PRESS RELEASE

6 April 2009

FAMILY FUN AT ASTRAZENECA

Cheshire Wildlife Trust was invited to meet over 4,000 visitors to AstraZeneca’s annual Open Weekend on 4th & 5th April. Held at AstraZeneca’s working farm in Alderley Park near Alderley Edge, the event is highly popular amongst Astra Zeneca employees and their family and friends.

As Corporate Members of Cheshire Wildlife Trust for six years, Astra Zeneca regularly supports Trust activities through sponsorship, volunteering and other contributions and CWT has been a resource of information and support for the ongoing Alderley Park Biodiversity Action Plan. However, many of the AstraZeneca employees knew little about the Trust’s work so the annual Open Weekend provided the perfect opportunity for an interactive demonstration!

As well as producing informative displays, CWT provided fun but educational activities including opportunities to make bat masks, butterflies, dragonflies, giant wildflowers and nest boxes. Also popular was a live newt exhibit from Jim Grundy, and live harvest mice.

CWT was joined by Cheshire Bat Group, which brought Dave the Egyptian Fruit Bat (who was rescued from an eBay auction and who loves eating cucumber!), and The South Manchester Ringing Group, which provided a bird ringing demonstration, having set up two mist nets in a nearby wood to safely catch a number of species to show close-up in the hand to the assembled crowds.

Visitors to the working farm, which is home to traditional breeds of lambs and cows, were also able to see lambing, and to cuddle and feed orphan lambs.

“We would like to thank AstraZeneca for giving us this exclusive opportunity to meet their employees and visitors, as part of their ongoing support for the Trust,” said Allan Stubbs, head of Corporate Membership at CWT. “It was great to hear how enthusiastic they all are about wildlife and conservation in Cheshire, and we received over £600 in donations over the two days.”

Hugh Pulsford, Chairman of Club AZ’s Natural History Section, which provided several volunteers to help out with the CWT activities, and who was one of the British Trust for Ornithology licensed ringers, commented: “As ever it was a highly enjoyable day and a great opportunity to show both young and old visitors some of the local wildlife of the site close-up, and understand the great work their county wildlife trust is involved in.”

Families can take part in giant wildflower making, nest box making, wildlife walks, pond dipping, art activities and much more at the One Earth Festival on 5th July this year at Bickley Hall Farm, Bickley nr Malpas – for further information about this free family fun day please call 01948 820678. All welcome.

-ENDS-