Visitors enthralled by AmbleGPX and Hauxley reserve
Greek and Latvian visitors at Hauxley Nature Reserve
A group of five Greek and five Latvians visited the area in May, to find out more about the area.
The visitors, a mix of environmentalists and tourism professionals, travelled to Northumberland as part of an international education week which was funded by Northumberland Coast & Lowlands LEADER Parks Protection 2 Project.
The focus of the week was to highlight Northumberland’s wonderful coastal habitats and underline the impact and influence of people, both residents and visitors, upon the Northumberland coastline.
The week combined lectures and field visits to the Northumberland coast, including Lindisfarne, and the Farne Islands, a day in Amble to learn about smartphone tourism game AmbleGPX, and a visit to Northumberland Wildlife Trust’s Hauxley reserve.
Participants were provided with a background on the flora and fauna, history and heritage of the Northumberland coastline with a focus on the challenges and opportunities involved in managing shoreline habitats whilst maintaining the sustainability of what is offered to visttors.
Playing AmbleGPX
The trip to the reserve included a tour of the site and an opportunity to watch the wonderful variety of birds visiting the site at this time of year, a talk on the activities on, and management of, the site and a tour round a number of archaeological sites at Low Hauxley.
The Northumberland participants in the project, including Anthony Johnston Northumberland Wildlife Trust’s Estates Project Officer, visited Latvia in May and are visiting Greece in July as part of the project.
He said: “The Northumberland week was very interesting and ended with a fantastic trip to the Farne Islands. Living and working in Northumberland as I do, I am always amazed at the beauty of the area so I know that the visitors will take some wonderful memories home with them.”
The visitors enjoyed playing AmbleGPX and feedback from the group was very positive.
“Great day…expert tuition / guidance… the technology was simple to understand and apply…the games take you places you may not have considered visiting and see things that you may not have noticed otherwise.”
