LittleBird Loves….our review of Wakehurst Kew’s wild botanic garden.

Your Nature Heroes Mission, should you choose to accept it…

The team at Little Bird was thrilled to be invited to attend Wakehurst – Kew’s wild botanic garden – for a launch of the Nature Heroes Academy in collaboration with National Geographic Kids magazine. This opportunity to gain our first Nature Heroes Academy badge was not to be missed!

Arriving at the Sussex-based wild botanic gardens, we found plenty of parking to choose from before embarking on our mission. Mere minutes after parking, armed with a map and a mission sheet, we gain our first instructions for our mission.

On the trail’s first stop, our deciphering skills are tested, giving mother and son the perfect opportunity to work as a team worthy of Bletchley Park.

The second post requires a touch of bravery, as we must feel our way through the clues. However, savvy explorers may find an alternative route to the answers!

Throughout the trail, we are prompted to use all of our senses. While our sense of smell is not needed to decipher the clues, the top notes of pine are impossible to miss on this trail!  

The trail’s finale allows my little explorer to put his inner scientist to work by finding and banking a seed to obtain a Seed Seeker badge. After admiring the beautiful fabric badge ready to be ironed onto the bespoke cape (available to purchase at £13.50 for non-members or £6.75 for members), we tested our knowledge on the quiz trail. We haven’t brought our furry friend along today as they would not have been able to join us for the quiz trail; however, our pup would have been welcome to join the majority of the trail and much of the rest of Wakehurst. We recommend the quiz as a fantastic opportunity to delve further into the mission topic.  The answers are not immediately obvious and demand reasoning skills, keeping things interesting. As a bonus, we are treated to some freshly added hand-woven sculptures that little ones will surely fall in love with.

The mission can be finished in around 90 minutes; however, we spot many exciting detours that we decide to take before returning to base. My co-pilot is particularly enamoured with the Tree Trunk Trek, while his mummy loves the boundless beauty of the Rock Walk. Along the way, we effortlessly pick up facts and figures, such as learning about the once thought-extinct Australian Wollemi pine: the storing of its seeds at Wakehurst as well as its propagation in the gardens are a fantastic example of the vital work done at Wakehurst and the Millenium Seed Bank to protect species for future generations.  Our final stop is the Seed Bank, where the many interactive displays continue to keep my – by now – tired little scientist engaged.

On the day of our visit, we experienced blue skies and mild weather, with only parts of the trail a tad on the muddy side. The trail is suited to prams, and we spot plenty of families pushing their way through the undulating trails. The staff members mention that the quiz trail is best accessed on foot while leaving prams in the wood-chipped area by the Seed Bank.

During our visit, my 9-year-old forgets all about the computer games and mobile phone while waiting at home, immersing himself fully in Wakehurst’s sights and sounds and the natural learning environment that the Seed Seeker trail and the Millennium Seed Bank offers. Usually wrapped up in the busy environs of west London, he quips, ‘This is just about the most nature I’ve come across for some time, ‘ demanding that we purchase a membership for Wakehurst while grasping his Seed Seeker badge. I concur; this clue-finding escapade has been a true pleasure for the senses, sure to delight city dwellers and seasoned welly wearers alike.

Upon learning that further Nature Academy badges will be available next October, we plan to return, though I expect we will be back before then. Our visit has been such a roaring success that I suspect our next school holiday will include a visit to Wakehurst to acquire the following Nature Heroes badge for our collection. (New Nature Heroes badges will be available for your collection during each school holiday.)

The trail is suitable for children of all ages, though Little Bird thinks it is particularly suitable for children between 2 and 13. Adults must accompany all children.

Pricing:

Adult entry: £16.50
Child 0-16: Free
Young person 17-25: £8.25
Activity and badge: £3 per child

Members and visitors alike are required to book ahead of their visit. Hurry! This experience is only available until 3rd November 24.

Access to Wakehurst is free to members and those with Kew Gardens membership. The parking is included in the membership. National Trust members also gain free access, though NT members are required to pay for parking.

Access details:

Arriving at 1 p.m. on a sunny Saturday afternoon during half-term, we found plenty of parking in the lot. The parking lot has paved access for prams and wheelchairs to the shop and cafeteria. The building also offers accessible toilets and baby changing areas, and many of the trails are accessible.

The café offers sweet treats and hot drinks at reasonable prices, and the gift shop is brim-full of goods suitable for the upcoming gift-giving season and beyond.

Monika Scott for Little Bird