Our visitor centres organise a regular programme of events and activities for adults and families. Events taking place over the next few weeks are listed below.
The Trust has fourteen Local Groups across the county that organise a programme of walks and talks for local members. Non-members are welcome at these events.
Booking is essential for most centre events, so make sure you call or visit the centre in advance to avoid disappointment.
View our upcoming events:
Sun 29th Jan 2012 9:00-17:00 Winter Birding on the Reservoir 1 A joint weekend event with Essex Birdwatching Society to promote winter birdwatching at its best. Guides to help with bird ID, binocular and telescope sales and advice, bird food and feeders, secondhand books. Birds should be plentiful, including thousands of wildfowl, and special species such as goldeneye, goosander, smew, bittern and more. Come along and join the fun! Location Abberton Reservoir Visitor Centre 9:00-13:00 Marks Hill Work Parties Work parties are held most Sunday mornings until the end of March. Meet at the entrance on Staneway (north west side) by the green farm gate and seat. NB parking is not permissible on the verge, please park inside the gate. Tools, gloves and refreshments provided. Help is always welcome. Contact Peter Furze for further information on 01268 532882. 9:30-13:00 Roman River Valley Work Party Please join us and help us to carry out essential conservation work on our nature reserves. For further details contact David Clark on 01206 734496. 10:00-15:30 Cranham Marsh Work Parties Work parties are held on the second Thursday and last Sunday of every month until March, and from April onwards on the second Thursday only. Start at 10 am, meeting at the tool hut on the reserve, until 3.30 pm . Tools, work gloves and tea provided. A range of tasks including coppicing in the woods, hedgelaying, scrub-bashing, and a bit of fence and ditch work. For more detail call warden Tony Gunton on 01708 220897 or email tonygunton@btconnect.com Tue 31st Jan 2012 10:00-12:00 Hatchlings Club 31st Jan 2012 Come and join the Hanningfield Hatchlings. Fortnightly pre-school group for the under 5's including wildlife activities on the nature reserve, games, crafts and music in the centre. Drink and snack included. £5 donation per child, £3 per sibling, babes in arms free. 10:00-16:00 Blue House Farm Work Parties Blue House Farm and other local nature reserves. Work parties are held every Tuesday, 10.00 am to 4.00pm. Please contact Nick Robson or Tim Lawrence for further details and location. Location Blue House Farm Wed 1st Feb 2012 9:00-13:00 Work Parties at Gernon Bushes Work parties take place throughout the winter. Ring Brian McGhie for dates, location and further details 01992 573514. 10:00-16:00 Work Parties at Roding Valley Nature Reserve Work parties are held on a Tuesday and Wednesday from 10am until 4.pm. Contact 020 8508 1593 or email patrickb@essexwt.org.uk for further details. 10:00-15:00 Abberton Work Party 1 We are running a conservation work party every Wednesday from 10am - 3pm. No experience needed; all training and tools provided if necessary. Please bring a packed lunch (hot drinks provided) and wear suitable clothing and sturdy boots. For more information or to say that you are coming please call Jo or Charlie on 01206 738172 Location Abberton Reservoir Visitor Centre Thu 2nd Feb 2012 9:30-13:00 Phyllis Currie Work Parties Working parties are held every Thursday during the winter (usually the beginning of October to the end of March) and on alternate Thursdays for the other six months. We meet at 9.30am in the car park. New volunteers are very welcome. For more information contact the warden, Sylvia Jiggins on 01376 324311. 9:30-13:00 Abberton Reservoir Work Party We are running a new conservation work party on Thursday mornings from 9.30am to 1pm. Wear suitable clothing and footwear. For more information or to say you are coming contact Jo or Charlie on 01206 738172. Location Abberton Reservoir Visitor Centre Sat 4th Feb 2012 10:00-14:00 Willow Weaving Course 4th Feb 2012 Come along and learn the art of willow weaving starting off by building your very own obelisk. Make your garden stand out. £60 for a 4 day course. Booking is essential and places are strictly limited. For more information, or to book a place, please email chaffordv@essex.org.uk or call 01375 484 016. Location Chafford Gorges Visitor Centre 10:30-15:00 Greenbunch February A conservation work party for young people aged 11 - 16. We meet once a month and carry out practical work on our nature reserve. It's a great way to meet friends, help the wildlife in your local area and it looks great on your CV. Contact Ali at the visitor centre for more information or to book your place FREE 01206 738 172 Location Abberton Reservoir Visitor Centre 10:30-15:00 Junior Rangers Feb Conservation and wildlife group for 8 to 11 year olds. Donation £3 per child. Location Langdon Visitor Centre Sun 5th Feb 2012 9:00-13:00 Basildon Marks Hill Work Parties Work parties are held most Sunday mornings until the end of March. Meet at the entrance on Staneway (north west side) by the green farm gate and seat. NB parking is not permissible on the verge, please park inside the gate. Tools, gloves and refreshments provided. Help is always welcome. Contact Peter Furze for further information on 01268 532882. 9:15-12:30 Work Parties at Crowsheath Wood Work parties take place on alternate Sunday mornings from 9.15am until 12.30pm. For more information call on Stuart Fleming (Warden) 01268 761137. 9:30-13:00 Shadwell Wood Work Party For further details contact Mike Rowley on 01799 550378. 9:30-13:00 Work Party at Iron Latch Please join us and help us to carry out essential conservation work on our nature reserves. For further details contact John Thorogood on 01206 768771. 9:30-12:30 Woodham Fen Work Party Work parties are held on the first Sunday of the month, 9.30 till 12.30. Tools provided, wear old cloths and gardening gloves. Meet recycling centre road car park. For further details contact Bill Thomas (Warden) 01621 862960. 10:00-13:00 Senior Wildlife Rangers Feb Conservation group for 11 to 16 year olds. Donation £3 per child Location Langdon Visitor Centre 10:00-13:00 Two Tree Island Work Party Regular work parties are held on the second Sunday of every month. They take place from 10am to 1pm with a tea break at half time. The meeting point is at the tool store on the east side of the island. Please contact the volunteer warden Mark Bridges on 01702 557971 for more details. 10:00-16:00 Optics Day Feb 1 Are you just starting out in birdwatching and don't know where to begin, looking to upgrade those old binoculars or thinking about getting your first telescope? Come along to Abberton Reservoir Visitor Centre on an Optics Day and let our friendly Optics Team help and advise you. Our range of binoculars, telescopes, tripods and accessories, carefully selected for quality, price and value for money, will be on display so you can try before you buy. Includes Opticron and Hawke. Special offers and secondhand available. All profits go to EWT to support our conservation work around the county. Location Abberton Reservoir Visitor Centre Tue 7th Feb 2012 10:00-13:00 Caterpillar Club Feb A fun morning of outdoor activities, messy play and games for pre-schoolers. Suitable for 18 months up (babes in arms go free) Donation £5 per child, £3 per sibling. Location Langdon Visitor Centre 10:00-16:00 Work Parties at Blue House Farm Blue House Farm and other local nature reserves. Work parties are held every Tuesday, 10.00 am to 4.00pm. Please contact Nick Robson or Tim Lawrence for further details and location. Location Blue House Farm Wed 8th Feb 2012 10:00-15:00 Abberton Work Party 2 We are running a conservation work party every Wednesday from 10am - 3pm. No experience needed; all training and tools provided if necessary. Please bring a packed lunch (hot drinks provided) and wear suitable clothing and sturdy boots. For more information or to say that you are coming please call Jo or Charlie on 01206 738172 Location Abberton Reservoir Visitor Centre 10:30-12:00 Creepy Crawlies Club February Once a month we will be spending an hour and a half exploring our nature reserve, discovering new things and finishing with a wildlife themed story and snack for the children. Children 5 and under only. Children MUST be accompanied by an adult.£4.00 per child/ £6.00 for 2 siblings BOOKING ESSENTIAL Location Abberton Reservoir Visitor Centre 20:00-22:00 The smaller creatures we love or hate A talk by Cliff Moore. All indoor meetings are held in the dinning room at Laindon Community Centre, Aston Road, Laindon, SS15 6NX. Non members are most welcome; a donation of £1.00 is requested. BNHS and EWT members 50p. Refreshments available. For further details contact Basildon Natural History Society on 01268 491540. 20:00-22:00 Wildflower grasslands and how to look after them A talk by Barry Kaufman-Wright. Location: Committee room in Saffron Waldon Town Hall (in Market Square). For further details please contact Uttlesford Local Group on 01279 814153. 20:00-22:00 Wilding of Dunwich Heath Illustrated talk by Simon Leatherdale. Venue: Friends Meeting House, Butt Lane, Maldon. £1.50 donation requested. For further details please contact Maldon & South Woodham Ferrers Local Group on 01621 741351. Thu 9th Feb 2012 9:30-13:00 Phyllis Currie Work Parties Working parties are held every Thursday during the winter (usually the beginning of October to the end of March) and on alternate Thursdays for the other six months. We meet at 9.30am in the car park. New volunteers are very welcome. For more information contact the warden, Sylvia Jiggins on 01376 324311. 9:30-13:00 Abberton Reservoir Work Party We are running a new conservation work party on Thursday mornings from 9.30am to 1pm. Wear suitable clothing and footwear. For more information or to say you are coming contact Jo or Charlie on 01206 738172. Location Abberton Reservoir Visitor Centre 10:00-15:30 Work Parties at Cranham Marsh Work parties are held on the second Thursday and last Sunday of every month until March, and from April onwards on the second Thursday only. Start at 10 am, meeting at the tool hut on the reserve, until 3.30 pm . Tools, work gloves and tea provided. A range of tasks including coppicing in the woods, hedgelaying, scrub-bashing, and a bit of fence and ditch work. For more detail call warden Tony Gunton on 01708 220897 or email tonygunton@btconnect.com Sat 11th Feb 2012 10:00-15:00 Garden Bird Weekend NEST BOX MAKING NEST BOX MAKING on Saturday 11th February Location: Bedfords Park Visitor Centre 10:00-16:00 Drop in Trail Come along to the visitor centre between the times shown and take part in our free wildlife detectives trail. FREE. Excludes Monday 13th February Location Langdon Visitor Centre Sun 12th Feb 2012 9:30-12:30 Tiptree Heath Winter Work Parties February Bring hardwearing clothes, according to the weather, and a snack for the break. Gloves, tools and eye protectors will be provided if needed. For further information ring 07842 110051. Location Tiptree Heath
9:30-13:00 Work Party at Tiptree Heath Please join us and help us to carry out essential conservation work on our nature reserves. For further details contact the warden Joan Pinch for on 07842 110051. 10:00-16:00 Garden Bird Weekend Sunday Come along to our garden bird weekend. Location: Bedfords Park Visitor Centre |