POPULAR children’s TV presenters Mwaka Mudenda and Chantelle Lindsay are set to headline Chester Zoo’s family festival celebrating UK wildlife, which takes place this weekend.
The free-to-enter Wildlife Connections Festival, now in its sixth year, will be held at the zoo’s six-hectare Nature Reserve across the weekend of September 17-18.
Blue Peter presenter Mwaka Mudenda.
Organisers say the two-day event will shine a light on the UK’s wonderful wildlife and show festivalgoers how they can do their bit to protect native species, with half of the UK’s animals and plants in decline.
Blue Peter presenter Mwaka Mudenda will deliver an interactive stage show on Saturday followed by a meet and greet, and presenter of CBeebies’ Teeny Tiny Creatures and wildlife conservationist Chantelle Lindsay will do the same on Sunday.
CBeebies presenter Chantelle Lindsay.
Anyone in attendance will be able to get up-close-and-personal with a wide range of wildlife through an array of hands-on activities, including bug hunting, bird spotting and pond dipping.
Anya Moon, from the zoo’s Conservation Education and Engagement team, said: “We’re incredibly excited to welcome Mwaka and Chantelle to our Wildlife Connections Festival for the very first time.
"They both share our huge passion for the wonderful wildlife found here in the UK and so this is the perfect opportunity to connect families with nature through our fun-filled weekend, featuring music, a special stage show and some fantastic activities that the whole family can get involved with.
"From pond-dipping to bug hunting, festivalgoers can get involved with a whole range of wildlife activities.
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“While there’s a real emphasis on this being a free, fun-filled festival, we really hope it’ll highlight how the global biodiversity crisis is impacting the wildlife right here on our doorstep, with many species facing extinction.
"The good news is that we can all make a difference and by coming along to our festival, we’ll show people that there’s lots we can all do to help wildlife in the UK thrive and survive.
“Chester Zoo are working on a 10-mile Nature Recovery Corridor to help local wildlife survive and thrive, so this festival will be a real celebration of the impact we can all make on nature. We can’t wait to welcome everyone to what is sure to be a fantastic, wildlife-inspired weekend!”
The zoo’s Wildlife Connections Festival is in association with Darwin Escapes and is part of the zoo’s Nature Recovery Corridor, which is funded by the Government's Green Recovery Challenge Fund, developed by Defra and its arm's-length bodies, delivered by The National Lottery Heritage Fund in partnership with Natural England, the Environment Agency and Forestry Commission.
All are helping to prevent the extinction of UK wildlife by creating new areas of high quality habitat in gardens, parklands and community spaces.
For the full programme of events at Chester Zoo’s Wildlife Connections Festival, visit www.chesterzoo.org/events/wildlife-connections-festival-2
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