Making the most of country walks

Walking is not just marvelous exercise; it is the best way for city-bred children to learn about some of the wonders of nature. Fields, woods, moors, beaches, lakes and rivers all have their own fauna and flora. Birds vary with the environment; differing herds of cattle and kinds of sheep are found in Britain from Scotland to Land's End. The ponies on Dart-moor are different from those roaming the New Forest, and various types of deer can be seen in wooded areas.

And all these things have been brought that much nearer by the motor car. It may jam our roads, pollute our atmosphere and claim a high death toll, but it has also opened up the countryside.

So let's use it properly and make the most of week-ends, bank holidays, Easter and even Christmas to get away from towns and cities. Walking is not just a fair-weather pastime; properly equipped with Wellingtons and waterproof clothing you can walk in rain or snow. There is nothing nicer on a cold December afternoon than to get back to tea and hot toast by the fire after an invigorating walk in the open.

If you have young children then keep your walks short; they tire easily, and can trip over big roots and branches. But with children of eight and over you can enjoy longer rambles. Always make sure that they have proper shoes — Wellingtons if the going is wet — and are warm enough, with waterproof clothing for the sudden shower. It's a good idea to have other shoes for them to change into when they get back in the car and a flask of hot tea or milk if they have got chilled.

You may have to give your walks a purpose if you want to wean older children away from the TV set on a Saturday or Sunday afternoon.

Go to a different place every week-end and go with a definite goal in mind. Alternatively, walk with a purpose, which could be to observe a particular area. With young children it is up to you to awaken their interest in a variety of subjects, and it is not just good for them — you will find that a renewed interest in the world around you opens up new vistas for you too.

Here are some suggestions for family walks with a purpose.

Walking as an explorer
Many botany and biology teachers take their pupils out on country walks and hold their lessons in the open with the advantage of actual living specimens to illustrate their lessons.

You can do the same for your children, perhaps with the aid of a book on trees or wild flowers from the library. Many wildlife parks have their own publications with details of animals and plants in the area.

There are hundreds of thousands of plant species growing in the world — you may not find all of them on a walk in the British countryside, but our woods and meadows offer enough variety to make an exploratory walk a rewarding occupation. Each plant, however small, is a miracle of nature's ingenuity and is well worth investigating.

Apart from the multitude of flowering plants, there are many varieties of grasses and mosses, parasites drawing their sustenance from other plants, and even carnivorous plants trapping insects with fine tentacles. So keep your eyes open; take a magnifying glass to look at things in detail and you will discover some of nature's secrets.

Walking as a forester
Foresters or wardens in charge of parks, nature reserves or woodland, patrol their patch regularly, missing no detail to make sure that all is in order in the area under their supervision. You can imitate them in an amateur fashion and create a whole new area of interest for your children, if you choose an area of woodland and watch it regularly over a set period of time.

Start by making a note of the trees, flowers and plants which grow there and watch their development over the year as they burst into leaf, flower, perhaps produce berries or seed-heads and die down in the winter months. Find a secret observation post; learn to lie or sit really still, screened by leaves and branches, and you will discover the animals and birds which live in the patch you have chosen to observe. If you are near water you'll probably see the shy deer coming over for a drink. The trees are full of busy squirrels collecting nuts to fill their winter store and birds nesting, feeding their young or teaching them to fly.

If the winter is a severe one you can help by feeding the birds which stay behind instead of emigrating to warmer climates. And if you make friends with the warden and he realizes that you really want to help and not disturb the environment he may allow you to help him feed the animals in his care.

Walking at night
If you want to get to know every aspect of nature then don't neglect the night hours, when a completely different world comes to life made up of animals and birds you never see during the day — timid creatures emerging from their holes and night birds like the owl with its gently whirring flight.

There is nothing children like better than getting up just before midnight and dressing hastily for a few adventurous hours in the night. Choose a warm summer night, preferably with a full moon and a clear sky; frosty nights are not for midnight exploration. Arm yourselves with strong torches and don't let the children stray far from you. Always go in a large group with enough adults to keep a close eye on the children, and choose country you know well.

Let the younger children sleep in the afternoon so that they won't be tired; dress them warmly with strong shoes or Wellingtons which won't let in the damp. Take a flask of hot tea, coffee or cocoa, and some chocolate bars and they will feel like real explorers. Take a pair of field glasses if you want to observe the night creatures without getting too close to disturb them, and keep the children quiet. You may be rewarded by the sight of a badger, its distinctive black and white head standing out clearly in the moonlight, a fox perhaps followed by its cubs, a tiny shrew, or a weasel out hunting. The countryside bathed in moonlight has a magical quality that the children will never forget.

Walking in the rain
A shower of rain drives most people hastily indoors — a pity, because walking in the rain has its own charm, provided you are properly dressed for it. It's healthy, invigorating and especially peaceful; in fact there is no such thing as weather too bad for walking, just inadequate clothing. So wearing rubber boots and a waterproof with a hood, set off to discover the creatures which thrive in the damp earth (such as the earthworm). See the plants perk up, especially if the rain follows a dry spell, and the grass sparkle like silver. If you're lucky there will be wonderful cloud formations, perhaps even a rainbow in the sky.

Nature at work
The countryside may appear calm and peaceful at first glance, but closer inspection reveals nature's tiny creatures hard at work. Among these, you are sure to find the busy bee, flitting from flower to flower in search of nectar; the butterfly, often dressed in very beautiful colors; the worker ant, scuttling through the undergrowth; and the spider, whose web glistens like spun silk on a dewy morning. The observant will find many other creatures.