Thanks for your interest in our Nature Hunt. Unfortunately this is a mobile only experience so please use your phone
Thanks for your interest in our Nature Hunt. Unfortunately this is a mobile only experience so please find us on your mobile device
This bit is for the adult explorers!
This a self guided trail so we’ll need your help to keep our adventurers on track and engaged!
Not everything that we point you to be will found today or easy to spot but encourage your young ones to take time to look around them and listen carefully!
They're going to need all of their senses and exploring should be 95% of the fun!
Tips for Explorers
Be careful! You'll be walking alongside rivers, near trees and through wet grasslands in places so watch your step
Always have the right equipment. If its wet, wear wellies. If its hot, bring water. If too much of either of things, maybe come another day!
Leave nothing but footprints! We hope you see and hear lots of wildlife today but leave nothing behind that could harm them once you're gone
The river attracts lots of my aquatic friends!
The banks provide shelter and there is lots of food to be found.
Swipe right and I'll introduce you, maybe you'll even see them today so keep your eyes peeled!
The river in front of you runs all the way from its source at Rowhill Nature Reserve to Swallowfield near Reading, a distance of 22 miles!
Who did you see or hear?
If you get out of bed early you would be able to hear all of these birds singing together in what is called "The Dawn Chorus". You can recreate this by playing all the clips below at once
Magpie
Blackbird
Blue Tit
Buzzard
Kite
Fallen trees change the flow of the river creating shallow parts and deeper parts
The deeper parts provide a place for fish to live and breed. Can you see any fish in the river today?
These fish provide a source of food for some of the birds we've met already, so leaving these trees helps out the whole of the Meadow!
- Grasses, with their flat leaves
- Rushes, which have round stems
- Sedges, which have three sided stems if you look really closely!
These plants might not seem exciting but they provide a home to thousands of pollinators, such as Bees!
Even a small patch like this in your garden or local park can help to protect these vital insects!
As you search, you should see three distinct types of plants
If you are visiting in the warmer months, this part of the meadow will be full of colour with the wildflowers in bloom!
If you swipe on, I'll introduce you to some of the insects that feed on the nectar these flowers provide
But if you've come in another season, you might just see the grasses so click below and see what you can find next!
There are over 20 thousand species of Bee in the world!! Bees are one of our most important insects as they pollinate the plants we eat and many of the wildflowers you'll see here
Planting just a small strip of wildflowers in your garden will help many Bees to survive who then help us thrive!
Can you see any whizzing about?
While we have your attention, we have to thank those that contributed to our Hunt today
The Drone footage at the start of our trail was filmed and produced by Rob Follett Creative
Much of the photography was taken by Colin Varndell
Wildlife knowledge was provided by Steve Bailey and Bernard Baverstock
Now you've met all my bird friends, here are all their sounds together. You can hear just how much is going on in the meadows!
Magpie
Blackbird
Blue Tit
Buzzard
Kite
Robin
Chiffchaff
Wren
Dunnock
Keep following the hedgerow, past the row of trees on your left
Stop and listen. What can you hear?
Hawley Meadows sits between housing, roads and industrial buildings, providing a constant backdrop of noise.
But open spaces like these continue to provide a safe haven for our wildlife so its important that people like you protect them for years to come!
Explorers, are you enjoying yourselves?
What have you spotted today?
Hawley Meadows changes with the seasons so why not come back another time and see how different it looks?
You might see birds who have migrated thousands of miles, trees getting ready for Autumn or insects bursting out into the Meadows!
Where are you going to visit next?
There are so many other places to explore in the Blackwater Valley and we have a growing number of Nature Hunts!
Explorers, its time for us to end our hunt around Hawley Meadows
Head back to the footbridge by the car park or carry on exploring on your own!
I hope you’ve had a great time and we'll see you out in the Blackwater Valley again soon!
Adults, there are a couple more things just for you before you go!
Nature Hunt is a new initiative to get young people out into our natural spaces and build their curiosity about the wildlife they can find
We want our hunts to be engaging for our Explorers but also easy for you to lead so if you have feedback on the hunt, here at Hawley Meadows or any other site, please let us know by emailing dan.lemarquand@bvct.org.uk
And last thing! If your young explorer enjoyed our Nature Hunt, please consider becoming a member of the Blackwater Valley Countryside Trust for just £5 a year!
We're a charitable organisation who protect & enhance the valley and your membership fees help us to continue to this
It also means we’ll put together more of these Nature Hunts in future to entertain your little ones!