About the event

Each year during 30 Days Wild, the Big Wild Weekend sees Wildlife Trusts across the country holding special events to bring people closer to the natural world. Learn more about the species that call Hauxley Nature Reserve home and how you can help nature where you live!

Sorry no dogs at Hauxley Wildlife Discovery Centre.

Saturday 14 June

BioBlitz

10:00 - 14:00

Free - No booking required

Drop in throughout the day to record as many wildlife sightings as possible with the Hauxley team. Help us record all animals, plants and everything in between! We'll be on hand with ID guides to help or if you'd prefer to wander yourself, take one of our recording sheets and report back to us on the way out. 

No equipment needed, beginner and family friendly. Please dress for the weather and wear sturdy shoes. Age 5+. 

Bug hunt

10:30 - 11:15

Free - No booking required

Join us to explore the best habitats for bugs at Hauxley. 

No equipment needed, beginner and family friendly. Please dress for the weather and wear sturdy shoes. Age 5+. 

Butterfly walk

11:30 - 12:15

Free - No booking required

This hands-on session will teach you the key identification and recording techniques, so you can contribute to butterfly monitoring in your own time. 

No equipment needed, beginner and family friendly. Please dress for the weather and wear sturdy shoes. Age 5+. 

Wildlife camera checking

13:00 - 13:45

Free - No booking required

Come and check our wildlife cameras with us, left out for the last week around the reserve to see what animals call Hauxley home, and what they get up to day or night (indoors at Hauxley Wildlife Discovery Centre). Age 5+. 

Bat walk

21:30 - 23:00

Free - Booking required

Come along for a guided walk around our Hauxley Nature Reserve at night. Using bat detectors we'll discover different species that live at Hauxley and we'll keep our eyes peeled for other creatures of the night.

Please wear sturdy shoes and warm clothing as it will get chilly as the sun sets. Please be aware that we will be out at dusk/in the dark. If you have a headtorch with a red light feature please bring this along. No other equipment needed. Please note we will have access to toilet facilities at the start and end of the session only. Age 8+. 

Sunday 15 June

Guide in the hide

10:00 - 11:00

Free - No booking required

Is it a bird? Is it a plane? Most likely a bird, but which species? Drop in and ask our Hauxley Bird Count Volunteers with their years of experience surveying the birds we have on site.

If you don't have your own binoculars, please ask at Reception to borrow some. Age 5+. 

Missing Lynx Project talk

13:00 - 14:00

Free - Booking required

The Missing Lynx Project exhibition has been touring for the past year, opening the discussion around what local people think about lynx, and whether this missing species could be brought back. Join a member of The Missing Lynx Project to learn more about this missing species. Age 16+. 

Fungal Foray talk

15:00 - 16:00

Free - Booking required

Curious about the hidden world beneath your feet? Join us on a journey into the mysterious and magical realm of fungi! Discover the diverse and often surprising fungal life of the North East with the North East Fungus Study Group. This engaging foray is the perfect introduction to the weird, wonderful, and essential fungi that thrive in our local landscapes. Age 16+. 

10:00 - 16:00 Saturday and Sunday. Sale of Natural History books in Hauxley Wildlife Discovery Centre reception. Have a browse of our huge collection of natural history books for sale to help raise money for Northumberland Wildlife Trust. 

This event is funded by the UK Government partly through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund and the North East Combined Authority Investment Fund with the North East Combined Authority as the lead authority.