Groups of children and young people have been able to get closer to nature and develop their knowledge about the natural world by visiting The Haycop.

Local schools, including Broseley C. of E. School, have used the site for Forest School sessions, as well as for opportunities volunteering in the local community.

The Guide and Scout associations all make full use of the site.

If you would like more information or to arrange a visit with young people, please get in touch using the links on the Contact page.

Broseley CE School Reception Class visit the October 2020

The children explore the heather patch

The children collecting crabapples

The crabapples they collected will be used to make crabapple jelly

The children at the pond

A campfire in the Woodland School

The children sitting around the fire

The children enjoy a drink of apple juice

The children trying Haycop jam

A message from Children and Teachers: We would like to thank the Haycop team for another amazing session today. Fun apple collecting, eating cooked apples and tasting the yummy Haycop jam on biscuits... all washed down with lovely apple juice. We all had a great time.

Year 2 Make ‘Seed Bombs’ April 2019

In early April Year 2 pupils from Broseley CE School paid a visit to the Haycop to help plant wild flower seeds on the meadow. They used a method promoted by the Wildlife Trusts, which involves mixing wildflower seeds with compost and then encasing this mixture in a ball of clay.  The ball of clay is then thrown onto the area that you want to plant the seeds. Overtime, with addition of rain water, the clay balls will brake down and the mixture of water, clay, compost allows the seeds to germinate and grow.  For more information on this fun method of plating wild flower seeds click on the following link https://www.wildlifetrusts.org/actions/how-make-seed-bomb

Val Harrison demonstrates how to make a 'seed bomb'

Digging up the clay to make a 'seed bomb'

Putting the seeds with clay

A finished 'seed bomb'

Making 'seed bombs' is mucky work!

Year 2 Visit to Haycop a Great Success Despite the Rain June 2018

On the 11th July 2018 the Year 2 class from Broseley C of E School came down to the Haycop as part of their work on habitats.  The visit was partly spoilt by some very inclement weather, however, despite the rain the children had a very enjoyable time.  When pond dipping they found pond skaters, dragonfly nymphs and water beetles.  On the heathland they found slowworms, spiders, yellow wood ants and a lizard (see below).  Unfortunately, they had less luck looking for butterflies of the South Bank, although, there were a few small day flying moths.  The class had a very positive experience and they each wrote a letter of thanks to the Haycop volunteers.  Four of the letters is shown below.

Lizard

Letter from Sophie

Dear Haycop Volunteers, Thank you for showing us some mini beasts. Thank you, Mr Barrett, for showing us the heather and the baby lizard. Than you, Chris for telling us more about the butterflies and moths it was really fun. Thank you. Mary for keeping us safe when pond dipping. It was really fun because we found creatures that we had never seen before and You told us their names. Than you, Mrs Harrison for all of the fun that we had. My favourite animal was the baby lizard, because it was so small and was really delicate and it was a shame that we could not hold it. I had so much fun at the Haycop I hope to go back soon and learn more about the mini beasts. From Sophie Q. What’s your favourite animal? A. We all have different favourites, Mr Miles like the Dingy skipper butterfly, Mrs Harrison likes the Common blue butterfly and Mr Barrett likes the Buzzard.

Letter from Olivia

Dear Haycop Volunteers, The Haycop is a wonderful place with so many wonderful creatures in it. I thank you for giving up your time for us. Under the corrugated sheet of iron, we saw Slowworms, a slug and a worm. At the pond we a pond skater, but I didn’t catch it, but I did catch a whirligig! It was a great day From Olivia Q. How old is the Haycop? A. The Haycop Nature reserve is 10 years old, however, the first reference to the place called the Haycop in history is a document from the fifteenth century – that’s 700 years ago!

Letter from Paige

Dear Haycop Volunteers, Thank you for looking after all of those animals on the Haycop, like the beetles, slowworms and even more. All of my class has learned about you and even …….. and even my teacher do. Now to what I learned. I have earned about the slowworm, that they love dark places and that is something we saw in our own group. We also saw a pond skater. I had a great time Thank you, Paige,

Letter from Oliver

Dear Haycop Volunteers, I thank you for showing me and everybody around the Haycop, even though it was raining, but the rain can’t spoil our day. All the Haycop volunteers were really nice. To each and every one of us and the activities were absolutely fab. I first want to say that the meadow part was really fun, learning about it. From Oliver Q. What do you love about the Haycop? A. The range of different places for animals and plants to live (habitats) in such a small space.

Year 1 Pupils Help with Wildlife Survey May 2017

As part of Broseley CE Primary School’s volunteering programme children from Year 1 (aged 5 & 6)  carried a wildlife survey on the Haycop in May 2017. The survey was conducted at four different locations within the Haycop Nature Reserve.  The results from the survey are shown below below:

Butterfly & Insect Survey (Meadow and top end of Bridleway by the Down Well)

Speckled Wood 3, Orange tip 5 Holly Blue 2. Green Veined White 2, Red Tailed Bumble Bee

Wild Flower Survey ( On the path between the pond and the Ant hill Glade)

Native Bluebells, Yellow Archangel, Buttercup, Field Forget-me-Not Dandelion, Broom, Herb Robert, Red Campion, Cow Parsley, Marsh Marigold, Stickyweed, Elderflower, and Nettles.

Pond Survey

Hairworm, Pond Snail (plus eggs), Ramshorn Snail, Water Boatman & Lesser Water Boatman, Mayfly Nymph, Damselfly Nymph, Pond Skater,, Flatworms, Demoiselle, Alderfly Larva, Small Red Damselfly (male).

Heathland Survey

Yellow Meadow Ants, Common Black Ant (carrying eggs), Ant Mounds, Slowworms (5), evidence of Rabbits (droppings), green snail, Orange tip Butterfly, Speckled Wood Butterfly.

The children worked via Lepidoptera expert on the butterflies and a expert on pond life when pond dipping.  They also had access to edification guides.

Images from 2015