How well do you know your local area? We often walk from A to B with an objective to get to our destination as quickly and efficiently as possible. Sometimes when we are moving so fast we don’t stop to explore the hidden places which can found in our very own locality. This could be a unique time in our lives to fully explore and quietly observe our natural surroundings.

Green-Schools student Evie lives close to Dublin City and loves to explore what nature she can find when out for her walks with mum. In this ‘Hidden Places’ video Evie wants to show us some of the hidden natural wonders around The Grand Canal in Dublin. If you live in an urban area, why not explore the quieter streets and see what changes you can observe. What are the sounds and smells? Can you spot any plants or wildlife? What is the atmosphere like, are people enjoying walking and cycling? There is an activity sheet below, which students can bring along on their walk to document their observations.