We had the best of times today!
A great day exploring Bog Meadows and enjoying activities in the outdoor classroom at Falls Park.
We must say a huge thank you to Ulster Wildlife staff, Michael, Davy and Lucille, who had prepared a full programme of interesting, informative and fun activities. We had a campfire, archery lessons, survival fire-making with flint and kindling which we collected ourselves, as well as team-building activities involving hammocks :)
Over in Bog Meadows we collected bugs and spiders for closer inspection (all set free again, of course), used butterfly nets, experienced some 'pond-dipping' in the Blackstaff River and caught a few sticklebacks, examined the local flora-and even discovered a beautiful purple flower which has come all the way to Belfast from the Himalayas in the ballast of a boat!
As we inspected some tree stumps, counting rings, we discovered an Ash tree that had been 20 years old. The ash is used to make our hurls.
We saw meadows, reed beds, ponds, hedgerows and local wildlife. Interesting fact-did you know that the heart of a whale is the same size as one of the cows grazing in Bog Meadows? That's a big heart.
We caught a small tortoiseshell butterfly as it landed nearby to take a closer look at us, as it fluttered over the wildflower meadows. (We let it fly away safely.) Fourteen species of butterfly have been spotted in the Bog Meadows.
The sun was glistening on the pond as the Mute swans, mallard and tufted ducks and little grebes happily paddled by.
We had lunch around our campfire. The smell of the smoke reminded us of the smell inside the little houses at the museum in Cultra.
We had a great day!
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