Christmas Wreath and Avon Gorge and Downs Wildlife Project

We were at Bristol Zoo yesterday with the Avon Gorge and Downs Wildlife Project running our workshop on Creating Christmas Wreaths.  Mandy Leivers, the education officer, kindly hosted this event , and we spent a lovely day making some really beautiful Chrismas Wreaths and walking on the Downs learning about the history and folklore that surrounds the foliage we use at Christmas.   We have run this course many times here  and it was a great success with everyone taking home beautiful work.  It really was a good day. 

Here we are with our finished wreaths 

This is the fourth year that greengarland have worked with the Project and we are very proud to be associated with them. The Avon Gorge and Downs Wildlife Project is in its eleventhyear and is a collaboration funded  by Bristol City Council, Bristol Zoo Gardens, Natural England, University of Bristol, Society of Merchant Venturers, the Downs Committee and the Bristol Conservation and Science Foundation, and work in partnership with the National Trust (phew). Their work celebrates the outstanding wildlife interests of the Avon Gorge and Downs and works to secure its future.


Mandy has inspired almost a whole generation of children (including mine who are now in their teens) to appreciate and enjoy the diversity and uniqueness of the Downs.  My garden is full of insect hides and bird boxes that my boys have made on some of Mandy's courses when they were younger, and we have as a family spent many happy hours listening for birds, hugging trees, hunting for rare moths and identifying some of the unique species that grow there on the wide range of walks, talks and courses that they run all year round.

So many hanks to Mandy and the project for hosting us again.  It was a really great group to work with and the finished wreaths were all brilliant.  Until next time....