The Suffolk Show is set to be a focus for a wildlife campaign aimed at encouraging people to explore the natural world around them.
Suffolk Wildlife Trust campaign will be using the show’s Wildlife and Conservation area for the launch of its Wild 30 Campaign, which will be encouraging people to spend 30 ‘wild’ minutes each day throughout June.
The aim is to rebuild connections with the natural world and form habits that will continue after the My Wild 30 period has ended.
“We don’t expect this to be 30 minutes outside practical activity each day. It could be reading a book with your children about nature, watching a film – although outside activity will obviously be encouraged,” explained Kerry Stranix, communications manager at Suffolk Wildlife Trust.
“We’ll be highlighting the trust’s 50 nature reserves as places to get your daily dose, as well as courses and events we’ve got on during the year. We’ll have a mechanism where people can sign up to pledge their intention to give Wild 30 a go, and ask them to tell us how it’s going through our website and the #wild30.”
The Wildlife and Conservation area is maintained throughout the year by the trust. Fifty of its staff and key volunteers will be at the site over the two days of the show.
Development manager Michael Strand, the co-ordinator of the wildlife area, said the full gamut of the trust’s expertise and skills would be available to showgoers.
“We can give them all sorts of pointers. What we find is when people come and try things it reawakens their interest,” he said.
“It’s giving people a framework to go and try all sorts of different activities, both within their existing lifestyle but maybe pushing the boundaries of what they’ve done in the past.”
The area the trust looks after at the showground is “absolutely buzzing” with wildlife, and the pond life was “incredible”, he said.
“It really does transform people’s days at the show,” he said. “What we can do is to signpost them to lots of events happening really close to their doorsteps.”
The SWT has just launched its Closer to Nature campaign with a dedicated member of staff going out to Ipswich parks and is looking for the next generation of naturalists to come forward.
The show, which takes place on May 27 and 28, will also be hosting a new discovery nature trail devised by first-time exhibitor Oak Hall Day Nursery Ltd of Sproughton, Ipswich.
The trail, aimed especially at three- to nine-year-olds visiting the expanded Countryside Village area will enable childen to play detective to track insects, and learn how to trace trees with help of the nursery’s specially trained and qualified teachers.
Nursery owner Gillian Dovey said: “It is a wonderful opportunity for children to pick up a special worksheet and join in, allowing parents to pursue other activities around the Trinity Park site, before coming back to collect them.”
The sessions are bookable on the day and are free.
The Countryside Village will also include gundog displays, new seating for picnics, alpacas and Suffolk Falconry and Hawking as well as related tradestands.
For the latest news and to buy discounted Suffolk Show tickets, visit www.suffolkshow.co.uk
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