Saturday 19 & Sunday 20 July
10:00am-5:30pm
Calling all minibeast detectives, plant enthusiasts and nature lovers – we’re going wild! Join us on this bonanza weekend when alongside our normal daily activities, you can join in with a range of fantastic nature-focused activities at no extra cost.
The Hawk Conservancy Trust’s Big Wild Weekend is a festival of British nature, where we’ll be showcasing the wonderful natural world on our doorsteps.
In addition to our daily timetable, you and the whole family can enjoy a wide range of extra activities, as well as 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!
We expect this weekend to be busy, so pre-booking is advised. This event is free for members.
There’ll be extra activities, special guests and our birds in flight added to our timetable, PLUS head over to each stand for activities running all day long!
Full timetable of activities to be announced soon…
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 British Dragonfly Society are the voice for dragonflies in Britain and, work to conserve them and their wetland habitats. The charity was established in 1983 and their key aims are to improve understanding and awareness of dragonflies, their conservation and the challenges they face, in order to increase action for dragonflies across Britain. Find out more on their website.
Wessex Rivers Trust is an environmental charity dedicated to the conservation of chalk streams and rivers in Wessex, working towards healthy rivers for wildlife and people. The Trust look at ways to improve local rivers for wildlife and work within catchment partnerships to help achieve their aims. Educating the public about the importance of our rivers increases their value to people, and ultimately builds support for the future of these fragile environments. 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.