Equals IW Green Time Crafts in the Park and Picnic

The first Equals IW Green Time, Crafts in the Park took place on Saturday 16th July 2022 at the Gift to Nature site “Medina Riverside Park” led by Rachael Ardley, Gift to Nature Engagement Officer and Mark Cox, Green Time Project Lead.

The afternoon session started with a guided walk around the riverside meadow path to learn and look at the wildflowers. The group took part in the National Butterfly Count for 2022 while walking around the meadow and took photos of butterflies on mobile phones. They used the Wildlife Watch Butterfly Spotter Cards and the Butterfly Conservation’s England "Big Butterfly Count Identification Card" to identify and officially record the following butterflies

1 Small White
1 Common Blue
3 Holly Blue
1 Speckled Wood
4 Meadow Brown
5 Gate Keeper
2 Brown Argus
1 Peacock Butterfly.

The Big Butterfly Count is a UK-wide citizen science survey run by Butterfly Conservation. This year the Count ran from Friday 15 July until Sunday 7 August. It provides a yearly snapshot into the changing fate of the butterfly population. It helps Butterfly Conservation’s science and research evaluating the status of butterflies and daytime moths in the wider environment. The result is effective conservation action.

Last year over 100,000 people took part, submitting over 152,000 counts of the 1.2 million individuals of the 20 target species that were seen nationwide. Big Butterfly Counts are carried out in gardens, parks and the countryside to complement the data from other surveys and has other worthy attributes

It It raises awareness of people to the beauty and wonder of butterflies and for some it will ignite a passion for nature and the environment.
It provides a break from routine and by doing something positive to help the environment can improve mental health and well-being.

Following on from the butterfly count Rachel from Gift to Nature led the craft session, whereby group members enjoyed making pictures using dried flowers and then framing them with twigs.

The Green Time Crafts in the Park afternoon concluded with a group picnic, each friend brought a range of healthy food, some home cooked as well. Everyone was relaxed in the shaded sunshine and gentle breeze on the bank of the River Medina. The perfect natural way to maintain positive emotional well-being, reduce stress and enhance mental health.

We took photos