The Best Guide for the Neston Area

NCYC Goes Wild for Wildlife

Neston Community Youth Centre held their second annual Neston Wildlife Festival on Sunday 9th September. 

The event was a great success, with at least 300 people enjoying the hands-on activities and information from a host of conservation organisations.

Neston Wildlife Festival 2018 - a great success

This year's festival gave special focus to harmful plastics. Chester Friends of the Earth were on hand to tell people all about their anti-plastics campaign, a display from local photographer Eleanor Ryder on microplastics highlighted the damage to our oceans from cosmetics, while visitors pledged to reduce their plastic useage in a variety of ways, from using their local milkman to avoiding brown plastics which can't be recycled.

A small team of NCYC volunteers worked with Community Activities Co-ordinator Zaria Shreef for months in advance to organise the Wildlife Festival, and eighteen volunteers helped to run the whole event on the day, offering bug hotel and seedbomb workshops, Wirral Rocks pebble painting, an eco-alternatives display and loads of recycled craft activities, raffle and tombola.

Hip & Harmony's 64 N'Ukes provided some musical entertainment on the day.

The Friends of Lees Lane Pond offered the ever-popular pond-dipping, gave people the chance to try their apple press, and were joined by the amazing wood whittlers, who brought bird boxes and showed off their whittling skills. Neston Rotary Club raised awareness of Rotakids and planted bulbs with children, alongside Ness Gardens who had a fascinating display on Dendrochronology (that's tree rings, to you and me).

Wirral Donkeys brought along two charming donkeys, and raised money for their sanctuary in Barnston, and children got to learn about bees in various ways, with a fun pollination game from Chester Zoo, and candle rolling and a real live hive from the Wirral branch of the Cheshire Beekeeper's Association.

The RSPB, Wirral Animal Sanctuary, Cheshire Wildlife Trust, and Wirral Wildlife all had stands with an array of vital information and educational activities.

Refreshments and scrumptious cakes and ice creams were on sale from the Neston Fairtrade group, Fellici's and Bluebonnet Cupcakes, whose wildlife cupcakes were mini works of art, and who made a generous donation to NCYC from their takings on the day.

Speaking after the event, Zaria said: "NCYC would like to say a massive thank you to all the organisations who came along on the day, to all the volunteers who worked so hard to make the event a success, and to all the local people and businesses who donated prizes to the raffle and tombolas."

Following on from the event, if there is anyone who would be interested in setting up a Neston Environmental Campaign group along the lines of Friends of the Earth, please contact Zaria at NCYC on 0151 336 7805 or zaria@nestoncyc.org.uk.

Thanks to Ken Rose and Roy Wilson for the photos in this article.

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