Celebrating National Parks with Liz Truss

Yesterday was an exciting day for Butser staff, as the Secretary of State for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs Liz Truss visited as part of a new campaign to engage people with their national parks. The scheme involves giving every schoolchild in the country a chance to visit one of their local national parks, as new figures reveal only 10% of schoolchildren currently have access to outdoor learning.“National Parks already welcome over 90 million visitors every year and make a major contribution to our vibrant rural economy – but too many children in our country are not aware of these natural wonders… By instilling a love of nature in our young people and building thriving communities in every National Park, our plan will allow these unique spaces to flourish for generations to come.” (Liz Truss)Together with our friends at the South Downs National Park Authority, we welcomed the Secretary of State to visit Butser Ancient Farm, and later Queen Elizabeth Country Park, to see how beneficial outdoor learning is for local children. Thanks to SDNPA for their collaboration – and for providing a great selection of local cakes!Remember, from this weekend we’re open every day until Autumn – we look forward to seeing old friends and welcoming new visitors! Easter weekend activities include our Bunny Treasure Trail, Roman soldiers on site and the Hampshire Coppice Group demonstrating on Monday.Meeting the Butser and SDNPA teams in the Janus Visitor CentreWalking down to the Iron Age enclosureChalk carving with Herne Junior SchoolExploring the Little Woodbury roundhouseTaking a look inside the Danebury roundhouseOur new Saxon longhouse based on local excavations from ChaltonThe South Downs National Park put on a great spread of local cakes!

Spring has Sprung!

After months of grizzly and confusing weather, dare we say it’s starting to feel a little like spring? The air feels fresher and all those aromas of budding leaves are filling our lungs here at Butser. Yesterday we were lucky enough to witness the birth of our first lamb! From now on they’ll be popping out all over the place, and soon our flock will have doubled in size.Most excitingly, the A-frame of our wicker man has now been raised and the rest of the build will follow over the next few weeks, ready for our Beltain festival on 30th April. This year we have a brand new design that is rather different to our previous wicker men, but we’re hoping it will look grander than ever! As all Beltain-goers know, it’s very important to please the gods to ensure a hearty harvest…Meanwhile, the wildlife on site is waking up to the bustle of spring. Yellowhammers, robins, dunnocks and blackbirds have been decorating the hedgerow behind the Roman villa, and the song thrush has been tooting her melodies in the forest by the car park. The goats are particularly happy, as the fresh air and sunshine means they can leave their wooden shack and play outside in the grass. The chickens are contented as ever, despite their ongoing hatred for the pheasants.