Friday 20 May 2011

Building walls, feeding lambs and collecting eggs.


We have now had a return visit from the ‘Under the Big Blue Sky’ group of young people who come to experience a range of activities.  Katie was returning for a second visit.  This time we tried a new venture with Tom and Chloe who farm the Trust’s High Snab farm.  They are developing a camping barn to run ‘help the farmer’ experiences.  This group camped in the barn.  They brushed up their map and compass skills, tried some dry-stone walling and did some bottle-feeding of lambs. 

Katie and friends dry-stone walling.

Lambs can be orphaned or perhaps be taken away from a ewe that had too many to feed adequately.  Persuading a mother ewe to adopt an orphan is always tried but it sometimes doesn’t work.

Supper time!
On Sunday some of the group went navigating a route in Newlands valley using map and compass skills we had refreshed while others came to help with some work on an eroding stream bank.
The following are links to Katie’s blog and flickr pictures from her weekend.

During the week we had another school visiting from Liverpool.  John (who is a student on a work placement), Jessie and I took the group on a walk from the Youth Hostel to visit a farm at Ashness.  On the walks we talked about the things we saw along the way and why it is important to look after them. 
 
A good photo stop.

When we arrived at the farm, the farmer Anne took the children around to see the animals and talked about how to look after them and also about other things that happen in a farming year.  

Anne introduces a rooster.
These children were able to have close encounters with hens, pigs, cows, ducks, sheep and lambs.  Best of all, they could feed lambs and collect eggs – Anne had a way of making sure that the egg collectors always found eggs!  

... and more eggs.


Outings like this are hugely rewarding for us.

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