University Parks Discovery Trail FINAL
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
Space to write Important Information 2 what letter they Opening times: University Parks found at each The University Parks are open daily from 7.45am point. until dusk. The Museum of Natural History is open daily from 10am until 5pm. Discovery Trail Part of Oxford's Big Green 3 4 Travelling to the Parks: There are no public parking facilities at University Treasure Hunt Parks, but the site is easily accessed by public 9 - 24 June 2018 transport and is in walking distance of the city oxfordgreenweek.org/big-green-treasure-hunt centre. 5 6 There are bicycle racks at the end of Keble Road. Please ensure you lock your bike securely and note that bikes are not allowed in the parks. The nearest bus stops to University Parks include: Keble Road, off Banbury Road (opposite St Giles’ Church), Parks Road and Bevington Road (near 7 8 the North Lodge Gate entrance). Please check Oxfordshire County Councils public transport pages. Big Green Treasure Hunt terms & conditions: This trail is one of three trails organised as part of Oxford Green Week. A winner will be chosen at Congratulations! random from the completed entries we receive for Explore University Parks! Starting at the new Ginkgo You have completed the Discovery Trail! each treasure hunt. Only one entry per discovery trail Gates on Parks Road, discover how this beautiful To be in with a chance of winning a picnic hamper of is allowed. green space improves sustainability, supports local goodies and a Frog bike, please complete your Each completed trail will also enter you into the grand biodiversity and benInefsittsr puecotpiloe'ns sw ellbeing. A perfect details below, tear off this strip and place it in the secure draw for a chance to win a Frog bike of your choice. opportunity for a famSielyl fp igcnuicid oer ldun chtime stroll. The draw will take place on Wednesday 27 June box at the reception desk of the Museum of Natural At each treasure stop, look out for the treasure trail 2018. submit in the submission box at History! post. Write the letter you see in the box on the back Winning entries will be randomly drawn and a list of of this leaflet. If you are completing the trail on your Name: the winners' names will be posted on the Oxford university museum mobile device, make note of the letter ready to Green Week website - oxfordgreenweek.org submit via a QR code at the end of the trail. There is Telephone: Get in touch: a submission box for paper maps at the end too! [email protected] Email: www.parks.ox.ac.uk Follow us at @OxfordEnvSust Good luck! University Parks Map Ginkgo Gates Look out for the treasure post at each point to stamp your treasure The Discovery Trail begins at the newly installed decorative iron squares on the back of this map! Ginkgo Gates. These gates used to stand outside the Clarendon Laboratories before being brought to the parks in April of this year. Follow the arrows on the map to continue the trail. P Did you know? The gates are called 'Ginkgo' because the tops of a r the iron posts are shaped like Ginkgo leaves. Can you see them? k s R o Japanese Pagoda Tree a Japanese Pagoda Tree d This tree was planted in 1888, making it one of the oldest in the parks. The Latin name for this tree is Sophora japonica and it is actually native to China. It produces creamy yellow flowers which are the source of the transparent pigment Imperial Yellow. Did you know? The tree's trunk is over 3.17m around! Count how many steps it takes you to walk around it! Hayrick Border SGiTnkAgo RGaTtes! a e This herbaceous border is particularly colourful in the summer, r A attracting bees and butterflies. The tall plants with bell shaped c i flowers are members of the Sage family. n c i Did you know? This area used to store hay for the sheep and P cattle that grazed the parks to keep the grass short before the Picnic Area introduction of petrol lawn mowers. Did you spot 'hay' in its name? Tolkien's Bench Keble In 1992, this memorial bench, along with two nearby trees, were installed to mark the centenary of the birth of JRR Tolkien, famous College author of Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit. A perfect place to take a seat aTndh ien dTuolglek iine an b Mooekm. orial Bench Did you know? The nearby trees represent two trees from Tokien’s mythological works - The Silmarillion - Laurelin (a false FMIuNseIuSmH of! acacia) and Telperion (a silver maple). Natural History High Bridge High Bridge was constructed in 1924, to help people cross the River Cherwell. This is a hive of activity, and home to many fish, birds and river plants. What can you see today? To Broad Street South Parks Road Did you know? The bridge is often referred to as the Rainbow Bridge because of its beautiful arch. Wellingtonias Museum of Natural History Havel's Place This majestic cluster of trees were planted in the late 1800s. Once outside the museum, look up at the tall tower. Can you see Wellingtonia, often known as the Giant Redwood, is the world's any swifts circling around? Swifts have been nesting in the tower for Oxford's HavHeal’sv Pelalcse Pinlsatacllaetion, designed to evoke the memory largest living organism and amongst the oldest living things on over 50 years, staying from May until August, and are closely of Václav Havel (1936-2011) − writer, thinker, human rights activist Earth. They can grow to be 300 feet tall and 30 feet wide - that's monitored by researchers. In 2016, Oxford became the first and President of Czechoslovakia and the Czech Republic, serves as wide as a London bus is long! RSPB Swift City to conserve these vulnerable birds. as a modest place of rest, reflection and contemplation. Did you know? The oldest known giant Wellingtonia in the Did you know? A swift can live up to 21 years and may fly more Did you know? The chairs swivel allowing you to overlook the world is a staggering 3,500 years old. Wow! than a million kilometres during its lifetime. water, the nearby copse of trees and across the parks. Take a To continue, exit University Parks through the Ginkgo Gates. Turn Inside the main entrance, find the Swift information case to fill out seat and enjoy the views! left for a five-minute walk to the Museum of Natural History. your final treasure square and peek at a swift on the nest webcam! .