For a third year running, the Ct5 People’s Forum Eco Group are excited to be running a week of nature-related activities and adventures for all ages, from Monday 12 to Sunday 18 August.
Wild about Whitstable will be a community collaboration by many individuals, groups and locations who share a common desire to improve and celebrate biodiversity in CT5 and beyond. We will also highlight the impact of climate change and the depletion of nature to show how we can play our part in its restoration.
Details of the Wild About Whitstable programme can be found here including a day by day guide to what’s on, who it’s for, how to book and how to join. Here you’ll also find highlights and pictures of last year’s events.
The Horsebridge hosts several workshops and evening talks. Places are free on all of these events with a suggested donation of £5, please make sure you book your ticket below as places are limited.
In St John's on Argyle Road they will be holding an Eco Fair on Saturday 17 Aug, 10am - 4pm. The Fair will bring together many of the participants in the week and others who share our common purpose.
Highlights of the week will include: a Bioblitz at Streamwalk Community Garden; Thames Estuary wildlife talk with Thea Cox from ZSL; a Bee-Bomb making workshop in the Umbrella Centre garden; Sand under the microscope at Whitstable Museum; Bat and Moth walks with Andy Taylor at the Castle; creative nature-related workshops for children and young people at the Horsebridge, widllife gardening, and lots, lots more…
Evening events at The Horsebridge
All activities are FREE, with suggested donation of £5
but please book tickets as spaces are limited.
Monday 12 August at 7pm
Doors and bar open at 6.30pm
Talk: Conserving and Connecting Along the Thames - Wildlife, Habitats and Restoration in the Thames Estuary
with: Thea Cox from Zoological Society London
Tuesday 13 August at 7pm
Doors and bar open at 6.30pm
Talk: Saving the Turtle Dove
with: Nicole Khan, RSPB Turtle Dove Conservation Advisor
Wednesday 14 August at 7pm
Doors and bar open at 6.30pm
Talk: Wildlife Gardening - Myths and Realities
with: Dr Steve Head, Founder Patron of the Wildlife Gardening Forum
Steve will explain the simple but amazing science of garden wildlife which will, give you some clear pointers to how you can make your home a haven for wildlife and add birdsong, colour and movement to your garden.
Friday 16 August at 7pm
Doors and bar open at 6.30pm
Film: A sense of wonder - Captures Rachel Carson, the mother of the environmental movement and author of Silent Spring, in the final months of her life as she defends her book and battles with cancer.
Kids activities at The Horsebridge
All activities are FREE, with suggested donation of £5
but please book tickets as spaces are limited.
Monday 12 August
Workshop 1 - 2pm: Driftwood crafting for ages 6 - 11 years
Make a seaside scene of boats and houses with driftwood.
Workshop 3 - 4.30pm: Driftwood crafting for ages 12 - 16 years
There are lots of different ways you can use driftwood to make crafts. Make a wall-hanging to personalize your bedroom, a trinket pot or go freestyle.
6 - 11 years
(1 - 2pm)
12 - 16 years
(3 - 4.30pm)
Tuesday 13 August
Workshop 10am - 12pm: Learn how to use Mono Printing with natural materials to create beautiful one-off flora and fauna prints.
A wonderful nature inspired workshop that allows you explore the beauty of wild Whitstable. Please feel welcome to bring your own natural materials to use in printing. For all ages.
10am - 12pm
Wednesday 14 August
Workshop 10am - 12pm: Family weaving workshop for all ages.
Using natural and found materials you will learn to weave a beautiful piece of art that celebrates the summer season, ready to be hung up and enjoyed at home. Booking recommended.
10am - 12pm
Thursday 15 August
Workshop 10am - 12pm: Create beautiful Jar Nature Globes using a mixture of natural and handmade nature inspired objects.
Please feel welcome to bring your own natural materials to include in your 3D nature scene. For all ages.
10am-12pm
Friday 16 August
Workshop 10am - 12pm: Preschool messy play inspired by the natural world.
Drop in anytime between 10am - 12pm with your little one to help us create a big nature scene with lots of different messy materials. Please book to ensure a space, but come whenever you like during 10-12.
10am - 12pm
Earth elements workshop with Sharon Cavalier
17 August 10am - 12.30pm £55 email scavalier69@gmail.com to book.
Earth Elements is a 2 hour 30mins workshop for those that are interested in a sustainable practise of making water colour paint using materials foraged from East Kent’s shoreline.
A “show and tell” identifies Sharon’s collection of beach found materials used to make powered natural pigments. There will be demonstrations and instructions given to the process of pigment making with health and safety guidelines.
Each person will create a range of watercolour paints contained within a Whitstable oyster shell, make a paper print using a glass Muller, and paint a colour wheel on water colour paper to take home. Attendees are encouraged to exchange ideas of how this process might be used for their own artistic means of expression.
Find out more and book
Studio Pop-up Exhibition
During the week in The Horsebridge Studio: Nature inspired textile art celebrating the work of The Rabbit Hole Group
The Rabbit Hole are a group of people who love to create! They meet 2 times a month at the Horsebridge to work on personal mixed media projects, underpinned by textile techniques.
Wild Sketching with Charcoal family workshop
with Liz Atkin
13 August 2 - 3.30pm £12 per adult £7 per child.
Join Whitstable Artist and Creative Practitioner Liz Atkin for a fun family workshop which combines a sketch walk with the chance to get to learn how to get the best out of charcoal drawing.
Weather permitting you will visit the beach to record the textures and shapes of the seaside, before heading back to create a giant communal artwork in the Studio at The Horsebridge.
Book now
