Orchard Day celebrations

There will be lots of different apples and pears to taste and interesting fruity facts to discover at Orchard Day, organised by South Derbyshire’s Environmental Education team and taking place in Swadlincote at the end of the month.

Visitors to the free of charge event are welcome to turn up with windfalls from their trees and some containers (plastic bottles are ideal), to press the apples and take the juice home with them. Those who have more apples than they know what to do with can take them along and juice will be made to give away.

There’s also an invite to take samples of autumn produce along for other people to try: apples, pears, jams, chutneys - anything collected or made locally (recipes to include least one local ingredient). There will be a prize for the best.

The Environmental Education Project is also inviting schools to celebrate Orchard Day with a visit to Rosliston Forestry Centre.

Each session is two hours long and costs £90 for a class of up to 30 children. During their visit, children will get the chance to learn where apples come from and taste varieties not often found in the shops. The session also includes a chance to make and taste real apple juice and to go on a special crab apple hunt. Bookings are being taken now and up until September 29, 2017.

The first 'Apple Day' was on held in Covent Garden in 1990. It was launched by Common Ground, a charity which celebrates and demonstrates the richness and diversity of landscape, place, ecology and culture in Britain, and to warn that we are in danger of losing them.

Swadlincote Orchard Day is taking place on Friday 29 and Saturday, September 30, 2017 between 10am and 3.30pm. On Friday the team will be on The Delph and on Saturday it will form part of the Makers Market on High Street.

For further information about the event or the school sessions contact Environmental Education telephone 01283 535039 or email rosliston@southderbyshire.gov.uk.

Find the Environmental Education Project on Twitter and the Environmental Project at Rosliston Forestry Centre on Facebook.

25 September 2017