Tuesday, 17th July 2004

The partnership joined local youngsters at the Bourne Valley Youth Centre for a special 'Wet 'n' Wild' environment day led by youth worker Sarah Evans-Johnson.

The day started with a presentation from Claire Atkins of the Dorset Urban Heath Project, giving the group an insight into the special and threatened nature of the valley heathland and its wildlife.  Then we all set off for a walk across the heath to Bourne Bottom and followed the stream to the pond at Alder Hills, spotting dragonflies & butterflies.

We took with us some 'pickers' and black bin liners - and filled more than two of them with the litter from in and around the stream on our walk!  Rebekah Keeping and Jimmy Ayres won a prize each as most successful litter pickers of the day.

Back to the centre for lunch and tile mosaic art - the children produced a fantastic dragonfly and a lizard which represent local wildlife and will brighten up the outside wall of the youth centre - then it's back from Upton Park where it's entered into the Art Pro Loco competition - and subsequently won first prize!  At 2:00 firemen from Poole showed a video which demonstrated the dangers and repercussions of setting heath fires, and then allowed children to clamber over the fire tender and spray hoses across the car park.

This set off the really 'wet' bit of the day and was followed by a water fight in the new garden that Sarah and her team have created at the centre.