As part of our Tall Tales & Seasonal Stories events, we are back in the Summer School holidays to provide some fun and magic to families across Hampshire. Book Your Ticket!

The Wherwell Cockatrice

Storytelling & Craft Workshop

Calling brave Knights and clever heroes to join Amanda from Merry-go-Round Storytelling to defeat Andover’s famous Dragon and save the day!  This exciting workshop will take place in our unique Dragon Garden and children will have the opportunity to explore the garden created in the form of the famous cockatrice.

After the storytelling, children will make their own cockatrice puppet to take home and continue the adventure. Come and join us for fun in the woods!

When: Tuesday 25 August | 10:30AM - 12:30PM

Where: Harmony Woods (meet at The Cabin)

Ages 4+ (Children must be accompanied by an adult)

Details:

• Refreshments included

• Cost: £10 per child with accompanying adult - £2 per additional sibling

• Audience: ages 4+

• 25% discount for Andover Trees United junior members

• Places are limited. Book your tickets via our secure booking system.

We're delighted to have been invited by one of the participating charities to attend the Anton Rotary Summer Fete at Rothsay Grange Care Home, part of Barchester Healthcare.

We're looking for volunteers to help run our stall on the day. If you're interested in getting involved, please contact Abbey at abbey.sadler@andovertrees.org.uk.

The Summer Fete will take place on Sunday 23 August from 2:00pm to 4:00pm. A variety of local charities will be attending and hosting activities for visitors to enjoy, and refreshments will be available to purchase throughout the afternoon.

We'd love to see you there!

Week 3’s theme is: In the Sea: Ocean Explorers

Celebrate the connection between people, wildlife, and our oceans through creativity and conservation.

Building on Andover Trees United's long-standing involvement in International Day of Peace celebrations and the Peace Dove processions at Harmony Woods, children will create their own peace dove carrying a special message of peace and hope for people, wildlife, the oceans, and the planet.

These handmade doves will become part of a community art installation displayed in Harmony Woods for September's International Day of Peace, helping to share messages of kindness, unity, and environmental care.

Children will also have the opportunity to make a colourful bracelet from collected, used plastic bags to take home, helping keep our oceans free from plastics, learning how small actions can help reduce plastic pollution and protect marine life.

This inspiring activity combines art, sustainability, and community, encouraging children to think about how they can make a positive difference in the world around them.

Four Fun Fridays is a FREE event put on by TVBC in Andover High Street every Friday in August!

See you there!

As part of our Tall Tales & Seasonal Stories events, we are back in the Summer School holidays to provide some fun and magic to families across Hampshire.

The Clever Crow
Interactive storytelling with games and crafts

Join Amanda from Merry-Go-Round Storytelling as we celebrate the clever crows who live at Harmony Woods with a fun retelling of the much-loved fable The Crow and the Pitcher. This exciting workshop brings science and storytelling together with puppets and plenty of audience participation. 

After the story, children will make their own clever crow puppet and get creative with stone painting inspired by the tale.

With storytelling, crafts, games and refreshments, it’s a workshop full of magic, creativity and fun.

When: Thursday 20th August | 10:30am-12:30pm
Where: Harmony Woods (meet at The Cabin)

Ages 4+ (Children must be accompanied by an adult)

Pricing:
£10 per child with accompanying adult/s - £2 per additional sibling
25% Discount for Andover Trees United Junior Members

Book Tickets

Details:

• Refreshments included

• Audience: ages 4+

• Cost: £10 per child with accompanying adult/s - £2 per additional sibling

• 25% discount for Andover Trees United Junior Members

• Places are limited. Book your tickets here via our secure booking system.

Where Ecology, Creativity and Curiosity Meet

Explore the Wild is a brand new seasonal family nature series from Andover Trees United, designed to help young people and families discover the natural world through hands-on science, wildlife observation, creativity and outdoor exploration. Led by Ecology Intern Kanchi Mehta its a must attend session to truly learn about nature, in the wood right on your doorstep!

Running throughout the seasons, taking place once a month, these immersive sessions invite participants to notice nature in new ways!

🦇 THE NATURE OF SOUND 🦇
Evening Bat Walk & Survey

When: Tuesday 18th August | 7pm–9:30pm
Where: Harmony Woods

Ages 7+ (Children must be accompanied by an adult)

Purchase tickets here

Pricing:
Adults £4
Children £3
Andover Trees Members – FREE (enter your membership in the discount during checkout)

The world is full of things we cannot always see.

Join us for a special evening bat walk and survey as we head into the woods after dark to discover the fascinating nocturnal wildlife living above our heads. Using bat survey equipment, we’ll listen out for bat calls and learn how bats navigate and hunt using sound in near-total darkness.

This guided session explores the hidden world of echolocation and how sound interacts with nature when light becomes scarce.

🌙 Evening outdoor activity
☕ Tea and coffee provided
🦇 Bat survey equipment provided

Workshop Focus:
Learn about bat surveying, echolocation and the incredible relationship between sound, movement and the natural world.

Important Information:
This is a night-time outdoor session, so please wear warm, comfortable and sturdy clothing suitable for woodland terrain and cooler evening temperatures.

This activity is weather dependent and requires suitable conditions for bat activity. If weather conditions are unsuitable, the session may need to be rescheduled. Participants will be informed as early as possible of any changes.

Dates: Monday 17 August
Time: 1:30pm – 3:30pm
Location: O2 Shop, Chantry Centre, Andover
Cost: Free – Drop in, no booking required

Join Andover Trees United for a free creative drop-in workshops as part of Where the Ash Trees Grow, a community art project led by artist and storyteller Amanda Kane-Smith.

Discover the beauty of one of Britain's most iconic native trees by creating your own ash leaf rubbings and handmade bookmarks to take home. These relaxed, family-friendly sessions are suitable for all ages and abilities, with no experience needed.

Alongside the workshops, we'll also be hosting a special display throughout August, celebrating the importance of ash trees, local wildlife, and our connection to nature.

About Where the Ash Trees Grow

Inspired by the meaning of Andover's name, believed to mean 'Ash Tree Stream', Where the Ash Trees Grow transforms the O2 shop in the Chantry Centre into a living community artwork from 7–31 August.

Visitors are invited to help build a growing installation of handmade ash trees and a chalk stream, adding their own hopes, memories and wishes on leaves, stones and ripples. Throughout the month, local organisations including Andover Trees United, Andover Library and photographer Simon Peter Green will contribute to this evolving celebration of Andover's people, nature and identity.

Come along, get creative, and help grow this unique community artwork.

No booking required – just drop in! Everyone is welcome.

Week 2’s theme is: Beetles, Bugs & Butterflies: Mini Marvels

Discover the fascinating world of insects and pollinators in this fun, nature-inspired craft activity!

Children will decorate their own mini cardboard bug hotel and create a colourful finger puppet to live inside. Choose from a butterfly, beetle, bee, ladybird, or let your imagination inspire a unique bug creation.

As they craft, children will learn about the important role that insects play in supporting healthy ecosystems, pollinating plants, and helping wildlife thrive.

This hands-on activity encourages creativity, fine motor skills, and a greater appreciation for the tiny creatures that make a big difference in our natural world.

Four Fun Fridays is a FREE event put on by TVBC in Andover High Street every Friday in August!

See you there!

As part of our Tall Tales & Seasonal Stories events, we are back in the Summer School holidays to provide some fun and magic to families across Hampshire. Join us for two hours of interactive storytelling, crafts, songs and fun! Book your space here,

The Dancing Trees

What if the trees at Harmony Woods came alive and danced together on Midsummer’s Eve? 

Join Amanda from Merry-Go-Round Storytelling as she brings a magical folktale to life - where the trees do just that! This is interactive storytelling where children become part of the story.

After the storytelling, children will create their own magical stick person to take home using natural materials collected from the enchanted woods. 

With storytelling, crafts, games and refreshments, it’s a workshop full of magic, creativity and fun.

Details:

• Refreshments included

• Cost: £10 per child with accompanying adult - £2 per additional sibling

• 25% discount for ATU Junior Members

• Audience: ages 4+

• Places are limited. Book your tickets here via our secure booking system.

Ready for summer in the woods? This August we will be bringing the community together for more learnings, conversations and cool drinks! It’s a great way for known and new faces to come together in the sunshine and explore the woodland this summer. We host our Community Conservation Days on the 2nd Saturday of each new month.

If you enjoy practical outdoor work such as gardening, growing, practical conservation tasks, and with a hot drink and great conversation, then our Volunteer Conservation Days are for you! 

No experience is necessary and new volunteers will be fully supported.

See our Digging It blog for recent activities -https://www.andovertrees.org.uk/blog-list/diggingit2

Please sign up here to confirm your place. We look forward to seeing you on the 8th August! Bring sun cream :)

Any questions, please email Abbey: abbey.sadler@andovertrees.org.uk

Volunteering with us is a great way to contribute to action against climate change and biodiversity loss, plus make a difference in your local community. Our 44-acre site includes native deciduous woodland, chalk grassland, wildflower meadow, hazel thickets which will be coppiced, hedgerows, and a pond - all vital habitats providing resources for a wide range of species. 

Week 1’s theme is: Reduce, Reuse, Recycle: Guardians of the Planet

Get creative and help save the planet by designing your very own Junk Model Eco-Heroes!

Using clean recycled materials such as cardboard tubes, boxes, bottle tops, and cartons, children will create a unique eco-hero with a special environmental superpower. Will your hero protect trees, clean rivers, reduce waste, or help local wildlife thrive?

This fun, hands-on activity encourages creativity while teaching the importance of reusing materials and caring for the natural world. Every eco-hero is different, and every one has an important role to play in protecting our planet.

Perfect for children who love crafting, imagination, and making a positive difference for the environment.

Four Fun Fridays is a FREE event put on by TVBC in Andover High Street every Friday in August!

See you there!

As part of our Tall Tales & Seasonal Stories events, we are back in the Summer School holidays to provide some fun and magic to families across Hampshire. Join us for two hours of interactive storytelling, crafts, songs and fun! Our first event in the holidays will be themed around everyone’s favourite story…

The Very Hungry Caterpillar!

Amanda Kane-Smith from Merry-go-Round Storytelling will bring the much-loved classic ‘The Very Hungry Caterpillar’ to life with interactive storytelling. After the story, children will get creative and make their very own butterfly puppet! After crafts and refreshments, we will then head out for a gentle woodland walk as we search for butterflies together. This event is the perfect way to kick off the school holidays and make the most of the beautiful woodland we have created in the Diamond Wood! All of our events book up quickly, so please reserve your spaces.

Details:

• Refreshments included

• Cost: £10 per child with accompanying adult - £2 per additional sibling

• 25% discount for Junior Members

• Audience: ages 4+

• Places are limited. Book your tickets here via our secure booking system.

Where ecology, creativity and curiosity meet.

Explore the Wild is a brand new seasonal family nature series from Andover Trees United, designed to help young people and families discover the natural world through hands-on science, wildlife observation, creativity and outdoor exploration. Led by Ecology Intern Kanchi Mehta its a must attend session to truly learn about nature, right on your doorstep!

Running throughout the seasons, taking place once a month, these immersive sessions invite participants to notice nature in new ways!

☀️ WHAT THE TREES SEE ☀️
Cyanotypes (Light Photography)

Saturday 25th July from 10am–12pm
Diamond Wood, Andover Trees United

Ages 7+

TICKETS HERE

Join us for a unique creative ecology workshop exploring one of the earliest forms of photography using sunlight and nature.

Participants will head out on a slow, guided woodland walk using handmade cyanotype “cameras” to create beautiful light images inspired by the world around us. Along the way, we’ll think about how trees and other living things experience the environment differently and take time to observe the shapes, structures and patterns of native UK plants and wildlife.

Back at base, we’ll develop our cyanotype prints and work together on a collaborative community artwork inspired by the woodland.

Session Schedule:
10am–10:30am – Introduction and camera demonstration
10:30am–12pm – Guided cyanotype photography walk
12pm–1pm – Refreshments and developing prints
1pm–2pm – Community artwork activity

Details:

• Refreshments included

• All materials provided

• Outdoor activity – warm weather clothing recommended

Lesson Focus:
Exploring how different living things perceive the world, while observing the beauty, form and structure of native trees and flowers through art and science.

Important Information:
This activity relies on sunlight and suitable weather conditions. If weather conditions are unsuitable, the session may need to be rescheduled. Participants will be informed as early as possible should any changes be necessary.

PURCHASE YOUR TICKETS HERE.

Pricing:
Adults £4
Children £3
ALL Andover Trees Members – FREE

Where ecology, creativity and curiosity meet.

Explore the Wild is a brand new seasonal family nature series from Andover Trees United, designed to help young people and families discover the natural world through hands-on science, wildlife observation, creativity and outdoor exploration. Led by Ecology Intern Kanchi Mehta its a must attend session to truly learn about nature, right on your doorstep!

Running throughout the seasons, taking place once a month, these immersive sessions invite participants to notice nature in new ways!

🌱 WILDFLOWER WALK🌱

Saturday 27th June from 10am–12pm
Diamond Wood, Andover Trees United

TICKETS HERE

Join us for our June edition of Explore the Wild session with a guided walk through the woods to observe native flowers in bloom, learn field sketching techniques and practise the art of observing without picking.

Book your tickets via our secure platform here.

Details:

• Family and all ages welcome

• Refreshments included

• All-weather activity – please dress appropriately

Lesson focus: Observation and the skill of looking without touching or picking the flowers.

Pricing:
Adults £4
Children £3
Under 4s free
Junior Andover Trees Members – FREE
Adult Andover Trees Members – 25% discount

A unique, education supporting venue. Join local pros & community people & make connections at a relaxed evening networking event! 23/06/26

Natural Business Network NBN

Evening Networking at Harmony Woods Andover 6.30 - 8.30 pm on 23rd June 2026.

On Tuesday the 23rd June - Join us for a unique relaxed in-person evening of 'NBN Networking in Nature' at the lovely Harmony Woods (Within Diamond Woods) in Andover! Food included but after booking your ticket do let Susan know your dietary requirements via email - naturalbusinessnetwork@gmail.com, Thank you.

Get you tickets here!

It’s a great chance to meet local professionals, share ideas, and grow your business connections in a friendly atmosphere. Come along, bring your business cards, and let’s make some meaningful connections together.

And, most importantly, I am delighted to say, we have an exciting opportunity to be welcomed at Andover Trees United, a very special and unique Charity, and to learn a little about the essential work they do inculding supporting education and why they do it.

Our event is very near their annual Archaeological dig – ‘Between the Barrows’ that goes on in Harmony Wood, every year. We will hear a little bit about that too.

The fabulous volunteers and staff are busily -

Saving the planet

Respecting the heritage of local Test Valley history.

Thoroughly supporting education, and especially Head Teachers in all ways. For many hours every week.

ATU have doing been getting it right! Saving time, money, resources and doing it in ways that the children absolutely love!

This award winning and magical place is a globally excellent example of how to do this in the best possible eco respctful way. Educating the future workforce and community.

A perfect place to network and connect with nature and other humans. It looks beutiful with all the wildflowers and trees etc that thrive there.

See you there!

Susan Risdale - Founder of Natural business Network NBN (and a Trustee for Andover Trees).

Where ecology, creativity and curiosity meet.

Explore the Wild is a brand new seasonal family nature series from Andover Trees United, designed to help young people and families discover the natural world through hands-on science, wildlife observation, creativity and outdoor exploration. Led by Ecology Intern Kanchi Mehta its a must attend session to truly learn about nature, right on your doorstep!

Running throughout the seasons, taking place once a month, these immersive sessions invite participants to notice nature in new ways whether that’s identifying wildlife during a BioBlitz, sketching wildflowers in bloom, learning how bats navigate using sound, or creating beautiful cyanotype “light photographs” inspired by the woodland itself.

🌱 SPRING BIOBLITZ 🌱

Saturday 30th May from 10am–12pm
Diamond Wood, Andover Trees United

Join us for the very first Explore the Wild session with a family-friendly Spring BioBlitz.

 As spring creeps in, everything is growing and changing! It's the perfect time to go out with our nature backpacks and see what we can find! Book your tickets via our secure platform here.

Details:

• Family and all ages welcome

• Refreshments included

• Nature backpacks and kit provided

• All-weather activity – please dress appropriately

• Schedule: 10am–11/11:30am – BioBlitz exploration session; 11/11:30am–12pm – Refreshments and sharing discoveries together

Lesson focus: Observation, curiosity and the importance of sharing information about the natural world.

PURCHASE YOUR TICKETS HERE.

Pricing:
Adults £4
Children £3
Under 4s free
Junior Andover Trees Members – FREE
Adult Andover Trees Members – 25% discount