Welcome to our third newsletter of the year!

    Our major activity for March is our Walk for the Woods fundraising event on Saturday, 17^th March, starting any time between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. We will be walking the distance between Warley Woods and Tipperary. It is indeed a long way—80 miles. The more people that you can get to sponsor you, the more money we can raise to help look after our beautiful woodland. More information is available on our website.

    The Sunday volunteers planted two beeches and an oak last week. This was thanks to the money from the Big Tree Plant and to Lisa and Gordon Whitaker, whose friends gave money for the big trees instead of for their wedding presents. Thanks to everyone who took part.

    There were 15 volunteers at the Oral History Training Day which was led very ably by Julia Letts. The group will be meeting again and will start to interview the local people who have offered to tell their stories. We are happy to hear from others who would like to be interviewed about their memories of the Woods for the project. If you or anyone you know is interested, please call Viv Cole at the office. This project is financed by Heritage Lottery Fund.

    There was a huge response to the Forest Schools activities held at half term. These will be held again during the Easter holidays on the following dates: 4^th April from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. for over 8s. On 12^th April from 10 a. m. to 12 noon, there will be a Teddy Bears' Picnic for the under 8s. All these must be booked in advance.

    Finally, don't forget the Easter Egg Roll on Bank Holiday, 9^th April, starting at 11 a.m. Bring your own hard-boiled and decorated egg to roll down the hill in the woods. The first past the finishing line will win a large chocolate egg! This year, due to popular demand, there will also be an Adults' Easter Egg Roll following the children's competition.

    We look forward to seeing you all soon, at one of our many events!

    Bandhavgarh National Park in India is best known for its amazing setting, as well as having the highest concentration of tigers in India. In addition to tigers, there are also bears, deer, wolves, birds, etc.

    Location: In Madhya Pradesh state, almost 200 kilometers northeast of Jabalpur. The nearest village is Tala, which is the access point of the park.

    Opening Hours and Safari (游猎) Times

    Safaris operate twice a day, starting at dawn until late morning, and mid afternoon until sunset. The best time to visit the park is early in the morning or after 7 p.m. to spot the animals. The park is closed from July 1 to September 30 due to the monsoon season (季风季节).

    Bandhavgarh Zones

    Bandhavgarh is divided into three main zones: Tala (the park's best zone, with the most tigers), Magdhi (the second best zone to see tigers), and Khitauli (scenic and less visited, although tiger sightings do occur there; particularly good for birding).

    Entry Fees and Charges for Jeep Safaris

    Bandhavgarh has become expensive to visit in recent years. Entry fees have increased since October 2014. When going on a safari, separate fees must be paid for park entry and jeep hire. Entry tickets are priced per vehicle (up to six people). For 2015-16, park entry tickets cost as follows:

    ·Tala Zone: 2,400 rupees for Indians, 4,800 rupees for foreigners. (Up to six people)

    ·Other Zones: 1,200 rupees for Indians, 2,400 rupees for foreigners. (Up to six people)

Jeep Hire

    Expect to pay about 2,200 rupees to hire a jeep, in addition to the entry cost. This can be done at the park entrance. All hotels can arrange jeep hire and tours, but at a higher rate. It's much less trouble though. Besides, unlike many national parks in India, it's possible to take private vehicles into Bandhavgarh.

    When a dog looks at you with big puppy-dog eyes, it's hard for you to go away, and you may speak out “Awww” without hesitation. However, there's a reason why you find a dogs stare so attractive. That sweet stare actually causes the release of a particular hormone, or chemical messenger in the body. This hormone creates feelings of affection in humans. The same thing happens to dogs when people look back at them. Scientists believe this helps people and their four-legged friends bond, or feel connected. Scientists have wondered what causes dogs to lovingly stare at their owners. To find out, a team of researchers from Azabu University in Japan studied 30 owners and their dogs.

    The researchers found that after the pets and their owners spent half an hour together, both showed a rise in oxytocin (催产素). One key role of this hormone in many animals is to promote bonding, like that between a mother and newborn. The increase of oxytocin didn't happen, though, when scientists repeated the experiment with wolves and the humans who had raised them.

    A second experiment also found that if dogs were given oxytocin, they looked at their owners longer. Scientists aren't sure exactly why, but this reaction occurred only with female dogs. Their owners oxytocin levels also rose as a result.

    The result of these experiments might help answer an age-old question: How did the fearsome wolf ancestor of modern dogs turn into man's best friend? Takefumi Kikusui, an animal scientist who worked on the study, thinks that the change happened when dogs first became domestic (驯养的).

    According to Kikusui, there may have been a small group of wild dogs that were naturally friendlier. “Humans are very sensitive to eye contact. By using this special communication tool, the dogs are able to win over our hearts. If they are more likely to make eye contact, it would be easier for them to bond with dog owners,” Kikusui said.

    Skateboarding is an action sport which includes riding and performing tricks using a skateboard, as well as an activity for fun, an art form, an entertainment industry job, and a method of transportation. In 2016, it was announced that skateboarding will be represented at the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo, Japan.

    There are various theories about the origins of Skateboarding, but it is generally held that the sport began in the 1940s on the west coast of the USA when metal wheels were attached to a narrow wooden board. In the 1950s, plastic replaced metal as the material of choice for the wheels, and the first "Roller Surfboard" become commercially available, which in turn developed into the skateboard that we know today. The sport was a big hit with the younger generation and grew in global popularity in the 1980s and 1990s. Since the late 1990s, skateboarding has become an important part of street culture.

    However, skateboarding has raised heated discussions in areas where the activity, although legal (合法的), has damaged stone works, steps, benches, and parks. Certain cities oppose the building of skate parks in their neighborhoods, for fear of increased crime (犯罪) and drugs in the area. The disagreement between the old image of skateboarding and a newer one is quite obvious: magazines such as Thrasher describe skateboarding as dirty, and still firmly tied to punk (朋克), while other publications, Transworld Skateboarding as an example, paint a more different and controlled picture of skateboarding. As more professional skaters use hip hop, or hard rock music in their videos, many urban youths, hip-hop fans and hard rock fans are also drawn to skateboarding, weakening the sport's punk image. Besides, group spirit influences the members of this community. In presentations of skateboarding, the evidence of crime is absent, and no attempt is made to tie extreme sports to any kind of illegal activity.

    The good news is that efforts have been made to improve recognition of the cultural heritage as well as positive effects of skateboarding in cities. By raising £790,000, the Long Live Southbank initiative managed to stop the destruction of a forty years old spot in London due to urban planning, a rescuing operation whose effect extends beyond skateboarding. The presence of skateboarders on this public space keeps the area under nearly constant watch and drives homeless people away, increasing the feeling of safety in the area. The activity attracts artists such as photographers and film makers, as well as a significant number of tourists, which in turn drives economic activity in the neighborhood.

    Tennis lessons

    This event takes place every Wednesday from May 9 to July 17. These lessons are open to all from complete beginners to seasonedpros (熟练的行家). Playing tennis is a great way of getting fit. Contact The Bridge to find the time for your age group.

    Cost: £4.80 adults, £3.30 under 16 per class

    Contact: Laura Reynolds

    Tel: 020 8778 7158

    Street dance classes

    This event takes place every Wednesday from February 27 to December 25. The classes are set up for 3 to 6-year-olds. They provide an environment where each child can become confident in his or her efforts and successes. Our school believes “If You Aim High You Will Succeed”.

    Cost: £4 per student

    Contact: Hayley Rea

    Email: info@aimhighacademy.co.uk

    Children's workshops in clay(陶土)

    This event takes place every Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday from April 15 to July 1. The workshops are suitable for children aged five years and above. The children will be shown different methods of making many things in clay.

    Cost: £75 for 10 lessons

    Contact: Shirley Stewart

    Email: shirli_stewart@yahoo.com

    Caterpillar(毛毛虫) music

    This event takes place every Tuesday and Friday from October 18 to December 31. The classes are set up for 0 to 4-year-olds. We use puppets (木偶), actions, songs, instruments and games to entertain and introduce a love of music to your little one. The classes last 40 minutes and each week we have a different theme.

    Cost: £6 per class

    Contact: Angela Capriati

    Tel: 020 8698 8439

    Imagine looking at yourself in the mirror; you do not look like these stick -thin models seen across the media. Your legs are too big, your bottom is too small, and you are too pale. You are too “ugly” You stare in wonder and anger, “Why don't I look like them?" However, you don't need to imagine this situation, because this is a bitter truth for millions of people. In the media，one can quickly see the ideal body, the ideal face, and the ideal person. The advancement of unrealistic beauty on social media causes millions of people to become dissatisfied with their looks.

    Dissatisfaction with one's appearance can cause dangerous behaviors like dieting, which result in eating disorders like Anorexia Nervosa (神经性厌食症) and Bulimia Nervosa (神经性易饿病). Eating disorders have seen a dramatic increase following the rise of social media, 119% increase according to recent statistics. According to Brittany Tackett, a mental health professional,“30% -50% of patients in eating disorder hospitals used social media as a means of supporting their eating disorders.”

    Not only can social media become a support-system for unhealthy behaviors, but an article written by Rachel Simmons, a Time magazine writer, suggests that people who spend more time online tend to link their self-worth to their looks. A study conducted by Park Nicollet Melrose Center also says that in the 1990's, fifty-percent of women wanted to lose weight. Now it finds that eighty-percent of women want to lose weight. Although this higher percentage cannot be directly related to the rise of social media, one can argue that the unrealistic and damaging beauty expectations that social media presents contribute to this number.

    In addition, social media causes stress. A survey was conducted in which people were asked whether or not they used social media, and how stressed they felt they were. The study found that “social network users are, in fact, 14 percent more likely than non-users to characterize their lives as at least 'somewhat stressful.' Non-users are 28 percent more likely than users to say their lives are 'not at all' stressful”. Additionally, stress may have more connection to self-confidence than is believed.

    So，there you are again, standing in front of the mirror criticizing the parts of your body which do not follow the idealistic images of models seen on social media. Your legs are too big, your bottom is too small, and you are too pale. You are too “ugly”. Although this time, you realize it is not you who are the problem. The problem is the unhealthy and unrealistic standards that social media encourages. So the next time you are looking through Instagram, opening WeChat, or commenting on Twitter, ask yourself, “Is it worth it?”