Children from the Cubs have donned hard hat and torches to venture outside with Action for the River Kennet to explore a conservation area at night.

The nocturnal trip saw 17 children plant 60 native saplings at Stonebridge Wild River Reserve, a water meadow jointly owned by ARK and Marlborough Town Council.

Despite the rain, they pulled on their wellies and got their hands dirty planting part of a hedgerow around the 15 acre meadow.

ARK project officer Anna Forbes said: "The Cubs did a really enthusiastic job of progressing the hedge. It will be lovely for the children to see their trees grow into a beautiful hedge in the future."

The Cubs, from Granham, had already explored the river earlier in the year as part of their first nocturnal River School session.

To the children’s delight they were able to take part in the work to encourage more wildlife to the area and one parent said: “Great night, my daughter loved it. Even in the rain!”

ARK are holding another hedge planting session this Saturday November 25 to plant 360 more trees. Families have been encouraged to join in and can meet at 1pm by the Stonebridge notice board.