Grow Wild Network Day: Bristol

Grow Wild is hosting a network training day at Bristol Zoo for community groups, youth project participants and volunteer mentors.

This is an exciting opportunity to meet other groups, discuss creative ideas and learn from special guests that will offer both a local and UK-wide perspective.

The day will inspire and inform you about new ways to:

• Enhance your community impact through native wild flowers, plants and fungi.

• Explore techniques for engaging new audiences.

• Promote and share your project's success.

Up to two people from a community group can register to attend.

We look forward to seeing you there! The Grow Wild Team

Provisional programme for the day

9.30am Arrival and refreshments

10.00am Welcome and introduction to Grow Wild core themes

10.30am Ecology and social impact: Hear about Feed Bristol’s pioneering wild flower nursery enterprise and the social impact of ecological land systems, Matt Cracknell (Avon Wildlife Trust)

Celebrating our urban pollinators: Insights and achievements from Cardiff and Plymouth’s Urban Buzz programme and plans for creating pollinator habitats across Bristol, Michelle Bales (Buglife)

11.10am BREAK

11.30am WORKSHOP ONE (choice of three)

A. Growing UK native wild flowers and plants: A guide to the what, where and how of successfully growing and maintaining wild flowers in different spaces. Grow Wild

B. Social and therapeutic horticulture: Nurturing our wellbeing through nature. Thrive

C. Discover our urban pollinators: Interesting findings from recent research about urban pollinators and their habitats and how we can enhance them, as well as how to identify different species in your space. Sam Ardin (University of Bristol)

12.30pm LUNCH

1.30pm Social media: What’s the point and how to share your project’s stories online. Grow Wild

1.50pm WORKSHOP TWO (choice of three)

D. Enter the mysterious world of fungi: Find out about the importance of fungi in the ecosystem and easy ways to grow edible native mushrooms in your space. Rich Wright (Avon Wildlife Trust)

E. Building and sustaining community involvement. Grow Wild

F. TBC

2.50pm BREAK

3.00pm Coming together: Open forum discussion space to share ideas and explore challenges, wrapping up and next steps.

4.20pm Close