Visitors to upper Teesdale are going wild about Wednesdays

FAMILIES have been enjoying weekly days out in the upper dale – and learning something of the environment at the same time.

Wild Wednesdays are a feature of the summer holidays at the Bowlees Visitor Centre.

Organised jointly by the North Pennines Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty Partnership and Natural England, the weekly events feature trails, crafts and games.

Last week, children learned all about the marvellous minibeasts that populate upper Teesdale

Emma King, of Natural England, said the marvellous minibeasts day saw young people going on a self-guided trail, join in a bug hunt and take part in a number of craft activities such as making a pipe-cleaner spider and butterfly masks.

Most exciting for many of the children was the chance to examine slugs, snails, wood lice and other creatures under magnifying glasses and microscopes.

The previous week, the importance of bees was highlighted.

During the Fabulous Flowers and Busy Bees children enjoyed an outdoor walk looking for bees, playing bee games and creating bee crafts, including a bumble bee bookmark and pipe-cleaner bees.