How can we build a stronger movement for nature’s recovery across our region?
Join Avon Wildlife Trust for a free day of connection, conversation and collaboration at the Community Gathering 2026 - bringing together individuals, community groups, organisations and changemakers who care about creating a wilder future.
The Community Gathering event takes place on Saturday, 11th July, 10am – 3pm, at Sparks Bristol, Department of Imagination (first floor), 78 Broadmead, Bristol, BS1 3DS.
Announcing the first wave of speakers:
🦋 Wildlife Champions Claire Stone and Emily Coyte
🐝 Youth Leadership Group members Etta and Sumaya
🦔 Warmley Community Nature Reserve member Geoff Wilmer
🐞 Nature Together coordinator for Bristol City Council Natalie Watson
🌿 Lambridge and Walcot Community Nature Haven lead Sarah Skeels
🏵️ West of England Nature Partnership manager Zoe Davies
We have stall spaces available at the event, contact us if you’d like to put your project in the spotlight.
Book your tickets now:
#LinkInBio #wildlifechampions #greenshoots #youthleadershipgroup #warmleynaturereserve #NatureTogether #NatureTownsAndCities #westofenglandnaturepartnership #communityfund #NationalLottery #communityaction #communitygathering #ItStartsWithCommunity #naturerecovery
💚 Festival of Nature community-led events coming soon! 💙
We are looking forward to over 90 community-led events taking part in the Festival of Nature, at locations all across the West of England! Team Wilder at Avon Wildlife Trust have been helping to support the amazing groups.
Here’s a selection of inspiring creative and arts-focused events, including puppet making, fern and root nature art, youth gardening groups, cooking and crafting workshops, transforming neglected alleyways into pollinator-friendly spaces, wreath making, poetry, natural dye making, habitat building, and much more!
Keep an eye out for more community events! 🦋 Get involved with your local community, explore somewhere new, and be part of a movement for nature’s recovery 🪲
➡️ All events take place 6-14 June, find out more here:
@festofnature@nat_his_con #LinkInBio #CommunityAction #GrassrootsAction #CommunityEvents #NatureRecovery #StandUpForNature #LocalNature #MakeADifference
Amazing community groups:
@hartcliffecityfarm@chawke_art_forest@mothertree_wellbeing@creative_fern_cic@roots_art_nature@undergrowth_collective@green_bs13@charlcombecommunitynr@charlcombecommunitynr@thebirchcollectivebristol@EcoWild_CIC
💚Your summer's about to get a whole lot WILDER 💚
We've just released tickets for our next programme of Youth Events through to September - so you can start planning your summer of moth trapping, bat detecting, bird watching and so much more! These events are designed to help you build knowledge and skills, connect with your surroundings and meet other young people. If you're a young person aged 14-25, we'd love to see you at one of our events soon!
Check out the full programme details and book tickets at the link in our bio 🔗
A huge thank you to the Keynsham Local Group for your incredibly generous yearly fundraising donation of £1834 to support Avon Wildlife Trust 💥
Your dedication and hard work organising talks, sales, raffles, field trips, and encouraging donations, make a real and lasting difference 🐝🦋 We are so grateful for the time, energy, and passion you put into supporting our work.
Your continued support helps us do more and reach further, and we truly couldn’t do it without you. Thank you for being such an important part of what we do 🌳🦔
See the Keynsham Local Group What's On page for upcoming events and ways you can get involved!
💚 Festival of Nature community-led events coming soon! 💙
With over 90 community-led events taking part in the Festival of Nature, at locations all across the West of England, there is something for everyone! Team Wilder at Avon Wildlife Trust have been helping to support the amazing groups.
Some of the amazing species focused events include 🦋moth trapping, 🐦 house martin talks and crafts, The premiere of Pete Brownlee’s film ‘Robin Prytherch – The Buzzard Man, Bird of Prey and local birdlife walks, 🪲 Creature Seekers trail, 🦔 hands-on bat, bird, owl and hedgehog box building sessions, 🐞 learning about Aphids, Ladybirds and Forest Gardening, 🌿a wild plants storytelling workshop and learning about the creatures living beneath Brislington Brook 🦎🦐
Keep an eye out for more community events! Get involved with your local community, explore somewhere new, and be part of a movement for nature’s recovery 💚
➡️ All events take place 6-14 June, find out more here:
@festofnature@nat_his_con #LinkInBio #CommunityAction #GrassrootsAction #CommunityEvents #NatureRecovery #StandUpForNature #LocalNature #MakeADifference
Amazing community groups:
@BS3MothClub #@hambrooksportclub@bristol_books@belmont.estate@thebirdofpreyproject@landgirlsgowalking #FriendsofStAndrewsPark @em_wild_heart@creature.seekers.bristol@Green_BS13@FriendsofWithywoodPark@frontgarden.forwildlife@alicepark_communitygarden@healing.weeds@bristolavonrt
We can’t believe it’s almost time to welcome a brand new cohort of fabulous Wildlife Champions! 🌿✨
Starting this July, participants will begin a year-long journey packed with free workshops, 1:1 mentoring, a supportive peer network, and access to plenty of useful survey kit and tools to help start or grow their community nature project. From tiny seedling ideas to flourishing local action, this programme is here to help people make things happen for wildlife.
Swipe through for a programme summary, or head to our website for more information and details on how to apply (link in bio).
Applications close at midnight Monday 18 May, the Wildlife Champions Programme is funded by the National Lottery Community Fund with thanks to National Lottery Players
#WildlifeChampions #TeamWilder #NationalLottery #ItStartsWithCommunity #Bristolwildlife
What's your earliest memory of nature? 🤔🌿🦔
That's the question we put to our staff, ahead of our 30 Days Wild nature challenge this June! 30 Days Wild is all about appreciating and reconnecting with nature for a whole month, so we wanted to think about those moment which kick-started our sense of wonder with all things wild 💚
We'd love to hear your early nature memories in the comments! And there's still time to sign up for your free 30 Days Wild pack 👉 Link in the bio!
This amazing illustration demonstrates the importance and impact of having a wilder lawn during No Mow May and beyond. What is a weed anyway?
When taking part in No Mow May, some people contact us to say that nothing is happening in their lawns ☘️ It can take a while to get a greater variety of species in your lawn 🪻 and it is possible to give this a helping hand by adding in some wildflowers to the lawn or edges throughout the month.
Dandelions can get a bad press, but they are beautiful, an important and abundant source of nectar and pollen for solitary bees and other insects 🐝 They flower from early spring (when food is scarce) until autumn, offering sustenance for bees all year round.
A wildflower lawn adds floral elements to the area and can be kept short if desired.
➡️ Recommended wildflowers here include yarrow, selfheal, bird's-foot trefoil, wild marjoram, as well as red and white clover. For taller wildflowers around the edges of the lawn, try planting common knapweed, field scabious, tansy and the amazing corky-fruited water-dropwort.
Beauty certainly is in the eye of the beholder. When you know the benefits and add intentional habitats and features in your green spaces to boost biodiversity and start noticing the amazing pollinators, you will see the beauty for sure! Be the change, connect with nature and see the difference that long grasses and wildflowers make for yourself by not mowing.
#LinkInBio @buzzandscuttle@marian.hill #NoMowMay #WildlifeGardening #Plantlife #NoMow #LoveNature
💕 Would you like your wedding to help wildlife? 💕
Our Folly Farm nature reserve is home to barn owls, wildflower meadows and Exmoor ponies, but did you know it’s also home to Avon Wildlife Trust’s unique sustainable wedding venue? A place where your big day will do good for the environment 🦉🌼🦋
If you’re looking for a beautiful, secluded wedding venue that supports wildlife, head to the link in our bio!
📸 Rob Machon Weddings
#weddingvenue #wedding #weddinginspiration #weddingplanning #weddinginspo #weddingideas
Our Wildlife Champion stepping into the spotlight is Emily ✨
From the very beginning, Emily has had a wonderfully ambitious vision: helping people connect with wildlife in a hands-on, curiosity-fuelled way, blending real-world discovery with the digital realm 🐞📱🌿
This June, that vision comes to life with Creature Seekers - an interactive bug hunt trail at:
➡️ St Andrews Park on June 1st and running throughout the #FestivalofNature.
Join Emily as she shares more about the project, the inspiration behind it, and how you can become a Creature Seeker too. We hope to see you there!
@em_wild_heart #creature.seekers.bristol #FriendsOfStandrewsPark @festofnature@nat_his_con #GrassrootsAction #CommunityEvents #WildlifeChampions #TeamWilder #NationalLottery #ItStartsWithCommunity #BugHunt
Have you got some free time this weekend? Why not catch up on David Attenborough’s Secret Garden? 🌼
Long-time Avon Wildlife Trust supporter and her wonderful wildlife garden are one of the stars of the show. We were lucky enough to catch up with Lou and find out how she made her garden a haven for urban wildlife, particularly our endangered hedgehogs 🦔
Head to our latest blog in our bio to get a glimpse behind the scenes!
📸 Keeley Mitson
Swifts, swallows, and martins
The spring migration is at its peak with a variety of avian visitors in our skies. On World Migratory Bird Day, we’re focusing on two families of birds that are sometimes tricky to identify when they’re swooping through the air.
Swifts belong to the Apodidae family, most closely related to hummingbirds, and have the noticeable long curved wings that give them a scythe or boomerang shape. Their screeching calls when flying in groups also help to ID them.
Swallows, house martins, and sand martins belong to the Hirundinidae family.
The chattering call of swallows is often the first thing that sets them apart. The very long and deeply forked tail can be seen in flight.
House martins can be identified by their white rump and the all-white underparts, with no dark band across the breast.
Finally, sand martins have all-brown upperparts and a dark band across the breast, separating the white throat and white belly.
Let us know in the comments if you’re seeing swifts, swallows or martins where you are 🐦
#WMBD2026 #MigratoryBirds #BirdWatching #WorldMigratoryBirdDay
