Young Carers Go Wild

When we're running around the woods, playing and having fun it's easy to forget that many children do not have the opportunity to do so because they are a 'young carer'.

Young carers are children and young people who look after someone in their family who has a disability, a long term illness, or is affected by mental ill health or substance misuse. Young carers may look after parents, care for a brother or sister, or other relative. The average age of a young carer is 12 and they take on responsibilities normally only expected of an adult.

Research indicates that 1:12 young people in UK secondary schools are either impacted by family ill health or carry a caring responsibility. This means that their childhood is far from carefree.

This month we teamed up with Flamingo Foundation for a day of adventure for young carers in Bristol.

We spent the day in the woods, running around playing 'coo-ee', discovering hiding places and new trees, learning to light fires safely, cooking our lunch over an open fire and, of course, stuffing our faces with sausages, popcorn and marshmallows (although not all at the same time)
 
We had such a good time, more are planned for 2015 so watch this space!

A Little Book for Nature Investigators

This Summer I was invited to write the foreword for Canopy & Star's Little Book for Nature Investigators.

This lovely little booklet is for all budding Nature Investigators who enjoy exploring the wild outdoors. There are four packs full of amazing facts, games, puzzles and jokes plus the Nature Investigators Passport to keep track of your progress. What's more, if you post your finished passport to Canopy & Stars, they'll send you a Brilliant Certificate of Completion!

Here's how to get hold of the book and start investigating:  

1. Print out the whole book in landscape format. The pages ordered for fun foldy booklet making OR

2. Download the whole book to view on screen (take it with you on your tablet) OR

3. Print or download the Nature Investigators Passport for any budding Investigators who might want their own.