FAMILIES came together in a Poole woodland to put together nesting boxes to mark National Nest Box Week.

Children and their parents built the 30 flat-pack nesting boxes at Blake Hill Viewpoint.

The children then decorated the boxes and helped select suitable locations for them.

They will be able to observe them throughout breeding season and watch the birds as they move in, build their nests and raise their young.

The activity formed part of a community day arranged by council officers and ward councillors to launch the refurbishments, improve signposting and clear dense foliage to improve biodiversity and more wildlife friendly habitats.

Officers from the environmental services department worked with the British Trust for Ornithology to obtain the boxes.

They also showed children how to build dens, demonstrated other bushcraft skills and shared their knowledge to help develop a greater appreciation for the natural environment.

Ward councillor Xena Dion said: “This was a really useful project that has brought local people together with a focus on raising awareness of this environmental gem on our doorstep and helping to enhance it as a habitat for the wildlife that lives there.”