Did you know butterfly wings are made up of tiny scales? Each scale is red, yellow, black or white, other colours are made by light reflecting off the scales in different ways. Discover the most common butterfly species found in our area as well as some of the more elusive ones at this talk by Dave Wainwright from the Butterfly Conservation Trust.

The Wildlife Group is open to everyone and most activities are free including this talk. Please book your place to help our partners Durham Wildlife Trust plan for an informative evening.

Book now.

The path from Allensford to Shotley Grove runs through this woodland owned by Derwent Angling Club. We will be coppicing alder to make footpath edging, helping to guide walkers through this beautiful wood.

Please meet in the car park on Shotley Grove Road, all tools, equipment and gloves will be provided as well as tea and coffee. Please wear stout footwear and suitable clothing for outdoors and bring a packed lunch and a drink. You may wish to bring waterproofs, depending on the weather on the day.

Come along and learn new skills, make friends and have fun whilst carrying out a programme of practical woodland and access tasks.

To find the volunteers on the day, please call Peter on 07484 093411.

Download the current programme.

Protect future generations of sand martins by helping to improve their habitat on the Spetchells, the unique chalk hills in Tyne Riverside Park.

Meet in the Tyne Riverside Country Park car park opposite Prudhoe train station at 10.00 am. Please wear stout footwear and suitable clothes for the weather on the day and bring a packed lunch and a drink.  All tools and gloves will be provided and instruction for the task; hot drinks will also be on offer throughout the day.

This activity is organised by Friends of Prudhoe Woods. Before attending please contact Peter Binns of Friends of Prudhoe Woods: 07922 105403 / email.

Immerse yourself in woodland life, making this a better place for creatures large and small. Tasks here will include thinning to let more light to the woodland floor, brashing to remove the lower branches of  trees and building  habitat piles for insects and small mammals.

Meet at Prudhoe Town Football Club, opposite the waste and recycle centre, wear stout footwear and suitable clothes for the weather on the day and bring a packed lunch and a drink.  All tools and gloves will be provided and instruction for the task; hot drinks will also be on offer throughout the day.

This activity is organised by Friends of Prudhoe Woods. Before attending please contact Peter Binns of Friends of Prudhoe Woods: 07922 105403 / email.

Learn how to thin small trees to improve the woodland habitat and produce timber for a charcoal burn later in the year.

All tools, equipment and gloves will be provided as well as tea and coffee; please wear stout footwear and suitable clothing for outdoors and bring a packed lunch and a drink. You may wish to bring waterproofs, depending on the weather.

Learn new skills, make friends and have fun whilst carrying out a programme of practical woodland and access tasks.

To find the volunteers on the day, please call Peter Downes on 07484 093411.

Download the current programme

Protect future generations of sand martins by helping to improve their habitat on the Spetchells, the unique chalk hills in Tyne Riverside Park.

Meet in the Tyne Riverside Country Park car park opposite Prudhoe train station at 10.00 am. Please wear stout footwear and suitable clothes for the weather on the day and bring a packed lunch and a drink.  All tools and gloves will be provided and instruction for the task; hot drinks will also be on offer throughout the day.

This activity is organised by Friends of Prudhoe Woods. Before attending please contact Peter Binns of Friends of Prudhoe Woods: 07922 105403 / email.

Immerse yourself in woodland life, making this a better place for creatures large and small. Tasks here will include thinning to let more light to the woodland floor, brashing to remove the lower branches of  trees and building  habitat piles for insects and small mammals.

Meet at Prudhoe Town Football Club, opposite the waste and recycle centre, wear stout footwear and suitable clothes for the weather on the day and bring a packed lunch and a drink.  All tools and gloves will be provided and instruction for the task; hot drinks will also be on offer throughout the day.

This activity is organised by Friends of Prudhoe Woods. Before attending please contact Peter Binns of Friends of Prudhoe Woods: 07922 105403 / email.

Mary Eleanor Bowes, sole heir of Newcastle coal czar George Bowes, achieved notoriety in the Georgian era: her true legacy is often overlooked. This illustrated talk by local author Val Scully, presents a new interpretation of her dramatic and significant life, transforming this resilient and courageous woman from victim to feminist icon.

Val is a expert on Mary Eleanor Bowes, having made her the subject of her book ‘My Name is Eleanor’, a fictional story based on real people and events. After submerging herself in the life of Mary Eleanor, Val then wrote Molly Bowes, a story about a fictional character based in the Land of Oak & Iron in the 19th century.

Booking is essential. Tickets are £10 per person and include a glass of Prosecco or juice and nibbles. You will be able to buy these books at a special price of £5 each and have them signed by the author. The bar and shop will be open throughout the evening.

Book now.

The path from Allensford to Shotley Grove runs through this woodland owned by Derwent Angling Club. We will be coppicing alder to make footpath edging, helping to guide walkers through this beautiful wood.

Please meet in the car park on Shotley Grove Road, all tools, equipment and gloves will be provided as well as tea and coffee. Please wear stout footwear and suitable clothing for outdoors and bring a packed lunch and a drink. You may wish to bring waterproofs, depending on the weather on the day.

Come along and learn new skills, make friends and have fun whilst carrying out a programme of practical woodland and access tasks.

To find the volunteers on the day, please call Peter on 07484 093411.

Download the current programme.

Protect future generations of sand martins by helping to improve their habitat on the Spetchells, the unique chalk hills in Tyne Riverside Park.

Meet in the Tyne Riverside Country Park car park opposite Prudhoe train station at 10.00 am. Please wear stout footwear and suitable clothes for the weather on the day and bring a packed lunch and a drink.  All tools and gloves will be provided and instruction for the task; hot drinks will also be on offer throughout the day.

This activity is organised by Friends of Prudhoe Woods. Before attending please contact Peter Binns of Friends of Prudhoe Woods: 07922 105403 / email.

After almost 57 years out of print, Land of Oak & Iron are producing a new edition of Men of Iron, which brings to life the story of how Sir Ambrose Crowley ran his empire. How he created an enlightened welfare system for his workers and their families at the dawn of the Industrial Revolution. Men of Iron: The Crowleys in the Early Iron Industry was first written in 1962 by Professor Michael Walter Flinn (1917 – 1983), a lecturer in economic and social history at Edinburgh University, and it has been out of print ever since.

Dr William Lancaster will give a talk on Crowley’s Ironworks and their historical importance of national and international significance and we will also be joined by Mark Flinn, one of the original author’s sons.

Men of Iron will be on sale at the event for the special price of £5.

Booking is essential, tickets are £5 each.

Book now.

Immerse yourself in woodland life, making this a better place for creatures large and small. Tasks here will include thinning to let more light to the woodland floor, brashing to remove the lower branches of  trees and building  habitat piles for insects and small mammals.

Meet at Prudhoe Town Football Club, opposite the waste and recycle centre, wear stout footwear and suitable clothes for the weather on the day and bring a packed lunch and a drink.  All tools and gloves will be provided and instruction for the task; hot drinks will also be on offer throughout the day.

This activity is organised by Friends of Prudhoe Woods. Before attending please contact Peter Binns of Friends of Prudhoe Woods: 07922 105403 / email.

Protect future generations of sand martins by helping to improve their habitat on the Spetchells, the unique chalk hills in Tyne Riverside Park.

Meet in the Tyne Riverside Country Park car park opposite Prudhoe train station at 10.00 am. Please wear stout footwear and suitable clothes for the weather on the day and bring a packed lunch and a drink.  All tools and gloves will be provided and instruction for the task; hot drinks will also be on offer throughout the day.

This activity is organised by Friends of Prudhoe Woods. Before attending please contact Peter Binns of Friends of Prudhoe Woods: 07922 105403 / email.

Immerse yourself in woodland life, making this a better place for creatures large and small. Tasks here will include thinning to let more light to the woodland floor, brashing to remove the lower branches of  trees and building  habitat piles for insects and small mammals.

Meet at Prudhoe Town Football Club, opposite the waste and recycle centre, wear stout footwear and suitable clothes for the weather on the day and bring a packed lunch and a drink.  All tools and gloves will be provided and instruction for the task; hot drinks will also be on offer throughout the day.

This activity is organised by Friends of Prudhoe Woods. Before attending please contact Peter Binns of Friends of Prudhoe Woods: 07922 105403 / email.

Protect future generations of sand martins by helping to improve their habitat on the Spetchells, the unique chalk hills in Tyne Riverside Park.

Meet in the Tyne Riverside Country Park car park opposite Prudhoe train station at 10.00 am. Please wear stout footwear and suitable clothes for the weather on the day and bring a packed lunch and a drink.  All tools and gloves will be provided and instruction for the task; hot drinks will also be on offer throughout the day.

This activity is organised by Friends of Prudhoe Woods. Before attending please contact Peter Binns of Friends of Prudhoe Woods: 07922 105403 / email.

Immerse yourself in woodland life, making this a better place for creatures large and small. Tasks here will include thinning to let more light to the woodland floor, brashing to remove the lower branches of  trees and building  habitat piles for insects and small mammals.

Meet at Prudhoe Town Football Club, opposite the waste and recycle centre, wear stout footwear and suitable clothes for the weather on the day and bring a packed lunch and a drink.  All tools and gloves will be provided and instruction for the task; hot drinks will also be on offer throughout the day.

This activity is organised by Friends of Prudhoe Woods. Before attending please contact Peter Binns of Friends of Prudhoe Woods: 07922 105403 / email.

The hazel dormouse is a rare and elusive species, spending most of their time above ground in the trees. They can sleep for up to 7 months of the year and being nocturnal generally feed at night. Learn all about this secretive mammal and what is being done to conserve and survey for it at this talk.

The Wildlife Group is open to everyone and most activities are free including this talk. Please book your place to help our partners Durham Wildlife Trust plan for an informative evening.

Book now.

Learn how to identify bats and find out about some of our nocturnal wildlife during the evening workshop, followed by a dawn wildlife walk.

Places can be booked for both sessions or just one and there are a limited number of beds available for those who would like to stay overnight. There is no charge for the training sessions or accommodation, however you will need to bring your own food or contribute to the central catering if staying overnight.

The Friday evening session runs from 6pm to 9.30pm and the Saturday morning session runs from 6am to 10am.

The Wildlife Group is open to everyone and activities are free including these ones. Booking is essential to help our partners Durham Wildlife Trust plan for an informative event.

Book now.