Nestled on the banks of the Medina river sits an impressive activity centre where the Bird Aware team were lucky enough to hold its first ever team building day!
On a bright October morning we were greeted by smiling faces at the Medina Valley Centre and we put our trust in them that the day would be victorious! The experience was to be the final part of a comprehensive training programme that inducts new staff into their roles and the team.
Bird Aware Rangers patrol 254km of coastline and the wider team work from four separate locations around the Solent, so once the winter season is underway we don’t get to see each other too often!
We started the day with some simple but action-packed games including the highly competitive ‘Gutterball’. Next came the eagerly awaited (by some!) raft building, and after some top tips from our leaders we pushed on tying clove hitches and a few granny knots for good measure. Once constructed we set sail, and with the necessary luck and fair wind we circumnavigated a buoy, collected a booty of treasure and made it back to dry land without capsizing or breaking any speed records!
After our maiden voyage we had earned a hearty lunch and this set us up perfectly for an afternoon of bushcraft. Using our creativity and ingenuity we set about making a shelter, building a fire and witling wood to make a rustic spatula perfect for turning campfire pancakes.
It’s fair to say that the day was a resounding success. It helped to establish strong working foundations and prepared us for the hard work, cold weather and high volume of public interaction that will be encountered in the season ahead.
