The Big Family Day Out

Last Tuesday at Lyme, the ranger team were given a helping hand thanks to a new scheme being trialled by the National Trust in the North West region.

 

The Big Family Day Out is a new project to provide great experiences for families by helping them spend time together, whilst helping us get work done!

 

Employers who sign up to the scheme allow members of staff to have a day off to volunteer with their family at a Trust property. This year the scheme is being piloted in the Manchester and Liverpool area, and it was our turn here at Lyme Park last week.

 

 

On Tuesday morning, after an icebreaker session, our volunteer families made their way to the Fallow Deer Sanctuary, where the conservation task we had selected for them awaited. After a quick tool talk, the families were ready to get stuck into their mission of renovating a footpath through the sanctuary, that had been slowly eroded after years of rainwater and footfall.

 

Everyone worked extremely hard throughout the day, and we managed to get a good stretch of the path completed. The children and parents from different families created a work force to be reckoned with! By lunch we’d emptied a whole trailer load of stone. To put that into perspective, that’s about three tonnes! And after refuelling with a barbecue down at the Timber Yard, we managed another full load after lunch!

 

 

 

 After that, it was time for a wander through the fallow deer sanctuary, keeping an eye out for the conspicuous residents. The families listened intently to Doug’s talk about one of our two resident deer species, learning about all sorts of deer related facts, from antler formation to their eating habits.

 

 

 

The day was rounded off with a trip to Crow Wood Playscape to let off a bit of steam before heading home. A big thanks from us all at Lyme park for everyone who got involved in this great scheme, and for giving us a helping hand!

 

 

 

 

Click on the link below to see more opportunities to get you and your family involved with us here at Lyme!

 

 

 http://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/lyme-park/things-to-see-and-do/events/