It will soon be the Festival of Nature 2016 – two weeks of free, family-friendly events along the River Avon for wildlife lovers of all ages!

There’s lots of fun stuff to do from Saturday 11th June until Saturday 25th June, but here’s 10 top things to do! All events are free but some need to be pre-booked.
1. Enjoy live screenings and meet producers of Attenborough films: 11th & 12th June, At-Bristol

See Attenborough and the Giant Dinosaur in 360° virtual reality and Planet Earth 2 – the follow up to the hugely popular 2006 BBC nature documentary series narrated by Attenborough, plus meet the award-winning producers at the At-Bristol Planetarium.

2. Discover Bristol Harbourside as you’ve never seen it before: 11th & 12th June

Loads of family-friendly activities, performances and events as more than 100 organisations fill the Harbourside.

Meet TV wildlife heroes including The One Show’s Mike Dilger, Lindsey Chapman from Springwatch, Naomi Wilkinson from Naomi’s Nightmares of Nature and CBeebies Ferne Corrigan.

Follow a river from source to sea through the festival, discovering wild woodlands, urban jungles and wonderful wetlands as you go; watch Brave Bold Drama’s Festival Procession set sail for Bath in a spectacle of colour and sound and explore real pop-up woodlands, wildlife gardens, butterfly houses and giant sandpits.

3. Poetry Trail along the River Avon: 10th – 25th June

Journey along the River Avon with river-inspired poems from some of Bristol and Bath’s best-loved poets displayed along the river between Bristol and Bath during the Festival period, transporting you into the rhythmic world of life among the reeds.

4. WaterBlitz: 11th – 25th June, Bristol Avon catchment

Take part in the first ever Bristol Avon WaterBlitz and join the race to collect 500 water quality samples from across the catchment area during the Festival of Nature. Find out more about taking part here: http://www.wessexwater.co.uk/waterblitz/.

5. It Doesn’t Stop Here: 11th & 12th June, in Bristol

A new display celebrating the projects that took place during Bristol’s year as European Green Capital is set to launch at M Shed on 11th June.

To bring the exhibition to life, Festival of Nature has joined forces with Make Sunday Special and Celebrating Sanctuary to turn Bristol City Centre into a free open celebration on 12th June.

Explore interactive exhibitions and games at the M Shed display, join the fun in the Centre or watch Local Food Roots, a free screening and talk about the emergence of an innovative local food movement.

6. A magical performance of Wind in the Willows: 1-5pm, 19th June, Keynsham

Bring a picnic to the Bandstand at Keynsham Memorial Park on 19th June and enjoy a magical performance of Wind in the Willows by Dreamshed Theatre. Then follow Mole, Badger, Ratty and Toad to hands-on workshops and activities around the park, where you can unveil some of the best kept secrets of the riverbank.

7. Explore the River Avon in new ways: 11th – 25th June

join a canoe or landrover safari at WWT Slimbridge, try out a guided or self-guided walk along the river, learn about brilliant bats, drop in to the Water Space Study Open Studio to discover plans for the river at Bath, Saltford & Keynsham, or go behind the scenes at Saltford Sewage Treatment works to find out about waste treatment and their wildlife and conservation work.

8. Grand Finale of the Festival of Nature 2016 at Bath’s Royal Victoria Park: 11am – 6pm, 25th June

Workshops from the incredible Forest of Imagination, children’s theatre show ‘Flit, Flap & Fly’ performed inside a giant nest, interactive nature activities from a host of organisations, mouthwatering local food and drink and the chance to explore the park’s hidden places on a guided walk.

9. Visit amazing new public artwork Hollow at the University of Bristol Life Sciences building: open now

Created by artist Katie Paterson in collaboration with architects Zeller & Moye using 10,000 tree species from every country in the world, Hollow allows you to step inside a forest of the world’s trees.

10. Find out how to take action for nature in your area: 11th – 25th June

From creating a bird box or wildlife meadow to learning how to observe and record wildlife, there are loads of ways to connect with nature on your doorstep. Check out the five action points on the Festival website, do something for nature during the Festival and share your activity on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter!

For more information about the above events, please visit www.festivalofnature.org.uk.