Do I need to buy a general admission ticket for Wild about Nature?

No, entry to the main festival, conservation stalls, and minibeast hunts is entirely free. Only specific workshops require pre-paid tickets.

Which activities require pre-booking and how much do they cost?

The Marvellous Moths workshop costs £5 and runs from 10:00 AM to 11:00 AM, while the Bird Box Workshop costs £10 and runs at 11:30 AM and 1:30 PM. Both must be booked online in advance.

How does the parking payment system work at the park?

The park utilizes an ANPR camera system. Your plate is scanned on entry, and you pay via card or mobile app at the pay stations near the café prior to leaving.

Wild about Nature 2026

14 June 2026

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Immerse yourself in the wonders of the great outdoors as the spectacular Wild about Nature 2026 festival takes over the beautiful woodlands and meadows of Hampshire. Taking place on Sunday 14 June 2026 from 10:30 AM to 15:00 (3:00 PM) at the scenic Itchen Valley Country Park in West End, this vibrant celebration of local wildlife is organised as a core highlight of the national Great Big Green Week. Packed with interactive animal conservation displays, expert-led nature tracking sessions, and hand-on environmental workshops, it offers a wonderful, educational weekend out designed to inspire and amaze eco-conscious families, children, and wildlife enthusiasts.

Quick Summary: Wild about Nature

Wild about Nature is an open-access community environmental festival combining free public nature walks and pop-up crafts with pre-bookable specialist wildlife discovery workshops.

Free Minibeast & Craft Activities: Join in with completely free guided Meadow Minibeast Hunts running across the day, or head to the central Marketplace pavilion for nature-inspired drop-in crafts.
Expert Wildlife Exhibitors: Meet dedicated teams from top conservation bodies, including the RSPB, HART Wildlife Rescue, Woodland Trust, and the Hampshire Bat Group.
Specialist Skills Workshops: Learn from regional experts during the early morning Marvellous Moths reveal trap session or build your own wooden Bluetit bird box to take home to your garden.

Event Schedule and Timings

The environmental celebration spreads interactive exhibits and guided discovery sessions across the park fields and pavilions. Plan your visit around these core daily highlights and workshop times:

10:00 AM to 11:00 AM: Marvellous Moths (Pre-Bookable Workshop): Join local wildlife experts inside The Hide on High Field for the grand overnight trap reveal. Identify spectacular nocturnal native species from micro-moths to massive Hawkmoths up close. (Suitable for ages 6+; entry fee £5).
10:30 AM: Wild about Nature officially opens. Pop-up craft zones, interactive conservation stands, and the main marketplace hub open to the public.
11:00 AM: Meadow Minibeast Hunt (FREE Activity): Gather the family at the meeting point for a fun, guided sweeping net adventure through the long grasses to discover and study native bugs and creepy-crawlies.
11:30 AM: Bird Box Building Workshop (Pre-Bookable Session): Head to the main Marketplace next to the Woodland Café to construct a wooden Bluetit nesting box using a pre-made kit. (Suitable for ages 6+; entry fee £10).
13:30 (1:30 PM): Bird Box Building Workshop (Pre-Bookable Session): Second afternoon opportunity to build a high-quality garden bird box under expert supervision next to the café. (Entry fee £10).
14:00 (2:00 PM): Meadow Minibeast Hunt (FREE Activity): The final guided family bug and insect tracking stroll departs across the park meadows.
15:00 (3:00 PM): The festival officially concludes.

Interactive Displays and Exhibitor Lineup

Across the entire afternoon, a bustling hub of regional environmental charities and nature specialists will be based around the main courtyard fields to share expert tracking advice and live demonstrations:

Southampton Beekeepers: Marvel at a secure live demonstration hive, purchase fresh local honey, and try out traditional wax candle rolling.
HART Wildlife Rescue: Learn about regional hedgehog, bird, and small mammal rehabilitation projects and find out how to support injured wildlife in your own garden.
Hampshire Bat Group: Discover the hidden world of native bats, explore specialized sonic bat detectors, and find out about regional roost monitoring projects.
Conservation Foundations: Pick up free educational maps and guidebooks from leading groups including the RSPB, Woodland Trust, Bird Aware Solent, and the Hampshire and Isle of Wight Amphibian and Reptile Group (HIWARG).
Marketplace Crafts: Drop beneath the protected Marketplace roof structures any time during the day to take part in hands-on, nature-inspired family pop-up crafts.

How to Get to Itchen Valley Country Park

The festival grounds are located at Itchen Valley Country Park, Allington Lane, West End, Southampton, SO30 3HQ.

By Car: Located just off the A27, drivers can easily exit the M27 at Junction 5 (from the west) or Junction 7 (from the east) and simply follow the brown tourist destination signs straight down Allington Lane to the main park gates.
By Bus: Local regional bus networks stop regularly at the main Allington Lane Roundabout. From the bus stop connection, it is a scenic stroll down the designated walking pathways into the heart of the park grounds.
By Bicycle: The park features extensive off-road cycle paths that link smoothly to West End village, complete with secure bicycle parking racks located directly beside the central visitor pavilion.

Where to Park

The country park utilizes a ticketless Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) barrier system. On arrival, your registration plate is scanned, and the entry barriers lift automatically. Before driving home, simply type your registration plate into any pay terminal located by the Woodland Café or at the top of the main drive:

Standard Vehicle Tariff: Parking rates are charged at £2.20 for up to 1 hour, £3.50 for 2 hours, £4.40 for 3 hours, and a flat maximum full-day cap of £5.20 for any stays extending over 4 hours.
Blue Badge Holders: Standard parking tariffs apply across the park, with numerous dedicated, level-access Blue Badge parking bays situated closest to the main Marketplace, toilets, and café paths.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Do I need to buy a general admission ticket for Wild about Nature?: No, the main festival event itself is completely free to enter, allowing you to browse the conservation stalls, visit the interactive displays, and join the guided minibeast hunts without a ticket. Normal parking fees still apply at the park terminals.
Which specific activities do I need to book in advance?: The early morning Marvellous Moths reveal trap session (£5 per person) and the Bird Box Building workshops (£10 per kit) have strictly limited capacities and must be pre-booked online via the official Itchen Valley Country Park ticket portal before arrival.
Are the guided Meadow Minibeast Hunts free for children?: Yes, the minibeast sweeping net adventures departing at 11:00 AM and 14:00 (2:00 PM) are completely free of charge. Simply gather at the designated meeting point outside the main visitor center just before the departure times.
Are dogs allowed to accompany owners to the wildlife festival?: Yes, Itchen Valley Country Park is highly dog-friendly, and well-behaved pets on standard short leads are welcome across the festival fields. However, dogs are restricted from entering the indoor hide spaces or tight workshop tent enclosures for safety reasons.
Is there food available on-site, or should I pack a picnic?: You are welcome to bring a picnic to enjoy on the public lawns, or you can purchase hot food, seasonal lunches, barista coffees, and sweet snacks from the park’s permanent Woodland Café, situated directly adjacent to the Marketplace pavilion.