Wild About The Wensum is celebrating the fabulous natural history and cultural heritage of the Wensum Valley, designated a Special Area for Conservation (SAC) by the European Union and Natural England,
www.wildaboutthewensum.org.uk.
Jordans Cereals, Morrisons and Fakenham Learning Partnership are supporting the event.
Activities on the day include mini beast exploration, guided walks, crown and wand making with the Fairyland Trust, nature quizzes and treasure hunts, local craft demonstrations, mobile making, face painting, bird radio tracking game, bird identification sessions with local experts and many more games and adventures. Music will be provided by folk band Rig a Jig Jig. There will also be a hog roast and barbecue.
Admission to the event and Pensthorpe is free on the day, with car parking £3. This year’s collection in aid of an endangered native species will support habitat conservation for the Marsh Harrier.
Deb Jordan, Pensthorpe Nature Reserve General Manager said: “This is our second annual Wild About The Wensum celebration. Last year some 4,000 people came to event. We hope that many more local people will take the opportunity to visit us on May 17 and discover this amazing natural world on their doorstep.”
Wild About The Wensum is hosted by the Pensthorpe Conservation Trust to raise the profile of the special qualities of the Wensum Valley. The River Wensum has been awarded Europe’s highest protection order and designated a ‘Special Area of Conservation’. The River Wensum is the only river between the Thames and the Humber to have this designation. It is celebrated for its outstanding chalk stream fauna, like white-clawed crayfish, Desmoulin’s whorl snail, otters and a large number of dragonfly and damselfly species. It is also important for the relatively unspoiled nature of its catchment area and the quality of its aquatic flora.
In 2005 Pensthorpe Conservation Trust, with sponsorship from Jordans Cereals, collaborated with Natural England, Norfolk Wildlife Trust, Hawk and Owl Trust, Norfolk Ornithologists Association and Wensum Valley Birdwatching Society to set up the River Wensum Initiative, to raise the profile of the area’s special qualities and enhance its nature conservation.
Pensthorpe Nature Reserve is on the A1067, one mile from Fakenham. Open all year, April to December 10am to 5pm and January to March 10am to 4pm. Courtyard Café serving home-cooked food; Gift Shop with a large range of stylish and unusual items; free parking. Tel 01328 851465,
www.pensthorpe.com.