Click on photo to watch video of Easter Animal trail – Video by Siobhan Fraser

Just before 9:00 am on Saturday 19^th April, the message was sent to our members that it looks like the weather was starting to break along the coast, and we would get at least a little time without rain today. Six members of the Woodland Community Group made their way to the meeting place in Birch Drive ready to prepare the woodland for the Trail Hunt due to start at 10:00 am. It was still raining when the members set off to put up the animal drawings for the adventurers to find that morning. Another member of the group took photos/videos of the drawings and recorded their location in the woodland.

There was some concern as the drawings, done by children in Ben Wyvis Primary school, were on normal paper and therefore the risk of the crayons running or the paper disintegrating if the rain kept up or got any heavier. In an attempt to avoid this, the drawings were placed as close to the trees as possible, tying the drawings with string around the trunk of the trees, or under overhanging branches.

Map of Maryburgh Community Woodland showing Easter Animal Trail (Click for larger image) – Image by Ian Fraser

By 9:30 am, the first children started to gather along with their responsible adults at the meeting point ready for the Animal trail. With all the drawings in place, and more groups of children arriving, the Easter Animal Trail started at approximately 10:00 am. Each group and individuals setting off to hunt for the animal drawings had their start time recorded and issued with a record sheet, so we could work out the prize winners. There were 19 children with their responsible adult helpers for the event.

For the next two hours the sounds of birds in the woodland were drowned by the cries of “I see one over here” as groups of children raced through the woodland, followed as best as possible by the responsible adults that were accompanying them. One group of children even had the great idea of having the Easter Animal hunt as a Birthday party.

As each group or individual returned to the start point, their record sheets and time taken were recorded. Most of the record sheets were almost readable, although the rain had left the paper sheets rather soggy. Prizes of chocolate bunnies and Easter eggs were handed out to all the children that took part. Most groups of children had found the drawings and identified the animals. However, some of the responsible adults had the task of googling the names of the juveniles, and were still busy searching the internet. The organiser of the event collected all the record sheets and had the unenviable job of deciphering the ripped and soggy sheets to decide who had the best score and fastest time. A large Easter Bunny was to be presented to the winning group/individual at a later date.

By about noon, the event was over. All that was left was for the Community Group members to collect all the drawings and tidy up the woodland. Everyone seems to have had a great time, including the responsible adults.

The Maryburgh Community Woodland Group would like to thank everyone who helped with this event. The Ben Wyvis Primary School teachers and the pupils who designed great drawings for the event. The volunteers who gave up a wet Saturday morning to help, both the Woodland Community Group and the responsible adults. The members of the Woodland Community Group who donated the prizes and the Group member who organised the event.

If you enjoyed this event, keep your diary free for the 31^st May. The Maryburgh Community Woodland Group will be having a Woodland Plant Hunt. This will involve real plants and not paper drawings. The plant hunt will use “iNaturalist” app, that can be downloaded onto your mobile phone.