One wild day as Lancaster holiday park lifts lid on nature

Youngsters and grown-ups were given a wild time at a Lancashire holiday park recently when they were challenged to get hands-on with nature.

Moss Wood in the village of Cockerham, near Lancaster, was the venue for the wildlife event which was supported by a line-up of charities and organisations.

Pond-dipping, making bird-feeders, and learning how to extract the DNA from a strawberry were all on the menu of activities enjoyed by both local people and holiday guests.

There was the chance to learn more about beekeeping with an observation hive on display, and to sample honey produced by bees from the pollen of wild flowers in the region.

Local farm animals also put in an appearance, as did specialist bird ringers who shared their expertise on monitoring bird populations, along with displays from wildlife and nature groups.

They included the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds, the Lancashire Wildlife Trust, the Lune Rivers Trust, and the Forest of Bowland Sustainability Network.

“This was our third annual discovery day, and was by far the most popular and well-attended to date,” said Henry Wild whose family has owned Moss Wood for over 40 years.

“For children especially, taking part in activities such as pond dipping is a fantastic way to become inspired by nature and to share in its wonderful secrets.

“As well as being a fun event, I think many people also went away with ideas about how to make their own gardens more wildlife friendly and living more sustainably,” added Henry.

Moss Wood has been presented with the David Bellamy Conservation Award at its top gold level for over twenty consecutive years, recognising its raft of conservation initiatives.

Many of these were on view at the discovery day, including a 1.5km nature discovery trail and a 3000 square-foot wild flower wilderness attracting honey bees and butterflies.

There is also a spring-fed lake at Moss Wood which acts as a magnet for birdlife, dragonflies, water fowl and a host of other different aquatic species.

In addition, the park has its own artisan beer produced by a local micro-brewery which support a beekeeping charity, and was available for sampling at the wild day.

Moss Wood provides holiday homes to buy as well as pitches for touring caravans and motorhomes. There is more information about the park atwww.mosswood.co.uk

It’s a small world: a mini-caravan proved a big hit with adults and children during Moss Wood’s wild day