A wildlife charity is offering local schools free visits to nature reserves across Dorset.  

Four Dorset nature reserves, part of the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB), are offering 100 free school visits, funded by the Countryside Stewardship Scheme.

These include Weymouth Wetlands, Garston Wood, Holton Lee, and Arne.

The environmental educational visits will be curriculum linked and targeted for Key Stages 1 to 5.

Pupils will get to learn about birds, as well as exploring the changing seasons, seed dispersal, comparing animal homes, ecological sampling, and conservation management.   

Countryside Stewardship Scheme originally launched in 1996 and was relaunched in 2014 as part of the Rural Development Programme for England (RDPE) providing money to support agriculture, the environment and rural life.

RSPB is a national conservation charity which works to protect threatened birds and wildlife in the area. 

Dates are available to book throughout spring, summer, and autumn terms.

Schools can arrange a visit by emailing arne@rspb.org.uk