This August join us for a range of fun wildlife themed family activities at the Rickyard and Walpole Park; Monday afternoons at 2.00 – 3.30 and Friday mornings at 10.00 -11.30.

Fantastic Family activities at the Rickyard

Week 1 Owls: Find out about our resident Little owl, and learn about his diet first hand- by dissecting an owl pellet (sterilised, from an owl sanctuary) and identifying the bones of the small mammals typically consumed by owls. Bones and Identification sheets can be taken home in a small pot. The session will end with a visit to the owl nest in Walpole Park, where we will try to spot the adult pair and owlets using binoculars (please bring your own if possible).

Week 2 Pondlife: Visual introduction to aquatic and amphibian life that can be found in and around the Serpentine pond (in Walpole Park). Laminated identification sheets, trays and dipping nets will be provided to each household, and we will see what we can find ourselves!

Week 3 Bees and Bugs: After a brief practical introduction to biodiversity and why we need bugs, we will focus on our resident honey bees- using their natural beeswax to make candles, and tasting some of the WP honey. Family members will make their own clay bugs, and we will take our bug hunting pots, magnifying glasses and trays into the park, to see what we can discover.

Week 4 Soil life: After a quick introduction to a healthy soil habitat, families will make their own wormeries to take home, learn about ‘worm tea’, decomposition and how to make lovely soil. We will take a visit into the kitchen garden, where families can ‘explore’ the three compost heaps, and go on a wildlife themed fruit and veg treasure hunt!

Suitable for ages 5 – 12, please dress accordingly to a potentially messy activity. There will be limited capacity so please do book in advance. Parents must accompany their children throughout activities.

This event is Covid compliant; we will be following government regulations for the safety of our participants and staff, please do wear a mask and we will be following the 2 metre distancing.