Families enjoy ‘Bugs and Beasties’ day

Bugs & Beasties at Touchstones Rochdale

Touchstones was crawling at the weekend with people enjoying the ‘Bugs and Beastie’s’ Family Fun day.

Visitors had fun taking part in creative activities that highlighted the diverse wildlife of the borough as part of the Manchester Science Festival.

Link4Life’s Education Co-ordinator, Karen Vine, said: “I was thrilled that so many families had such a great time linking the natural history of the Borough with fun activities such as making spiders, butterflies and animal masks.”

Artists David Hollos and Rachael Elwell, with expert staff from the Link4Life’s Arts and Heritage Service, worked with families to release their creativity through art, craft and sculpture. The day also celebrated Family Learning Month, Nature in the North West and the national Big Draw Campaign.

Manchester Science Festival is now in its triumphant fourth year and has quickly become the most popular science festival in the UK. As well as exploring all aspects of science, this year the Festival celebrates the International Year of Biodiversity. The Festival brings together universities, museums, unusual venues and community spaces to inspire people from across the region and learn more about why science is amazing, great fun and an essential, accessible part of everyday life.

The Bugs and Beasties Day was supported by the RSPB and Rochdale Council’s Countryside Service and Eco-Schools and, keeping to the theme of exploring local wildlife in the borough, a new travelling exhibition for schools was also unveiled called ‘Go Wild in Rochdale’.

Aimed at young children, the Go Wild exhibition focuses on seven creatures typically found in the great outdoors and combines resources from the borough Museum Collection with interactive audio features.

“Go Wild is a fantastic new outreach resource”, explained Karen Vine. “It features the genuine sounds that the creatures make and it was a great surprise for everyone to discover the actual noise of a hedgehog munching his tea and the ear splitting shriek that a fox makes!”