Class 3 arrived at Everdon Field Centre at 10.00.am on Wednesday. The weather was good and village looked as pretty as ever. Mr Kidd, the centre manager, went through all the health and safety procedures and we carried out a fire drill. Then we collected our water proofs and rucksacks in preparation for our first long walk.

We left the village of Everdon and headed across the fields towards Snorscomb Mill and Snorscomb Farm, stopping briefly for lunch in a field of sheep. It was a long way but everyone managed to keep up. Then came the steep hill up to Mantles Heath. The view was magnificent. There was not a house in sight and no one would have guessed we were just 4 miles from the busy town of Daventry. We decided that this would be a great place to go sledging but we were pleased there was no snow today.

We met Mr Kidd at the top of the ridge and he talked to us about how farmers were trying to make parts of their farms more wildlife friendly by leaving wide strips of land to go wild so that more mini-beasts and small mammals can live there. But this will take many years to become established and we carried out a test to see how things were going. We collected insects from a newly set aside field and counted up the range of species. Then we did a similar experiment in a field where the grass has been left to grow wild for over 60 years. There was far more variety in the older field – Jade even found a toad.

Mr Kidd took us back via Mantles Heath. The floor of the wood was carpeted with bluebells. It looked as if the ground was floating in blue.

The whole class coped really well with the walk back to the centre. No one complained, well, not much and we talked and joked all the way. We arrived just as dinner was being served; fish, chips and beans, followed by cake, peaches and cream. It was all very yummy.

The children thought it was even better when we then opened the tuck shop.

Despite our exertions of earlier in the day, everyone seemed enthusiastic about walking up to Everdon Stubbs in the hope that we would see some badgers. The evening was perfect for a sighting. There were even several people waiting quietly by the huge sett hidden deep in the woods. We crept carefully towards it and we were amazed at how quietly the children settled themselves down to wait. But as Millie later observed, this was not so much badger watching as hole watching! We gave up after 20 minutes of patient observation and decided it was time to go back to bed.

As I write this I note that the time is 11.00.pm. Everyone is fast asleep – well nearly everyone. We have a busy day tomorrow and if time allows we’ll tell you all how we are getting on.