We love the natural world as you all know, and Monkey has certainly got Guru Gramps’ bug hunting genes. Our outdoor adventures are going to be assisted by the Woodland Trust Wildlife Swatch Books in the months ahead. Perfectly sized to fit in our backpack, there are 6 books in the series, which any nature fan will love.
I’m sure Monkey isn’t alone in being obsessed with Poo! He was instantly drawn to the Poos and Clue Swatch Book as you can imagine. All the books are double sides with shiny surfaces. With this book, one side shows the animal and the other shows its droppings, clues to look for when tracking the animal, its footprint and likely home. All great for young nature detectives on the loose. We have resident Hedgehogs so Monkey is looking forward to finding their poo, now he has his swatch book for guidance. Looking but not touching, is key!
We love going on nature hunts, and collecting leaves for collages has always been a family favourite. We will be making use of the Leaf Identification Swatch Book a lot this summer. The weather has been so awful recently we haven’t got out as much as we’d have liked, but that hasn’t stopped Monkey, he’s been busy identifying leaves on our collage from the autumn!
As we love going on mini beast adventures the Minibeast Swatch Book is also going to be well-loved here, especially as there are a number of creatures featured that Monkey hasn’t seen before. As well as providing photo identification and general information on each animal, the swatch book also has a key telling us at what point during the year we are likely to find each minibeast.
The Fungi Identification Swatch Book is going to be as interesting for me as it is for Monkey, as neither of us know anything about them. The swatch book tells us all about a variety of fungi, when and where they can be found, and which ones are poisonous.
We’ve been looking back through photographs from our walk through Stoke Wood and have used the Wild Flower Swatch Book to help Monkey identify the bluebells and wood anemones.
Having grown up with an entomologist father, I’ve spent years admiring butterflies, and Monkey loves them too. From catching them with Gramps to rearing them at home from caterpillars, they are a firm favourite. The Butterfly Swatch Book has information on a whole host of butterflies, some we know well such as the Orange Tip, and some less so, like the Pearl-bordered Fritillary. The swatch book gives us information on where and when all the species are likely to be spotted as well as their wingspan.
The Woodland Trust Wildlife Swatch Books are a great addition to our backpack and I can thoroughly recommend them. You can buy them directly from the Woodland Trust for £4.99 each or buy two for £4.00 each. You can also find out information about your nearest local Woodland Trust woods too.
disclosure: we were sent the items mentioned in exchange for an honest review
I’ve teamed up with Woodland Trust to offer one lucky reader the opportunity to win all six Swatch Books featured in this review. Just complete the Gleam form to enter. Good luck!
Terms and conditions:
(Please note that all entries will be checked against comments for validation).
Only the first step of this form is mandatory, all other steps are optional. Only one entry per person is allowed.
This giveaway is for UK residents only.
Once a winner is randomly picked, I will check if the winner has done what was requested and I will contact them, if they do not reply within one week, the prize will be allocated to another person.
The giveaway will close on 27th July 2016 at midnight.
Set of 6 Woodland Trust Wildlife Swatch Books worth £29.94
Don’t forget to visit my Giveaways page for more fun things to win!
My daughter and we’d go into the countryside
My girls would love these, we would take them to the local park and butterfly house
I would love these for my younger 2, we would take thm to our local woodland
Would love to take these to our local country park
My nephews would be so excited
my grandson will use these to stir his interest in nature
I would love these for our little Grandson, we would take them over the meadows on our nature trails
I would love to win these for my little boy to help me to teach him all about nature and the world around him as he grows up. We already walk a lot in the countryside so would take these with us everywhere and see what we could spot.
My 3 girls would love these books to take into the woods x
My grandchildren to two contrasting habitats – Snipedales and Gibraltar Point, both in Lincolnshire 🙂
My son Samuel and we’d go to Thetford Forest.
these would be fab for all 3 of my kiddies to learn and explore with, we’d take them down to our local nature reserve! xx
These are a brilliant idea! Gets everyone involved too. I wish there were a version for Western Australia.
For my Nephew to take Camping with us as a way to teach him about nature
My 2 sons would love this – we go to our local lake, surrounded with walkways through woods for 2/3 of it’s surround
my kids -we’re off to the lake district
My grandaughter and we would go to Trent Park
the whole family to the lake district 🙂
I would like to win these for my daughter. I would take these to my holiday home and go nature hunting with my daughter. We do a lot of nature activities on the holiday park with the nature ranger so these would be great to do a bit extra!
My son would live these as he loves looking for animals. His current favourite are spiders and bugs
I would give these to my little sister, would take her to our local woods
i would love to win for my daughter and she would take them to the fairy steps x
I’d love to win these for my sister who is a countryside ranger. I’m sure she’d find them really useful for the nature club she runs at primary schools.
My daughter to make walking more enjoyable and we would take them to Sherringham Park
My next door neighbours would love this for their walks
For my grandchildren and we would go out into the forest and countryside or even the park, anywhere outside really, even my garden.
for my 2 kids for our outdoor adventures
I’d like to win these for my kids and we’d take them to the local park on one of our adventure days
I’d love to use them to take my little boy, nieces and nephews out and about to explore our local wood. It’s beautiful there, there’s a lake and a nature trail so it’s the perfect place to educate them and learn some more myself. x
my daughter bridie, we’d go to the lake district
I’d take my daughter around our local green areas.
I would love to win them for my younger daughter and these would be helpful on our local river walk
take them on a walk in the woods with my mum
I would like to win them for my daughter- we walk every weekend with the dog on public rights of way ,woodlands, fens or heaths
I would give them to my grandson and we would go to the local woods and moors.
I’d go to the local woods and riverside with my nieces.
we love walking through the woods so these would be perfect
These look great, we love being out and about so these would be useful for the kids.
My kids would love these books to take with them to our local woods.
I’d love to win them for my son who adores all animals and we’d go exploring at Towneley Park which is one of our favourite places 🙂
I’d love to win these for my daughter – we’d take them along a local nature trail. I used to love doing the same kind of thing with my dad and the I-Spy books as a kid! 🙂
I am a teacher and these would be fab in school! As well as out on family walks
I would give these to my son and they would be used when we go on our walks in the local woods and down to the beach.
my son and we would take them on our local walks
I would love to win these for my son! He does forest school at his new school and since then he has been obsessed with getting outdoors and exploring! We have a woodland area not far from our house so we would probably start there! x
I’d love these for the kids so we can take them round grizedale this summer – when it arrives xx
I would love these for my daughter and we would use them in our local park
For my son and go exploring round local parks and woodlands
My granddaughter. They have recently moved house and have a gorgeous big garden and are surrounded by woods, parkland and two large ponds, these swatch books would help satisfy her growing curiosity (she’s currently fascinated with ants!)
I’d love to win them for my mum’s year one class, as they do outdoor learning in local woods so they’d take them there!
I would love to give these to my niece and nephews, to take for walks in our local woods.
would love to take my two boys to Queenswoods
My two youngest sons would love this and we would go exploring in the local woods
Nephew, countryside.
I would love them for my son, We could take them with us to the Black mountains in south wales when visiting family, or even for a walk along the Bridgewater canal and then back along the Transpennine trail.
I would actually like to win these books for me and I will take them with me when walking the dog so that I can identify the trees and the butterflies that I come in to contact with. I live in the countryside so these little books would be invaluable to me and would help me learn so much about the beautiful area that I am fortunate enough to live in.
I would love to win these for my two youngest who are 5 and 6. We have some woods near where we live so we would go there looking for things
For grandson, we have a large park with loads of woodland near us so we would go there
i would love to win for my 4 children to take with us when we go to the lake district
For my grandsons and I’d take them to the local woods
Would love The Fungi Identification Swatch Book, to take out with us on our local walk to the woods
I would use them at my local vets open day to educate people and then give them to my nephew to take to school and teach everyone. I am a big hedgehog lover and do my very best to help our spiky friends who are in decline.
I would love these for my younger 2
These would be for my son and we would use them when we go for our walks near where we live
I’d give them to the Theo the little boy next door. I’d take him to the local park as they have a pond & a wild area.
My son Bert would love these as he’s animals/creatures crazy! We’d take them to our local country park which is just ten minutes walk away – it’s full of wildlife to spot!
I’d love them for my nephew, would be great for all those questions I don’t know the answer to!
I’d give them to my little girl and we’d take them to the local nature reserve.
These look fabulous they’d be great for my twins and for my day job as a teacher
I would love to take these to our local park. My nephew Jack would love them.
My daughter Lives In Richmond surrey and I love taking them To Richmond Park , and It would be so super to take these swatch books when we go there ,Cheers for super chance
I’d take them to the park with my family
My grandchildren would use them when we go on family walks in the countryside
my children would love these, we like to take long walks over cannock chase so they would take them with them 🙂
I’m trying to encourage my children to explore the great outdoors, they would love these, we would take them to Delamere Forrest
I’m trying to encourage my children to explore the great outdoors, they would love these, we would take them to Delamere Forrest
We are very lucky to live beside woods and hills so I would win these for my son Tyler who loves nature and take him on a hunt
For my son to use in his school’s nature garden.
For our 3 year old grandson, and take him to the forrest as he loves our forest walks xx
Would love to win for my little boy, he loves all things nature 🙂
Id love to win this for my eldest son hed love this, we’d take them to our local country park
My little granddaughter, I’d take her to our local nature reserve
I would love to win them for my grandson Michael and we’d take them out with us when I go (the 300 miles) to visit!!!
My daughter and we would explore our local woods
I’d love to win them for my Daughter, we’re always out on walks round the countryside, we’d use them then!
My friends kids and I’d take them to the South Downs
Id love to win these for my little one William he loves nature, exploring for insects, and animals and he would love this so much , being able to match his finds to the swatch books
such a great prize educational and fun
I’d love to win these for my daughters. We have just invested in National Trust membership and plan to spend the summer taking part in pond-dipping, mini-beast hunts and den-building days at some of the fantstic local properties.
My son and I would take them when we visit Castle Howard, North Yorkshire
for my nephews to take on their woodland adventures
The kids would love them as we have recently moved to a farm
I would use them on our many days out to national trust parks/woodlands they would get used alot. Our local woods Formby squirell reserve would also be a great place to use them.
My daughter loves wildlife and nature so I would love these amazing swatch books for her. We go on lots of nature rambles every weekend and during school holidays so I would love to take these with us everywhere we go!
my daughter and we could go down the woods
My little boy, for our walks in the woods
My three kids would love this. We would take them on nature trails and local walks. We don’t go far as my eldest son has special needs.
My nephew would love these we would go to our local park
My two boys – walking in the woods is their favourite thing to do!
My children would love this prize- we’d probably take them to a nature reserve or to the woods where they can explore!
Day trips to our local parks Tatton & Dunham Massey and at home in the garden x
My grandson will use these as he has an interest in nature.
My little girl, we would go to our local park for a big nature walk
For my youngest – love days out walking in the countryside
my two oldest love walking and looking for new discoveries…..they would take them everywhere!
Our grandsons would love these. Baggeridge park here we come – with or without these books.
Our grandsons would love these. Baggeridge park here we come – with or without these books.
I would like to win these for my daughter and we would take her Sandringham 🙂
we would take them down to Cornwall
For my daughter, on walks through coomby abbey country park
I would love these for my Grandchildren who love to be out and about. I would take them to Sandwell Valley where they can walk in the woods and look for birds snd insects. It also has it’s own pooĺ and farm.