aLL UPDATES

In the Chapel at the Common ​ 10.30am Badgers 11.15am Nature Recovery in Otley Noon Toads 1.30pm What Makes a Healthy River? 2pm Adders 2.45pm Broughton rewilding project 3.30pm A Few of my Favourite Things - mostly Fantastic Insects

ADULTS’ WORKSHOPS at the Common £15 Book a place at neil-griffin@outlook.com ​ SATURDAY 24th October 10-12 MIRIAM LAVILLE - Natural forms with mixed media 2-4 TONY DRIVER - Autumnal woodland with collage & acrylics SUNDAY 25th October 10-12 FRANCES TAYLOR - Mosaic pond project 2-4 KIM COLEY - Drawing birds with Posca pens

Saturday 24th October 7.30pm The Chapel at Otley Common A celebration of nature in music and words. More details to follow soon.

A new witty and informative talk from the popular TV personality and WFO patron. As part of our fifth wildlife arts festival, George will be speaking at Otley's exciting new community venue, the Common, followed by a Q&A. After consecutive careers in academia and media George shares his personal journey to discover the world of wildlife - big and especially small - and explains why even in light of the current climate and nature crisis, his passion for the natural world is a

23rd, 24th, 25th October This year we have partnered up with The Common to host the return of our WILDLIFE ARTS FESTIVAL. Art exhibition with stalls, Saturday 24th October at the Common, ​Walkergate LS21 1HB

Our festival goes from strength to strength, with an expanded programme that encourages participation from different parts of the Otley community and beyond. This year we have something of an appetiser on Sunday 13th October, starting with a presentation - "Land Smart" - by Tom Heap of the BBC's Countryfile. This is a joint event with Ilkley Literature Festival and starts at noon at Ilkley Playhouse. LATEST: this event has sold out. This is followed that evening by rising fol

George McGavin, Wildlife Friendly Otley’s new patron Wildlife TV presenter and leading entomologist George McGavin, and best selling nature writer Amy-Jane Beer are two top names at this year’s Otley Wildlife Arts Festival on Friday, Saturday and Sunday 6-8th October. Returning for its third year, this popular festival organised by Wildlife Friendly Otley begins for the first time with music on the Friday night. Announcing the programme, lead organiser and trustee of Wildlif

The Friends of Weston Woods have announced a new appeal to raise funds for the wood now that the legal formalities for the purchase are almost complete and the exchange of contracts is expected soon. A spokesperson for the group, which is a consortium of local wildlife and environmental groups as well as donors to the initial appeal, said: “Now that the legal proceedings to finalise the purchase are almost complete, we need to raise further funds to repay the generous loan of

Wildlife Friendly Otley are working in collaboration with a number of local community groups and charities, supported by national organisations who are working together to seize this rare opportunity to purchase and manage East Wood (also known as Weston Wood) for wildlife and the community. The wood is very popular with locals, with a public footpath running through it and it is home to a rich and diverse wildlife. We are concerned that in private hands this resource might

In dull, rainy January there are few wildflowers around to brighten up the day. Gorse ( Ulex europaeus ) is one exception which is always a very welcome sight. The small, yellow, pea-like flowers of gorse will cheer up any winter walk. Gorse flowers from January, reaching the height of its brilliance in Spring to early Summer. Common in a variety of habitats, from woodland, heathland, grassland to coast you can find this spiky shrub UK wide.

Some of the festival team Organisers of the Otley Wildlife Arts Festival are delighted with the attendance at all the festival events last weekend, declaring it a major success for the participants, exhibitors, speakers and performers, for the town and particularly for wildlife. Neil Griffin, Festival team leader and education officer with Wildlife Friendly Otley said: “All the events were very well attended and some fully booked. The packed audiences for our top attractions,

This week’s Wildlife Arts Festival, which starts this Friday evening and is on all day Saturday October 15, has organised a festival nature trail with a difference. It’s in the centre of Otley and is an intriguing and fun way to discover more about wildlife and nature - for all the family. There are ten nature clues and creatures to identify, each in a different shop and other windows around town. Prizes include a voucher from Toyland and a nest box. The festival nature tra