Tree Ents & Skylarks, a nature club for 12 to 15s led by Kanchi Mehta, meets at The Diamond Wood on Sat 10 October, 10am. £30 for six sessions, members free.
Young people aged 12 to 15 can spend a Saturday morning in the woods next month learning to think like ecologists. Tree Ents & Skylarks, the youth nature club run by the Andover charity Andover Trees United, meets at The Diamond Wood on Saturday 10 October 2026, from 10am to 12.30pm.
The club is led by Kanchi Mehta, an ecology graduate and intern at the charity who goes by “Bug Girl”. October’s theme is “Risk Detectives”: participants explore the wood, look for hazards and work out what is actually risky in a woodland, as part of their progress towards the RFS Junior Forester Award.
What happens on the day
The booking page bills the morning as an introductory session: “Discover your wood! Risk Detectives!” Participants meet Kanchi and each other, and talk through what they hope to discover, which skills they would like to learn and their own ideas for helping nature.
Each young person gets their own Nature Adventure Book to record what they find and how they are getting on towards the Junior Forester Award. Then the group heads into the wood for a nature challenge, which the charity says means “wildlife hunting, exploring and plenty of opportunities to discover something new”.
The risk part is practical. The charity says the group will “start thinking like real ecologists and woodland workers”, looking for hazards as they go and discussing how to stay safe while still having fun. By the end, each participant uses their first experience of The Diamond Wood to write their own simple woodland risk assessment.
“You just need to be curious”
Kanchi Mehta said the woods reward anyone who slows down:
“There is so much happening in the woods that you only notice when you stop, look closely and start asking questions.
“Tree Ents & Skylarks is about giving young people the freedom to explore, discover wildlife for themselves and learn real skills along the way. You don’t need to already know lots about nature, you just need to be curious and willing to get stuck in.”
The charity says the club was set up for young people who want to learn by doing. Sessions mix ecology, wildlife discovery, practical conservation and outdoor learning, and participants are encouraged to investigate, ask questions and reach their own understanding of the natural world. The Junior Forester Award strand is meant to give them practical knowledge of trees, woodland management and conservation.
Wendy Davis, founder of Andover Trees United, said:
“We want young people to feel that The Diamond Wood is somewhere they can explore, learn and take responsibility for nature.
“Tree Ents & Skylarks gives them the opportunity to develop practical skills, build confidence and understand the wildlife and habitats around them in a much more meaningful way than simply learning about them in a classroom.”
Help shape the club
The booking page describes October’s morning as a tester session: “Your ideas and interests will help shape future Tree Ents & Skylarks sessions alongside the challenges needed to achieve the Junior Forester Award.” Anyone who joins now is helping to build the youth club “from the very beginning”, in the charity’s words.
What it means for you
- Who: ages 12 to 15. The charity says keen and enthusiastic 11-year-olds may also be accepted.
- When: Saturday 10 October 2026, 10am to 12.30pm.
- Where: The Diamond Wood, Andover.
- Cost: free for Andover Trees United Junior Members; £30 per seasonal block of six sessions for non-members, which also covers the seasonal camp out. Payment is made in advance for each six-session block (prices as listed on the booking page on 29 September 2026). The charity says membership is particularly good value for families planning to come to several sessions.
- Book: places are limited. Book through the Andover Trees United event page.
Andover Trees United says it works with schools, young people, volunteers and local communities on tree planting, outdoor learning, biodiversity and long-term care of woodland, and that Tree Ents & Skylarks is part of its wider work giving young people practical experience of ecology and conservation at Harmony Woods. The charity also runs younger children’s storytelling mornings in the wood over October half term, listed in our What’s On in Andover this month.
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