Stepps Nursery Wildlife Watch Group have been busy over the winter season! Find out what the group have been up to below.

Wildlife Watch Groups are the Trust’s nature clubs for children. Run largely by volunteers, our groups across Scotland do an incredible job at connecting children to nature. You can find out more about our Wildlife Watch groups here.

10 December 2024

On our second Wildlife Watch adventure to our satellite site, the Stepps Nursery Wildlife Watchers had the opportunity to listen to the story Saving Mr. Hoot by Helen Stephens. Our learners listened to the story attentively and joined in with peer discussions, noting that “the owl needs the trees to live in”. Collecting leaves, then using paper and glue, our children created their very own Mr. Hoot. Our watchers are learning to contribute and be part of group discussions and learning. Our children are learning about basic natural conservation, how it is important to look after and protect our natural environment and wildlife within our community.

9 January 2025

Our Stepps Nursery Wildlife Watchers noticed the frost and ice on the ground. We wondered what would happen if we put some coloured water outside overnight. The next day our children investigated their water dishes. Our watchers noticed “it’s all frozen, it’s made ice!” and “the water has frozen because it’s so cold outside!”.

10 January 2025

Looking at our catalogue of Wildlife Watch magazines, our learners have been discussing what wildlife we would expect to see and some of our favourite wildlife. The children named “spiders”, “whales” and “frogs”. Pointing to the magazine one child added “I like the butterflies’ colours”. Mrs. Rushford informed the children that it was an orange-tip butterfly, and they could be found in our gardens. One of the children added “I’ve seen them outside my house”. Mrs Rushford wondered what could attract butterflies to our garden that we should plant. The children replied in unison “FLOWERS!”.

5 February 2025

In February, our Stepps Watchers had the opportunity to join the wider Wildlife Watch community, as part of the Scottish Wildlife Trust’s Words of the Wild competition, and listen to wildlife poems. Our children listened to three Scottish poems and chose a favourite. We then found our own which the children loved. The poem was called I like a mouse by Elizabeth Fleming. Our watchers had the opportunity to create a picture of their favourite local mammal. A popular choice was a stoat. The children chose crayons to create their wonderful pieces of art. Our Stepps Watchers have been learning about mammals are in their environment and their names. They are also learning about poetry and playing with language.

10 February 2025

Some of our Wildlife Watchers decided to join Mrs Rushford in the community room for a get together time. Our learners sat and listened to the story Winter Sleep – A Hibernation Story. Listening to the story, the children joined in discussions with friends, and some answered to Mrs. Rushford thinking aloud, such as wondering where a frog might go for a winter sleep. One child answered, “in the pond!”. Mrs Rushford agreed that they would hibernate right down at the bottom of the pond in the mud. Looking at the photo cards that Mrs. Rushford had introduced, we spotted that one had a picture of a mouse on it. Mrs. Rushford wondered where a mouse may go to sleep in the winter and one child said, “they make a nest with leaves in the trees”. Mrs. Rushford praised the children for great listening. Our Stepps Watchers then joined in a new game of sleeping bunnies, using the various hibernating animals and wildlife from the book; bats, frogs, stag beetles and a wee mouse. It was fun leaping like a frog and scuttling like a stag beetle!

Outdoors, our wildlife experts were discussing the animals from the winter hibernation story. Mrs. Rushford wondered if the children could create a bear cave to hide in to watch for wildlife. They exclaimed “Yes! We can do that!” Mrs. Rushford brought out the camouflage Wildlife Watch bag with camouflage tarpaulin, rope, binoculars and a telescope. The children suggested that we use the climbing frame for a “cave” negotiating putting the tarpaulin over the frame, the children pulled the tarp over the bars, and with adult support to tie it into place. The Watchers used the binoculars and telescope “look over at the grass! Up in the sky, I can see lots of birds flying!”, “a blackbird”, “seagulls”, “I can see a mouse running up the tree!” they said. The children are developing an understanding of their natural environment around them.

13 February 2025

One of our Wildlife Watch friends said, “I want to go to the jungle”, a few of our children overheard and said, “me too, I want to go to the jungle!”. Our learners got on a rain suit, wellie boots and jackets to set off on our adventure. Mrs. Rushford wondered where we could find frogs and some of our friends pointed to the water outside nursery and said “in the pond!”. Walking around, someone spotted a mound of mud. Mrs. Rushford wondered who could’ve made that. One of our friends answered “a mole!”. Mrs Rushford agreed and discussed how they lived underground. We then looked in the leaves on the ground for spiders and other insects. Once we had got to a safe spot in the woods, we looked through binoculars and a telescope and investigated around us. Our learners used charts to help match and sort our viewings. Some of our learners noted that they saw birds, seagulls, magpies, and a wee robin. Mrs. Rushford wondered where all these birds may live. The children answered, “they live up in the trees, they have holes in them for their nests”. Our Stepps Wildlife Watchers have been learning about our local wildlife’s habitats.

Maxine Rushford,

Stepps Nursery Wildlife Watch