THE Museum of North Craven Life at The Folly, Settle, will be part of the largest ever collaboration of UK museums in the Spring when it hosts a festival celebrating the district’s wildlife.
As part of nationwide The Wild Escape, the museum will host Ground Nest Fest, a children’s festival celebrating Craven’s ground nesting birds, in partnership with Wild Ingleborough and Yorkshire Peat Partnership.
Taking place on Earth Day, Saturday April 22, the day after World Curlew Day, it is all part of a major new project led by art charity Art Fund uniting hundreds of museums with schools and families to find nature in museums.
The festival will feature dance, song, poetry and film, and an opportunity for everyone to get involved in protecting ground nesting birds, including curlew, oystercatcher and lapwing.
It is also being seen as an opportunity to join the urgent conversation about climate crisis and biodiversity loss and look for nature positive solutions, in partnership with leading environmental charities the RSPB and WWF and cultural organisations National Trust and English Heritage.
The Wild Escape is inspired by Wild Isles, a landmark BBC series exploring the flora and fauna of the UK.
Caitlin Greenwood, heritage development officer at The Folly, said: “We’re all really excited to take part in The Wild Escape, and to see all the creative activities that the children get up to at Ground Nest Fest. Watch this space.”
The museum will also be working with Settle Primary School to create some short films about why ground nesting birds are so important.
Jenny Waldman, director, Art Fund, said:“I’m thrilled that The Folly is joining hundreds of organisations from the Outer Hebrides to Folkestone to connect thousands of children with the natural world through the UK’s truly great museums. Thanks to the invaluable support of Arts Council England, the Wild Escape will empower families and children across the UK to visit and discover our wonderful museums, whilst taking positive action to picture a better future for our wildlife.”
The Folly Museum is currently closed and will reopen for the new season on Saturday, February 11.
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