Going Wild in Godmanchester
Our team of environmental wildlife educators in Cambridgeshire led “Wild Godmanchester” sessions for families with young children, to encourage their love and respect for nature while connecting with the great outdoors, through fun, hands-on activities and take-home inspiration.
The sessions took place in the orchard area at Godmanchester Community Plant Nursery during February, Easter and May half-term, and were funded by Cambridgeshire Community Foundation. Project Officer Charlotte Dicks tells us what they got up to:
“We enjoyed Wild Play sessions for under 5’s with nature-based exploration and play. During these sessions we sowed our own egg carton ‘Mini Allotments’ with herbs and vegetable seeds, created nature crowns using seasonal foliage and flowers, explored minibeasts, and took leaf rubbings.
“We also created habitats on-site, including container ponds, bat boxes for Soprano pipistrelle and Pipistrelle bats (most common garden bats), wildflower seed bombs with native wildflowers, and sowed seeds such as Sweet Rocket for nighttime pollinators such as Moths.
“Our Wild Play sessions concluded with a Moth Trap, which was set-up late the previous night at the Plant Nursery. Despite wet weather the night before, we discovered Common Swift Moths (lots!), Trebled Line Moth, Marbled Minor Moths, Mayflies and Caddisflies.
“We enjoyed a scavenger hunt for different moths in the orchard (as well finding a few hidden predators lurking, such as bats!) We created moth masks and our own 3D moth from cardboard.
We received lovely feedback from our participating families:
“We and our granddaughter so enjoyed it!! Thank you so much 😊”
“Great session, kids loved it and so did we. Keep rocking!”
“It was perfect!”
“Thank you for a lovely Moth morning!”
“Lots of different things to see and do. Very enjoyable!”
For future Wild Play sessions, follow us on Eventbrite or social media @groundworkeast
The Wild Godmanchester sessions have been a wonderful reminder of how much children and families can gain from spending time outdoors together. Whether discovering moths, building habitats, planting seeds or simply enjoying creative play in nature, families left with new ideas, happy memories and inspiration to continue exploring wildlife at home. We’re so pleased the sessions were enjoyed by so many local families, and we hope they have helped spark lasting curiosity, confidence and care for the natural world. A huge thank you to Godmanchester Community Plant Nursery for providing such a welcoming setting, and to the Cambridgeshire Community Foundation for making these free sessions possible.