I love how London is full of secret places
that make you feel you are in the middle
of the English countryside.
Some of them are neatly hidden away near the Thames,
while others are right under Londoners' noses.
And there is one that is nestled
in the shadow of one of the world's finest museums,
right in the middle of one of the city's busiest roads,
The Natural History Museum's wildlife garden
is a little green patch of peace and quiet,
that is full of surprises and hidden adventures for the little ones.
Every time we go to the NHM,
after the obligatory visit to see the dinosaurs,
the boy always asks to go to the 'secret garden'.
You see, opening hidden compartments
and searching for ancient fossils
are pretty exciting things to do for a 4-year-old.
The Wildlife Garden, despite its rather small size,
has plenty of things for the little ones to discover:
there is a Bee Tree, a tree trunk with an in-built beehive,
and cupboards that reveal the different colours of the soil layers.
The most impressive one though is the limestone slab
with an Iguanodon's footprints that date back 140 million years.
There is also a pond with beautiful water lilies
and an adventurous stepping stones crossing,
as well as a fenced meadow full of wildflowers.
What's extraordinary
is that this little garden in the heart of London
is home to an impressive 2,600 species of fauna and flora.
From tadpoles and holy blue butterflies
to foxes, blue tit birds, and bee orchids.
This is an invaluable place
to initiate children to the wonders of nature
and make exploring and learning about the world around us
so easy and so much fun.
In nutshell: a piece of natural heaven
in the heart of busy London.
The Wildlife Garden at the Natural History Museum
is open daily from the end of March to early November.
Entry is free. More info here.
Oh wow, I've been to NHM so many times and didn't know about this! I shall have to go back to explore it.
ReplyDeleteI know, it's well hidden and quiet; and that's what makes it so charming!
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