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The BBC’s ‘Springwatch’ and ‘Autumnwatch’ has done much to encourage a surge in children’s interest in our feathered friends. And there’s nothing like getting off the sofa and into the field to make them enjoy the natural world even more.
2011 marked the fiftieth anniversary of the RSPB (Royal Society for the protection of Birds) moving their HQ from London to Bedfordshire. The Lodge is a sprawling nature reserve containing woodland, heath and grasslands, presenting ample opportunities for birdwatching and exploration along five miles of walking trails, picnic spots and landscaped gardens.
Guided walks can be booked and the centre has Explorer Backpacks available for children, which include binoculars, bug viewers, wildlife guides and activity booklets. The kids might come away with some interesting facts: swifts can stay in the air for two years because they eat and sleep on the wing, and greenfinches weigh the same as ten Smarties.