50 things to do before you are 11¾

Some time ago I mentioned the Trust’s campaign 50 things to do before you are 11¾.  This is a campaign to encourage people to try 50 simple but very enjoyable outdoor activities.  You can read more about those here.   You can even enter a competition here to suggest your ideas about good things to add to the list.  If you are in the Keswick area before the end of August, you can go to the National Trust yurt near the boat landings at Derwentwater between 10 am and 3 pm where you can pick up a free leaflet for a trail that includes 11 of the things on the list.

The Yurt

You can also learn how to light a fire without matches; collect wild food for fish and squirrels; build a den; hire a canoe; use free wi-fi and take advantage of a special offer on Trust membership.  You might even want to go twice to fit it all in!

Last week the Trust held a popular woodland event.  Foresters were on hand to demonstrate tree surgery and tree climbing.  A few intrepid visitors were able to try supervised tree climbing.

We also had a demonstration of charcoal-making and other traditional woodland crafts and skills.  

Even though the forests are ‘wild’, there is still a lot of work to be done to keep them healthy and thriving.

Towards the end of the week I had a ‘back to school’ experience with a training session about the use of electronic media to extend our communication about what we do.  This is something that the Trust is actively developing in as many ways as possible – this blog being one of them of course.  At the end of the day I took Ben, who had been our trainer, out onto Derwentwater for a canoe trip.  It’s a great way to wind down after a busy working day and the weather was perfect.  It’s also a great trip out for Reiver!