It has been another wonderful summer of fun, educational vists by our local schools to Castle Meadows. Organised and hosted by the Friends of Castle Meadows, and co-led with MonLife's Countryside warden, activities have included pond dipping; minibeast hunting; tree planting, ageing, measuring and identification, and (always a favourite!) Himalayan Balsam bashing writes Mike Hodges.

The Friends' first summer visitors were Year 5 pupils from Our Lady and St Michael's RC School. Thirtyone of them were seeking their John Muir Awards, which have been likened to a natural world's version of the Duke of Edinburgh Award. The programme requires at least 25 hours of assessed activities aimed at encouraging the 'restoration, protection and conservation of a chosen wild place' through discovery, exploration, conservation and sharing. Over a number of sessions in Castle Meadows the ten year olds planted trees, identified and surveyed how litter and dog fouling can adversely impact wildlife and natural spaces, uprooted and thoroughly 'bashed' invasive species such as Himalayan Balsam and much more besides. The pupils efforts were rewarded when they were presented with their awards at the end of term.

Next up (or should it be down!) were Llantilio Pertholey's Year 5 students who, along with their teachers, demonstrated their peak fitness levels by not only walking down from their school but, after a full morning of activity followed by a picnic break in Lista Vista Gardens, then marched all the way back uphill for the afternoon. An orienteering session had originally been scheduled but, because the meadow's grass had not been fully cut, a session of pond dipping along with one involving the measuring, ageing and identification of trees, were both greatly enjoyed replacements.

Llantilio Pertholey's lead teacher stated that 'the children had an excellent morning', and passed on 'a massive thankyou...to the wonderful volunteers'.

Llanfoist School's First Years were next onto the town's wonderful 22 hectare floodplain meadow gem. A Minibeast hunting session enabled them to visit the bug hotel which their fellow pupils had started in 2023 and had named 'Hotel Bugsylvania'. The morning also took in a pond dipping session on the Friend's financed and built dipping platform. Over the summer well over twenty species had been identified by the different schools, but one particular pond creature had not been viewed for five years. However, as Llanfoist's Year One teacher exclaimed, 'I can't believe WE found the elusive water scorpion again'. Said water scorpion was a great star as he whizzed around the pupils tray before being released back into the meadows pond. The Year One teacher went on to say that 'the children loved their visit' on a brilliantly hot morning.

The concluding session involved the youngest visitors of the summer in the shape of Cantref School's Reception Class. The group also loved their pond dipping and minibeast activities, and were particularly delighted to net what was easily the biggest stickleback capture of the season. The Reception Class' teacher emailed to tell the Friends that ' we had a fabulous morning', and how the staff 'had all commented on what a wonderful experience it was'.

Every one of the volunteers found this summer's young visitors to be a credit to themselves, their teachers, their schools and the wider Abergavenny area community. To remind anyone interested, the Friends of Castle Meadows (with MonLife's Countryside Warden) offer an entirely free, and varied range of nature based activities which can be all be linked to the Curriculum for Wales. The offer also extends to other 'Young Friends of Castle Meadows', with the local Brownies being recent tree planters. More detail can be provided by phoning on 07425 172727 and by visting website at friendsofcastlemeadows.co.uk