Field studies officers from outdoor centres and nature reserves around the country are sampling the delights of the Oxfordshire countryside this week.

More than 100 members of the National Association of Field Studies Officers, who are responsible for explaining the countryside mostly to children and young people, are holding their annual conference at St Catherine's College, Oxford.

Hosted by the Northmoor Trust, based at Little Wittenham, the theme of the conference is Field Studies -- Making the Difference.

Conference director Julia Sargent, the trust's head of education and training, said the challenge for delegates was to inspire the imagination of pupils and students about the countryside.

The conference, which began on January 5 and ends on January 7, is also concerned with keeping delegates up-to-date with legislation and the changing curriculum in schools.

Delegates' itineraries included sightseeing in Oxford and attending a reception at the University Museum, where they were to be welcomed by the Lord Lieutenant of Oxfordshire, Hugo Brunner.

Delegates will be visiting the Northmoor Trust estate, including Little Wittenham Nature Reserve, a farm and woodland which receive thousands of visits annually from schoolchildren.