Bird Trek Adventure: Family-friendly Orienteering

Join us for family-friendly orienteering activity, that's designed to promote environmental awareness and outdoor education.

Families will navigate a designated course at ARU in Writtle, finding out more about the birds on campus and the diseases known to impact their populations.

As you go, you'll solve ecological puzzles and complete challenges to find hidden clues, while learning about local ecosystems and sustainability. And if you successfully complete all the challenges, you may win a prize...!

Activity overview

Introduction and Briefing (approx. 20 minutes)
Welcome and overview of the event. We'll explain the rules of the course, safety guidelines, and objectives of the treasure hunt. Maps, compasses, and scavenger hunt packs will be handed out.

Treasure Hunt (approx. 2 hours but you're welcome to navigate the course at your own pace, there is no time limit)
Follow a pre-designed orienteering course with checkpoints. Each checkpoint will have an ecological puzzle or activity related to the local environment. Activities include identifying native birds, making wildlife observations, and answering trivia questions about conservation. You'll collect tokens at each checkpoint upon completing the activities (these will help with the final puzzle).

Debrief and Awards (approx. 30 minutes)
Once you complete the course, head back for a debrief, find out the answers for the entire trail and tackle the bigger puzzle. Visitors that manage to solve the puzzle will receive a prize, and everyone will be given some additional information to take home based on the activities they completed. This will include information on recording wildlife and what to do if you find sick or dead wildlife.

About the course

The course is accessible and follows a public footpath through the Writtle campus with the opportunity to go off the path to discover more. Please bring wellies and dress accordingly. Dogs are welcome along the course and should be kept on leads at all times.

Safety notes: the course may have areas of uneven and slippery ground. If leaving the path, there maybe fallen branches, vegetation at eye height and foot-catching undergrowth at low level. There is a reservoir in an enclosed field which is gated and signposted. Our course is designed to avoid the need for a close approach. A responsible adult should assess their group’s needs and abilities before attempting the course.

This event is presented as part of Chelmsford Science Festival.

Dates and times

We're running our Bird Trek Adventure on two dates, with timed entry slots.

When you book, choose the time you'd like to start – you can then take as long as you like to complete the activity. 

• Monday 28 October, slots available between 9.30am-3.30pm
• Tuesday 29 October, slots available between 9.30am-3.30pm