Local children are being invited to kick of the New Year with a wild adventure exploring the secrets of the outdoors, as the Scottish Wildlife Trust’s Wildlife Watch Club at Jupiter Urban Wildlife Centre starts up again on Saturday 15 January 2011. 

The club is open to all children aged between eight and 12 years old who would like to have fun while learning more about nature.

Set up only last year, the group has already been a huge success and, as Jupiter Ranger Stephen Owen explains, 2011 is set to be even more action packed. 

Stephen said:  “Our Wildlife Watch group is an ideal opportunity for children to explore the natural world around them. The first year saw us get up to all kinds of fun activities, including making shelters in the woods, carrying out some simple wildlife surveys and getting in to some easy wildlife photography.

“Our first meeting of the year, set to be held on Saturday 15 January from 10.30 am to 12.30 pm, is going to be quite an adventure as the club uses their map reading skills to find secret capsules hidden around Jupiter. It will be a really good fun challenge.”

The Jupiter Wildlife Watch club meets once a month on a Saturday morning and only costs £1 per child.
On Saturday 15 January, from 10.30 am to 12.30 pm, the group will enjoy a morning of ‘Geo-caching.’  Subsequent sessions will include a visit to Scottish Wildlife Trust’s beautiful Carron Glen wildlife reserve on 5 February to help look after the ancient woodland there, and on 12 March, the group will be adopting part of the Jupiter Wildlife Gardens.

Spaces are limited for the Jupiter Wildlife Watch Club, so please book in advance to avoid disappointment. For more information and bookings, please contact the Jupiter Ranger, Stephen Owen on 01324 486475 (mobile 07739 428203), or email jupiterranger@swt.org.uk. Remember to dress for the weather.

Situated in the heart of Grangemouth, Jupiter is sandwiched between industrial operations and local housing. Previously a railway marshalling yard, Jupiter is home to a surprisingly wide variety of wildlife.

***ENDS***
NOTES TO EDITORS:
1. Scottish Wildlife Trust’s Jupiter Wildlife Watch Club is for children aged 8 to 12 years old. Meetings are once a month on a Saturday morning 10.30 am – 12.30noon. Sessions cost £1 per child. Spaces are limited, so please book to avoid disappointment.

2. The first Jupiter Wildlife Watch Club meeting of 2011, “Geo-caching,” will be on Saturday 15 January 10.30 – 12.30am. Subsequent sessions are on 5 February (“Caring for Ancient Woodlands – Carron Glen”) and on 12 March (“Wildlife Gardening”).

3. Wildlife watch is the junior branch of Scottish Wildlife Trust. There are over 25 Wildlife watch clubs across Scotland.

4. From October – March, Jupiter will be open Monday – Friday 10.00 am – 5.00 pm, and frequently at weekends for special events. Admission is free.

5. Jupiter is located north of the M9 between junctions 5 and 6. From Beancross Road turn north onto Newlands Road, then left onto Newhouse Road, left onto Wood Street, and Jupiter is on your right. Parking is available in front of the centre. There is no charge for visiting the reserve.

6. The reserve re-opened to the public in September 2006 after it was temporarily closed to allow site owners (KemFine Ltd) to redevelop existing buildings. A new education facility was put in place to enable local schools to use the site as a resource for educational visits.

7. Scottish Wildlife Trust’s work at Jupiter Urban Wildlife Centre is generously supported by KemFine and Syngenta.

8. Scottish Wildlife Trust is the largest voluntary body working for all the wildlife of Scotland, representing more than 36,000 members who care for wildlife and the environment. Scottish Wildlife Trust seeks to raise public awareness of threatened habitats and species and manages over 120 reserves Scotland-wide.

9. Scottish Wildlife Trust receives financial assistance and support from a range of organisations, funders and individuals including Scottish Natural Heritage and People’s Postcode Lottery.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION AND BOOKINGS, PLEASE CONTACT:
Stephen Owen, Jupiter Ranger, SWT
Tel: 01324 486475 (07739 428203) or email: jupiterranger@swt.org.uk