A great way to complete your Duke of Edinburgh’s Gold Award Residential Section
Spend five days at Hudnall Park learning a range of practical conservation skills while making new friends and learning more about yourself.
The John Muir Award Conservation residential course offered by Services for Young People is a fun and educational five-day, four-night residential course at Hudnall Park for young people aged 16-24. The activities are focused on wildlife and nature conservation, and you will also be supporting the habitat improvement at Hudnall Park. The courses are held during the school holidays.
If you are doing your Duke of Edinburgh's Gold Award, it is an ideal way to complete the Residential Section.
On the course you will learn about the wildlife at Hudnall Park, which is in the heart of the Chilterns Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. You will have the opportunity to carry out conservation work with data collection and learn bushcraft skills in the woodlands.
The John Muir Award is a national environmental award scheme that encourages people from all backgrounds to connect with, enjoy and care for wild places by meeting the four challenges of Discover, Explore, Conserve and Share. The three levels are:
Discover Award – 25+ hours
Explore Award – 50+ hours
Conserve Award – 125+ hours
This five-day course will give you the time commitment to complete your John Muir 'Discover Award'. You will be given time to complete your John Muir diary as part of the course.
This course is also ideal if you are thinking of further study involving wildlife, ecology or conservation, or just want to improve your general nature skills.
In the evenings you will get together with the young people on the other residential courses for nighttime nature walks and stargazing, an evening around the campfire, and a film night with board games and quizzes.
The course will also help you to develop skills that will be useful in other areas of your life, such as:
Problem solving
Communication
Working as a team
Decision making
Staying focused
Time management
No prior experience is necessary, all we ask is that you have an interest in nature, conservation or the environment and a 'have a go' attitude.
1pm Get to know your team with teambuilding activities and discuss personal aims and objectives for the week
3pm Introduction to the John Muir Award
7pm Barbecue dinner
8pm Free time
9pm Night walk and stargazing
Day 2
8am Breakfast followed by time to complete your John Muir diary
10am Get involved in the conservation activities around Hudnall Park such as hazel coppicing
2pm Butterfly survey
3pm Wildflower sowing followed by completing your John Muir diary
6pm Dinner
8pm Badger watch
9pm Night walk to see more wildlife such as bats and deer
Day 3
8am Breakfast followed by time to complete your John Muir diary
9am A talk with a conservation expert
2pm Reflections
4pm Completing John Muir diaries and free time
6pm Dinner
7pm Bug hotel
8pm A woodland campfire – a chance to relax around the campfire and reflect on your experiences so far and maybe toast a marshmallow or two.
Day 4
8am Breakfast followed by time to complete your John Muir diary
10am Morning activity to be confirmed
2pm Invasive pond clearance
4pm Completing John Muir diaries and free time
6pm Dinner
7pm Film night, board games and quizzes
Day 5
8am Breakfast followed by time to complete your John Muir diary
10am Morning activity to be confirmed
1pm Finalise your John Muir diaries and presentations
Depart 3pm
Please note: to ensure safe and quality learning experiences for students, the timetable may change depending on weather conditions and local factors at the centre.
