What do you love about where you live?

As part of the preparations for the commemoration of the 30th Anniversary of the Liberation of the Falkland Islands, the Infant and Junior School and Camp Education will be holding a theme week of linked lessons and activities. The Week begins on 5th March and will focus on both the past and the future, gathering memories and eye- witness accounts of the conflict, looking at how the islands have changed in the last 30 years, and thinking about what we love about our home now.

We camped in the valley - it was a great place to wake up.  It was great here.  It was a bit windy the day before and rainy in the night but in the morning it was calm, it was awesome just like a mirror lake. (Jack Cartwright)

The Protected Areas Strategy Project is helping to sponsor and organise the week, and we plan to involve local artists in workshops to help the children turn their ideas about Falklands landscapes into art using different media. This is an important first step in encouraging children, families and the wider community to think about what they value about our natural heritage.

Some children have already sent some photos; they will be laminated and used as a resource bank for the theme week. We still need more photos, and a few words about them makes them even more special. Email them to me at protectedareas@conservation.org.fk

Barnaby Bear's trip to Kidney Island

Stanley recedes rapidly into the distance. The launch was very fast!

Arriving at the island.

Kidney Island is home to breeding shags and rockhopper penguins.

We saw plenty of Cobb's wrens and tussac birds on our way along the beach.

The sea lions said goodbye.

Barnaby arrived in the islands last week and was able to join the Year 2 children fron the Infant Junior School and Camp Education on their trip to Kidney Island, a small nature reserve not too far from Stanley.

The island is home to an amazing variety and quantity of wildlife, being free from introduced mammals.

I took lots of photos and hope to turn them into a book for children, once the necessary permissions have been sought from the parents.

The trip was funded, as it is each year, by the Falkland Islands Government through the Environmental Studies budget, and we were all very grateful to them, as well as to our helpers and guides Ken Passfield, Sonia Felton and Maggie Battersby, for this amazing opportunity.