FAQs for residential trips...
What will our students do while at the Sustainability centre?
Learn to combine respect and care for people, wildlife and natural resources through guided outdoor activities and indoor learning sessions. Our message is “By acting in a more sustainable way we can develop a world that future generations will thank us for.”
Here are five sample itineraries of popular trips…
What activities can we chose?
Habitat studies (pond, woodland and chalk grassland),
Renewable energies ( walk to consider wind turbines, explore solar lego, what do you know about renewable and non-renewables, Wood for Good – sustainable options to growing trees),
Local Farm - tractor trailer tour,
Food focus ( ingredients and packaged foods, vegetarian café study, paper pots and seed planting, local-organic-fairtrade menu planning)
Team challenges (-ropes, pipes, planks and crates, -tracking games, -water conservation game),
Natural Building techniques (build a clay oven, earth bag arch, survival shelter),
Orientation and Map skills,
Arts and crafts (clay, chalk, nature’s mandalas, willow weaving),
Sustainable living ideas–site tour and visit a lived in yurt,
a visit to Queen Elizabeth Country park?, A visit to Butser Ancient Farm?,
What time do we need to arrive or leave?
School groups should arrive at 11am on day one for a welcome and safety induction before lunch. You may bring your own packed lunch or order sandwiches in advance. Groups leave at 1:30pm on the last day. Any changes to this will be costed accordingly.
Do we need to bring sleeping bags?
Our Wetherdown lodge provides all bedding and towels. Should you bring more than one group we need time to changeover rooms. If change overs are on the same day then sleeping bags can avoid additional charges.
Where and what will we eat?
Delicious hot cooked dinners and sandwich lunches are catered for by the Beech Café and selected in advance. Your cold continental breakfast is self serve in the lodge. Please see our menu choices…
How much will our trip cost?
Each package is bespoke and based on the number of pupils attending and the activities chosen. Here are sample costings of our five most popular residential trips…….
What happens in the evening?
The following additional evening activities can be booked in advance –
Story telling and jam jar lanterns in the woodland hall with Charlotte Comely at £~ per head…link,
Our popular 2 hr night walk across the South Downs led by two outdoor leaders at ~ per head,
Evening Campfire set for your group to self supervise at £2 per head (bring your own sticks and marshmallows),
there may be additional resources available to use self-led such as bat detectors, night sky sheets, moth traps and torch games depending on the time of year.
What do we need to bring?
Most of our activities are hands on and outside in all weathers so it is important to bring layers of clothes that you will not mind getting dirty, trainers or walking shoes, wellies and rain gear, coats and long trousers. In warm months add to this a sunhat and sun lotion and a water bottle.
What happens if a child is ill?
Who else will be on site?
When you book a residential school trip you have exclusive use of the lodge and campsite so no members of the public will be staying overnight. We have a small number of residential staff in the lodge and staff Yurts on site who will be clearly identified to your group in your induction session. During the day there may be members of staff and other young people on site (9-5pm), members of the public visiting the café (10-3:30pm) or relatives visiting our natural burial site (day light).
Who will lead the sessions?
