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Terrific Trees, Sticks and Fossils

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The Stoke Park Project is a collaboration between Lockleaze Neighbourhood Trust, Bristol City Council and Steve England Outdoor Learning.

We are working together to promote community conversations about your heritage conservation priorities and which access improvements are needed for Stoke Park.

What a pleasure to spend an overcast Sunday morning with the 30 residents who joined us for the Terrific Trees in Winter event this weekend.
We visited some of the most common and some of the oldest and most unusual trees in Stoke Park, finding out about their history, the folklore and of their importance.

We learnt about their practical uses-not just for people but for wildlife too- and we were even treated to an impromptu demonstration on how to make a thumb stick with one fortunate attendee taking it home for future walks.

Well done to Alex for finding an amazing fossil while we were visiting the great saloon- a really lucky find and a great example of what happens when we slow down and really take notice of our surroundings.

Our amazing Duke of Edinburgh student also attended helping engage other park users by letting them know about the project, sharing the survey and explaining how everyone can contribute and get involved.


Throughout the walk we discussed the importance of feedback for this project and how the events and surveys are supporting people to join the conversation to capture your priorities. Attendees please don’t forget to complete your feedback!

You can join in the conversion today even if you don’t join us for an event by doing the survey here.
You are very welcome to join us as we explore Stoke Park together on more free events- book now.

steve and another attendee reach up into the branches of a large conifer to pick out a cone
a group of 30 people gather under a huge leafless tree made up of many knotted branches
a view inside a shelter made from long sticks leaning into the bough of a fallen tree to make a long triangular space, about 1.5m at the heighest point
steve and a walk attendee stand next to each other smiling. both have thumbsticks, a waistheight wooden stick with a v shape at the top for a handle
a den made of sticks all leaning in towards a central point, which is against the bough of a fallen tree. behind it is a cluster of people in winter clothing looking away.
a tree stump surrounded by sticks and brambles. the stump has moss and clumps of flat, brown, white-bordered mushrooms on it, and ivy growing over it.
thirty people and one small dog walk along a muddy paved path on a cloudy day.
people gather under the base of a large, widespread tree. one has an orange hi vis and thumbstick.
steve, a white man in his fifties in a greenish fleece, holds a mushroom up towards the camera. he has mushroom decals on his nails and the mushroom is blurred.
about thirty people gather round the base of a tree many times taller than the people. it has no leaves and bulbous shapes on the trunk.
a Black man wearing a blue coat smiles holding a piece of rock with fossils in it towards the camera. it's wider than his hand and the fossils are small round nodules
about thirty men women and children face Steve, a white man in his fifties as he gestures at trees
a woodland with a floor scattered with brown leaves and tree boughs coming across at all angles
a multi-age group look up into the boughs of a large knobbly tree
steve and another attendee reach up into the branches of a large conifer to pick out a cone
a group of 30 people gather under a huge leafless tree made up of many knotted branches
a view inside a shelter made from long sticks leaning into the bough of a fallen tree to make a long triangular space, about 1.5m at the heighest point
steve and a walk attendee stand next to each other smiling. both have thumbsticks, a waistheight wooden stick with a v shape at the top for a handle
a den made of sticks all leaning in towards a central point, which is against the bough of a fallen tree. behind it is a cluster of people in winter clothing looking away.
a tree stump surrounded by sticks and brambles. the stump has moss and clumps of flat, brown, white-bordered mushrooms on it, and ivy growing over it.
thirty people and one small dog walk along a muddy paved path on a cloudy day.
people gather under the base of a large, widespread tree. one has an orange hi vis and thumbstick.
steve, a white man in his fifties in a greenish fleece, holds a mushroom up towards the camera. he has mushroom decals on his nails and the mushroom is blurred.
about thirty people gather round the base of a tree many times taller than the people. it has no leaves and bulbous shapes on the trunk.
a Black man wearing a blue coat smiles holding a piece of rock with fossils in it towards the camera. it's wider than his hand and the fossils are small round nodules
about thirty men women and children face Steve, a white man in his fifties as he gestures at trees
a woodland with a floor scattered with brown leaves and tree boughs coming across at all angles
a multi-age group look up into the boughs of a large knobbly tree
Related Project

The Stoke Park Project

A community conversation about management of Stoke Park, with Bristol City Council and Steve England Outdoor Learning.
Learn More