A blooming marvellous April at Westonbirt Arboretum
Spring has definitely sprung at the arboretum, and there’s no better excuse for a visit than the vibrant floral displays peeking around every corner. The trees are awash with blooms including the cherry blossoms, magnolias, and rhododendrons, meanwhile clusters of spring woodland flowers add their own splashes of colour. The middle of April also marks the start of bluebell season, and we cannot wait for the carpets of violet hues in Silk Wood.
Must do: BioBlitz
The hottest date of the month is the BioBlitz on 26 & 27 April where visitors can get stuck into a citizen science experience. It’s all hands on deck to count as many species as possible, with opportunities for pond dipping in search of newts, moth trapping to look at the variety of species, early arboretum entry for small mammal tracking, and late departure for a bat walk, with plenty of daytime activities too.
The early events (Saturday – Small Mammal Survey and Newt Survey; Sunday – Bird Song Walk and Moth Trap Survey) and evening activity (Saturday – Bat Walk) need to be prebooked. The rest can be booked on a first-come, first-served basis at the Great Oak Hall, after you arrive.
Don’t miss: Coppice Market
Head to the Coppice area (just over the Tree Top Walkway) on 12 & 13 April to see the team demonstrating traditional skills and crafts and selling their wares. Among them will be other makers and craftspeople. Blacksmithing, basketry, furniture, charcoal, jewellery, treen and coppice products will all be available to see and to buy.
The much sought-after bean poles and pea sticks will also be for sale here the same weekend.
The Easter Holidays start here:
Detectives at the ready: new Spring Trail
Want to inspire your kids to get stuck into nature or try their hand at some science? Look no further than the biodiversity-inspired Spring Trail, best suited to children aged 6 and over.
Collect an activity sheet from the Welcome Building, complete the activities, then collect your reward at the end. Even better, if you download the iNaturalist app you can contribute to real-life science by recording your findings!
Stick Man, Oh Stick Man
He’s staying right here on the Stick Man trail, jam-packed with interactive challenges and activities to get stuck into. The trail combines the much-loved story with lots of stick-based activities and tree-mendous facts about Westonbirt Wildlife. You can do the self-guided trail any day until September.
Wildlife Walks & Activities
Leave it to the experts to take you and your kids on a carefully curated tour of the arboretum, looking for wildlife. Ideal for kids aged 7-11. Prebooking required.
8 April: It’s all things birds and bird spotting on this tour, along with games and activities to test your stealth and listening skills and build a nest. You also get to craft a Willow Bird Feeder to take home.
9 April: Let’s find some marvellous mammals. We’re on the hunt for habitats and homes, looking for setts, burrows, roosts and drays. Activities also explore echolocation while you try to evade capture, and you can put your observation skills to the test as a Wildlife Explorer.
10 April: Let’s go micro in our hunt for minibeasts. Search for pollinator attracting flowers, join a lively action game, try to blend in like a camouflaged caterpillar and make a bug home too.
In week two of the Easter holidays, join in on the hunt for spring treasures (15 - 17 April). Using a collecting bag from the Welcome Building, gather up interesting things from the arboretum, then make your way to the learning building. Here, you can put things under a microscope, and take part in nature-based activities too.
Get to know Westonbirt
As well as daily Guided Walks, there’s also weekly themed Discovery Walks. Walk with the experts and get to know a new side to Westonbirt from those that know it best. There’s always something to learn, and even the longest-standing members tell us they see things they never knew!
3 April: Wildlife at Westonbirt
10 & 17 April: Spring Birdsong
24 April: Myths & Legends
Workshops & activities:
Needle-felt chicken making:
Join Amy Grimsby for a creative morning of dry needle felting. 4 April - £45. Book
Willow Sculpting:
Spend the day designing and building a sculpture for your garden, a bird feeder, an abstract sculpture or willow animal! It’s completely up to you. 5 April - £95.Book
Planning Garden Borders:
Learn the planning methods professionals use to keep your planting looking good all year round. 12 April - £145. Book
Handmade nature exhibition:
Join Ashleigh Proud and Fatpoppycat in The Great Oak Hall for an exhibition of ‘Handmade Nature’. Both inspired by the beauty of nature and all things flora and fauna. Free after admission. 16-21 April
Spoon carving:
Learn to make a spoon out of a branch: in the morning you will use an axe to make a roughly spoon shaped blank. The afternoon will be spent sitting carving your spoon. 26 April - £75. Book
Windsor Chair Making:
28 April to 3 May - £585 to join the course. Book
Looking ahead
Two must-do events in May are worth taking part in:
The ARB show on 16 & 17 May – come and see professional skills in action and try your hand at a spot of tree climbing!
Community Tree Planting at Silk Wood 17 May. Join a group to plant some of the new trees. (Booking required)
Westonbirt will also be releasing tickets for Christmas at Westonbirt in April. Keep your eyes peeled for your exclusive pre-sale email link in the next month.
