Luxury safari holidays can be tailored by a safari holiday specialist like Aardvark Safaris to provide an African safari package that suits your needs. You could explore the Zambezi River by canoe steering clear of pods of hippos, or fly low over the Rift Valley lakes in Kenya with flocks of flamingos beneath you.

Alternatively you might find yourselves helping baby turtles to the sea, avoiding marauding crabs, or fishing for your lunch just off the coast from Cape Town.

During a stay in Livingstone in Zambia you could meet elephants in the morning, raft in the afternoon and go on the river for a sunset cruise in the evening. The next morning you could head out to the Devil’s Pool on the edge of the Victoria Falls, before bungee jumping in the afternoon followed by a microlight flight to get some aerial shots of where you were in the morning.

Where you stay on a safari holiday

Image courtesy of Aardvark Safaris

Safari holiday accommodation varies widely and can accomodate most preferences.  You could sleep under a cube of mosquito net set up on a beach so you can safely sleep under the stars..  For the ultimate luxury safari holiday, you can stay in a room in a lodge bigger than your house, with a beautiful ensuite marble bathroom and your very own plunge pool.

Traditionally tents have been used on safari holidays, but these aren’t tents as you might have seen them in the scouts or guides. With proper beds, connected loo and shower and wardrobes and chairs, they’re effectively canvas hotel rooms in the bush.

What is a normal safari holiday package?

There is no normal safari holiday package. When you arrange what you want to do with a safari specialist they can alter the holiday to fit your needs.  This includes things such as:

• Your budget
• Your desire to walk, horse ride, canoe etc
• What time of year you are travelling
• What type of accommodation you want to stay in

A combination of safari and beach is quite common.  People use the section of the holiday by the sea to relax after the early starts of the safari days. If you are not a beach lover then you might choose a few days away from wildlife.  You can stay somewhere like Cape Town, in South Africa or Livingstone, close to the Victoria Falls on the Zambian side.

Where should I go on safari at different times of year?

Broadly speaking there are two different climatic zones for the safari areas of Africa.

Image courtesy of Aardvark Safaris

East Africa – Kenya & Tanzania (and to a certain extent Rwanda and Uganda)
Their best weather periods, when they have little or no rain, are June to October and then December to March. So good places to visit for the summer holidays, October half term and Christmas, but not for Easter.

Southern Africa – Botswana, South Africa, Zambia, Namibia and Malawi
They tend to have sunshine from April to November so work for holidays in the summer, at Easter and for the October half term, but not for Christmas (although Cape Town is an exception and is nice at Christmas and not in our summer)

How much does an African safari holiday cost?

It is almost easier to ask what you want to spend as there are safaris to suit all budgets.

Specialist luxury safari holiday operators tend to work with smaller camps and lodges.  Here the guiding and hosting is better and there are fewer people on each game viewing vehicle. These camps are generally in quieter areas ensuring a more exclusive safari.  Clients would typically fly by light aircraft between camps to minimise travel time and increase comfort.

With economy class flights from the UK a two week holiday planned by a safari holiday specialist, with a week on safari and a week on the beach, would generally cost £4,000 per person. This would include all international and internal flights and taxes, accommodation, meals, some drinks and safari activities – very little is excluded.

How do I arrange a safari holiday?

Image courtesy of Aardvark Safaris

There are many companies offering safari holidays; some are purely African specialists, others offer safari holidays throughout the world. You will be able to find many of these by typing African safaris or family safaris into a search engine.

The big question to ask the person who answers the phone is whether they have been to the places they are selling. Discount those who haven’t and work with those who have; they will make sure you are matched to the best safari holiday for you.

Aardvark Safaris

This safari holiday summary was written by African safari specialists Aardvark Safaris who have many years of experience of arranging tailor made holidays for couples, families, honeymooners and singles. Their consultants have incredible knowledge from years of travelling to Africa. They will use their knowledge combined with your thoughts to plan the perfect safari holiday for you

More adventure and activity holidays

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What are the Northern Lights?

The Northern Lights, also known as the Aurora Borealis, is nature’s display of coloured lights that fill the nights sky in the most northern parts of the world. It is a shapeshifting swirling cloud of coloured lights caused by the interaction between gas particles in the atmosphere and electrically charged particles from the sun. The Northern Lights occur when a continuous stream of charged particles called the Solar Wind that comes from the Sun hits the Earth’s upper atmosphere. The light is created when this solar wind causes ionisation of oxygen and nitrogen atoms. Oxygen gives off a greenish glow, and nitrogen gives off a red or blue glow. So, where are the Northern Lights?

The Northern Lights are seen above the magnetic North Pole and are called the Aurora borealis. There is a similar light phenomena over the magnetic South Pole which is called the Aurora australis. It is easier to travel to see the Northern Lights than the Southern Lights because Antarctica is a bit of an inhospitable place.

Where can you see the Northern Lights?

View of the Northern Lights from Alaska

The best places to see the Northern Lights are in Alaska, Canada, Iceland and Norway. The amazing light shows given off by the Northern Lights are never guaranteed, but if you get yourself to locations close to the northern latitudes at the top of the world such as in Iceland or Canada, you will maximise the chances of an unforgetable experience.

The level of solar activity is a big factor in the intensity and appearance of the Northern Lights. The solar activity changes in intensity over 11 years, and was expected to be at a maximum in 2012-2013.

You can also see the Northern Lights from places like Sweden and Scotland.

Northern Lights Holidays

Iceland offers some of the cheapest options for Northern Lights Holidays. You can book short breaks to Reykjavik with Thomson on a three-night trip. The Thomson Northern Lights Tour and a Golden Circle excursion takes in some of Iceland’s most spectacular sights, from geysers to waterfalls, for approximately £400pp B&B, including flights. Departures tend to be in January and February.
Inghams Northern Lights Holidays to northern Norway include the Narvik Polar Express Adventure. You get to ride on the Polar Express train, go husky sledding and on a trip to the Polar Wildlife Park. A three night Northern Lights Holiday from Inghams will cost about £800pp, including flights and excursions.

Northern Lights Cruise

Most of the Northern Lights cruises sail to Norway or Iceland where the aurora appears regularly and the climate is relatively calm.
P&O Cruises has a 12-night round trip from Southampton on Oriana. It calls at Stavanger in Tromso overnight, Alta for a two night stay and Flam. It costs about £850pp.

Northern Lights Flight

If you don’t like the cold and just want to have a look at the Northern Lights, you can get a plane from UK airports that flies up over Iceland and back in a few hours. The Aurora Tours mean that you can see the Northern Lights in a few hours without a long trip or having to stay out in the cold. However, nothing beats the awe and wonder of spending time with your camera in Alaska or Canada on a Northern Lights Holiday.

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Kayak In Your Backyard – By Andrea Lauren

My kayak glides toward the gray and blue reflection of the white peaks of the towering Alaskan mountains, never cutting through the reflection, but moving through the glassy water as part of the landscape rather than as an intruder. Rising hundreds of feet on the side of Resurrection Bay, I see a hanging glacier nestled in the jagged rock, softened by mounds of snow. To my right, I spot a bald eagle in his nest high up in the tree. Quietly, we paddle along the shoreline to get a closer look, when we find another new friend – a sea otter — floating on her back. We stop paddling for a bit to chat, as our guide shares some hilarious vignettes about tourists trying to “rescue” a bald eagle who was just trying to protect his dinner. Technically, I am a tourist, too. I’m visiting Alaska as a birthday present to myself and romping around the state pretty much solo. But while I am a tourist, I’m also not. We are all inhabitants of this world, although many times getting out in nature, especially when we are so tied to technology, makes you feel like a tourist in your own backyard. Your backyard is a great place to start, though. It’s where I began splashing in the creek, exploring in the fields, and hiking the trails. For this trip, I made Alaska my backyard. I tend to do that – go places and decide they are my new “backyard.” Once you’re comfortable playing in your backyard, you try out new things and new places.

Kayaking is something I started in my “backyard” of graduate school by participating in a whitewater kayaking course. After the culminating run down the whitewater river rapids, I decided that a touring kayak was more my style. Taking a class on how to kayak is a great way to get started because you learn the basics and you get connected with others who are also interested in the activity. However, there are other ways to experience the sport besides taking a class. Several people on my Alaskan kayaking adventures had never kayaked before, but by signing up with an outfitter, like Kayak Adventures Worldwide (that’s the one I used), you get equipment, instruction, navigation, and supervision. If you decide you want to try whitewater kayaking, I strongly encourage you to take a course and/or seek out an experienced whitewater kayaker to help you. Besides attending a course or registering with an outfitter, often local outdoors stores will host an introductory class to kayaking. This is a great opportunity to get your feet wet (sorry, I’m a nerd and that pun had to be interjected somewhere). A lake is also a good place to try out kayaking with a friend.

As you prepare for your kayak experience, your outfitter can be a resource for questions and concerns. What you will pack and wear will often depend on both the weather and water temperature. Whether you are kayaking in Alaska or paddling in the tropics, there are some basics to kayaking. The first thing is this: you WILL get wet. Not that you will tip, because if it’s flatwater, and especially if you are in a double kayak, it is actually highly unlikely, but you will be on the water and water is wet. (If you’re now thinking, “Uh, I already know this.” Then you get it – that’s the point! You already DO know about this! There are just some other details to work out to get you on the water.) There are different types of kayaking, so there are different kinds of equipment as well.

What is Canoeing and Kayaking all about?

You may have seen a bit of sedate canoeing, or even had a go yourself, but there is a wide range of canoeing experiences to be had on a range of types of water.

Canoeing is where you paddle a canoe for the purpose of recreation, sport, or transportation. It usually refers exclusively to using a paddle to propel a canoe with only human muscle power.

There are a few differences between a canoe and a kayak. A canoe is an open topped craft that you paddle from a kneeling position with a single blade paddle. Canoeing is perfect for wilderness travel and river cruising. Kayaks are paddled from a sitting position using a double bladed paddle. Just some of the extensive environments for kayaking include sea, surf and white-water rafting. Kayaks are usually closed-decked boats with a spraydeck, while canoes are usually open boats. There are also open kayaks and closed canoes.

Internationally, the term canoeing is used as a generic term for both forms though the terms “paddle sports” or “canoe/kayak” are also used. In North America, however, ‘canoeing’ usually refers only to canoes, as opposed to both canoes and kayaks. Paddling a kayak is also referred to as kayaking.

In modern canoe sport, both canoes and kayaks may be closed-decked. Other than by the minimum competition specifications (typically length and width (beam) and seating arrangement it is difficult to differentiate most competition canoes from the equivalent competition kayaks. The most common difference is that competition kayaks are always seated, and competition canoes are generally kneeling. Exceptions include Canoe Marathon (in both European and American competitive forms) and sprint (high kneeling position). The most traditional and early canoes did not have seats, the paddlers merely kneeled on the bottom of the boat. Recreational or ‘Canadian’ canoes employ seats and whitewater rodeo and surf variants increasingly employ the use of ‘saddles’ to give greater boat control under extreme conditions.

There are many types of disciplines within kayaking and canoeing. With so many different types of canoes and kayaks available, it is up to you whether you take a gentle paddle down stream or battle it out in the open ocean. Whitewater kayaking is extreme fun, whether on man made whitewater courses or on rivers.

Getting your kayak to the water can be done either using a trailer or a roof rack. If you don’t have the space, perhaps you might like to look at an inflatable kayak or canoe.

What Do I Need?

• Kayak
• Paddle
• Spray skirt: Many warmer climates with recreational kayaks for rent do not require you to wear a spray skirt, which you wear around your waist that seals around the opening of the boat when you are in the water. You may or may not need one, depending on where you are kayaking.
• Footwear: Water socks/shoes, but sneakers can sometimes work, too.
• Depending on the season and temperatures, you may end up wearing neoprene booties and gloves, or a wetsuit.
• Attire: When I kayak by my house in the summer, I wear shorts, a tank top, a hat, and some sun protection. Weather and temperature matter, so make sure you check that out before you hit the water.
• Personal Floatation Device: The one accessory that I always wear is a personal floatation device (PFD) – a life-vest. I tend to be part of the “Just-In-Case Club”, and this is a badge of honor with its members.

All Geared Up – What Next?

The Paddle:

First, take your paddle and put the shaft on your head so that the blades are equidistant from your head. Yes, I’m serious here. Now, you want your arms to make right angles. This is how you can tell where your hands need to be. If you are using an asymmetrical paddle, you want to hold it the correct way. Usually, the writing on the paddle is a dead give-away (as in, can you read the writing? If it’s upside down, so is your paddle). If there is no writing, know that the horizontal side is the bottom, the more curved edge is the top. You want the smooth concave side facing you. Now you know how to hold the paddle, so let’s get you in the boat – but not in the water . . . yet!

The Kayak:

You also want to fit your kayak before you start paddling. In order to fit your kayak, sit on the back lip of the open hole, with one foot on either side of the boat. Lift your feet up, slide them in, and put your bottom on the seat. Each foot should rest on a little pedal. Your heels should be in toward the bottom center of the boat and your toes out with your feet slightly flexed. Your knees will be bent and rest on the sides of the boat; this will help you balance the boat. Your bottom should be all the way back in the seat. If you need to, you can adjust the foot pedals by moving the lever inside the boat. If you have a spray skirt, you should be wearing that before you begin. Like I said, not all places use them and you may not need one. Once you are all set and in your kayak, you will take the skirt and tuck it under the back lip of the opening, moving forward until it’s all tucked under. Make sure the woven handle is NOT tucked under the skirt. You need this accessible just in case you do tip.
Now it’s time to get in the water! There are a couple of options for how to do this. I usually start right at the water’s edge, get in as described above, and scoot to the water, or have a friend push me in.

Time to Move:

Paddle strokes can be broken down into three steps. Think of yourself as propelling yourself forward, rather than pulling water toward you.

1. Put one blade in the water . Your torso will be turned in the direction of the blade that you have in the water.
2. Imagine pushing the boat forward instead of pulling the paddle back. You can do this by extending your opposite arm (paddle is not in the water) across your body. Imagine you are punching the air in front of you at about shoulder-height. The blade in this hand will be in the air. You blade-in-water arm will be bent, hand by your waist, blade in the water.
3. Rotate your torso as you bring your blade out of the water. Paddling is a continuous motion. Now this hand is going to the punching and the other arm is going to catch the water with the other blade. Your torso should now be facing in this direction.

TIP: Make sure you are extending your arms, otherwise you will look like you have dinosaur arms. (Are you pretending to do it now? See? Just like T-Rex!) Try to focus on pushing with your extended arm as you twist, rather than pulling with the arm with the blade in the water. You want your stroke to be smooth, and the grip on the paddle loose. If your knuckles are white, relax a little!

Will I Capsize?

The major concern I hear about kayaking has to do with capsizing, or tipping over. It CAN happen, but if you are on flatwater, it’s infrequent. Still, it’s always good to have a plan and know what to do in case it does. If you capsize, bang on the sides of the kayak three times loudly to signal to others that you have tipped. Then, put both hands on the edges of the opening on either side of you and run them along the oval until they meet at the front, which is where the handle will be of your spray skirt. Then, when you pull the handle, the skirt pops off, and you push with your feet to easily exit the boat and swim to the surface. Like I said earlier, if you are kayaking on flatwater (like a lake) you mostly likely won’t need to do this, but it’s good to know. There are other ways to right your boat back up, which are great to know if you become an avid kayaker and crucial if you decide to attempt whitewater kayaking.

Kayaking can give you chance to explore nature and see it through a different perspective. It is certainly a unique and fun way to experience the outdoors and the water! Now it’s about time for you to strap on your PFD, grab a paddle, and hop in kayak to explore your new backyard.

Find Out More About Canoeing and Kayaking

A good place to start with any sport is to learn the basics first. Hatt Adventures run kayaking and canoeing experiences that are perfect for getting a feel for splashing about in the boats for a few hours, playing some games and learning basic technique. From there you can progress up the on to the BCU (British Canoe Union) certifications. These are designed to improve upon your skills at each stage, awarding you with a recognised certificate at the end of each assessment.

For further information on the sports, check out the BCU website. Here a comprehensive list of clubs and centres can be found as well as further information on the awards and other resources.

If you want to explore harbours, coastlines, cliffs and caves, you can experience the sea from a different perspective by sea kayaking.

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It’s not all about the nature watching. The experience of paddling across the waves under your own power is quite soothing to the soul. One of the great things about a sea kayak is that they are wider than normal kayaks, and designed to be much more stable in the waves. Within ten minutes, a complete beginner can work out how to move about in a sea kayak, so it is good for newcomers and experts alike.

Sea kayaking for beginners

Sea kayaking is readily accessible for beginners, however depending on your fitness and coordination it will be easier for some. Talking to a sea kayak instructor I was told that more and more people struggle with sea kayaks because adults and children are so unfit these days. Paddling can be a bit tiring on the arms if you are not used to doing any form of physical activity.

What to Expect When Sea Kayaking

I have been longing to go sea kayaking for a while. Walking the cliff top coastal paths around the UK, I often sea small groups of people in sea kayaks exploring the cliffs and caves. Whilst on holiday in North Devon, I took the opportunity to try it out.

We went sea kayaking with H2Outdoors in Ilfracombe, Devon. We met at the harbour, where we were given wetsuits, buoyancy aids, helmets and a paddle. The wetsuits were nice clean and dry, which is a rarity for doing watersports. Most times I have been on water adventures, the instructor has only a limited supply of wetsuits which will have been used for the previous session and so you have to put on a damp smelly one. Not at H2Outdoors. The instructors make a point of having enough wetsuits for everyone that are in good condition and looked after. A good start to the kayaking experience.

Safety is a priority, and you are given top class sit on sea kayaks and safety equipment. All of the Instructors are British Canoe Union qualified and first aid trained. Each instructor is equipped with all the necessary safety gear including tow lines, flares, first aid kits, VHF radio, mobile phones and other such equipment required for the conditions and the group.

We were given a safety brief, and shown how to use a paddle efficiently. Then we carried our kayaks from the boathouse down to the harbour’s edge. Some families had opted for tandem kayaks for younger children. Due to the group mainly being families with younger children, the 2 hour session remained within the protection of the inner and outer harbour at Ilfracombe. For stag and hen party groups, able teenagers and adults, sea kayaking sessions go out exploring the coast around North Devon.

Getting into a Sea Kayak

It was quite easy to get into the sea kayaks, mainly because they were sit on top style. From the shore, you just put the front end of the sea kayak in the water so that the front floats and the back still rests on the shore. You then sit on it, and either shuffle the sea kayak forwards into the water, or get a helpful push.

Fun on the Water in a Sea Kayak

We paddled around the harbour and played a few games such as throwing sponges at each other and British Bulldog/Seadog. This helped us practice our paddling and steering skills and improved confidence. The bit I enjoyed most was kayaking in the channels between the rocks and the cliff. The waves were coming around the rocks which made things a bit more challenging but a lot more fun.

We will certainly go sea kayaking again, but aim to go on a half day trip so that we get to go out along the coast.

Sea Kayaking with H2Outdoors

Regardless of your paddling experience, H2Outdoors offers fun filled tailored sessions. H2Outdoors Sea Kayaking sessions are perfect for small or large groups with varied paddling experience as we use sit-on kayaks which are incredibly stable and easy to paddle and all sessions include an introduction to kayaking before taking to the water for some fun. No experience is necessary and all equipment is provided.

If you have some experience and would like to journey a little further along the coast, they have kayaking options for you to choose from ranging from short journeys using sit-on kayaks to half and full day packages using enclosed cockpit sea kayaks. Multi day sea kayaking in North Devon trips are available on request.

H2Outdoor can arrange one-to-one kayaking sessions for you to have our qualified instructor focus solely on you and provide the opportunity to practice rescues and rolls or develop other skills within the kayaking sport.
They also provide other outdoor adventurous activities such as coasteering, high ropes and mountain biking.

Sea kayaking tips

The book Sea Kayak Handling: A Practical Manual, Essential Knowledge for Beginner and Intermediate Paddlers by Doug Cooper is a great compilation of tips on getting started in sea kayaking.
These are a few things I have learned from experience or observation.

1. It is less tiring if you are more efficient with your paddling. If you can paddle in a straight line, you use up less energy than trying to correct a zigzag course. Aim to put the paddle into the water as close to the side of the sea kayak as possible.
2. If approaching a wave, face your kayak into the wave rather than being side on as it is less likely to tip your sea kayak over.
3. Sea kayaks are not intended for use with surf. If you want to try that sort of thing you need to go wave surfing.
4. Wear a buoyancy aid. If you fall out of your sea kayak, it is one less thing to think about if you don’t have to put in the effort to keep your head above water.
5. Plan ahead and know what the sea and weather conditions are going to be like.
6. Tell someone where you are going
7. Carry a waterproof dry bag with a mobile phone or radio in it so you can call for help if needed.
8. Depending in the weather and time of year, a full body wetsuit will keep you warmer than a short wetsuit.
9. Use a paddle leash so that if you let go of your paddle it doesn’t float away.

Sea kayaking equipment

To go sea kayaking you will need:

• Sea Kayak
• Paddle
• Paddle Leash
• Wetsuit
• Buoyancy aid
• Neoprene Wetsuit boots
• Waterproof dry bag
• Helmet

Places to go Sea Kayaking

The best time to go sea kayaking in Europe is between May and October. In the US, October to May is better for sea kayaking as it is not too hot. August to September is hurricane season and must be avoided.

Sea kayaking in the UK

The UK coastline supports an abundance of wildlife that makes sea kayaking a great experience. The best places to go sea kayaking in the UK are around the Isle of Wight, off the North coast of Cornwall, Devon, and in Scotland.

Alaska sea kayaking

The Kenai Fjords in Alaska offer views of glaciers sliding into the sea. You paddle amongst ice, and can get to see glaciers calving and crashing into the sea. You will definitely need a guide for this trip. The fishing port of Seward is the national park headquarters, and where most sea kayakers go from. You will get to see wildlife such as Sea Eagles, Orca Whales and sea otters. Sunny Cove Sea Kayaking offer trips in Resurrection Bay and the Kenai Fjords.

Greenland sea kayaking

Sea kayaking in the Arctic fjords of Greenland in the summer months gives access to perpetual daylight and passageways through channels in and around the fjords. See glaciers and icebergs in the lands of the Inuit, who invented kayaks. In case you are wondering, kayaks are the watercraft that you usually sit inside and are covered. Canoes are open boats more commonly used in warmer waters.

Sea kayaking in Iceland

Sea kayaking in Iceland is ice free all year round because of the warm currents of the Gulf Stream. You can take this tour as part of a trip to see the volcanoes, geysers and ice of this amazing place.

Sea kayaking in the Ionian Sea, Greece.

The Ionian Sea is the calmest sea around Greece and perfect for sea kayaking. The deep blue Mediterranean waters off the southern tip of Italy and Greece provide wonderful coastlines to explore like those around Crete or Corfu. Whilst exploring the coast and sea caves you might get to see turtles, seals or dolphins.

Sea Kayaking in the Sea of Cortez

Just south of San Diego off the coast of Baja California lies the Sea of Cortez. There are hundreds of unexplored coves, uninhabited islands and estuary mouths to discover. You can see wildlife including sea lions, turtles and plenty of birdlife. One popular route offered by Baja Outdoor Activities is to kayak all the way around the Isla Espiritu Santo near La Paz. You can go on a trip where you and your sea kayak are taken to the island by motorboat. Tours provide camping spots on the island so you can paddle your way around the island camping overnight at stops along the way. After a hard day paddling, turning up to a delicious cooked meal that awaits you is wonderful. Sea kayaking all the way around Isla Espiritu Santo takes between five and seven days.

Sea Kayaking in Phang Nga Bay, Thailand

If you are lucky enough to travel to Thailand, make an effort to try sea kayaking in Phang Nga Bay. Explore hidden sea caves that only a sea kayak can get into. The bay has been used for films such as The Beach, and James Bond movies. Using inflatable sea kayaks, you get to paddle through caves and narrow passageways into the hidden interior of the islands. The water inside the middle is called a hong (room). You are surrounded on all sides by lush forest vegetation hanging from the limestone cliffs. Access to the caves is tidal, so you should use an experienced guide who knows the area.

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Skills – Strength: 1, Balance: 5, Flexibility: 1, Agility: 1, Coordination: 10
Time needed: travelling time + 1 hour, Cost to try: £30

Falconry – Hawk landing on a gloved hand

Origins of Falconry

Falconry dates back to earlier than 2000BC. That’s over 4000 years ago! Falcons were used in Mongolia and Ancient Egypt by both the aristocracy and common people alike. Falconry is the use of birds of prey to hunt wild quarry in its natural habitat.

Falconry or hawking is a sport which involves the use of trained birds of prey to hunt or pursue game for humans.
Falconry is the ancient pastime of hunting using a bird of prey. the type of bird you flew indicated your status, from kestrel to eagle.

Falconry is still practised today in countries all over the world. The most favoured birds for a falconer is the goshawk and peregrine falcon. Falconry is still an important part of Arab culture, with huge amounts of investment in the protection and conservation of wild falcons.

Depending on the prey, different birds are used. Golden Eagles are used to catch larger prey such as foxes.

Falconry Demonstrations

If you would rather just watch from a distance, falconry displays and demonstrations take place all over the country. The easiest way to find one is to search online for bird of prey centres.

It takes a while to become trained to handle birds of prey properly, however you can get the chance to experience what is involved from a falconry experience. There are plenty of birds of prey centres such as the falconry centre in the Cotswolds or the falconry centre in Yorkshire.

Bird of Prey centres look after a wide range of birds. Owls, falcons, eagles and buzzards can all be viewed resting on perches, and at set times throughout the day there will be flying displays. Falconers will exercise the birds of prey by encouraging them to chase a lure which has food attached to it. They will use either a swinging lure, or a drag lure. Falconers at birds of prey displays will usually get some child from the audience to run around the arena dragging a lure on the end of a piece of rope. The falcon will always manage to catch the child, er I mean the lure. Not surprising when falcons can fly at up to 390 km/h (242 mph).

Owl Experience Days for Kids

For younger children,   you can book a three hour session that will include:

•      handling and flying various owls.
•      learning how to identify owls.
•      dissecting an owl pellet to see what owls eat.

Falconry Experience Days for Teens and Adults

For adults, falconry experience days encompass the handling and flying of owls, falcons and larger birds such as golden eagles.  They will introduce you to the art of falconry and let you handle the birds under supervision, and fly them to catch some prey.  The half day session includes:

• looking after the birds
• weighing and feeding birds
• training young birds
• handling and flying a variety of bird species
• trying your hand at swinging a lure
• learning how to track a radio transmitter
• present your own flying display.

Where to find out more about Falconry Experience Days

For about £60 for a half day falconry experience, you can learn different methods of holding, walking with and flying a variety of birds of prey.

For about £100 you can have a full day of falconry. This will often going out into the countryside to fly a bird of prey. This is a truly amazing experience.

Falconry experiences from Red Letter Days

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Spending a Saturday afternoon, sitting on the shore of a small secluded pond, like the one shown below, with your line in the water and a comfortable lawn chair for your relaxation, is like no other way to blend yourself with the wonders of nature while spending quality time breathing fresh air.

Most experienced fishermen are also conservationists in their own way. They care about the condition of the waters that they fish and also the health of the fish that they seek. The vast majority of freshwater fishermen take care to protect the fish by practicing catch-and-release, keeping only those fish that they intend to eat. Freshwater fishing has grown as a family sport, because it is easy to learn, and relatively inexpensive. All that is needed is a spinning rod and reel combination that can be purchased in most sporting goods stores for less than $50. Add to this a few hooks and bobbers for less than $5 and you are ready to go.

Sporting good stores have so many artificial lures on their shelves that it would tend to scare away a beginner fisherperson. I do not subscribe to artificial lures for beginners, because I feel that the most effective bait that has been used since fishing was first discovered is the earth worm. Worms or night crawlers are available at most stores that sell fishing bait. A small hook tied to the end of your line with a bobber about three feet from the hook, will catch you a nice fish, like the one shown below.

This young mother watched her son bring in this largemouth bass off of a lakeside dock. Both of them enjoyed the experience and then returned the fish to the lake and watched it gracefully swim away. The true enjoyment of this experience was the memory and the photo that hangs on the child’s wall.
The beauty of freshwater fishing is that it can be enjoyed by an individual, in the solitude of a secluded lake or pond, or it can be a family activity, where everyone can participate, not only in the actual fishing, but by watching the mysteries of nature unfold before your eyes. A blue Herron, walking along the shoreline, stalking its next meal, demonstrates the cycle of life where nature provides all of its creatures, the means for survival. A female deer slowly and silently walking to the water for a drink, stops and looks around before she signals to her two small fawns to follow her, again a lesson in survival.
Another great way to enjoy a day in the outdoors is to take your basic fishing equipment to a local lake and rent a small boat for a day on the water. Most lakes have at least one marina where boats can be rented at a reasonable cost and these boats usually come equipped with all of the safety equipment that you will need. This is a great way to get a day out of the house, away from the computers, ipads and cell phones. I do however recommend that at least one cell phone be taken as a safety precaution.

We all are born with an element of competitiveness inside us. Fishing tends to bring that spirit out in several ways. First, there is the element of challenge between the fish and the fisherman. This may not seem like a fair competition but I assure you, nature has taught fish every trick that there is to avoid being caught. As we fishermen always say, fish did not get large by being stupid. The second challenge is to always try to improve on your personal best catch. Like a runner, you always want to improve on your last best fish. The third element of challenge is within and between other fishermen. Fishing in groups always introduces the challenge of a small wager on the biggest fish of the day. Not the least of all of these challenges is the opportunity to put a fine meal on the table. Fish are high in protein and are always mentioned in published diets as a recommended food.

Many people have a desire to do some freshwater fishing but do not know how to get started. Nearly every major sports store holds fishing seminars for beginners or they can point you to a local fishing club that sponsors such programs. Some Community colleges have added fishing to their evening program due to its growing popularity. Most serious fishermen will always take the time to spend a few hours with you going over the basics of fishing. If you want to spend some money, there are many fishing guides on major waterways that will take you out fishing for a few hours for a fee. They supply all of the fishing gear and bait you need so it is a good investment before you start buying equipment.

There are also many books available that cover the entire range of fishing procedures. The author of this article has published four books about freshwater fishing. They can be reviewed on his web site, www.jakestakeonfishing.com. This site also links to his blog which provides timely tips about local fishing activities.

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Most Popular Crans-Montana Summer Activities

According to the Crans-Montana Tourist Office, the best outdoor activities in Crans-Montana include:

• Walking and hiking;
• Golf;
• Trail Running;
• Road cycling and Mountain biking;
• Spa Breaks;
• Tennis;
• Kayaking;
• Horse Riding.

Walking Routes for Everyone

A vast network made up of 320 km of signposted paths offers infinite possibilities for relaxing walks, or more demanding excursions. Hikers can enjoy recharging their batteries in natural surroundings, while soaking up the sunshine and panoramic views over the most beautiful peaks in the Alps.

Hiking: crans-montana.ch/en/activities_/walking

The Ultimate Golf Experience

Four quality golf courses, a prestigious club and an indoor centre is open all year round.  Crans-Montana annually hosts of one of the most prestigious tournaments on the European tour, the Omega European Masters. Golfers visit from all over the world to play a round on the Crans-Montana plateau.

Golf: crans-montana.ch/en/activities_/golf

From the Top Down to the Valley

With 177 marked mountain bike, cross-country and enduro tracks, a total vertical height difference of 2,350 metres, three downhill tracks which end at one Northshore zone, Crans-Montana offers a variety of possibilities for all cyclists. Several ‘Swiss Bike Hotels’ welcome visitors in search of a cycling holiday in a sunny region with natural surroundings.

MTB, road, Bike Park, e-bike: crans-montana.ch/en/activities_/bike

A Road Cycling Paradise

With over 200 km of road routes carefully mapped out by a Tour de France regular, today Crans-Montana stands out as the Swiss Alpine centre for cycling. Steve Morabito, a frequent visitor who is passionate about this area, has designed 10 new hugely varied routes for all levels, covering the valley up to the peaks, and includes a mountain pass.

Road cycling: crans-montana.ch/en/bike/velo_de_route

Crans-Montana Parks

With its legendary snow park, its unique wake park in the mountains, its sensational bike park and its temple for action sports Alaïa Chalet, Crans-Montana attracts action sports fanatics and offers them modern infrastructures to let their creativity run free.

Action sports: crans-montana.ch/en/parks

At a Trail Running Pace

Crans-Montana is launching its own Trail Running routes, suitable for beginners and pros. 15 signposted trail routes offer a network of over 200 km covering the whole region. From 2 km to 55 km long, with a height difference of 300m to 4,200m.

Trail running: crans-montana.ch/en/activities_/trail

Family Activities Holidays in the Swiss Alps

A certified ‘Family Destination’, Crans-Montana is an ideal place to spend great holidays, where young and old will find what they are looking for amongst the many outdoor activities on offer year-round. Bibi’s House welcomes the youngest family members, with plenty of entertainment, games and laughter, in winter on the golf course and in summer at Ycoor, as well as activities for the entire family.

Family: crans-montana.ch/en/kids

Urban Lifestyle in the Mountains

Crans-Montana is a place where you can forget your daily stress and live fully in the moment. Wellness and shopping enthusiasts are invited to relax in one of the beautiful spas and treat themselves in the rue du Prado, the street that brings together the finest luxury brands. A casino, a bowling alley, a 3D cinema, many bars and clubs and even a Beach Club make Crans-Montana a popular spot for visitors looking for a dynamic and vibrant destination.

Lifestyle: crans-montana.ch/en/lifestyle

Discover History

With the Foundation Opale and many different art exhibitions, culture is highlighted here, in this open-air museum. But music, whether classical or pop, is not overlooked, as there are concerts and masterclasses every year, as well as contemporary circus arts and street art, thanks to Cirque au Sommet and Vision Art Festival.

Culture: crans-montana.ch/en/culture

Gastronomy in the Swiss Alps

Whether in the resort or in the mountain, every gourmet will find what they’re looking for amongst the huge choice of restaurants which vary from mountain huts to Michelin-starred establishments. Quality local produce, numerous foodie events, passionate craftspeople and chefs illustrate the wealth of gastronomy in our region. Crans-Montana is also a first-rate wine region and that wine tourism is becoming increasingly important.

Gastronomy: crans-montana.ch/en/local_gastronomy

About Crans-Montana

The resort is part of the Best of the Alps group (bestofthealps.com)

Two towns, Crans and Montana, merge together to form the resort and both have their own identities. Sitting on a high plateau above the Rhone Valley and facing south, the views are spectacular, especially from higher altitudes where it’s possible to see Mont Blanc in the west, through to the Matterhorn and way beyond to the east. During the winter, the skiing is well suited for intermediates, with a wide range of blue and red runs, but there’s excellent beginners areas as well as some more challenging slopes for experts, including some interesting off-piste and ski touring terrain. Crans-Montana summer activities on offer in the resort provide a haven for both road cyclists and mountain bikers as well as hikers and adventure seekers. Accommodation is varied, with a strong luxury element including several 5* hotels and a spread of 3* and 4* options as well as self-catering apartments and B&B’s.

crans-montana.ch

Crans Montana Winter Activities

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The Most Popular Outdoor Recreational Activities

Every year the Outdoor Foundation in the US and Sport England in the UK publish a list of the most popular outdoor activities.
According to the Outdoor Foundation, about half the U.S. population participated in outdoor recreation at least once in 2018, including hunting, hiking, camping, fishing, canoeing among many more outdoor activities. Unfortunately, the report highlights an alarming trend that just under half the U.S. population does not participate in outdoor recreation at all.

The most popular outdoor activities are:

1. Running, jogging and trail running;
2. Hiking and walking for fitness;
3. Camping and RV Camping;
4. Road biking, mountain biking and BMX;
5. Freshwater, saltwater and fly fishing;
6. Golf;
7. Wildlife watching;
8. Netball and basketball;
9. Tennis and Table Tennis;
10. Soccer;

Most participants preferred to find adventure less than one mile from their homes.

The top 10 list remains fairly consistent year on year.  There are however a few variations as new sports and activities develop and become popular for a while. Follow the blog to find out new trends and more great ways to try out new activities and get active outdoors.

Outdoor Activities Environment Picker

Use the images below to jump to the section in the outdoor activities list with the environment for you.

Outdoor Recreational Activities and Hobbies for Adults

Outdoor recreational activities are ways in which you can spend your leisure time outdoors being physically active, creative, relaxing, having fun or being social.  Explore the huge range of exciting outdoor activities and some of the best adventure sports in the list below.

The most popular ideas for outdoor summer activities include:

• outdoor activities to do on the weekend with friends,
• outdoor activities for couples,
• bucket list of summer activities for boyfriend and girlfriend.

What are the Different Types of Outdoor Activities?

To help you choose which outdoor recreational activities and hobbies suit your needs right now, I have rated them under five categories:

• Relaxing outdoor activities to just unwind and take things easy or to improve your sense of well being.
• Fun outdoor activities that are a perfect for shared experiences where it’s all about fun and friends.
• Outdoor physical challenges that provide adventure and challenge for an adrenaline buzz or for personal development.
• Extreme outdoor activities for thrill seekers that give a serious adrenaline rush and require great skill
• Outdoor sports activities that need a few friends to join in and are competitive

Land Activities

This vast list of outdoor land activities provides inspiration for fitness, downhill fun, relaxing creative hobbies, personal challenges, new skills to learn and outdoor recreational activities that will leave you with a huge smile.

•  4×4 driving experience
•  Activity Holidays for adults and families
•  Adventure Races
•  Air rifle and air pistol shooting
•  Airsoft
•  American Football
•  Animal Parks, Wildlife Parks and Zoos
•  Archery
•  Assault courses and Obstacle course races
•  Athletics
•  Backyard Sleepovers
•  Badminton
•  Baseball and Softball
•  Basketball
•  Baton Twirling
•  Battle Reenactments
•  Beach Activities
•  Beachcombing
•  Bicycle Polo
•  Bird watching holidays
•  BMX biking
•  Boccia
•  Bootcamps for fitness
•  Bouldering
•  Bowls
•  Brushboarding
•  Bubble Football
•  Bushcraft and survival courses
•  Camel trekking holidays
•  Camogie
•  Camping
•  Canyoning and Canyoneering
•  Capoeira
•  Carnivals
•  Carriage driving
•  Cave biking underground
•  Caving and potholing
•  Cheerleading
•  Chinese Martial Arts
•  Circus Skills
•  Clay Pigeon Shooting
•  Climbing courses and climbing holidays
•  Concerts, Festivals and Gigs
•  Conkers
•  Cookout
•  Crazy Golf and Mini Golf, Pitch and Putt
•  Cricket
•  Croquet
•  Cycling fitness training
•  Dance, Street Dance
•  Den Building and Bivouacs
•  Digger and JCB driving
•  Dodgeball
•  Dog Scootering
•  Drag Racing
•  Driving Experience Days
•  Duathlon
•  Eclipse Sphering and Eclipse Zorbing
•  Equestrian (horse Riding, eventing, racing, dressage, cross country)
•  Exercise and fitness
•  Exploring holidays
•  Fencing
•  Fives (rugby)
•  Floorball
•  Folk Dancing
•  Footbags
•  Football and Soccer
•  Free Running and Parkour
•  Fruit Picking
•  Fun fairs
•  Futsal
•  Gaelic Football
•  Gap Year Travelling
•  Gardening
•  Geocaching
•  Gladiator Training
•  Goalball
•  Go Ape forest high wire adventures ropes courses
•  Go Karting
•  Golf Holidays
•  Grass skiing
•  Grass sledging
•  Grass karting
•  Greyhound Racing
•  Grow Your Own Vegetables
•  Grouse Shooting
•  Gymnastics
•  Handball
•  Harness Racing
•  Hiking holidays
•  Hockey
•  Horse Boarding
•  Horse Racing
•  Horse Riding
•  Hurling
•  Jogging and running
•  Jousting
•  Kite Boarding
•  Kite Buggying
•  Korfball
•  Lacrosse
•  Landboarding
•  Land Sailing and Land Yachting
•  Landscape painting holidays and art holidays
•  Laser Clay Shooting
•  Laser Tag
•  Lawn Mower Racing
•  Live Action Role Playing Games
•  Llama trekking
•  Marathon Running
•  Minimoto
•  Modern Pentathlon
•  Monster Truck Driving Experience
•  Motorcycling, Motocross and dirt biking
•  Motor Sports
•  Mountain Bikes
•  Mountain Boarding
•  Mountaineering
•  Mud Racing
•  Multi Use Games Areas and playgrounds for adults
•  Nascar
•  Netball
•  Open Air Theatre
•  Orienteering
•  Outdoor Movie theatres and cinemas
•  Outdoor Photography
•  Paintballing
•  Parks – Chess, Ping Pong, picnics, football, sunbathing…
•  Pentathlon
•  Petanque
•  Picnics
•  Piggy Back Fights
•  Pogo, extreme pogo and pogopalooza
•  Pony Trekking Holidays
•  Polo
•  Polocrosse
•  Quad Biking
•  Rally Driving Experience
•  Rambling
•  Remote Control Cars
•  Rock Climbing
•  Roller Coasters and Theme Parks
•  Roller Skating and Roller Blading
•  Roller Hockey, Puck Hockey
•  Rope Swings
•  Rounders
•  Rugby and Tag Rugby
•  Quoits
•  Safari Holidays
•  Sandboarding
•  Scavenger Hunts
•  Scooter Freestyle
•  Segway Offroading
•  Shinty
•  Shooting (air, clay, crossbow, pistol, rifle, longbow, compound bow)
•  Show Jumping
•  Skateboarding
•  Skeet Shooting
•  Skid Pan Experience Days
•  Skipping
•  Sightseeing
•  Slacklining
•  Soap Box Kart racing or Extreme Gravity Racing
•  Softball
•  Soft Martial Arts – Tai Chi, Chi Kung
•  Speedway
•  Sphering
•  Steam Train driving experience
•  Stock Car Racing and Demolition Derby
•  Stoolball
•  Street Hockey
•  Street Improvisation and Drama
•  Street Luge and Downhill Skateboarding and Downhill Skating
•  Table Tennis
•  Tag Rugby
•  Tank Driving Experience
•  Team Building Outdoor Activities
•  Tennis Holidays
•  Throw and Catch an American mini football, frisbee or frisbee golf
•  Tractor Pulling
•  Trail Running
•  Trampolining
•  Treasure Hunting and Metal Detectors
•  Tree Climbing
•  Treehouses
•  Triathlon Events
•  Tug of War
•  Ultimate Frisbee
•  Unicycling
•  Via Ferrata
•  Volleyball
•  Walking Holidays
•  Walk the dog
•  Wash the car
•  Watch the sunrise or sunset
•  Water Fights
•  Wildlife Conservation
•  Wildlife watching holidays
•  Yoga
•  Young Drivers – Car racing for teenagers, and driving experiences for 11 year olds and over
•  Zorbing

Water Activities

These outdoor water activities provide wet and wild inspiration in, on or under water.

•  Argo Cats
•  Banana rides
•  Blackwater rafting
•  Boating, Pedalos and Punts
•  Body Boarding
•  Bore Surfing
•  Bridge Jumping
•  Canoeing
•  Cave Diving
•  Coasteering
•  Crabbing
•  Diving (swimming)
•  Dragon Boat Racing
•  Exploring Rock Pools
•  Fishing Trips
•  Flyboard, waterjet powered hover board
•  Free Diving
•  Hovercraft Experience
•  Hydrospeeding and Riverboarding
•  Jet Skiing
•  Kayaking
•  Kitesurfing
•  Kneeboarding
•  Model Boats
•  Motor Cruising Holidays
•  Narrow boat holidays
•  Octopush Underwater hockey
•  Pond Dipping
•  Pooh Sticks, paper boats, duck races and dam building
•  Powerboating Courses
•  Raft Building
•  Rib Riding
•  River Bugging
•  Rowing
•  Sailing
•  Scuba Diving
•  Sea Kayaking
•  Skim Boarding
•  Snorkeling
•  Stand up paddle boarding
•  Surfing
•  Surf Life Saving
•  Swimming
•  Swimming with dolphins
•  Tall Ship Holidays
•  Tombstoning
• Waboba
•  Wakeboarding
•  Water Jet Pack Flying
•  Water Parks and flumes
•  Water Polo
•  Water Skiing
•  WaterWalkerz water sphering
•  Waveskiing
•  Whale Watching Holidays
•  Whitewater Rafting Trips
•  Wild Swimming
•  Windsurfing
•  Yacht Charters
•  Yachting
•  Zap Cat Racing

 Air Activities

This list of outdoor air activities includes birds, planes, flying toys and some seriously exhilarating aerial experiences.

•  Aeroplane flying and aerobatics experiences
•  Air Sphering
•  Astronomy
•  BASE Jumping
•  Bungee Jumping
•  Falconry experience days
•  Gliding lessons
•  Gyrocopter flying
•  Hang Gliding experience
•  Helicopter Flights
•  Hot Air Balloon Rides
•  Indoor Skydiving
•  Kites and Power Kites
•  Microlights
•  Model airplanes, helicopters and multirotors (drones)
•  Model Rockets
•  Paragliding and Paramotoring
•  Parascending
•  SCAD – Suspended Catch Air Device
•  Skydiving
•  Wing Walking

Winter Activities

This list of outdoor winter activities is all about being cool on the on snow and ice.  Most are adrenaline sports.

•  Airboarding
•  Biathlon
•  Bob Rafting
•  Bobsleigh
•  Curling
•  Dog Sledding Holidays
•  Heliskiing and Heliboarding
•  Ice Climbing
•  Ice Diving
•  Ice Hockey
•  Ice Karting
•  Ice Racing and Ice Driving
•  Ice Skating
•  Luge
•  Skeleton Bob
•  Skiing
•  Skiing Holidays
•  Skijoring with dogs, horses or a 4×4
•  Sledges and toboggans
•  Snowball fights, snowmen and free fun winter activities for teenagers
•  Snowblading
•  Snowboarding
•  Snowbombing
•  Snowcat Piste Basher Driving
•  Snow Kiting
•  Snowmobiling
•  Snow Rafting
•  Snow Shoeing
•  Snow Tubing and Doughnutting
•  Winter Olympics

Follow the blog to find out new trends and great ways to try out more outdoor activities examples and get Active Outdoors.

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Skills – Strength: 3, Balance: 1, Flexibility: 1, Agility: 4, Coordination: 3
Time needed: 30mins + depending on where you watch and what you see, Cost to try: £free + cost of binoculars.

Having a wild time on your doorstep

Love being outside? Always out playing football, skateboarding or cycling? Or perhaps you like to enjoy it in a more tranquil way with a book in your garden? Whatever you are doing take a look upwards and you’ll realise you are NEVER alone. The UK has some of the most amazing wildlife in the world and you don’t have to be any kind of expert to appreciate and enjoy it. The RSPB will teach you about what you are seeing and what you can do to look after it for generations to come and most importantly, how to have fun with it!

Birds and wildlife provide a 24/7 soap opera wherever you are, be it in the countryside, park, city centre or even in the comfort of your living room looking out the window! Who can’t fail to crack a smile at blue tits vying for space on a feeder or a rabbit leaving the floor as it bounds through a field?

Over 160,000 young people are now ‘Wildlife Explorers’ – young members of the RSPB. This is the biggest wildlife club for young people in the world and covers all aspects – from teaching you what creatures you are seeing to simple activities you can do in your garden, wider afield, on your own or with family and friends…

Courtesy of the RSPB

RSPB PHOENIX

RSPB Phoenix is for teenage members of the RSPB. By joining, you will be able to share information and advice with other like-minded teenagers. As an RSPB Phoenix member you will receive BirdLife magazine every two months, and also get Wingbeat – the only environmental magazine written by teenagers for teenagers – four times a year. As well as articles about wildlife, the environment and conservation, Wingbeat runs many special offers and competitions.

Most importantly, you will be adding your name to the list of teenage voices shouting loudly for nature!

Climate Action Awards

You can’t have failed to hear about the current issue of climate change. Barely a day passes without coverage on the news and in the papers and we really can all do our bit to make a difference. The earth’s climate is changing much quicker than it ever used to and scientists agree that people are the cause of this. It may seem like one of those huge global issues where one person is insignificant but you and your friends could focus on some simple changes to your lifestyle and know that you are contributing to vital progress. That’s what the RSPB’s Climate Action Awards are all about.

If you send off for your free copy of the Climate Action Award Booklet you can get started straight away on all sorts of fun ideas to help to save the planet. You need to do six out of 11 activities and tell the RSPB which ones you did by filling in one of the entry forms and sending it in.

You’ll get some cool stickers and a certificate but the best thing is you’ll find yourself doing really worthwhile things for the planet without even realising it over time. Hopefully you’re brother, sister, mum or dad might find themselves following suit and suddenly you’re making a huge contribution!

It’s true – just one little action makes a world of difference.

Big Garden Birdwatch

Each January, almost half a million people press their faces up against their windows and stare into their gardens, taking part in the RSPB’s Big Garden Birdwatch. This is an activity that is now firmly planted in diaries up and down the country for two reasons; it’s a great way to learn about what you are sharing your garden with and it helps the RSPB gather vital information about which birds are thriving and which might need help.

It doesn’t matter if you have a huge garden or a small balcony area – simply watch your wildlife for one hour and tell the RSPB what you see. You will be surprised at how many of the common garden birds you recognise and for those you are unsure of there are plenty of pointers on the RSPB website. Sadly, many of the birds we think of as common are actually declining in massive number – the house sparrow for example, has dropped by over 60% in recent years.

This is an activity you can do from the comfort of your armchair with a bacon sandwich if you like!

Courtesy of the RSPB

Aren’t Birds Brilliant?!

Did you know that while you’re out trying to get your hands on a Wii or checking out the spring collection in Topshop you could have some of the most amazing creatures on the planet circling above your head? The RSPB will show you some of these sights through their Aren’t Birds Brilliant! scheme and introduce you to a range of spectacles on your doorstep.

The fascinating starling roost over Brighton pier where thousands of birds swoop and circle in the air making wonderful shapes before they all land together, puffin cruises on the coast of Scotland with unrivalled views of these funny little birds and red kites feeding in the heart of wales showing their power and majestic flying ability are just some of the wonders you can see through this scheme.

And excitingly for 2008, there are also nine peregrine in cities Abbs! this year. This proves that the fastest creature on the planet is increasingly opting for city living and with speeds of over 100 mph and an unrivalled hunting ability they are guaranteed to take your breath away. They have made their home in iconic city locations such as the Tate Modern in London’s Southbank, The BT Tower in Birmingham, Wrexham police station and even Lincoln cathedral. This bring a whole new meaning to the term ‘bird of prey’!

Wherever you live you can guarantee there will be a site near you, and you’ll see where we got our ‘Aren’t birds brilliant! title from!

Whether you put some food and water out for your garden birds, pick up a pair of binoculars and find out what you can see or get really actively involved in some of the activities above you are doing you bit to safeguard our wildlife and its habitat.

Come on, go wild! Don’t just watch from your window. Go on a bird watching holiday!

Details about the RSPB, how to join and all of these activities and events can be found at www.rspb.org.uk/youth

Buy binoculars for Birdwatching from Amazon

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I spoke to Rosemary Ward from the Royal Horticultural Society to find out more about how gardening can be beneficial to everyone.

Current bestsellers in Gardening on Amazon

Here’s some reasons to get into gardening that show you can be active outdoors and achieve something worthwhile at the same time. And don’t worry if you haven’t got a garden, we’ve got a few ideas for getting round that too.

Reasons to get into gardening

Impress your mum by growing her bouquet for Mothers’ Day. Daffodils are easy; just plant the bulbs in autumn, and they’ll flower the next spring. Choose two or three varieties to cope with changes in the date and the vagaries of the weather.

Challenge your friends and see who can grow the tallest sunflower, the longest runner bean or the biggest pumpkin. You can grow all these from seed; try your local supermarket for the cheapest packets. Start the seeds on a sunny windowsill in April or May, then plant them out in a sunny position, keep them watered and give them some liquid fertiliser now and again.

Picture by Johnny Boylan

Improve the neighbourhood with colourful flowers. Brighten up your street with bedding plants in tubs and window-boxes; fuchsias are good for shade, and geraniums for hot, sunny spots. Just buy, or scrounge, one plant and you can take cuttings to produce lots more. If you get really inspired, you could get involved in Britain in Bloom (www.rhs.org.uk/britaininbloom)

Win prizes by competing at horticultural shows. The real money is in giant vegetables, such as leeks and onions, where prizes can run to hundreds of pounds. Start with your local show where the competition is less fierce and you may end up with a nice trophy. Local libraries should know what’s on in your area.

Help save the planet by growing your own fruit and veg, and cutting out some energy-guzzling, greenhouse-gas-generating food miles. You can save yourself a lot of money too, especially if you grow more expensive crops such as baby spinach, mangetout peas, fancy salad leaves or gourmet potatoes. For more on growing your own vegetables go to rhs.org.uk/vegetables

Do your bit for wildlife. Grow plants such as holly, cotoneaster, crab apple and berberis to provide berries for birds. Buddleia produces large, scented flowers that are a magnet for butterflies, and bumblebees love lavender. Ivy provides nectar-rich flowers, berries and shelter for birds to nest in. For more on wildlife gardening go to www.wildaboutgardens.org.uk

Get fit: gardening doesn’t have to involve a lot of effort, but if you want to build your strength and stamina, a bout of digging is a good way to do it; and you’ll have something to show for your efforts, not just aching muscles.

Spice up your diet with home-grown herbs. Top off a pizza with thyme or marjoram, grow mint or lemon verbena for a refreshing tea, and get authentic with fresh coriander on your take-away curry. Most herbs are easy to grow and generally do well in pots and window-boxes. You can even try them indoors on a sunny windowsill.

Chill out: it’s a proven fact that gardeners live longer than non-gardeners, and lots of people find being close to plants is a great way to de-stress. If you haven’t got a garden yet, visiting someone else’s can have the same effect. If you join the Royal Horticultural Society you can get into 140 of the best gardens in the country free. Membership is less than half price for under 25s, and you get all the same benefits as older members. Go to www.rhs.org.uk/membership to find out more.

Add a little romance: many plants have fascinating histories, intriguing folklore or gruesome medicinal uses associated with them, and growing them brings these stories to life. For something more practical, you could grow roses, pinks or lavender and strew the deliciously scented petals in your bath

Astonish your friends and family by growing weird vegetables you’ll never see in the supermarket. How about orange cauliflower, black tomatoes, red broad beans, blue potatoes or yellow raspberries? Then there’s beans with yin/yang markings, spotty lettuce and stripey radishes. Or you could try salsify, that’s supposed to taste of oysters, or ruby chard with stems so red and shiny they look as though they’ve been varnished.

Gardening without a garden

Even if you haven’t got a patch of earth to call your own, there are lots of ways to enjoy gardening.

If you’ve got any outdoor space at all, even if it’s just a balcony, flat roof or tiny yard, you can garden in containers. This doesn’t mean laying out for expensive pots or tubs, but using your imagination and looking at what you might recycle to grow plants in.

If you’re still at school, join the gardening club; or persuade your teachers to start one. You can get lots of help and ideas by going to the RHS School Gardening website.

Visit your local allotments to watch and learn and maybe help out a bit. If you get the bug, you may be able to rent your own allotment, or share one with a friend or member of the family.

See if any of your neighbours have gardens they are not using, or struggling to manage. In return for helping them out you can pick their brains, get lots of experience, and maybe a share in the produce.

Find out about local community gardens. These exist all over the country and often rely on volunteer labour. They’re also a great way to make friends to. Find out more at Farm Garden

Stately homes, public gardens, National Trust properties, local parks and many other gardens welcome volunteers to help out and most are really keen to encourage young people to join in.

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