Nature club hosts ‘mini beast safari’

A nature club hosted a ‘mini beast safari’ on Sunday for children and their families in the area.

Members of Wimbledon Common Nature Club, supported by the London Wildlife Trust, met at the information centre to discuss the important impact insects have on the environment.

Children learnt how bees pollinate, beetles, slugs and snails recycle leaf litter and worms create soil through formation and decomposition.

Then the group set out on the common with their mini beast hunt charts to record how many creatures they could find.

After the hunt, children reported their sightings, including the common lizard, spiders, slugs, ants, worms, woodlice, beetles, millipedes, centipedes, earwigs and flies.

Auriel Glanville, club leader, said, “We had a wonderful morning, finding so many creatures that help us to live on planet Earth.  

“The children’s records will be passed on to the ranger’s office and to the Wimbledon and Putney Conservators.”     

Wimbledon Common Nature club’s next session will be held on April 7.

Pictured top: Freda Kleyn and Sohei Miyahara during the hunt on Sunday (Picture: Auriel Glanville)