YOUNG explorers can take their first steps to developing a love for nature and the environment with the help of a cathedral’s education team.

Parents are invited to help nurture their children’s taste for adventure and outdoor activity with weekly sessions delving into Durham Cathedral’s rich and varied riverbank woodlands, on the city’s central peninsula.

Little learners will be encouraged to develop confidence and self-esteem through hands-on experiences, in tailored Friday sessions running up to the school spring half-term holiday, overseen by members of the cathedral education team.

There is a £5 charge per session, per child, with the first Parent and Toddler Forest School taking place tomorrow, but the opening two weeks’ sessions are already fully booked.

Remaining sessions will be staged from 9.30 to 11.30am on Fridays February 1, 8 and 15, but pre-booking is essential.

It is the latest addition to the “curriculum” at the cathedral’s education centre, which offers learning opportunities on a range of subjects, from monastic life in the medieval period and the impact of the Reformation, to support work in history.

Visitors can also marvel at the architecture and art both in the stained glass and the intricate patterns used by Norman stonemasons.

There are several set sessions and tours, while visits can be tailored to meet individual requirements.

Further details are available online, via www.durhamcathedral.co.uk/what’s-on, or via the Visitor Desk, on 0191-338 7178, or the education centre, itself, on 0191-374 4070.