Over the weekend, I camped at the 20th annual Strummercamp music festival at Oldham Rugby Union Club. Surrounded by nature, music, and blazing sunshine, it was wonderful to see so many happy faces. However, like any festival, there is a fair amount of anxiety as organisers work to put on a fantastic show every year. As I packed my tent, my thoughts turned immediately to our own planning for the Manchester Festival of Nature at Heaton Park on June 28.
Last Year's Success
Last year, we had similar weather—baking hot—and we estimate that between 9,000 and 10,000 people popped in to say hello. That makes our festival one of the biggest nature events in the UK. This year, again, it will be like walking into a beehive with close to 20 stalls offering wild craft or nature-spotting activities. We get lots of families, and their smiles tend to show we are doing a nice thing.
Attracting a Diverse Audience
It is also interesting that the Manchester Festival of Nature attracts older people interested in finding out about the work being done for wildlife in Manchester, as well as students interested in a career in the wild. A favourite part of the festival is the Legendary Pollinator Parade, where families dress up as bees and other bugs and walk around the park garden with a soundtrack from the Flat Cap Three, our favourite band. Everyone loves a parade, and we have been joined by giant flowers and an enormous magpie—local artists are always welcome to attend.
Workshops and Activities
We are expecting music and photography workshops this year. The festival, affectionately known as MFoN, is organised by the Manchester Nature Consortium, which includes conservation organisations like the Wildlife Trust, RSPB, Action for Conservation, Mersey Rivers Trust, Canal and River Trust, the National Trust, RHS Bridgewater, and City of Trees, along with Manchester Museum and Manchester Metropolitan University. We are supported by Manchester City Council and, of course, Heaton Park's amazing team. It is the park's only free community event, and we invite community groups to get involved. We also have businesses like RRG Toyota, who bring along some of their "green" vehicles and have been brilliant supporters of MFoN over the past three years.
Encouraging Wildlife Connection
The idea of MFoN is to get people out into the park to look for wildlife on the day and in their daily lives. We want to encourage people to be out in nature and then support the breath-taking amount of work that is being done. It is also a great way to finish the Wildlife Trusts' 30 Days Wild, where you have to do something wild every day in June. The festival is a snapshot of the projects going on around Greater Manchester, and it paints a glorious picture of the wildlife around us.
By Alan Wright for The Wildlife Trust for Lancashire, Manchester and North Merseyside. To become a member, go to the website at www.lancswt.org.uk or call 01772 324129. For more information about Cheshire Wildlife Trust, call 01948 820728 or go to www.cheshirewildlifetrust.org.uk.
