Calling all minibeast detectives, plant enthusiasts and nature lovers – we’re going wild!
Join us for the Hawk Conservancy Trust’s Big Wild Weekend – a festival of British nature, where we’ll be showcasing the wonderful natural world on our doorsteps.
In addition to our daily timetable, we have a wide range of extra activities planned, and special guests from other UK Conservation charities coming to the Trust for this special weekend only. Alongside watching our birds take flight, we’ll get you involved to discover more about nature, so you don’t need to be an expert already!
There’ll be extra activities, special guests and our birds in flight added to our timetable over Saturday 20 and Sunday 21 July.
Join us on this bonanza weekend from Saturday 20 – Sunday 21 July, when alongside our normal daily activities, you can join in with a range of fantastic nature-focused activities at no extra cost!
| Time | Activity |
| 9:00am | Feathers Restaurant open |
| 9:30am | Trust shop opens |
| 10:00am | Trust grounds open |
| 10:00am | Big Butterfly Count with Butterfly Conservation in Reg’s Wildflower Meadow opens |
| 10:30am | Discover moths and butterflies with Butterfly Conservation and Trust Biodiversity Volunteers |
| 11:00am | Good Morning with the Vultures – Talk |
| 11:30am | Wings of Africa – Flying Display |
| 12:30pm | Nifty Nest Builders – Talk and Activity |
| 1:15pm | Owl Pellet Dissection Demonstration |
| 2:00pm | Masters of the Sky – Flying Display |
| 2:45pm | Tractor Rides (weekends and school holidays only) |
| 3.45pm | Woodland Owls – Flying Display |
| 4:20pm | All about Bats with Hampshire Bat Group and Trust Principal Educator Jenny Abery |
| 4.30pm | Meet the Burrowers VIP Encounter* |
| 4.45pm | Brilliant Bird Brains – Talk |
| 5:00pm | Big Butterfly Count with Butterfly Conservation in Reg’s Wildflower Meadow closes |
| 5:30pm |
Trust grounds close |
PLUS head over to each stand for activities running all day long!
Butterfly Conservation is a British charity devoted to saving butterflies, moths and their habitats throughout the UK. Butterfly Conservation aims to maintain and enhance landscapes for butterflies and moths. The charity provides advice to landowners and managers on how to conserve and restore habitats. Find out more on their website.
The Wildlife Trusts is a movement made up of 46 Wildlife Trusts: independent charities with a shared mission. For more than a century the The Wildlife Trusts have been saving wildlife and wild places, increasing people’s awareness and understanding of the natural world, and deepening people’s relationship with it. Find out more on their website.
As a partner group to the Bat Conservation Trust, the Hampshire Bat Group aim to promote and support bat conservation in Hampshire and to raise public awareness about these fascinating animals. Bats need our help because they face many threats, including from loss of habitat, loss of roost sites, light pollution and decline in the abundance of nocturnal insects. The local group is made up of volunteer members. Find out more on their website.
The Hampshire Forest Partnership has been set up so communities can get involved in caring for Hampshire’s woodlands and planting more trees. With the help of the public their goal is to pant one million trees by 2050 – safeguarding existing trees, but also planting more for future generations to enjoy, leaving a legacy in leaves. Find out more on their website.
Sparsholt College and University Centre Sparsholt are Hampshire’s leading college and university centres, offering specialist study programmes, apprenticeships, undergraduate and postgraduate degrees, as well as part-time courses for learners 16 and above. Nestled in the heart of the Hampshire countryside, Sparsholt Campus’ 450 acre grounds boast industry standard facilities and state-of-the-art equipment to provide students with the best experience and practical skills needed for heading straight into their chosen sector. Find out more on their website.
Throughout this special weekend, volunteers from the Hawk Conservancy Trust will be sharing updates on their work to help our biodiversity on site thrive.
Our avid team of Beekeeping volunteers will be chatting all about the hives we have in Reg’s Wildflower Meadow, and how you can support bees on your own patch. Our biodiversity volunteer Monica Johnson will be chatting about the wonderful flora and fauna that has been recorded across the Trust’s 22 acres of woodland and wildflower meadow over the years.
