Events Spring

From guided walks and nature talks to watersports courses and craft workshops, there is so much going on in the Park this spring! More details on all these events are provided on our website. Unless stated below, places on these events must to be booked in advance on our website – www.nenepark.org.uk/events

6 & 22 March, 3 & 19 April and 2 & 17 May, 10.30am-12pm

Join one of our Visitor Rangers for a social walk around Ferry Meadows and the wider Nene Park and meet like-minded people. The location and routes of the walks will be different each month with two opportunities each month to come along and walk that route.

Suitable for: 14yrs+ Cost: FREE but places must be booked and donations welcome. Meeting point: Check the different meeting points each month when booking.

13 & 27 March, 3 & 24 April and 15 & 22 May, 10-11.30am

A fun monthly outdoor parent and toddler group with a nature theme. Each session will include a messy craft activity, time to explore the beautiful outdoors, story and song time. We have two sessions a month on the 2nd and 4th Monday, with the second session a month being a repeat of the first one. Please try to book onto the same session each month if possible.

Suitable for: 2yrs+ with accompanying adult (only one adult per booking) Cost: £5 per child

Meeting point: Outside the Discovery Den

13 & 27 March, 3 & 24 April and 15 & 22 May, 1.15-3.15pm

We are running outdoor learning sessions every month for home-schooled children. Each session has curriculum and nature-focused activities, with each month having a different theme. Sessions run on the 2nd and 4th Monday of the month. Please only book one session per month.

Suitable for: 5-11yrs Cost: £7 per child

Meeting point: Outside the Discovery Den

Tuesday 14 March, 7-8.30pm

Join Prof. Stephen Upex for an enlightening evening talk about the Romans of the Nene Valley. Stephen will talk about his new book covering topics such as military presence, forts, villas, farmsteads, religion and burials along with the important Roman town of Durobrivae with its sprawling industrial suburbs.

Stephen has excavated, written about, and researched the area for over 40 years and brings together an insightful account of the Nene Valley and its Roman past. There will also be an opportunity to purchase a copy of the book for £15 (Please bring cash)

Suitable for: 12yrs+ Cost: £6

Meeting point: Lakeside Meeting Room

Talk

20 April, 7-8.30pm

Join Froglife’s Reserve Warden, Chantel Carr, for her talk on amphibian identification and ecology. Chantel has worked for

Froglife since 2019 and has a wealth of experience from working on various projects throughout her time there and running training events. She has a huge passion for anything amphibious, and in this talk, she will cover common and widespread UK amphibians as well as rarer species, with an overview of their identification and ecology.

Suitable for: All ages Cost: £5

Meeting point: Lakeside Meeting Room

Pay and play watersports

Tuesday–Sunday, 11am-4pm

The season has started at Nene Outdoors which means that paddle sport and cycle hire is available once more. Why not come along and take out a row boat, swan pedalo, paddleboard, kayak, a canoe or even a sailing dinghy?

Suitable for: All ages – check with the Nene Outdoors team on any age restrictions or weather conditions Cost: From £10 Meeting point: Nene Outdoors

RYA Powerboat Level 2 course

Saturday 4–Sunday 5 March and Saturday 25–Sunday 27 March, 9am-5pm

Attend this two-day course with us to achieve an RYA Level 2 Power Boat Certificate and learn how to operate a powerboat safely and appropriately.

Suitable for: 16yrs+ Cost: £300

Meeting point: Nene Outdoors

Youth RYA Sailing – Stage 1

Monday 11–Tuesday 12 April and Tuesday 30–Wednesday 31 May, 9am-5pm

This two-day course covers basic sailing skills, rope work and collision avoidance. After the course participants will be able to tack and control boat speed and understand basic principles. All safety equipment, including wetsuits and buoyancy aids are provided.

Suitable for: 8-15yrs Cost: £182

Meeting point: Nene Outdoors

Youth RYA Sailing – Stage 2

Wednesday 13–Thursday 14 April and Thursday 1–Friday 2nd June, 9am-5pm

This two-day course covers launching and recovery, steering, parts of the boat and basic sailing. After the course participants will be able to steer and understand basic principles.

All safety equipment, including wetsuits and buoyancy aids are provided.

Suitable for: 8-15yrs Cost: £182

Meeting point: Nene Outdoors

Saturday 22–Sunday 23 April and

Saturday 13–Sunday 14 May, 9am-5pm

This two-day course covers how to sail in all directions, including an awareness of launching and recovery. After the course, participants will be able to sail in light winds under supervision. All safety equipment including wetsuits and buoyancy aids are provided.

Suitable for: 16yrs+ Cost: £182

Meeting point: Nene Outdoors

Saturday 17–Sunday 18 June, 9am-5pm

This two-day course covers rigging, launching, and sailing in all directions as well as capsize recovery and essential safety knowledge. After the course participants will be able to sail and make decisions in good conditions.

You will need to have completed level 1 before signing up for this course.

All safety equipment, including wetsuits and buoyancy aids are provided.

Suitable for: 16yrs+ Cost: £182

Meeting point: Nene Outdoors

Saturday 22 April, 13 May, 10 June and 8 July, 10am-12pm

Our summer 4-week block of art workshops is a great opportunity to get creative, enjoy the outdoors and work with local artists. Art Club is for young people aged 14-17, no experience necessary and all materials are provided.

Thanks to funding from the National Lottery Heritage Fund some free places are available. If this will help you access this event please contact art@neneparktrust.org.uk

Suitable for: 14-17 year olds Cost: Four workshops, £20 per person Meeting point: The Discovery Den

Sunday 11 March, 10am-1pm

On this half day workshop you will work with local multi-media artist Melanie Missin-Keating.

This is an introduction to Indian Block Printing, it really is quite easy to do and creates fabulous results. They can be used on fabrics, papers, clothes and much more. You will be using genuine Indian blocks and some that Melanie designed which have been hand carved in India.

Melanie has been fortunate enough to visit India on a couple of occasions and was able to watch first hand and have a go at block printing with the master artisans themselves. It inspired her so much that she is now hooked on this ancient form of art printing using paints onto fabric and paper. We hope you will be hooked too.

Suitable for: 16yrs+ Cost: £25

Meeting point: The Discovery Den Willow

Sunday 26 March, 10am-12pm and 1-3pm

This is a beginners workshop to introduce you to the wonderful world of willow. Join Martin from Rutland Willow as he takes you through the techniques you need to create three pieces of work starting small and working up to this beautiful dragonfly.

Suitable for: 16yrs+ Cost: £25

Meeting point: The Discovery Den

Please note bookings for this workshop will close about 10 days before due to the length of time required to prepare the right amount of willow. So please book your place in plenty of time. The workshop will be cancelled if there are not enough people booked.

Saturday 14 April, 10.30-11.30am and 11.45am-12.45pm

Join June from Semperart at this workshop, especially for children to make their own unique fused glass.

During the session you will:

• Develop a design that June has created especially for this workshop, you can choose to make either a dragonfly or a butterfly.

• Choose a variety of coloured glass to create your design. Once your piece is complete, it will be fired in a kiln. This can take up to 48 hours, depending on the processes used, so your piece can be collected in approximately one week, from the Visitor Centre.

Please note a place must be booked for each child attending. Accompanying adults will not make a piece but will be there to help their child. To avoid the Discovery Den being too crowded, please bring a maximum of one adult per child.

Suitable for: 7–13yrs, under 18’s must be accompanied by an adult Cost: £15 Meeting point: The Discovery Den

Saturday 14 April, 2-3pm

Join June from Semperart at this workshop, especially for teenagers to make their own unique fused glass.

During the session you will:

• Learn about the nature of glass to inform your designs and creations

• Design the pieces you intend to make

• Choose a variety of glass to create your designs

• Learn how to use inclusions in your pieces (copper, silver)

Once your piece is complete, it will be fired in a kiln. This can take up-to 48 hours, depending on the processes used, so your piece can be collected in approximately one week, from the visitor centre.

Suitable for: 13–17yrs (please note that you do not need to have adult supervision on this workshop, but you do need to be dropped off and collected by parent/carer) Cost: £18 Meeting point: The Discovery Den