Family Trails Book

In 2011 my book of 'Family Trails in Richmond Park' was published by the Friends of Richmond Park. The trails are ideal for children aged 4 to 11, but will be interesting for all ages. The book aims to encourage everyone to explore different areas in the Park and look out for wildlife on the way.

Originally I made up some nature trails for my daughter when she was about 9, taking photos and finding things to show her when she joined me to walk our dog at the weekends. We sometimes looked up the fungi, butterflies and wild flowers in books, when we got back, to try to identify them. I mentioned to the Friends of the Park that I had put together a set of trails for children and they suggested that we publish them as a book, for everyone to enjoy.

The book contains 6 walks in different sections of the Park. Each walk has 20 or more photographs of points to look out for. There are a few notes about each item, which include different types of tree, acorn and bark, various birds, butterflies, dragonflies, deer and horses. There are also interesting facts about the buildings in the Park and its history.

Each trail comes with a detailed map, showing the route and where to look for each item.

The book costs £6.99. It can be bought in the Park from the Visitor Centre at Pembroke Lodge car park. It is on sale in several branches of Waterstones and about 20 local book shops.

More than 2,000 copies have been sold so far.