Nature events get people fluttering to Festival

Flying creatures are the focus of two nature events at the Wrexham Science Festival which starts this week (Thursday 26 March).

On Tuesday 31 March, Natural England and the Countryside Council for Wales will be offering a talk about the moths and butterflies that can be seen at the Fenn's, Whixall & Bettisfield Mosses National Nature Reserve. In the talk, which is on at 6.30pm at Glyndŵr University, Joan Daniels and Pete Boardman will showcase the wildlife that can be found at the Mosses and highlight the nationally important 700 species of moths and butterflies that live there, as well as how they have responded to the restoration of the peat bog. Beautiful images will be used to help illustrate the relationship of species to the habitats.

Dr Joan Daniels has been Natural England and the Countryside Council for Wales's Site Manager for this Nature Reserve since the site was saved from intensive commercial peat cutting. She has coordinated the mending of the mosses and organised access for people to the site. Moth expert Pete Boardman is the Field Studies Council Bio-diversity Training Project Officer. Pete is involved in a project aimed at increasing the amount of people making biological records in the region.

A talk about the ecology and history of the Black Grouse is to be held on Saturday 4 April at 3.30pm, also at Glyndŵr University. Chris Jones from the RSPB will explain the conservation efforts being put in place to halt the decline of these charismatic birds. Some footage of their mating ritual - known as lekking - will be played to put you in the mood to join the RSPB on one of their black grouse guided walks that take place in April and May. For the last three years Chris has been an RSPB volunteer helping with guided walks to see the Black Grouse lek from the RSPB hide in Coed Llandegla Forest. He first became interested in bird watching more than thirty years ago whilst on holiday in the Isles of Scilly.

To book a place at either of these free events, call Glyndŵr University on 01978 293473, email wsf@glyndwr.ac.uk or call Wrexham Tourist Information Centre on 01978 292015.