Events

Upcoming events for Spring and Summer 2024!

Join us on Saturday 11th May 10-12.30pm for our Knitted Animal Trail, a part of BRISTOL WALKFEST 2024

past events

Capture the Wild 10 June 2023

To coincide with the Festival of Nature 2023, Sarah and Deborah, the Community Outreach Volunteers, put together a free event - Capture the Wild.

For the first time, we launched an exciting Photo Competition with generous prizes donated by local businesses* for 3 categories: U12, 12-18 and Adult.

In addition, we held two wildlife talks:

  • Meadow Mad by Laura Sharp. Come and discover the amazing diversity in our special meadows.

  • Butterfly & Habitats Talk by Martin Collins the coordinator of the Butterfly Monitoring team from the Friends of the Downs and Avon Gorge.

Bug lovers were invited to go on a bug hunt in our log piles and those just wanting to enjoy a stroll on the reserve could choose to follow our knitted animal trail.

Thanks to the Bristol Branch of the Knitting and Crochet Guild for contributing beautiful handmade creatures. The visiting children enjoyed spotting them and learning about pollinators at the same time.

*Thanks to Henleaze Garden Shop, Primrose Cafe and the Avon Valley for helping us with our prizes!

THE WINNERS of the photo competition:

U12 - Alexis

12-18 - Jonah

Adult - Emily

Waterfalls by Alexis

Four Ducks by Jonah

Duck by Emily

BioBlitz

On 29 April 2023, we held our very first BioBlitz at the reserve. It was part of the City Nature Challenge.

Attendees joined in with pond dipping led by Sarah and Deborah our Outreach Volunteers, an educational walk on birds led by George, and importantly, recorded a whopping 113 observations of 63 species between 11 - 3pm!

The event was a real success and excellent way to celebrate the wildlife in our urban centres.

 
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Guided Walks

During the spring and summer experts on various aspects of wildlife and conservation take parties around the reserve. The themes of these visits have included:

  • Habitats in general

  • Early summer bird song

  • Birds, butterflies and bugs

  • Trees

These walks are advertised locally through the newsletter and the web site. Everyone is welcome.

Walks can also be arranged for private groups who request them e.g. societies, teachers, other naturalist groups and children.

 

Children's Activities

Work with children and young people is a very important part of what we do.

Activities for Rainbows, Brownies, Beavers, Guides and Scouts have been arranged in the past.

Children from Stoke Bishop Primary School with their teachers are regular visitors and further work is being planned with their requirements in mind.

Members also give talks about the Reserve to interested groups such as Townswomen's Guild, Tangent, Rotary Clubs and other conservation groups.

The reserve has also been used for GCSE, A level and undergraduate projects, as well as Duke of Edinburgh activities.