Wytham Wild Day Camp for 7 - 11 year olds

11th and 12th April 2024 at Wytham Woods, Oxford, 9am - 4pm.

It’s the school holidays, and there are small groups of kids rambling around the beautiful Wytham Woods (just 10 mins outside Oxford), with outdoor educators and Oxford University nature experts, learning about nature.

You may have heard that the UK Government has introduced a new GCSE in Natural History (nature!) to begin in 2025. This has stimulated a renewed interest in nature learning in schools, with eco clubs popping up, and secondary schools planning how they could integrate the new GCSE into their existing provision.

We are doing our bit to prepare the next generation of nature enthusiasts by sharing the wonderful environment of Wytham Woods, and the enthusiasm of our nature experts, during school holidays and half terms. You can book your kids onto one day or more.

There is a fee per day and we make a tiny profit that we use to help with the costs of hosting school visits at Wytham.

"I had an astonishing time. Wytham Wood is a beautiful place. You get to meet new friends and learn all about nature." - Phoebe, 2024

"While the UK is one of the most nature depleted and disconnected countries in the world, Wytham Wild Camp is a fantastic antidote to this trend. It is vitally important to raise the next generation to respect and enjoy the natural world" - Wild Camp Parent 2024

Trying to pick the best thing about this camp is really hard. We all know that there are numerous scientific studies that have delved into the benefits of exposing children to nature, the improved mood, creativity, concentration as well as the ability to problem-solve. For me I’d say the best thing was the inspiration and motivation, the sheer thrill and delight of my daughter’s face every morning jumping out of bed to get ready for camp matched only by the smiles on her parent’s faces. Kim and team are the best sort of woodland friends that everyone with kids really, really needs.  Thank you so much to Kim and the team. 

Kim you are a legend!! [My daughter] absolutely loved today, she is soooo enjoying your class. It sounds amazing, we heard all about Liam! [Liam is an amazing entomologist who works at Wytham and loves teaching - ed] 

I've never seen my daughter come home from a school holiday camp so happy - she came home beaming and can't wait for the next opportunity to go on one. She learnt loads about insects and moths, had time to play, and even got to see some baby badger footprints in the mud which she was so excited about. All round good fun!

My 8yr old daughter attended this camp organised by Dr Kim Polgreen for three days and she absolutely loved it. I am so grateful to the recommendation from one of the mums at my daughter’s school. Initially, I was a little concerned about the age range but Kim highlighted the group sizing and supervision transparently. The programme looked and sounded very impressive. 

sessions (depending on the season, the weather, and our experts)

1. Exploring the wide variety of trees and plants at Wytham Woods, learning how to identify them, and examining, shapes, symmetry, colour and more, learning about how trees “work”.

2. Investigating a moth trap, and pitfall traps, to find some invertebrate friends. Using the microscopes in the Hazel Lab at the Chalet to look at them closer. And wandering the grasslands with sweep nets looking for butterflies.

3. Hunting for tiny mining bees “volcanos” and learning about their life cycle, counting bumble bees and hoverflies on bramble flowers, making bug houses for home or school.

4. A trek to the beautiful Wytham ponds to look for newts, diving beetles and much more.

5. Birdwatching and bird listening - learning to “see” them with your ears, and experimenting with some listening tech!

6. Visiting the cows on the FAI regenerative (farming with nature) farm and hunting for dung beetles.

7. Hunting for fungi under the western red cedar trees in the plantation along the Singing Way.

8. Examining ant hills and how the plants of the grasslands are affected by them.

9. Cooking a vegetable and bean stew over a camp fire (everyone loves it!).

Our sessions often include some art, or poetry, or other artistic form to help observation, reflection and enjoyment of their time in nature. We also teach them how to keep safe in a natural environment, some navigation basics, and some basic first aid techniques.

My daughter really loved being with some of her friends and meeting new ones too. The staff members were exceptional – not just their teaching but their observations of the groups and kindness. They kept the groups busy with little downtime. My daughter participated in insect identification aided by an Entomologist; wood cutting, carving her grandmother a necklace from a tree branch; map reading; games; cooking and more. The 2hr hike was an ambitious plan but pulled off with ease by these camp maestros. My daughter slept like a bear that evening. Cooking in the camp was a real highlight. Everyday there was something delicious, stew, bread - bushtucker at its best. This is a woodland experience that I’m sure Bear Grylls would approve, in fact as the week progressed, I was surprised Kim didn’t wheel him out for a chat. 

timings and costs

Drop off between 9am and 9.20am, and pick up between 4pm and 4.20pm at the Wytham Woods overflow car park (just past the main car park which you access from Wytham Village).

£45 per child for a full day.

“I loved learning about the all wild species that live in the woods!”

booking

You can either request places by submitting the form below. We will send you bank transfer details to complete the booking. Or you can book via Eventbrite which adds on the EB fee.

I just wanted to thank you, [my son] absolutely loved the camp today and is begging me to book him in for a summer camp if you are having one!

The team

The Wytham team of nature experts include, Oxford University researcher and educator, Dr Liam Crowley, who is working on the Darwin Tree of Life project; Julia Haynes, ecologist and Oxford University research technician; Tom Atkins, a researcher for the Leverhulme Centre for Nature Recovery; Martha Crockatt, also at the Leverhulme Centre for Nature Recovery; and nature educator Katie Whale, formerly the public engagement officer on the DToL project who has brought hundreds of primary school groups to Wytham for “BugBlitz” days.

We are also supported by a selection of outdoor educators to give the balance of learning that we are looking for. These include Manse Ahmed from Wilderness Pioneers, Charles Montier from Oxford Adventure School, and Russ Spivey from Wolvercote School, who are all bushcraft / forest school specialists who work with local schools, and who have very good knowledge about the natural world which fits with our nature learning ethos.

the locations

Base Camp, where parents drop off and pick up, is the large tents just beyond the fence at the overflow car park. Our locations through the week will range between the Wytham “Classroom with Leaves” on The Mount, the beautiful and secluded Bean Wood, the lovely Wytham orchard, and the beautiful Chalet at the top of the hill. And every day we aim to have a “ffennell nap” (or at least a rest) after lunch - following the wise lead of Raymond ffennell who gave children wonderful opportunities to visit Wytham in the 1920s and 30s!

I like Wytham Woods Wild Camp because I can learn about the woods from insects to trees, to mice and plants. My favourite thing is walking in the woods and looking at all the nature. 

A recommended kit list for events at Wytham can be found here.

Email kim.polgreen@admin.ox.ac.uk to ask any questions.