This time of year brings lots of unique and beautiful nature spectacles, as well as an exciting ramp up to the festive season - keep an eye out for starling murmurations, enjoy a wildlife-friendly Bonfire Night celebration, get spotting the signs of autumn, and much, much more in November....
Join us for a unique and magical Bonfire Night celebration at Brockholes Nature Reserve! This wildlife-friendly event is specially designed for families with young children. Your ticket includes free parking and access to a wide range of fun activities throughout the evening. This event is perfect for little ones who love nature but may not enjoy the usual noisy festivities. No fireworks and no loud rides—just plenty of eco-friendly activities in a peaceful, natural setting.
Have you seen a hedgehog recently? We are continuing to collect sightings for our Hedgehog Hotspots map this month, which will help us build a picture of how these much-loved but vulnerable creatures are doing in our region this year. Please keep an eye out for hedgehogs in your area and add your sightings to our map by Monday 11th November!
Peter Risley
Join our guided walk leaders for a fascinating tour of Brockholes looking for signs of autumn. This free and informative walk will be taken at a gentle pace, with lots of stopping to look at points of interest and watch the wildlife around the reserve. Booking is essential!
Dave Bennion
Whilst out spotting those signs of autumn, whether on our guided walk or just on your next neighbourhood stroll, why not capture some of the sights you come across? November's theme in our monthly photo competition is 'Shades of autumn', and we'd love to see your images. Think late-blooming flowers, berry-laden branches, colourful garden birds and golden leaves!
We're getting festive at our nature reserves and community venues in November, with a whole range of family-friendly events taking place at Brockholes, Moss Bank Park and Queens Park! Head out on a nature trail and post your letter to the North Pole with 'Santa's Post Box', or meet the man himself when he stops by Brockholes for 'Santa by the Lake', or 'Santa's Grotto' at Moss Bank Park.
Around this time last year, we saw some truly amazing starling murmurations at Brockholes, and we are keeping our fingers crossed for the same again this year! The sight of thousands of starlings swirling acrobatically overhead is not easily forgotten, and makes for one of our region's most beautiful wildlife spectacles. Learn more about how and where to see starling murmurations below.
A spectacular starling murmuration at Brockholes
Get a head start on your festive shopping with our wonderful Artisan Markets at Brockholes. Taking place on the weekends of 23rd-24th November and 30th November-1st December, these markets take place on our floating Visitor Village and are a great place to browse unique gifts from independent local businesses.
Autumn is a crucial time for hedgehogs, as they will be putting on as much weight as possible in preparation for hibernation. To learn how you can help hedgehogs on your doorstep, particularly at this time of year, download our free 'Help a Hog' guide. We hope it gives you some inspiration for simple actions you can take at home to support these loveable mammals!
Speaking of ways you can help wildlife heading into the colder months, there are plenty of other creatures who could benefit from a helping hand at this time of year. If you're ticking off gardening tasks at the moment such as planting spring bulbs, trimming things back or restocking your bird feeders, take a look at our blog below. We've rounded up a few simple ways to provide some much-needed support for wildlife over the leaner months when food and shelter are harder to come by.
Mark Hamblin/2020VISION
The Brockholes Winter Fayre is back! Kicking off on Friday 29th November, join us for a magical evening complete with live music, festive food, traditional fairground games, fun crafting activities, magic shows, artisan markets, a Christmas lights switch on, and even Father Christmas himself! Bring your family for an evening filled with joy, shopping and festive fun.
