Activities Day

Bronze: meet 9am playground

Silver meet 9am PMH

Bronze: hand back your tent at the end of the hike on Saturday (for use on Gold). You MUST please also hand back your STOVE and rucksack on Monday. Other students need these for their Gold expedition which is very soon.

Bronze training expedition May 6-7 2012

14 groups completed their Bronze training hikes. Sunday was cold, grey and showery, overnight temperatures fell to near freezing and most had a chilly night. Monday dawned bright and groups set off on their own to tackle the last stretch. Navigation was generally sound and most errors corrected quickly, apart from some notable exceptions on Day2! Camp craft, leaving no trace and keeping facilities clean was accomplished to a good standard by most groups after some reminders. Few items were forgotten and rucksacks were mostly sensibly packed. Overall, a good hike with a spirited performance from everyone in unusually cold May weather.

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Conservation Day December 2011

Redhill Common: north slope at the pond site. 30 students cleared scrub and trees from the north side of the pond. A significant area was cleared and they all worked hard and with enthusiasm. Small branches were burned and log piled up for collection. This task follows on from previous visits to open out this area and reinstate a grassland surrounding the pond which itself is planned for restoration in the future. Clearance of trees and scrub might at first appear destructive but it increases habitat diversity for various plants and animals along the forest edges created. Edge habitats are often more productive and the grassland will encourage new birds, insects and small mammmals, as well as bats. The glade will also provide a more attractive environment for people walking through the woods.

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It’s not summer any more!?

July Conservation Day

Nutfield Marshes: 30 pupils were praised for their excellent conservation work on clearing a channel of choking typha reeds. They formed a big team and worked hard together both in the stream and on dry land clearing willow coppice. They were a superb bunch and were highly regarded as one of the best RGS conservation teams that Reigate Area Conservation Volunteers has seen. Very well done folks!

If you want to do MORE conservation in your own time … contact Mr Collins for RACV details: YOU can save the World, starting in your own back yard!

Next RGS conservation day: December 13

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May half term expeditions

Silver training: destination South Downs: 4 groups trekked from Bramber Castle to Arundel Station via Washington and Amberley. Surprisingly cool & cloudy & windy weather but no rain. All groups performed really well on the big second day which involved some significant climbs and 10 hours of hiking for some of them. Several individuals showed confident navigation skills and all groups aspired to near-perfect LEAVE NO TRACE camping.

2 Bronze canoe groups completed a 2 day overnight canoe adventure on the Basingstoke Canal for their training expedition. Excellent reports were received. Well done to our pioneering canoeists! Pictures emailed to me for this blog would be welcome.

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Bronze training expeditions May 1 – 2

100 pupils took part in the Bronze training expedition over a cool, breezy and sunny Bank Holiday. Two groups had excellent conditions for canoe training on the River Wey, good reports have been received about their spirited participation learning to paddle open canoes and manage emergencies like capsizing.

Walking groups left RGS and walked to different camp sites around Brockham, Leigh, Box Hill and towards Chaldon. Groups were trained by their Gold Award leader and staff along the way and many of these camped overnight.

All groups completed the 2 day hike. Most groups will need to prepare more thoroughly for their qualifying expedition and use their experience to operate more effectively in navigation and camp craft. Nevertheless, a successful training expedition. Further training for the qualifying expedition will take place Tuesdays 4-5pm throughout September and October.

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Conservation Day March 2011

22 Bronze pupils did their first conservation day at Petridgewood Common near Salfords. Reigate Area Conservation Volunteers led the day and instructed pupils in the safe use of cutting tools and the purpose of felling and removing invading scrub species on the common. All pupils worked very well indeed and made a real difference to the area creating a more diverse habitat for species including rare butterflies, orchids and camomile.

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A guide to starting DofE at RGS

HOW TO GET THE BRONZE AWARD 2011.pdf
Download this file

Here is a guide for 3rd Year pupils and parents thinking of starting Bronze DofE this January. This will be available as a hard copy at the Options Evening for parents and at the DofE assembly, both in January.

Earlswood Common conservation

20 Bronze DofE pupils worked incredibly hard all day on conservation activities in Earlswood Common. The Countryside Manager for Reigate Borough Council visited the team and was impressed by their commitment and enthusiasm. A cold but dry day – ideal for felling invading scrub (mainly alien sycamore – devoid of wildlife) along the Greensand Way (where it runs along a raised embankment hiding a Victorian sewer – piping Reigate’s sewage to the sewage works down the road!). The pupils were brilliant – on task all day, delightfully enthusiastic and dedicated to the job. They opened up some good “window views” overlooking the lake and left the place with more diverse habitats for wildlife. Excellent job folks, very well done!