A 20-year dream of turning the historic farm buildings of Folly Farm into a place where people of all ages can learn about wildlife and environmental living finally came true on Thursday 1 May with the official opening of the Folly Farm Centre, on the outskirts of Bristol and Bath. The opening ceremony was performed by wildlife film-maker, presenter and photographerSimon King, who is also the president of Avon Wildlife Trust.
Plans for a residential visitor centre at Folly Farm have been under discussion ever since an anonymous donor helped Avon Wildlife Trust to buy the 250-acres Folly Farm site in 1987. But the dream only began to become real in 2004 when the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF), South West of England Regional Development Agency and Biffaward agreed to supplement local fund-raising efforts with major grants and donations.
The new centre occupies a collection of 18th century farm buildings at the heart of the nature reserve – a nationally significant habitat for bats, birds, butterflies and a rich array of wildflowers, many of them rare or endangered. Each building has been restored to protect its heritage features and to reduce the centre’s carbon footprint. The development’s many environmentally-sensitive features include heating by woodchip, rainwater harvesting, a willow-based sewage treatment system and the first-known professional use of bricks made entirely from local clays. Among the new opportunities offered by the centre will be day workshops and residential courses on a range of themes for schools and colleges; classes for adults in subjects as diverse as wildlife film-making, wildlife gardening and herbal medicines; guided nature walks, hands-on conservation volunteering, and a peaceful retreat for meetings, conferences and away days. |
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