Mosaic Champions to provide a helping hand for National Parks Week

Our Mosaic Champions are joining the National Parks family’s annual celebration of our fantastic breathing spaces for this year’s National Parks Week.

Running from 27 July to 2 August, this year’s theme is Landscapes of Plenty, an acknowledgement that our National Parks are more that just places to play and find inspiration but are home to productive landscapes, providing some of the best produce, products and food and drink in the country.

Our Northumberland Mosaic Champions have been building a cob pizza oven, made out of sand, clay and straw, all mixed by foot! Champions have spent two days squidging about in the muddy cob mix and sculpting a domed roof in preparation for spending three days running pizza making workshops for the public. The pizza making sessions  – part of a host of activities – takes place at Hadrian’s Wall Walltown Quarry from 30 July to 1 August.

Our Exmoor Champions are taking part in the annual Bogtastic Adventure Day, exploring the bogs and wetlands of Exmoor in and around Simonsbath and Blackpitts on 29 July. The activity day has something for everyone – from welly-wanging, to guided walks with ecologists, from stream dipping to the infamous Bogtastic Course, the free event is sure to be a huge hit.

And our New Forest Champions will be helping out at one of England’s premier agricultural shows – the New Forest and Hampshire County Show, which runs from 28 – 30 July. Three Champions will be assisting the New Forest National Park Authority’s rangers on their stall handing out leaflets and talking about their work.

Communications Manager Tony McDougal said National Parks Week provided people with a real chance to get out and about in their National Park: “There are countless activities, from walking, cycling and star-gazing to visiting food festivals, farmers markets or taking part in a coastal bioblitz.

“It is a real chance to see the beauty of our most treasured landscapes,” he added.

Notes to Editors

Further information on National Parks Week is available at www.nationalparks.gov.uk/visiting/national-parks-week-2015

Our Mosaic England youth project, which covers five National Parks in England, is supported by the Big Lottery Fund’s Reaching Communities programme.