Events and Learning at The Hornchurch Country Park – Jan and Feb

Events Diary

January – February 2020

Essex Wildlife Trust
Ingrebourne Valley Visitor Centre At Hornchurch Country Park,
Via Squadrons Approach Off Suttons Lane, Hornchurch
Essex RM12 6DF / Sat Nav: RM12 6TS

• • To book your place please call into the centre,or call 01708 520364 or email .
• • Please note: the majority of our events require advance booking and payment to secure a place unless otherwise stated.
• • Most of our events take place outside so please come prepared for the day’s weather with suitable clothing and footwear to stay safe and comfortable.
• • Children must be accompanied by an adult on all events unless otherwise stated.

JANUARY 2020

‘It’s never too late to get online’
Every Tuesday – Drop in between 10.30am-12.30pm
Come along to improve your computer and digital skills with help and advice from one of our friendly volunteers. We can help you with anything from setting up email accounts to ordering shopping online or using Skype. Bring along your laptop, tablet, phone or camera for help with your own device. No need to book. Meet at Ingrebourne Valley Visitor Centre reception desk. Free of charge Please Phone the Centre first on 01708 520364

Nature Tots – Parent and Toddler Group
Every Tuesday and Friday (excluding School Holidays) – 10.00am-midday
Indoor and outdoor fun for toddlers and pre-schoolers with their parents and carers;
woodland play, stories, learning through play and exploration.
£6 donation in advance per child per session, £4 additional siblings

Forest Schools –

Every Tuesday Afternoon 1.00pm – 2.30pm.
Learning through nature and play with trained Level 3 Forest School Leaders. Outdoors activities and fun in the woods. Gain skills and work towards confidence in the outdoors. Age pre school 2 ½ to 5 years

Donation £6.00 First Child, Siblings £4 (Children must be accompanied by an Adult) Booking essential.

Introduction to Wildlife. Date’s to be confirmed Time 10.00am – 12.00noon
Join local naturalist Dave McGough on a walk around Hornchurch Country park and surrounding area to experience the fantastic array of wildlife that the valley holds. Suitable for beginners. Please bring your own Binoculars. Meet at the Vistors Centre.
Donation: £5.00 per person. Booking Essential, Please Phone 01708 520364

Forest School Sundays. Date: 9th February 2020
Time 10.30am – 12.0pm.
Go outside and be active. Go bug hunting, den building, balance on a rope walk, make a hammock. Make a woodland craft, use tools, create wild art, play woodland games and learn how to light fires.
Children must be accompanied by an adult. Please wear suitable clothing for outdoors. Age 5+

Donation £6.00 First Child, Siblings £4 (Children must be accompanied by an Adult) Booking essential

February 2020

‘It’s never too late to get online’
Every Tuesday – Drop in between 10.30am-12.30pm
Come along to improve your computer and digital skills with help and advice from one of our friendly volunteers. We can help you with anything from setting up email accounts to ordering shopping online or using Skype. Bring along your laptop, tablet, phone or camera for help with your own device. No need to book. Meet at Ingrebourne Valley Visitor Centre reception desk. Free of charge Please Phone the Centre first on 01708 520364

Nature Tots – Parent and Toddler Group
Every Tuesday and Friday (excluding School Holidays) – 10.00am-midday
Indoor and outdoor fun for toddlers and pre-schoolers with their parents and careers;
woodland play, stories, learning through play and exploration.
£6 donation in advance per child per session, £4 additional siblings.

Forest Schools – Every Tuesday Afternoon 1.00pm – 2.30pm. Staring on 8th January 2020
Learning through nature and play with trained Level 3 Forest School Leaders. Outdoors activities and fun in the woods. Gain skills and work towards confidence in the outdoors. Age pre school 2/1/2 to 5 years
Donation £6.00 First Child, Siblings £4 (Children must be accompanied by an Adult) Booking essential

Bugs & Beastie Thursday 8th February 10.00am – 11.00am, 11.00am – 12.00pm. come and explore the different habitats at Hornchurch Country Park. Go on a Bug Hunt and find many of the Insects that live in the Ingrebourne Valley. All equipment supplied. Suitable for ages 3+. Please dress to suit the weather. Donation £6.00 per person Booking required

Family Forest School After School Club. Dates: 13th, 27th, February, 13th, 27th March. Time: 3.45pm -5.15pm. Location: Ingrebourne Valley.
Forest School a club is based outdoors in the woods. Gain skills and work towards achieving confidence in the outdoors. Take part in the den building, rope work, bushcraft skills.
Children must be accompanied by an adult. Please wear suitable clothing for outdoors.
Donation £6.00 First Child, Siblings £4 (Children must be accompanied by an Adult) Booking essential
Please Phone 01708 520364

February Half Term

Bird Feeders 15th February, 10.30am – 3.00pm Come along anytime between 10.30am and 3.00pm and get messy making a bird feeder for the birds to feast on, great fun for all. Donation: £3.00 per child Adults and children welcome
Homes & Habitats Monday 17th February, Just Turn Up between 10.00am – 3.30pm come along to the Country Park and go on a walk to find the answer to our wildlife homes and habitat trial, great fun for all solving the clues and back to the centre to receive your Prize. Pease wear suitable clothing for muddy paths. Donation: £3.00 per child.

Bird Box Making. Thursday 18th February 12.00am – 1.30pm, 1.30pm – 2.30pm
Make our feathered friends a nest box We will show you step by step how to make a nest box for a robin or Blue Tit. Children must be accompanied
Donation £6.00 per child. Suitable for ages 5+ Booking Required

Den Building & Campfire Cooking. Thursday Date 18th February 2020. Time 10.00am – 11.00am. 11.00pm – 12.00pm. Learn the different techniques on building a waterproof den, learn how to make a campfire and cook on it too. Please dress to suit the weather. Donation: £6.00 per child. Adults and children welcome. Booking Required.

Forest School Drop off Day Wednesday 19th February, 9.00am – 4.00pm Do your children l3ove to be outdoors? Make dens, climb trees, get muddy, use tools, create art and MORE! Led by level 3 forest school practitioners in the beautiful Ingrebourne Wodlands. Over 5’s drop off day for unaccompanied children. Please bring packed lunch. Please wear suitable outdoor clothing and waterproofs.
Sessions will be based solely outdoors no matter what Donation:£20.00 per child

Bug Hunting Woods Thursday 20th February 10.00am – 11.00am, 11.00am – 12.00pm. come and explore the different habitats at Hornchurch Country Park. Go on a Bug Hunt and find many of the Insects that live in the Ingrebourne Valley. All equipment supplied. Suitable for ages 3+. Please dress to suit the weather. Donation £6.00 per person Booking required

River Dipping Thursday 20th February 2020. 1.00pm-2.00pm, 2.00pm – 3.00pm Meet at Hacton Lane car park and take a little walk to a natural meander where we will be using nets and ID charts to discover and identify the creatures that live in the river Ingrebourne. Wellies are 100% needed. Donation £6.00 per person Booking required

Den Building & Campfire Cooking. Thursday Date 21st February 2020. Time 10.00am – 11.00am. 11.00pm – 12.00pm. Learn the different techniques on building a waterproof den, learn how to make a campfire and cook on it too. Please dress to suit the weather. Donation: £6.00 per child. Adults and children welcome. Booking Required.

Bug Hotels Friday 21st February 12.30pm -1.30pm, 1.30pm – 2.30pm Come along to the visitor centre and let your imagination go wild. Make your own bug hotel to take home. Donation: £6.00 per person. Booking Required

Homes & Habitats Saturday 22nd & Sunday 23rd February 2020, 10.00am – 3.30pm Come along to the Country Park and go on a walk to find the answer to our wildlife home and habitat trail, great fun for all solving the clues then head back to the centre to receive your prize. Please wear suitable clothing for muddy paths. Drop in, Self-Lead.

Toad House . Saturday 22nd & Sunday 23rd February, 12.30pm – 3.30pm Discover the life of Toads & Frogs, Learn how they survive in the wild and how you can help. Build your own toad house to take home. Donation: £6.00 per child. Drop in between the booking times, Booking is Essential
BOOKING IS ESSENTIAL ON ALL OUR EVENTS

Location: Ingrebourne Valley Visitors Centre,
Squadrons Approach, Hornchurch, Essex
RM12 6TS

Cancellation of Events:
Advance booking and payment is required for the majority of our events.
In the event you wish to cancel a booking:
All cancellations and transfers must occur 24 hours before the session. Where possible customers can transfer their booking to a different session/activity within one month of original session date. No refund or transfer can take place if this prevents the session from running. Only one transfer can be made from a set of block bookings and this must be within one month of the original session date. All fully booked events will run a waiting list. Where someone on the waiting list is able to fill the cancelled place a full refund will be given.

Children’s Birthday Parties
• Parties usually take place at weekends, from 10.30am-12.30pm or 1.30pm-3.30pm
• £120.00 deposit and minimum payment (covers the cost for first 10 children),
£7.00 per additional child on the day including VAT
• A member of our team will carry out activities with you for the first 1.5 hours of the party. You then have the use of our party room for your games and food for the last 30 minutes. For an additional cost Essex Wildlife Trust is also able to provide food and/or party bags
• All Parties must be booked in advance. Please call the centre on 01708 520364 or email for more information or to make a booking.

PARTIES FOR 5 YEARS+

Pirates
• Pirate trail
• Ships ahoy game
• Build a pirate hideout Bugs and Beasties
• Bug Hunting
• Clay Modelling
• Parachute Games
Army Barmy

• Base Camp Making Assault Course
• Target Practise
• Assault Course
• Tug of War • Wildlife Superhero’s
• Spiders Web
• Secret Hideouts
• Arrow Fish Archery
• Obstacle Course
Fairies & Elves
• Trail
• Clay Tree Faces
• Beaded Jewellery Outdoor Survival
• Den Building
• Campfire
• Soft Archery

Room Hire – The Kevin Davis Education and Community Room is available to hire at a charge of £25 + VAT per hour. Catering services are available from the centre’s café on request.

Our winter opening hours (9.00am-4.00pm) are from 1st November to 31st January.
Our summer opening hours (9.00am-5.00pm) are from 1st February to 31st October.
We are open 7 days a week, every day of the year, except Christmas Day and Boxing Day.

Practical Conservation Volunteer Days – The Friends of Ingrebourne Valley and Hornchurch Country Park run Conservation Volunteer Days on a Sunday, usually the third Sunday of the month.
For information or to find out about their next volunteer day, please contact Ray by email at or ring 07933-172921. Please leave message if not answered

For future events and news follow us on Facebook at facebook.com/EWTIngrebourne,
on Instagram at @ingrebourneewt, and on Twitter at @IngrebourneEWT
What’s On at Ingrebourne – essexwt.org.uk/reserves/ingrebourne

Author: Paul Middleton

Paul is a Ward Councillor for St. Andrews & Hornchurch Resident's Association Executive member.

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