Claire shares this latest news from Arc Consulting. Ed
How many legs does an insect have, what makes a spider not an insect and how do you make a dribble tower? Just a few of the questions that were answered with the help of a bug hoover and a bucket of water at Discovery Bay event, Beach, Bugs and Bones in Sandown last Sunday!
Fun introduction to exploring wildlife
Now in its fifth year, Beach, Bugs and Bones offers everyone who visits a fun introduction to exploring wildlife from the everyday to the ever-so-old on Sandown’s Science Beach and the Willow Walk beyond – a short glimpse into the natural sciences with a hint of taxonomy to start.
It’s run by volunteers from the team at The Common Space, Arc and Artecology and is part of their free Discovery Bay programme of nature and science activities.
Big Fossil Hunt
Beach, Bugs, Bones kicked off with the Big Fossil Hunt, a mini-celebration of Sandown Bay’s sandy beaches and fossil-rich shores, when thanks to a loan of real fossils from Dinosaur Isle, our diggers discovered ammonites, turtle-shell fossil treasure boxes and even a fossilised elephant tooth!
Meanwhile Dribble Towers grew along the Science Beach groynes and families photographed themselves with our new Britain’s Best Beach trophy!
Then at half-time, everyone upped spades and headed to the Lost Duver beyond the Willow Walk to take a closer look at some of the smallest more modern day wildlife!
Nigel George from The Common Space and Artecology, said,
“The Science Beach and the Willow Walk make great field study guides. Finding out how to identify wolf spiders and springtails and how they behave, alongside the sound of reed warblers and just a short walk from town, is more than just fun though; it helps us to read and appreciate our local environment better.
“Nature can and does offer us learning and inspiration everywhere with a bit of encouragement and we can recreate all this at home!
“But Dribble Towers are actually just for fun.”
Have a Hullabaloo
There are more ways to Discover the Bay throughout the year… join us at Hullabaloo on Saturday 11th and Sunday 12th May, and on our Dawn Chorus Walk, part of the Isle of Wight Walking Festival on Sunday 19th May.
