Yuk!
Visiting my colleagues in the Education office is always a fascinating adventure. Crammed into the tiny space are the assortment of interesting wildlife books, charts and natural history artefacts that the team use in their sessions with visiting schools, or with families during weekends and holidays.
The team have, over the years, built up quite a museum of interesting items, from owl pellets to unusual seeds. In fact, they now often use a "Discovery Trolley", a mobile, mini museum which can be brought out and hosted by staff and volunteers around the Centre.
Yesterday I noticed an interesting new array of objects gathering on the team's desk. "We've been making poo!", Paul, one of our learning staff, enthusiastically informed me. And so they have - in all shapes and sizes. For anyone alarmed by this unsavoury activity, I can reassure you that the animal droppings - from Canada goose to mouse - have been rather cleverly created from salt dough.
The droppings will play a role in our October half term activities. They're part of a fun trail for families to follow around the reserve. Another half term highlight is the Yuk! Interactive show, which runs in our Theatre. The show, which is about "the horrid habits of wetland wildlife", draws on children's fascination with all things mucky, muddy and yucky. And the fun interactive part is that children will have to chance to create some of the animal droppings themselves. The show will also focus on animal pellets - like the giant one in this photo - what mystery objects will the team find inside it?
Yuk! runs every day, Saturday 22 - Sunday 30 October at 2pm in the Theatre. Free with admission, and there's no need to book.
