In January this Year all the Year 7 pupils went to Wat Tyler Country Park for a day of activities linked to their studies into the environment. at Tyler Country Park is heavily involved in preserving the local environment and has a variety of different habitats suiting a large proportion of the local plant and wildlife.

Each tutor group spent a day at the park which involved a number of different activities. Each group was taken around the park and told about the history of the park and what the site had been used for in the past. In the past, like Canvey Island, the Saxons used the area for farming sheep. The milk from the sheep was then used to make cheese. In more recent times (during World War II), the area was used as an explosives factory and evidence can still be seen around the park in the form of the earth mounds (which were used to store the highly unstable and explosive chemical Cordite) and a old Pill Box, which was used to defend Timberman's Creek. Finally, it was turned into the park we know today.This included recreation, industry, conservation and leisure.

Photographs

Click on the thumbnail for a larger image.

At the end of the walk, we all walked through the sensory garden and discussed how it was designed to appeal to all the senses so that even people with disabilities (including the blind) could appreciate the wonder of nature. Another activity on offer was pond dipping. This involved using a net to collect creatures from some ponds in the park. These ponds have been created specifically for this purpose and hold a wealth of pond life for the children to collect and identify using the pictures supplied to them. This was an enjoyed activity that all the children enjoyed thoroughly. At one point during the day we all went to the RSPB centre at the park and were given a talk on the conservation of birds and their habitats. Following this we went into a bird hide. This is a darkened hut used by birdwatchers to observe the birds without frightening them.

Photographs

Click on the thumbnail for a larger image.

All the Children had a pair of binoculars and were able to observe a number of birds in their natural habitat. Birds seen included coots, moorhens and a swan amongst many others. The final activity was the adventure playground. even this had been built with conservation in mind and designed to be in keeping with the park. Most of the equipment is made of wood which has been collected from sustainable sources. Overall, a great day was had by all.