakes team to put on the Family Activity day at Hoathwaite Campsite near Coniston at the start of the summer holidays. The activities included dipping in the nearby beck, badge making, pebble painting and stone skimming. We also had an info section on water quality testing, how we use freshwater invertebrates as natural indicators and also how we dip test regularly throughout our conservation work.

The moth trap had been set up the evening before so it it was exciting to show people what we had caught, though many of them flew off before we had a chance to identify them!

To celebrate International Year of the Salmon we commissioned Steve & Simone from Willowpool Designs to help make willow fish on the day, that could be taken home. The Salmon Run game from last year got an upgrade and we made salmon bunting to hang from the  gazebo. The Salmon run was very popular and the weir proved tricky to pass over.

The National Trust also ran activities with a water theme – making dragonflies and masks, embedded water facts & figures and how to make clouds!

The weather turned out to be better on the day than originally forecast and we got busier as the day went one. Everyone who came along enjoyed themselves, have fun exploring the beck and took home some lovely crafted creations.

“We had great fun with the crafts, enjoyed looking at the beasts and learnt facts about water. Thank you”