Thousands of you took part in Green Balloon Club Week 2009, from getting grubby in the garden to lounging in the library with your nose in one of our Nature Tales.
See our Nature Tales download page to read them all.
All our events were a big success but here's a taster of what some of you got your paws into!
Lough Neagh Discovery Centre
Jelly flew in on a Green Balloon to help visitors at Lough Neagh Discovery Centre to learn about nature.
"Meeting Jelly was just fantastic, I loved the pond dipping and catching red worms." Siena M (aged 5)
St Columb's Park Breathing Place
Over 2500 residents of Derry community came along to St Columb's Park's wonderful Breathing Place for their Green Balloon Club day. Children listened to Nature Tales, walked the red squirrel trail, went on bug hunts and recycled plastic bottles to make bird feeders.
Black Rocks Country Park
Over 90 people joined the Black Rocks countryside rangers on an adventurous minibeasts hunt. They learnt all about how to use nets, lenses and pooters and even got to examine dragonfly skin cases and dormouse-nibbled hazelnuts!
"I loved spotting minibeasts"
"I liked using the magnifying glass"
"Wow brilliant. I want to do more. More please!"
Loch Fleet National Nature Reserve
Gospie residents took their wild children and mini-beasts to Loch Fleet National Nature Reserve for a family day of wildlife fun including nestbox building.
Cannock Chase
Over 1500 people visited Cannock Chase during Green Balloon Club week. The heathland habitat explorers made scrapbooks, created bug villages and planted seeds and many have since returned to the museum to tell how they've seen a caterpillar, or how their seed is growing.
"I've got loads to carry on at home."
Laura (age 8)
"What good fun! I learnt how to press leaves and making a framed picture." Emily (age 6)
Blackhill and Consett Park
Blackhill and Consett Park teamed up with local schools to build insect hotels and learn about protecting butterflies and their habitats. Over 500 people showed up to be involved with this Green Balloon Club event.
Ellen (aged 5) was one of 100 children to make a beautiful butterfly card.
Grove Primary school children mucked in on a minibeast hunt.
The Guest family and Chynna
(aged 3) examined all kinds of crawlies to microscopic detail.
Forfar Loch Country Park
"Can I take the toad home?"
"I never knew you got diving beetles that size!"
Forfar Loch Country Park had a Green Balloon Club-scaled "dip in the loch" surprising many of their visitors with the abundance of wildlife that can be found in just one pond. Countryside ranger Craig Borland told them all about the watery minibeasts and took their many questions!
Cleethorpes Boating Lake
Visitors to Cleethorpes Boating Lake were treated to guided beachwalks by Discovery Centre staff. Over 1000 people visited to take a stroll in the sunshine and many a minibeast and wild child took a Breathing Places t-shirt home.
© MMX