Bristol Festival Of Nature

Upon arrival at the Bristol Festival of Nature, Harbourside was abuzz with sodden volunteers, enthusiastically decorating stalls in preparation for the day's activities. Despite high winds and drab forecasts there was an electric energy that could not be dampened. The rain fell and wind blew but spirits remained high, in the hope of big crowds and better weather. The festival got off to a slow start but as the weather improved so did the turn out.

 

Performers played, danced and sang as the approaching public were welcomed by a multitude of colours and costumes. Captivating stilt performers oozed vibrancy. There were dragons and falcons standing tall, all made of recyclable material. Divers in wetsuits weathered the storm, enticing visitors to design and build their own under water habitat.

 

Children were exposed to a world of continuous learning. The ‘Wild Bristol' tent invited festival visitors to wander through the diverse habitats of our local region, showing ecosystems and their inhabitants, from the world of mammals to creepy, crawling mini beasts. Children's craft decorated the marquee and as Day One drew to a close, the ‘Bristol Wildlife' tent was filled with creatures great and small. From decorative dragonflies to bright butterflies, all were designed and made by local young people. Happy children swarmed around Harbourside, painted faces topped with hats designed to look like native wetland species.

 

Participation was the key to making this festival so very special again this year. All events were free, ranging from slides and games to organism identification and handling classes. The Bristol Zoo bought live specimens to be observed and studied. The Opal tent contained freshwater invertebrates that could be observed, surveyed and even photographed under a microscope. Seeds and advice were available to help turn gardens and local green spaces into wildlife hotspots.

In the BBC display you were welcomed to plant your own sunflower. Educational marquees included the Darwin tent where the story of evolution was portrayed in a manner that was easy to digest and fun to explore. Bristol University was also in attendance promoting horticultural courses. The University marquee was host to carnivorous plants big and small and teamed with educational displays.

 

The range of stalls offered diversity parallel to that of the Downs and Avon gorge. Food stalls tempted with homemade soup, pasta and other savoury delights. Cheese and ale stalls tantalised taste buds with flavours from the South West Region. The smell of hog roast scented the air as sellers promoted art, crafts, jewellery and clothing from organic and fair trade origins. Stalls also sold plants, herbs and spice both native to the UK and abroad.

 

Local Wildlife groups were all present hoping to gain membership or donations to their worthy causes. There were plenty of opportunities to find out about voluntary events in the area and feedback suggests that there was a lot of interest. Local Wildlife events like BioBlitz gained valuable publicity. The weekend's activities were also filmed by the BBC.

 
Posted by: Caroline Smith on 15 June 2009