Natural Resources

There are over 400km of drystone walls on the Mendip Hills AONB. The walls are a key reason for the designation of the Mendip Hills as an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, they are one of the Special Qualities that define Mendip, not to mention a vital lifeline for wildlife such as adders and lizards. Last year our volunteers repaired over 200M of drystone walls on Mendip. Constructing a project is a great way to gain a sense of accomplishment.

So today we are challenging you to create your own mini habitat project for wildlife! The possibilities are endless, you can create a hedgehog home, an insect wood pile or even a bug hotel.

The Mendip Hills is one of the best areas in the country to appreciate the relationships between geology, landscape and natural history. 300 million years of geological history are exposed in natural outcrops and quarries. Quarrying has for more than a century been the single most important industry in the Mendip Hills, affecting the lives of those who live and work in the area. Take a trip back in time to see the quarries and the people that worked in them (Quarry Faces link below). Rocks don't have to be boring.

Todays challenge is to collect some rocks, decorate them and make a story about them.

Dating back 500,000 yrs. Henge monuments, barrows and hillforts through to World War 2 sites are prominent features on the Mendip Hills AONB.

We challenge you to get crafty and upcycle something old into something new. This is also a great opportunity to think about other ways you can reduce your waste and think outside the box about re-using some of those items you might normally throw away.

Everyday thousands of people experience the effect of the Mendip Hills in their own home. If you live near Mendip or around Bristol chances are when you turn on the tap you'll be drinking water that has landed on the hills. The three reservoirs, Chew, Blagdon and Cheddar, supply water to 1.1 million people!

Your very first challenge is to create a mini pond in your garden.

A guide to fishing at Chew Valley, Blagdon and Litton Lakes and Barrow Tanks.

A series of downloadable walking routes exploring the landscape, wildlife and history of the Mendip Hills.

Discover the history of quarrying in the Mendip Hills and its legacy on the landscape, history and wildlife of the area.

Discover the rich 'geodiversity' of the Mendip Hills which means there is a large range of rock types exposed in a small area. This superb diversity of rock types, ranging from Silurian to Jurassic in age, are exposed in many natural rock outcrops, particularly in the western Mendips where the limestone gorges and caves at Cheddar and Wookey are national tourist icons

A classroom in the countryside.
FarmLink provides fun and learning through an informative “hands-on” approach to education in a countryside setting.

A guide to forest-based activities for use by schools and groups.