The Environmental Centre
The Windsor Great Park Environmental Centre is a partnership with the Berks, Bucks and Oxon Wildlife Trust (BBOWT) that runs programmes for Primary schools as well as natural activity programmes during school holidays. The Centre also runs a range of activities for adults including bat walks, willow weaving and forest bathing.
Its private location within Windsor Great Park provides the ideal indoor and outdoor space for inspirational learning opportunities within the forest and grassland.
Learn more about the programmes and how to book below.
Adult activities
Throughout the year we run a huge array of events for adults. These range from bat walks and willow weaving to nature journaling and forest bathing.
To find out more and book, select an activity below:
- Wednesday 1 May – Introduction to bats talk and walk
- Sunday 5 May – Birdsong Symphony Forest Bathing
- Friday 10 May – Dawn Chorus Walk
- Wednesday 15 May – Art to Relax, Birds
- Tuesday 21 May – Nightjar Walk, Buttersteep Forest
- Thursday 23 May – Botanical Clay Dish Making
- Sunday 2 June – Summer Solstice Forest Bathing
- Wednesday 12 June – Art to Relax, Recycled Printing Bees and Bugs
- Wednesday 5 June – Guided Bat Walk
- Sunday 9 June – Willow Weaving Catalan Trays
- Friday 28 June – Nightjar Walk, Swinley Forest
- Thursday 4 July – British butterfly walk and talk
- Sunday 7 July – Tree Wisdom Forest Bathing
- Wednesday 10 July – Guided Bat Walk
- Wednesday 7 August – Introduction of bats talk and walk
- Sunday 1 September – Autumn’s Artistry Forest Bathing
- Wednesday 4 September – Guided Bat Walk
- Sunday 8 September – Weaving and Coiling Raffia Baskets
- Wednesday 12 September – Art to Relax, Butterflies
- Wednesday 2 October – Guided Bat Walk
- Sunday 6 October – Harvest and Gratitude Forest Bathing
- Thursday 10 October – Terracotta Pot Making
- Sunday 3 November – Woodland of Reflection Forest Bathing
Family and child only activities
Throughout the school holidays we run a number of family and child only based activities such as self-led wildlife trails, seasonal Day Camps, or guided activities focusing on birds, moths, butterflies and more.
- Tuesday 30 July 2024 – Friday 2 August 2024 – Summer Sensations Family Nature Trail
- Tuesday 6 August – Moths and Butterflies
- Wednesday 7 August – Moths and Butterflies
- Monday 19 August – Nature Explorer’s Day Camp
- Tuesday 20 August – Nature Explorer’s Day Camp
- Thursday 22 August – Wild Discovery Day Camp
- Friday 23 August – Wild Discovery Day Camp
Nature Tots
Nature Tots is a monthly activity for children aged 18 months to 4 years.
Focusing on outdoor, adventurous and nature-based play, children will take part in games, activities and crafts based on a theme.
Each session is one and a half (1.5) hours.
To find out more and book, select a date below:
Young Rangers
Young Rangers is a monthly activity for children aged 8 to 11 years.
Each session is filled with age appropriate fun activities that focus on helping to manage and look after local wild spaces as well as learn skills to become a wildlife warrior.
Each session is two (2) hours.
To find out more and book, select a date below:
Teen Rangers
Teen Rangers is a monthly activity for young people aged 11 to 17 years.
Each session is filled with age appropriate fun activities that focus on helping to manage and look after local wild spaces as well as learn skills to become a wildlife warrior.
Each session is two (2) hours.
To find out more and book, select a date below:
Forest school site hire
Windsor Great Park Environmental Centre forest school area is available for hire to teachers and forest school leaders with groups, other organised groups like the Scouts and Guides or, for forest school leader training sessions.
Sessions are available Monday – Friday (excluding November and December), and usually run for half a day.
Facilities include:
- Firepits
- Seating areas
- Toilets
- Free parking
- A basic forest school kit (available as an extra)
A half day session costs £60 per session.
To find out more and book a pre-visit please email BBOWT.
Primary schools
Primary school children can take a journey of discovery with a range of programmes for EYFS (Early years foundation stage) and KS (Key stage) children.
The programmes include:
- Full day or half-day activities for pre-booked groups (January – October)
- Skilled staff to lead and engage the children’s heads, hearts and hands
- Imaginative activities that link with Early Learning Goals
(Science, geography, literacy and numeracy)
Primary school programmes
Children are invited by Windsor Woodmouse to have an adventure in the woods and learn the secrets of how wild animals survive.
Exciting hands-on activities build confidence in being outdoors and help children understand what animals need to stay alive.
Follow the paw-print puzzle to find out who is who in the woods, make mini shelters and a sticky souvenir card to take home.
Choose from Spring into Spring, Summer Fun and Getting Ready for Winter.
Throughout the seasons, learn about the important changes taking place in the natural world.
Be a bird, a squirrel or bee and explore through hands-on activities, role play and games how plants and animals adapt and adjust to the ever-changing environment.
Meet a medley of minibeasts and learn what makes them different from the other animals that live in Windsor Great Park and why so many of them love to live here.
Early Years options include: bug hunts; stories; learning to care for the little creatures; counting minibeast body parts; and creative fun.
Options for KS1 & 2 include: minibeast identification (keys); lifecycles; pollination; food chains; and adaptations.
Investigate the creatures big and small that live in our surrounding meadow and woodland.
Search for minibeasts with sweep nets and bug-hunting kits, and search in the skies and trees using binoculars.
Use field guides and keys to identify and classify your creatures. Learn about life cycles, food chains and the adaptations of animals to these different habitats.
Nature Detective Training is an alternative option – hunt for clues and solve a nature mystery in the woods.
Learn about the lifecycle of plants, find seeds and discover how they are dispersed.
Make a paper pot, sow some seeds that will flower for food for the bees (watch them grow at school). Learn about the parts of a plant, play team games to identify some common plants, dissect flowers to find eggs and pollen, and then dress up as a bee to pollinate a flower.
Deciduous or Evergreen?
Follow our tree trail to unlock the secret names of trees using a key and discover just how different tree seeds can be.
Meet a tree, learn about its lifecycle and play the Food Factory Game to understand how trees make their own food and provide oxygen for all animals.
Plant a tree seed to grow your very own. Identify the animals that live in the woods, from canopy to leaf litter and deep underground.
Prices and booking information
- Group price: There is a minimum price of £225 per group
- Child price: £8 per child (or £5 per child for half-day programmes)
- Maximum number: 30 children
- Programme times: Vary but typically run from 10am – 2.30pm
If you would like to discuss your topic choices and dates please email or call a member of the Wildlife Trust team.
