The following activities take place at Old Buckenham Country Park, where team: Wildlife is based. They are all run by myself and where necessary for the activity, equipment is provided but feel free to bring your own. Each team: Wildlife activity has its own unique sticker which you can stick in your membership pack to keep track of those you have taken part in. How many can you collect?
Download the Wildlife Events 2023 list.
BUTTERFLIES, BEES AND BLOOMS
Discover the many species of butterflies and bees found in the park and investigate their intimate relationship with flowers.
FRI 14 APR 13.30
SAT 24 JUN 13.30
TUE 15 AUG 13.30
DINOSAURS IN YOUR GARDEN
From T-rex to Troglodytes troglodytes (Wren) via Archaeopteryx let’s follow the dinosaurs’ path to your bird table.
SAT 4 MAR 10.30
TUE 30 MAY 10.30
TUE 1 AUG 10.30
MON 23 OCT 10.30
DRAGON ATTACK
An introductory talk and walk to discover the dragonflies that can be found around the park’s lakes, river and run-off channels.
FRI 2 JUN 10.30
SAT 22 JUL 13.30
MON 7 AUG 10.30
EGGS - INSIDE AND OUT
We’ll learn about an egg’s structure, pattern, shape, size and colour, using hen’s eggs and museum replicas.
Photo © talk: Wildlife (under licence)
SAT 1 APR 10.30
THU 1 JUN 10.30
MON 23 OCT 13.30
EXIT LIGHT - ENTER NIGHT
As dusk turns to nightfall, we’ll get the torches out and see what we can stumble across as nature’s night shift takes over the park.
FRI 9 JUN TIMES VARY
SAT 17 JUN TIMES VARY
FRI 4 AUG TIMES VARY
FRI 25 AUG TIMES VARY
FRI 1 SEP TIMES VARY
FLOWER POWER
Let’s find out about the structure and lives of the flowers in the park, from the soothers to the stingers, the healers to the killers!
SAT 15 APR 13.30
MON 29 MAY 13.30
FRI 28 JUL 13.30
MON 7 AUG 13.30
FROM SAND AND TIDE
The park may be miles from the seaside, but this talk using shells and rocks will give you an introduction to Norfolk’s coast.
SAT 25 MAR 10.30
SAT 22 JUL 10.30
SAT 14 OCT 10.30
IN A RUT - THE UK'S DEER
A visual overview of the deer that can be found in the UK covering the prehistoric, introduced and native species.
SAT 4 MAR 13.30
FRI 14 APR 10.30
FRI 28 JUL 10.30
SAT 21 OCT 13.30
LIFE IN COLD BLOOD
Amphibians and reptiles are both cold blooded but live very different lives. We’ll uncover these differences by discussing UK species.
SAT 15 APR 10.30
SAT 1 JUL 10.30
TUE 15 AUG 10.30
SAT 21 OCT 10.30
LIFE UNDER THE RIPPLES
Revealing the many different creatures that can be found in the park’s lakes, from the fish to the microscopic mini-beasts.
MON 17 APR 10.30
SUN 14 MAY 13.30
FRI 2 JUN 13.30
FRI 18 AUG 13.30
TUE 29 AUG 13.30
LONG DISTANCE TRAVELLERS
Many migrants wing their way to the park each year. This talk and walk reveals their journeys before we spot a few of these athletic visitors.
MON 17 APR 13.30
SAT 6 MAY 13.30
TUE 30 MAY 13.30
MOTHS TO A FLAME
Meet the moths we caught in the moth-trap and find out about their lives and relationship to butterflies.
SAT 8 APR 10.30/13.30
SAT 13 MAY 10.30/13.30
SAT 10 JUN 10.30/13.30
SAT 18 JUN 10.30/13.30
SAT 8 JUL 10.30/13.30
SAT 5 AUG 10.30/13.30
SAT 26 AUG 10.30/13.30
SAT 2 SEP 10.30/13.30
SAT 7 OCT 10.30/13.30
OWL'S LUNCHBOX
Learn about the UK’s owl species before we dissect some Barn Owl pellets to discover what they feed on.
SUN 5 MAR 13.30
SAT 1 APR 13.30
SAT 1 JUL 13.30
TUE 29 AUG 10.30
SAT 14 OCT 13.30
ROOTS TO BRANCHES (SPRING)
Bursting buds and lively leaves are evidence of the trees awakening from their winter slumber. Learn to identify our trees using these features.
SAT 11 MAR 13.30
TUE 4 APR 10.30/13.30
ROOTS TO BRANCHES (SUMMER)
Now in full leaf, we’ll continue our tree investigation and talk about how they live and the creatures which interact with them.
SAT 29 JUL 10.30/13.30
SAT 19 AUG 10.30/13.30
ROOTS TO BRANCHES (AUTUMN)
As the leaves brown and fall and fruits appear, we’ll take a walk to identify the park’s trees as they start to close down through the season.
SAT 30 SEP 10.30/13.30
SAT 28 OCT 10.30/13.30
SPINELESS HEROES
They may have no backbone but they come in all shapes and sizes and are crucial to our survival. On this walk we’ll look at invertebrates – large and small.
SUN 5 MAR 10.30
SAT 6 MAY 10.30
MON 24 JUL 13.30
FRI 27 OCT 13.30
THE HARE AND THE PORPOISE
The UK is home to 126 mammal species, both on land and in our seas. Discover some of them on this illustrated talk and learn where to see some of Norfolk’s residents.
SAT 25 MAR 13.30
SAT 24 JUN 10.30
FRI 18 AUG 10.30
TRAMPLED UNDERFOOT
We take it for granted, but soil is key to our survival so let’s get to know it and unearth the life it supports.
SAT 11 MAR 10.30
SUN 14 MAY 10.30
MON 24 JUL 10.30
FRI 27 OCT 10.30
UNSUNG POLLINATORS
Let’s spend time in the park looking for the pollinators such as hoverflies, beetles and true flies, that are overshadowed by bees and butterflies.
THU 1 JUN 13.30
TUE 1 AUG 13.30
MON 4 SEP 10.30
UP WITH THE LARKS
Join us for an early morning walk around the park to discover the birds that make a musical contribution to the dawn chorus.
Photo © Barry Madden – Wingsearch
SAT 13 MAY 06.00
MON 29 MAY 06.00
BOOKING ESSENTIAL
MEMBER £4.00
NON-MEMBER £8.00
WALK ON THE WILD SIDE
Enjoy a guided walk around the park to discover its habitats and the wildlife they support as we investigate our ‘Left wild for nature’ plots.
SUN 19 MAR 10.30/13.30
MON 3 APR 10.30/13.30
SAT 3 JUN 10.30/13.30
SAT 4 SEP 13.30
I am very grateful to Old Buckenham Country Park for hosting me, the team at Cley Spy for their sponsorship of team: Wildlife and to Norfolk and Norwich Naturalists’ Society for its support.