Diary Dates regarding Wildlife and Garden Events at Pensthorpe Nature Reserve in Norfolk.
April 21st 2010
Event: Guided Spring Walk with Head Gardener Imogen Checketts & Warden Edward Bramham-Jones
A guided walk through our Gardens, Wildflower Meadow and Wader Scrape. Identify the season’s flora, fauna and visiting waterfowl. Suitable outdoor footwear and clothing essential. Binoculars recommended.
Time: 8:30am – 10:30am
Price: £2.00 per person on top of normal entrance price to be paid in full prior to the walk. £11.00 Adult / £9.50 Senior / £7.50 Children / £2.00 Season card Holders
April 24th 2010
Tour: Land Rover Tour of Conservation Grade Farm with Bill Jordan
Join owner Bill Jordan as he takes you through our Conservation Grade Farm. Learn how this type of farming benefits the farmer and the surrounding countryside. The journey should last approximately one hour and is followed by a cooked breakfast in our cafe.
Time: 8:30am – 9:30am
Price: £11.50 per person includes cooked breakfast. Booking essential as there are limited spaces
May 1st 2010
Event: Dawn Chorus Walk
The Mystery of bird song is unravelled by local experts. Learn the calls and songs of a variety of birds in their different habitats; find out why they sing and what it means.
Meet in Pensthorpe car park at 4.45am, walk finishes at 8.00am followed by breakfast. Warm waterproof clothing and sensible shoes will be needed. Not suitable for wheelchair users or pushchairs. Other dates are available on 6th, 8th and 15th May.
Time: 5:00am – 8:00am
Price: £17.50 per person (includes a cooked breakfast)
May 5th 2010
Course: Photography Workshop Bluebells & Barn Owl with Mike Powles
Enjoy the wonder and light of the morning in our Bluebell wood with our Barn Owl before the general public gain entrance to the park. During the course of the day Mike will help you with composition, exposure, field craft, equipment choices, getting the best from your equipment and much more. You should bring your own camera and appropriate clothing/ footwear for the day. Mike Powles is an award-winning wildlife photographer who has been featured on BBC Springwatch.
Time: 7:00am – 13:00pm
Price: £65.00 per person. Booking essential. Light lunch included.
Other Photography workshops available:
12th May Orchids & Eagle Owl
25th September – Moths & Waterfowl
29th September – Moths & Waterfowl
May 12th 2010
Course: Photography Workshop, Orchids & Eagle Owl with Mike Powles
Gain entrance to the park early and make the most of the morning light, photographing some of Pensthorpe’s dramatic orchids and capture the exotic with Raj our Bengal Eagle Owl.
During the course of the day Mike will help you with composition, exposure, field craft, equipment choices, getting the best from your equipment and much more. You should bring your own camera and appropriate clothing/ footwear for the day. Mike Powles is an award-winning wildlife photographer who has been featured on BBC Springwatch.
Time: 7:00am – 13:00pm
Price: £65.00 per person Booking essential. Light lunch included.
Other Photography Workshops:
25th September – Moths and Waterfowl
29th September – Moths and Waterfowl
May 22nd 2010
Event: ‘Wild About the Wensum’
Wildlife TV presenter Chris Packham will be opening ‘Wild About the Wensum’ 2010. This is an event for all the family and is great opportunity to celebrate the natural history and heritage of the Wensum Valley, with loads of activities from a mini beast exploration to guided walks, nature quizzes and treasure hunts. It really is a fantastically fun day out. For more information on past events go to wildaboutthewensum.blogspot.com
Time: 10:00am – 17:00pm
Price: Free entrance to the reserve and event. £4.00 per car for parking on the day
June 5th 2010
Event: Gardening, Craft & Food Fair
This highly popular annual event combines three of the country’s favourite past times – bringing together stunning plants, beautiful crafts and delicious food. Top nurseries from around the county will attend to show off their plants, while visitors can discover tantalising tastes and aromas in the Food Marquee.
Time: 10:00am – 17:00pm
Price: £4.00 for adults and seniors, £2.00 for children. Discounted rate for entry to the reserve – additional £4.00 for adults, £2.50 for seniors and £2.50 for children.
June 22nd 2010
Event: Guided Evening Walk with Head Gardener Imogen Checketts & Warden Edward Bramham-Jones
Enjoy the tranquility of the park after normal opening hours. You will be guided through our Wildlife Habitat Garden, Wave Garden, Wader Scrape, one of Norfolk’s largest wildflower meadows and the Millennium Garden. Please wear appropriate footwear and clothing for walking. Booking essential, limited numbers.
Time: 17:30pm – 19:30pm
Price: £7.50 per person
Further dates for evening walks:
July 22nd, August 3rd and 18th
June 26th to June 27th 2010
Event: Orchid Weekend
Ray Creek, Creek orchids; Jeff Hutchins, Laneside Hardy Orchid Nursery; and Andrew Bannister, Orchid Alchemy will be selling orchids and putting on displays. Ray and Jeff will be putting on talks over the weekend.
Ray Creek – Creek Orchids
Ray has over 40 years in the growing industry and his main interest is to make orchids more widely known and understood by the general public. Ray imports plants from all over the world, including Brazil, Thailand, Sri Lanka as well as from European growers in Holland, France and Germany.
Jeff Hutchins – Laneside Hardy Orchid Nursery
Laneside Hardy Orchid Nursery offers the largest selection of terrestrial hardy orchids in the UK. Jeff Hutchins has a wide selection of seed-grown native orchids for sale and advises owners on how best to plant their lawns or meadows with wild flowers and orchids.
Andrew Bannister – Orchid Alchemy
Orchid Alchemy produces a wide range of orchid species and hybrids from seed which is ethically sourced from around the world. Their large selection of vigorous young plants gives customers an exciting choice of orchids.
There will also be displays provided by ‘The Orchid Society of East Anglia’ and ‘The Fenland Orchid Society’. For those paying to go into the Reserve, Pensthorpe will be putting on guided tours of our wildflower meadow, home to several species of orchids and a host of wildflowers.
Time: 10.00am – 5.00pm each day
Price: Free to enter orchid sales
July 10th & 24th/August 7th 2010
Event: Dragonfly Walks
Join our resident expert Thomas Spencer for the chance to have Pensthorpe dragonflies and Damselflies identified for you. Dazzling masters of the air, dragonflies are a fascinating feature of Pensthorpe. Enjoy seeing how many species you can find. Prior booking essential. Appropriate clothing and sensible footwear essential.
Time: 12.30pm
Price: Adults £11.00, seniors £9.50, children £7.30, Season Card Holders £2.00
July 3rd, July 17th, July 21st, July 31st 2010
Event: Butterfly Walks
Our resident expert Thomas Spencer will show you the various habitats which attract 21 species of butterfly to Pensthorpe. Come and see how many you can find. Prior booking essential. Appropriate clothing and sensible footwear essential.
Time: 12.30pm
Price: Adults £11.00, seniors £9.50, children £7.30, Season Card Holders £2.00
September 25th and 29th 2010
Course: Photography Workshop Moths & Waterfowl with Mike Powles
Go behind the scenes at Pensthorpe and photograph some of the birds we have on show, then get up close to the delicate nature of moths. During the course of the day Mike will help you with composition, exposure, field craft, equipment choices, getting the best from your equipment and much more. You should bring your own camera and appropriate clothing/ footwear for the day. Mike Powles is an award-winning wildlife photographer who has been featured on BBC Springwatch.
Time: 7:00am – 13:00pm
Price: £65.00 per person. Booking esential. Light lunch included.
Other Photography workshops available:
September 29th – Moths & Waterfowl
October 9th 2010
Tour: Farm Landrover Tour with Bill Jordan
Join owner Bill Jordan as he takes you through our Conservation Grade Farm, learn how this type of farming benefits the farmer and the surrounding countryside. The journey should last approximately one hour and is followed by a cooked breakfast in our cafe.
Time: 8:30am – 9:30am
Price: £11.50 per person. Includes cooked breakfast. Booking essential as space is limited.
First Monday of every month – March to December 2010
Course: Optic Days
Get the low down on binoculars, scopes and all the hi-tech equipment used for birdwatching and photography. Come and see demonstrations and try a wide range of models, all under the instruction of experts from Viking Optics. Beginners to experts welcome.
For More Information:
Telephone: 01328 851465
Or visit www.pensthorpe.com
