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Explore your local biodiversity

Get out and about to explore the biodiversity all around you.

Spending time outdoors has many benefits to our mental and physical health but also helps us develop a positive relationship with nature.  Doing this is more important than ever because our nature connectedness is a strong indicator of how likely we are to care about our environment and act on the wider issues facing it. One 2016 study found that 74% of children spend less than 60 minutes playing outside each day - less than the United Nations guidelines for prison inmates.
In Swale, we are lucky to have a diverse  range of landscapes; from internationally important wetlands, ancient woodlands and heritage orchards, to wildflower grasslands and award winning country parks. Below you will be able to find a range of days out local to you, so as the weather begins to warm, why not plan a trip?
Plan your visit:

Good Journeys' Journey Planner can help you find the best way to reach your favorite attractions completely car free.

  • Kent Wildlife Trust offers free visits to all of it's sites, a map of which can be found here. In Swale, these include Cromers Wood, a semi-ancient woodland, and Oare Marshes which is a site of international importance for it's migratory, overwintering and breeding wetland birds.
  • In July 2023, both Milton Creek Country Park in Sittingbourne and the Oare Gunpowder Works Country Park were accredited with the Green Flag awards, the international quality mark for a parks and greenspaces. With both country Parks in close proximity to Sittingbourne and Faversham, these make brilliant car-free days out.
  • To find the nearest country park or nature reserve to you: Explore the great outdoors in Swale
Discounts:
  • From November 6 2023, the RSPB is trialing free entry on all of it's reserves for 16-24 year old's, a move that is hoped will encourage more young people to connect to nature.
Community Groups:

We are also lucky to have lot's of fantastic family friendly community groups that you can get involved in. Visit our 'get involved in a local group' page to find out who these are and how you can join.