Guided walk puts a spring in the step of Park Lovers

Sunshine, clear blue sky, bees, bright yellow daffodils, wide-open green space and a cheeky squirrel – what more can you want whilst out exploring the glorious joys of spring!

Eager to discover the secrets of the Park, locals, students, Park lovers, and visitors from all over the world met yesterday at 1pm by the Serpentine in Hyde Park for a guided walk with the Isis Education Centre team led by Alison, our Education Officer. Together, we shared our passion for the natural world at this special time of year.

To start, volunteer Lesley introduced us to the wonderful waterfowl of the Serpentine – including a guest appearance by some cute goslings who were following their Egyptian goose mum in and out the lake. It was an unusual sight as these beautiful geese normally breed in warmer climates.

We then wandered east past the Dell -  all the while Alison and the volunteers pointing out the birds, trees and flowers of interest and sharing little nuggets of wisdom such as the anti-freeze properties of the snowdrops to help them survive winter frosts.

We looked up to see some squirrels' drays (nests). Why not see if you can spot these sphere-shaped balls of twigs located high in the branches of the trees in the Parks? Squirrels are such cheeky animals - one even whizzed up Alison’s leg as she was pointing him out.

When we reached the Joy of Life Fountain, we were wowed by the beautiful sea of daffodils. The Isis Education Team gave out dissected daffodil heads so we could examine the flowers' male and female reproductive parts through a magnifying glass. We could see how bees can land on the hinged anther on the stamen to help spread the pollen. Clever stuff. 

That signified the end of the walk and with smiles on our faces and a great deal wiser about life in the Parks, we finished off at the Isis Education Centre for a cup of tea and chat about the walk. Everyone had a great time.

Jane and Annie, who’d come from South London said:

We thoroughly enjoyed the walk. It was so interesting to learn how important the Parks are to wildlife in central London. We often think of Hyde Park as a place to visit, almost a venue, but didn’t appreciate before just how much life is in the Parks!

We couldn’t agree more – the Royal Parks are vital and act as an oasis for wildlife in the middle of the hustle and bustle of our capital city.  As a charity we run a range of guided walks - through the Isis Education Centre - so visitors to the Park can enjoy and learn about what these amazing Parks have to offer.

• Email [email protected] and we’ll keep you informed of forthcoming guided walks in the Parks
• View more photos from the walk on our Facebook page