Local children will be taking part in an exciting project to create work inspired by the wildlife in our urban green spaces and make 2 bug hotels. The learning team at Weston Museum have been awarded funding from the Art Fund through the Wild Escape project to lead sessions exploring the creatures on our doorsteps and how we can help them. The children will take part in some creative sessions and go on to assist with the building of 2 bug hotels to be placed in Ellenborough Park East and the Milton Road Cemetery.
Sessions are being offered to local home educating families and to children at Westhaven, a local SEN school, over the coming months. The final outcomes of the project will then be celebrated with an event in Ellenborough Park East on Earth Day (Saturday 22nd April 2023). This will be a free family friendly event where people can come along to the park to see one of the bug hotels and take part in free hands on activities that explore our urban wildlife and what we can do to support it. Details of this event, including times will be available from Weston Museum in the coming months.
‘Whilst we might not think it, we are surrounded by pockets of green space in our town, from back gardens to open parks and woodland. These spaces are home to all sorts of wildlife from butterflies and beetles to badgers and foxes. We’re excited to be exploring these creatures and creating some work inspired by them. This will lead to 2 bug hotels that will hopefully create homes for insects and help support the nature on our doorstep’ – Katherine Bell, Learning and Events Officer
These bug hotels will be created with the support of the team from Play Wild C.I.C Forest School, an outdoor education and play provider. The project will also culminate with the creation of a Teacher’s Pack that will be sent out to surrounding schools, containing information and activity guides on leading a similar project within the school setting.
The Wild Escape is made possible by lead support from Arts Council England’s National Lottery Project Grants, with additional support from Art Fund.