Connecting People With Nature
Groundwork is helping people connect with nature. Take a look at our FREE upcoming events and click for more information.
- Weekly Wellies in the Woods group sessions for pre-schoolers at Albert Village Lake in Swadlincote
- Gardening & DIY course at Little Walled Garden Hub in Nottingham, Thursday 24th & Thursday 26th June
- Guided Walk: Wildlife & Wildflowers at Donisthorpe Woodland Park, Saturday 14th June
- Guided Walk: Damselflies & Dragonflies at Branston Water Park, Sunday 27th July
- Butterfly surveys at Minorca Woodland, Swepstone
FREE Wellies in the Woods in Swadlincote group
Wellies in the Woods are play sessions for children of pre-school age.
They combine play with education and creativity.
Children and their grown-ups will be able to make new friends and get creative, exploring nature and creatures great and small!
Each session includes story time, with activities built around the story. It’s a lot of fun, and we look forward to meeting you!
Open to people living in South Derbyshire only.
Blocks of 8 sessions, choose your preferred day and time: Tuesday 10 – 11:30am or 1 – 2:30pm, Friday 10 – 11:30am or 1 – 2:30pm.
Block 5 runs until Friday 25th July 2025. You can join part-way through a block.
Address: Albert Village Lake, Occupation Road, Albert Village, DE11 8HA.
FREE Gardening & DIY course – 2 days
The course is made up of two days, covering gardening and DIY. Learn the basics on the first day, with more in-depth training on the second day.
Thursday 24th & Thursday 26th June, 9am – 3pm – to book, you must be able to attend both dates.
Address: The Little Walled Garden, St Martin’s Road in Bilborough, NG8 3AR
FREE Guided Walk: Wildlife & Wildflowers in Donisthorpe
Learn about the various wonderful wildflowers at Donisthorpe Woodland Park and all the wildlife there.
Local expert Beverley Rhodes will be your guide on this peaceful amble.
Everyone is welcome, all children must be accompanied by an adult. Please note to dress for the weather and bring a drink if it’s hot.
Date: Saturday 14th June 2025
Time: 2pm – 4pm
Location: Donisthorpe Woodland Park, Church Street, Donisthorpe, North West Leicestershire, DE12 7RH
Free parking is available at the car park, this will also be our meeting point.
This walk is in collaboration with The National Forest and Leicestershire County Council.
FREE Guided Walk: Damselflies & Dragonflies in Branston
Local expert Tony Slater will be your guide on this peaceful amble where we will mostly stand and observe – this is not an intense walk.
Learn to identify damselflies and dragonflies and learn all about these magnificent creatures that are over 300 million years old!
Everyone is welcome, all children must be accompanied by an adult. Please note to dress for the weather and bring a drink if it’s hot.
Date: Sunday 27th July 2025
Time: 2pm – 4pm
Location: Branston Water Park, Lichfield Rd, Branston, Burton upon Trent, DE14 3HD
Parking: Free parking, access via A38 heading northbound between Barton under Needwood and Branston, just follow the brown tourist signs.
Funded by The National Forest.
Butterfly surveys at Minorca Woodland, Swepstone
We are setting up a new butterfly transect at Minorca Woodland in Swepstone (near Swadlincote) and need local volunteers to help us record the butterflies we spot on a regular basis.
This space is owned by National Forest and was formally a colliery. Monitoring the biodiversity of the site is key to measuring the impact of the restoration project – click here to find out more about the site.
This project will link into the UK Butterfly Monitoring Scheme – one of the most important resources for understanding changes in insect populations.
We have planned the route and found a green hairstreak butterfly, which is not common in the area, so it’s promising to be a very interesting exercise!
We will provide training, including tips on identification.
Surveys will take place every four weeks, with dates and times yet to be confirmed but you can already sign up!
Contact our Environment Trainer Marion:
07801 122494 / marion.farrell@groundworknottingham.org.uk
Nature activities
We know the value of people coming together in the great outdoors.
Being in green spaces has been shown to have positive impacts on the mental health and well-being of people of all ages. Our aim is to provide a supportive environment that encourages socialising, while also giving people the chance to escape the stress of everyday life and connect with nature.
Groundwork Five Counties is committed to maintaining and preserving our green spaces, ensuring they are open and accessible to everyone. Our experienced land maintenance team works hard to keep the spaces so you can enjoy them to the fullest.
Wellies in the Woods
Our Wellies in the Woods play sessions give families the opportunity to get physically active, get to know nature and improve their mental wellbeing in beautiful green spaces.
From organised walking festivals to regular walking groups and activities like play sessions in natural spaces, Wellies in the Woods is unique and exciting.
Wellies in the Woods’ activities are open and accessible to everyone. They provide the perfect opportunity to get out of the house, meet new people and enjoy the great outdoors.
Fun and friendly
These FREE sessions help pre-school children explore and experience just how fun nature can be!
During each session we will have a variety of activities, from scavenger hunts to crafts. These activities help children develop their fine motor skills, as well as improve social, communication, and literacy skills.
Through Wellies, children and grown-ups will gain lots of ideas for free or low-cost activities to replicate at home or your local green spaces.
Here’s what some of our attendees said:
“The activities were really good for little kids, fun and simple!”
“We want to do more activities outdoors; we have learned how easy it can be to do this.”
“Great enthusiasm for nature and learning and having fun. We really enjoyed it! “
“It’s like a lovely little adventure for them.”
For more information about our many outdoor events, or to become a volunteer, email us on environment@groundworknottingham.org.uk
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