Kids in Worcestershire are being invited to take part in a real life interactive adventure in a secret part of the Wyre Forest near Bewdley, this summer.

The Forestry Commission in the West Midlands has arranged two action-packed weeks of hands on activities in July and August to enable kids to explore the natural world at the Wyre Forest Discovery Centre. The summer events are part of their ‘Active Woods Campaign’ to get people out and active in the forest.

The series of bushcraft activities and group challenges include building shelters and learning to cook on a campfire. The sessions are designed to develop leadership and basic survival skills as well as teaching kids more about their local forest and nature.

Forestry Commission staff will be on hand to offer safety guidance, forest survival tips and ensure everyone has a fun time.

Sarah Robertshaw, Education Officer for the Forestry Commission at Wyre Forest, says:

“The Wyre Forest offers a great environment to stimulate kids’ sense of fun and adventure.

“The Wild in Wyre and Living Wild events are designed especially to encourage them to use their imagination and creativity in a completely different way, to get active and make new friends at the same time.”

Wild in Wyre will provide interactive challenges for 8 to 11 year olds, including working in groups to build shelters and making bows and arrows from natural materials found around forest. Participants can also learn how to cook on a real forest campfire.

The Wild in Wyre activity week will run from Monday 21st to Friday 25th July, with sessions taking place from 10am until 1pm from Monday to Thursday and from 10am until 2pm on Friday. Parents are also invited along between 1pm and 2pm on Friday.

From Monday 4th to Thursday 7th of August, the Living Wild event takes the forest adventure to the next level by offering 11 to 16 year olds a more advanced challenge deep in the woods. The three-day forest exploration and survival mission concludes with a night sleeping in a shelter that the youngsters have made themselves from natural materials.

Youngsters will also make fire with a bowdrill (a primitive wooden tool), and cook tea and breakfast on a campfire. They will be able to explore and learn about the woodland, taste wild food and learn a range of other woodcraft skills.

For those who would like to record their experiences and develop their learning further, there will be an opportunity to gain the John Muir Award at Discovery level.

The John Muir Award is an environmental award scheme focused on wild places. It encourages awareness and responsibility for the natural environment, in a spirit of fun, adventure and exploration. Scottish-born John Muir was the first person to call for action to be taken to protect wild land and was an instrumental figure in the modern conservation movement.

The Living Wild mission will take place from 10am until 4pm on Monday and Tuesday, and from 10am on Wednesday until 9am on Thursday.

The cost of the Wild in Wyre five-day event is only £60 per child and the Living Wild three-day event (including one night) is only £100 per child. Advance booking is essential by calling the Wyre Forest Discovery Centre on 01299 266929. A full kit list will be provided upon booking. Visitors should meet at the Wyre Forest Discovery Centre.

Over 10,000 school children take part in activities at the Wyre Forest Discovery Centre each year and the education centre offers a wide range of programmes to suit all ages and abilities. Groups vary from nursery and reception through to primary, secondary and university students.

For more information see www.forestry.gov.uk/westmidlands

Further details about the Wild in Wyre and Living Wild events as follows:

Wild in Wyre
Date: Monday 21st to Friday 25th July 2008.
Time: 10am to 1pm Mon to Thurs, 10am to 2pm Friday.
Description: A week of fun and adventure! The week will include building shelters, camp cookery and making bows and arrows.
Age Group: 8-11 years
Cost of the Event: £60 per child for the five-day event.
Meeting Place: Wyre Forest Discovery Centre.
How to get there: A456 Kidderminster to Leominster road 3 miles west of Bewdley at Callow Hill. Nearest train station Kidderminster. 192/292 bus services between Birmingham and Ludlow.
Clothing Required: Waterproofs, warm clothing and appropriate outdoor footwear.
Booking Required: Call 01299 266929 for a booking form.
Dogs Allowed: No

Living Wild
Date: Monday 4th to Thursday 7th August 2008
Time: Monday and Tuesday 10am to 4pm, Wednesday 10am to Thursday at 9am.
Description: 3 days of exploring the forest learning new outdoor skills, culminating with a night sleeping in a shelter you’ve made in the forest. The grand finale is a campfire breakfast on Thursday morning.
Age Group: 11-16 years
Cost of the Event: £100 per child for the three-day event, including one night.
Meeting Place: Wyre Forest Discovery Centre.
How to get there: A456 Kidderminster to Leominster road 3 miles west of Bewdley at Callow Hill. Nearest train station Kidderminster. 192/292 bus services between Birmingham and Ludlow.
Clothing Required: Waterproofs, warm clothing and appropriate outdoor footwear. A full kit list will be provided upon booking.
Booking Required: Call 01299 266929 for a booking form.
Dogs Allowed: No

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NOTES TO EDITORS

1. Images of activities at the Wyre Forest Discovery Centre attached. High resolution versions are available by calling 015394-42436.
2. The Forestry Commission is the largest provider of countryside recreation in Britain with responsibility for over one million hectares (2.4 million acres) of forest, woodlands and open countryside. The West Midlands region covers the counties of Herefordshire, Worcestershire, Shropshire, Staffordshire, Warwickshire and the West Midlands conurbation.
3. The Active Woods campaign aims to alert people to the link between trees, woodland and forests and human health and wellbeing. Research has shown that exercising in natural environments reduces stress levels and can speed recovery from illness. For more information see www.forestry.gov.uk/activewoods-england.

MEDIA CONTACTS:
Liz Bunney, Sarah Robertshaw or Amanda Dixon at the Forestry Commission's Wyre Forest office on 01299 266929