Watford set to go wild with upcoming family-friendly event

Doug Wootton
·3-min read
The festival of nature will take place in Cassiobury Park <i>(Image: Debbie Bigg)</i>
The festival of nature will take place in Cassiobury Park (Image: Debbie Bigg)

Watford is set to embrace nature with the family-friendly 'Wildfest' event next month.

The festival, organised by Herts and Middlesex Wildlife Trust, will take place on Saturday, July 13, from 10am to 4pm.

Taking place in Cassiobury Park, the festival will unite conservation charities to provide engaging activities, educational materials about wildlife, and advice on protecting it.

Rachel Rogers, engagement coordinator at the Trust, said: "It’s fantastic to see the appetite that exists within the Watford community to make local spaces and the town wilder."

Ms Rogers confirmed that several local groups will collaborate with the Trust on Wildfest, and visitors can look forward to inspiring educational activities.

Sensory experiences, craft activities and educational games are planned, with opportunities to observe wildlife species up close.

She added: "There will be freebies to take home, such as wildflower seeds and mini pond kits – all helping to create more wild spaces for wildlife and people to thrive.

"Visitors will be able to discover some of the wildlife that lives in Cassiobury ponds and will be invited to make their own mini pond for a garden or patio.

"If you’re feeling creative, you’ll be able to make stick people, seed bombs and natural arts, as well as getting involved in drumming workshops, using recycled tin drums.

"Younger visitors can burn off some energy by taking part in Animal Olympics, and, at the same time, learn some fascinating facts about the natural world.

"Plus, there may be a chance to see some wildlife species close up.

"We are keeping our fingers crossed for good weather which will also give people the chance to enjoy going on a bug hunt, a guided butterfly walk with Butterfly Conservation or a bird walk with RSPB Watford.

“We hope to see lots of people embracing all that’s on offer at Wildfest and engaging with the natural world – and, of course, to Watford going even wilder.”

For two years, the Trust has coordinated the 'Wilder Watford' project, fostering community involvement and encouraging residents to support the town's transformation into a haven for both residents and wildlife.

Five initiatives have contributed to Watford's evolution into a "hotbed of wild things".

Firstly, the Trust introduced the 'Wilder Schools' programme, whereby a Wilder School Champion visits Watford schools, offering guidance on creating more wildlife-friendly environments.

Partnering with Watford Borough Council and other nearby organisations in the 'Rediscovering the River Colne' project, the Trust also facilitated eight teenager placements.

These young volunteers performed hands-on conservation work along the River Colne.

Another collaboration is making waves; the Trust worked on the 'Green Heart of Watford' project alongside Friends of the Earth and Butterfly Conservation.

This initiative is revamping St Mary’s Churchyard in the town centre to promote biodiversity while remaining a welcoming place for human visitors.

Students from St John’s Primary School have been tasked with conducting biodiversity surveys.

Since 2017, Peregrine Falcons have taken residence on YMCA’s Charter House in the town centre, captivating residents and enthusiasts alike.

The birds can now be observed via a live-streaming webcam installed by the Trust.

An additional nesting site was installed at Watford Football Club’s Vicarage Road Stadium anticipating future tenants.

Finally, a restoration project on the Cassiobury Park Local Nature Reserve's wetlands has recreated former watercress beds into habitats for a diverse array of wildlife.

For more information, visit the Herts Wildlife Trust website at hertswildlifetrust.org.uk/events/wildfest-2024-watford.

  • Up next
  • Up next
  • Up next
  • Up next

Latest stories

  • How to survive a shark attack – or better yet, avoid one entirely

    You are incredibly unlikely to be attacked by a shark. But if you are that very rare person who is, here’s what to do when a shark goes after you.

  • Tropical Storm Beryl expected to strengthen into ‘dangerous major hurricane’ in central Atlantic. It poses a rare threat

    A depression in the central Atlantic has strengthened into Tropical Storm Beryl, which is expected to develop into a “dangerous major hurricane” as it approaches the Windward Islands Sunday night or Monday, according to the National Hurricane Center.

  • Scientists identify main source that could be fueling Iceland’s hotbed of volcanic activity

    Bringing together branches of science that usually don’t talk in a new study, researchers predict for how long volcanoes in Iceland’s Reykjanes Peninsula will erupt.

  • Dramatic video shows a 100-foot-wide sinkhole open up at park

    A massive sinkhole opened up at a soccer field and swallowed a light pole after a mine underground collapsed in Alton, Illinois.

  • Why Labour’s net zero plan will cost taxpayers the earth

    Labour’s £8.3bn bet on a state-owned energy company promises to cut costs for British taxpayers, but the numbers don’t add up.

  • She lives next to one of England’s most famous rivers but doesn’t dare to swim in it

    The Thames is England’s longest and most famous river but it is becoming known for something a lot less desirable – pollution. Data from the UK’s Environment Agency shows a mere 14% of rivers in England are fit for people and animals. Helen Glover is a two-time Olympic champion rower. The British athlete lives near the Thames and has trained on it for years, but not this year - she says it would be too much of a health risk to do so during her preparation for the Paris Olympics.

  • Planting giant cactus to stave off desertification in Brazil

    Giant spiky cacti tower over farmer Alcides Peixinho Nascimento, 70, one of the residents of Brazil's unique Caatinga biome who is on a mission to plant native vegetation in a bid to halt desertification."Preserving the Caatinga means keeping the land alive," said the farmer Nascimento.

  • Berlin Zoo Asks for Help Naming Baby Hippo Whose Bath Video Went Viral

    The Berlin zoo is asking for name suggestions for a resident baby hippo whose bath video went viral on social media.Adorable new bath time footage taken by the zoo on June 26 shows the baby pygmy hippo getting cleaned again.The zoo said in a press release that the video of the little animal’s sudsy first bath reached 6.8 million views on TikTok and 9 million views on Instagram.“To give all hippo fans the chance to contribute their suggestions, there will be an opportunity to submit name suggestions for the little pygmy hippo in the comment column on the zoo’s social media channels Facebook, Instagram and TikTok until 5 July,” the zoo said in the press release, suggesting that the zoo director particularly likes “short, concise names with a Berlin connection.”“The little one sleeps a lot, drinks about four times a day, and is weighed and bathed daily by the zookeepers,” said zoologist Dr Florian Sicks.Sicks said the baby hippo, born June 3, already weighs 10 kg (22 pounds) and that her favorite hiding place is a pile of hay.The baby hippo is not visible to zoo guests yet, but should be from the end of July onwards, the zoo said.Pygmy hippos are an endangered species, according to the Pygmy Hippos Foundation. Credit: Zoo Berlin via Storyful

  • Kinkajou - a rainforest animal - is rescued from a dusty rest stop in Washington state

    Kinkajous are carnivores that live in tropical rainforests from southern Mexico through Brazil

  • Startups Working on Using the Ocean as Huge Waste Dump for CO2 to Save Earth From Climate Change

    Flow State Our fight against climate change is getting desperate. We may be on our way to a renewables-powered future, but until then, immediate solutions are needed to contend with soaring temperatures and rising sea levels. That has scientists considering ambitious large-scale projects to engineer the climate in our favor, such as reducing the sunlight […]

  • Flight cancellations and long delays at UK airports mar start to peak travel weekend

    Exclusive: Wizz Air passengers from Sicily finally fly home on third day, as other travellers face 12-hour delays

  • Neuston, we have a problem: why do we know so little about the creatures floating on the ocean surface?

    They withstand ocean storms, extreme heat and may impact everything from coral reefs to the deep sea. Why has it taken so long to pay attention to the neuston?

  • London carries out disaster training exercise to test if it’s prepared for ‘unbelievable’ 40C heat

    Operation Helios hopes to ensure authorities have the right tools and knowledge to handle emergencies and support Londoners through extreme weather events.

  • Yellowstone officials: Rare white buffalo sacred to Native Americans not seen since June 4 birth

    Yellowstone National Park officials said Friday a rare white buffalo sacred to Native Americans has not been seen since its birth on June 4. The birth of the white buffalo, which fulfilled a Lakota prophecy that portends better times, was the first recorded in Yellowstone history and is a landmark event for the recovery of buffalo, said park officials in confirming the birth for the first time. It is an extraordinarily rare occurrence: A white buffalo, also known as bison, is born in the wild once in every 1 million births, or even less frequently, the park said.

  • Pair of giant pandas from China arrive safely at San Diego Zoo

    Two giant pandas from China have safely arrived in Southern California, where they will be cared for as part of an ongoing conservation partnership, the San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance said Friday. The pandas, Yun Chuan and Xin Bao, will spend the next several weeks acclimating to their new home in a private habitat at the San Diego Zoo and will not be viewable by the public, the alliance said in a brief statement. A farewell ceremony was held earlier this week before the pandas departed from China.

  • Potentially toxic cyanobacteria blooming early in St. John River, expert says

    When aquatic botanist Meghann Bruce did her usual spring visit to a hotbed of cyanobacteria production in the Fredericton area in May, she was surprised to see it was already in full bloom.Normally, she wouldn't see those conditions until later in the summer. "There were already mats washing up on shore as I arrived at the boat launch, and we already had a thick carpet-like bloom here that I normally wouldn't see for at least another month, if not six weeks," said Bruce, an aquatic botanist and

  • Navy faces lawsuit over stalled $1.2bn clean-up of San Francisco shipyard filled with radioactive waste

    During 1950s, ships used in atomic weapons tests leached contamination into shipyard

  • Arizona wildfire advances after forcing evacuations near Phoenix

    More than 200 firefighters were battling a wildfire northeast of Phoenix on Saturday that threatened scores of homes and has forced dozens of residents to evacuate. No structures have been damaged as the wildfire traversed nearly 6 square miles (15 square kilometers) on the cusp of the Boulder Heights subdivision, said Matthew Wilcox, spokesman for a multi-agency wildfire response team.

  • A teenage beachgoer killed by lightning on a beach in northern Greece

    A 13-year-old beachgoer died after being struck by lightning in northern Greece during a sudden summer rainstorm Friday, authorities said. A local official said the Greek girl had been swimming with her parents at Faros beach, near Poseidi in Halkidiki, a resort area southeast of Thessaloniki popular with Greek and foreign visitors. Kassandreia Mayor Anastasia Halkia said the family came out of the sea because it had just started to rain, but the weather deteriorated very quickly.

  • Turning your garden into a haven for wildlife

    Letters: Elliot Lane, Beth McFarland and Geraldine Blake respond to an article on how to make your outdoor space into a diverse habitat