Brass Rubbings Trail launched at Wellesley Woodlands

Last Thursday, August 23, saw the launch of Wellesley Woodland’s newest nature trail. Around 50 children and their families took to the Brass Rubbings Trail, armed with colourful crayons and the new brass rubbings booklet.

There are 18 plaques to discover on the trail, showing some fascinating parts of Wellesley’s nature and heritage. Plaques include the WWI and WWII firing walls, a dragonfly, a stag beetle and the iconic Wellington Statue.

As well as the interesting facts provided in the booklet, there is a section for each item to place on the plaque and rub over with a crayon, creating a fantastic piece of art.

The event to launch the trail was attended by dozens of families, giving them an opportunity to get outdoors and learn about the nature and heritage of Wellesley.

Laura Keighley, Countryside Ranger for Blackwater Valley at Wellesley Woodlands was on hand to give out the crayons and booklets throughout the day, and said, “It was great to see so many families getting involved. Even despite the bad weather in the morning people were keen to explore the trail, with many spying out the posts before they collected the booklet. It showed great community spirit!”

The booklets will be placed in community buildings in the near future for people to pick up and Laura will also be handing some out at the upcoming Bioblitz event on September 1^st.

The Bioblitz will involve a variety of activities in which people can get involved and learn about the wildlife of the woodlands. There are planned walks throughout the day, talks from volunteers and another opportunity to get your hands on the Brass Rubbings Trail booklet.

Please note that some of these activities have limited spaces and will need to be booked in advance.

For more information about events at Wellesley Woodlands, including how to book Bioblitz events, go to facebook.com/WellesleyWoodlands.

Wellington Statue at Wellesley Woodlands

Brass Rubbings Trail booklet