There’s something for everyone in the packed programme, including gardening, wildlife walks and talks, family activities and workshops, film screenings and literary readings, nature content creator evenings, and even special guest appearances!
Alongside in-person activities, there will be online workshops and talks taking place across the week, so you can even join in from the comfort of home.
At Avon Wildlife Trust, we’ll be holding a Wellbeing Taster Sessions at Grow Wilder on 16 June, giving people an idea of what green social prescribing can look like and the benefits of connecting with nature for both our mental and physical health. All adults are welcome, including social prescribers and health care providers, just remember to bring comfortable shoes and clothes you don’t mind getting dirty.
Then on 18 June, the Festival of Nature will be taking over the whole of Grow Wilder! The site will be buzzing with activity, with wildlife activities such as moth and bird IDing, a group bee walk, a bug hunt, and butterfly monitoring.
Chris Kaboutian
Sustainable food production is at the foundation of Grow Wilder, so we’re also using this opportunity to share our knowledge and encourage others to get involved! There will be a food growing and cooking session at 10am, followed by a workshop on wildlife-friendly food growing, then from 11am – 3pm we’ll be having our first Pick Your Own Veg event of the season. It’s a real chance to connect with the land and learn how food is grown alongside thriving wildlife habitats, and someone will be on hand to show you how to harvest. You can pick what you need and then pay for the overall weight of the produce you take away, and we’ll have broad beans, spring onions, peas, basil, rhubarb and potentially some early gooseberries and potatoes! Please bring your own bags and tubs, though we will have paper and biodegradable bags available as back up.
This takeover day is also the perfect opportunity to get to know the Grow Wilder site better, with tours and a wildflower gardening walk taking place to give you a feel for this diverse nature haven. If you’ve been inspired by the Chelsea Flower Show’s ‘Best in Show’ winner, all about beavers and rewilding, you can also pick up some of the flowers which were used in this award winning garden – Grow Wilder’s claim to fame! Then there’s an opportunity to find out more about how to reduce or eliminate pesticide use, with allotments in mind, at one of the two pesticide workshops which are running on the day. You’ll learn about how chemical pesticides interact with the surrounding environment, share tips and techniques and collectively create a strategy for using alternatives to chemical pesticides.
We want you to come away from the Festival of Nature feeling empowered to take action for the benefit of your local wildlife, and would love to see you at Grow Wilder on 18 June! To find out more and sign up to any of the events taking place during the festival week, visit https://www.bnhc.org.uk/festival-of-nature and don’t forget to tag us on social media at @AvonWT and @GrowWilderAWT
