Countryside Ranger events - public events and school education

Events for adults, family activities, wildlife walks, dawn chorus walks, natural history sessions, rock‑pool rambles, minibeast safaris and night‑time wildlife explorations

East Lothian Countryside Ranger Service runs a wide and engaging programme of seasonal events, guided walks, wildlife sessions, and family activities designed to help people of all ages discover the area’s rich natural and cultural heritage. These events take place throughout the year, covering topics such as wildlife, coastal ecology, geology, outdoor skills, and local history.

Events for adults

A varied programme aimed at adults and older teens (typically 16+), including:

  • wildlife walks focusing on wading birds, winter waterfowl, seabirds, and seasonal migrations
  • dawn chorus walks, early‑morning outings celebrating peak birdsong at sites such as Aberlady Bay Local Nature Reserve
  • natural history sessions, exploring geology, wildflower folklore, coastal landscapes, and East Lothian’s ecological past

Adult events vary in topic, length, and location, and booking is required.

Family activities

Family‑friendly sessions are designed so children and adults can explore nature together. These include:

  • rock‑pool rambles
  • minibeast safaris
  • night‑time wildlife explorations

Most last up to two hours and are hands‑on, fun, and fully outdoors.

Purpose and style of events

Across all events, the focus is on:

  • helping people connect with nature
  • interpreting wildlife and landscapes in engaging, accessible ways
  • sharing knowledge of biodiversity, geology, and local heritage
  • encouraging responsible outdoor behaviour

How to find or book events

Events are typically advertised and booked via the East Lothian Council’s official booking platform:
https://eastlothian.bookinglive.com

For all our events

  • there is a charge for each participant
  • always dress appropriately for the weather with appropriate footwear
  • dogs are not permitted 
East Lothian Council Countryside Rangers - Environmental Education
Ranger demonstrating specimen collection to a group of children and their parents.

Schools and groups

Our Ranger service is skilled and experienced in delivering environmental education for school groups, from nursery through primary to secondary education. As well as offering support for teachers in delivering independently to their pupils to meet curriculum goals, our service provides tailored activities to groups and schools which increases awareness, understanding, care and responsible use of our countryside.

 

By nurturing a positive connection between the public and the natural world, the Ranger Service is supporting the development of a long-lasting love and respect for our planet and its wildlife, increasing people's understanding of how ecosystems work and our interconnection as a species to life in its different forms on Earth.

 

Are you an educator and wanting to know more about what natural spaces are near you, if so please see this resource from Naturescot which maps the green spaces near schools in your local area:

 

https://www.nature.scot/professional-advice/young-people-learning-outdoors-and-developing-skills/learning-local-greenspace 

 

Examples of the kinds of work we have done:

 

Outdoor education events linking exploration of our wild spaces with understanding of the wildlife we aim to weave in sustainability principles into our events. 

These are adaptable depending on the habitat we are working in but can include:

  • Rockpooling 
  • Minibeasts
  • Riber dipping
  • Woodland activities 
  • Secondary education – eg guided walks; land management talks; talks responsible and safe outdoor access. 
  • Eco-schools/school grounds nature activities
  • Supporting Duke of Edinburgh volunteering

If you are interested in planning a visit with the Rangers or would like to find out more information, please email ranger@eastlothian.gov.uk

East Lothian Council Countryside Rangers - Environmental Education - accordion

Some educational projects we have led on

Knox Green Angels

The Green Angels was  a nature- based nurture group for girls from Knox Academy. The girls were those highlighted by the school that would benefit from work to build self confidence and resilience, as well as increasing their friendship circles. The group was developed in partnership with the conservation charity, The Green Team and with the pupil support base in the high school.

The girls worked on conservation tasks such as beach cleans, hedge maintenance and meadow raking as well as learning bird identification and how to make a cup of tea in a storm kettle. With repeated sessions, the girls showed increased confidence in both their own selves as well as in their connection with their local environment.

The success of the project was monitored qualitatively by reflections from school staff, the Countryside Ranger and Green Team staff as well as quantitatively by the RSPB’s Connection to Nature and self esteem questionnaires.

Angela Freeman, Pupil Support Worker at Knox Academy said of the sessions:

‘The girls got so much from the project, their confidence has soared, self-esteem boosted and resilience developed as well as establishing good friendships along the way!  The Ranger’s passion and enthusiasm for our natural world was so infectious that you've made it 'cool' to get outdoors and explore - true 'girl power'!’

Aberlady Primary School Trail Cam Project

Pupils from Aberlady Primary School had been working with the Ranger Service to study the wildlife in their school grounds and around the village using a trail camera; one of 20 on loan from Scottish Natural Heritage. They managed to get great footage of otters, badgers, foxes and many different kinds of birds, which they have subsequently been studying in class. 

The children went out with the Ranger, looking for tracks and trails to plan where to locate the cameras. Following interviews with the Ranger and learning about video editing, they will use the footage they have gained to submit a 3-minute film into a competition with a chance to win a camera for the school. 

The school really embraced this project and every child in the school has been involved in some way. The school organised a screening of all the children's films for fellow pupils, teachers and parents. The Ranger Service has also learned a lot about the activities of the mostly nocturnal animals at the local nature reserve from the footage the children have recorded.

Go for it Girls

A project involving a small group of girls in the early years at High School, referred by their school for a variety of reasons from lack of self-esteem to fears of bullying. The group undertook a series of activities assisted by the Countryside Ranger Service and the Outdoor Learning Team, designed to explore the environment, build confidence and work towards a John Muir Award. One of the girls followed up her activities by volunteering with the Ranger Service, using these experiences to gain a place on a Countryside Management course at Oatridge College.