A NATIONAL hill walking and outdoor skills company has announced a series of navigation courses which take place between February and July.

Wild Ridge Adventure recently held a one-day course near Ambleside.

Chief instructor Graham Uney, said: "These courses will follow the syllabus for the National Navigation Award Scheme (NNAS) Bronze Award."

It includes basic map and compass skills, including map scales and signs, setting the map, measuring distances and following linear features such as paths, streams, walls and other boundaries.

The courses take place on February 27, March 6, April 18, May 16 and July 13. For further details contact 01697 478656, e-mail infowra@aol.com or www.wildridgeadventure.co.uk Call to all beach-lovers THE Lancashire Area Group of the Marine Conservation Society is calling on beach lovers to take part in surveys of sections of Morecambe Bay. A recruitment campaign will be held at a projects promotions meeting on February 28 at the University of Lancaster's Furness Lecture Theatre. Group chairman Ron Crosby said that over the last few years, the North West had been under represented in the society's Beachwatch surveys. It is now the group's aim to encourage people to help take part in surveys of more stretches of coastline along the Lancashire and Cumbria sections of Morecambe Bay. For further information, contact Mr Crosby on 01282 843439, or by e-mail, at roncrosby@sough32.fsnet.co.uk or www.lancashiremcs.org.uk