Around 18 stalls will have activities creating a buzz from noon on Sunday, all will be family friendly, aimed at introducing visitors to the fascinating and colourful wildlife of Greater Manchester.

Activities will include birding for beginners, leaf and flower crown making, family-friendly gardening, hook a duck and making healthy duck food, a micro-greens and sprouting workshop, wild objects from the museum and sphagnum squeezing. There’s a “grown on a bog” game, looking at how eDNA sampling works to find rare animals in their habitat, river invertebrate trays, pin things on the river and making bird feeders. There will be Forest School activities and making a snap game of animals and plants. 

The Manchester Nature Consortium Youth Panel are doing their stall and workshop on the theme of sustainable clothing. Their stall will have a clothes swap, and the activity will be decorating bunting using scrap materials.

MNC chair Alan Wright said: “There is always excitement in the build up to MFoN and the day itself is a wonderful opportunity to showcase the groundbreaking work that is being done for nature in Greater Manchester, by so many different organisations.

“I feel proud to have been involved in all of the festivals and it is a great opportunity to meet up with colleagues from across conservation and to meet new friends who want to learn about the wild world at Manchester’s Wildest Festival. And it’s free, just like the nature all around us.

This year’s festival will feature RSPB, Woodland Trust, National Trust Lime Park, Canal and River Trust, Vegan Organic Network, Manchester Museum, Lancashire Wildlife Trust Peat Team,        Manchester Metropolitan University, Groundwork Greater Manchester, Action for Conservation, City of Trees, Communitree Outdoor Education, Lancashire Wildlife Trust’s Manchester Team and Manchester City Council.

A major part of MFoN every year is the Legendary Pollinator Parade, where families can dress up as pollinators or any other creatures to parade around the festival site. Alan said: “My bee outfit has been humming in the corner waiting to get out into the fresh air. Everyone gets a buzz out of the Legendary Pollinator Parade.”

There will be a musical soundtrack from the Flat Cap Trio and RRG Toyota, sponsors of MFoN for the past four years, will display some of their environmentally friendly vehicles. The festival is also sponsored by Parklife.

St John Ambulance will be on site in case of first aid problems and Heaton Park, as always, support the event and food and drink and loos are available in the Stables next door. Festival infrastructure is supplied by Niche Event Hire.

Alan said: “It takes a lot of support financially and in manpower to create Manchester’s Wildest Festival and we are always looking for more partners to get involved. This is a fabulous way to show your green credentials in Manchester.

“I am so excited again that we have managed to get MFoN flying and I think our visitors will have a brilliant time if they pop in and see what we are up to.”

The objectives of the Manchester Nature Consortium are to:

To bring together organisations to protect and enhance wildlife and wildlife habitats in and around Manchester.

To engage the public of Manchester in the wide variety of wildlife in the city and the region. To encourage volunteers to work with members of the Manchester Nature Consortium to improve wildlife habitats.

To influence decision-makers to increase protections and wildlife-friendly habitats in the city and the region.

To organise events and promotional activities to raise awareness of wildlife in the city and region, including the Manchester Festival of Nature.