Thanks to claire for details of this upcoming event. Ed
Marvel at a Sponge Garden! Meet an Anemone! Be amazed by the stars on a Star Ascidian!
It’s easy to forget when you’re wandering down Ryde’s shopping streets or rushing to catch a Fastcat that beneath the waves under the ever-busy Ryde Pier, lies a whole world of weird and wonderful marine wildlife – dozens of coastal species, many of which have made their home on the 200 year old pier struts and some, like the sponge ‘gardens’ at the very end, only come to light on extreme low tides.
Under the Pier
Arc Consulting, Spectrum’s Natural Wight project and friends at Eccleston George will be Under the Pier in Ryde on Saturday 29th August helping us to explore some of this amazing array of coastal wonders on our doorstep.
This is not rockpooling as you know it, but sandpooling in fact… plus there’ll be beach art and sandcasting and a chance to record all the species we find.
Bring a net and a bucket if you have one and make sure to wear wellies or waterproof shoes. It’s a free event but we’d love people to make a donation to Hampshire & Isle of Wight Wildlife Trust who run the Shoresearch programmes here on the Island.
Decorate the Pier
And before all that… why not join us with artist Ian Whitmore on our mission to make as much enormous sea-creature bunting as possible to decorate the pier for the big day itself!
Wightlink have very kindly given permission for us to decorate the pier and Ryde Library will be hosting a free art workshop for all this Wednesday 19th August 11-1pm.
It’s all free with all materials and lots of sea-creature inspiration provided. The children at Spectrum’s Active Kids club in Oakfield have already made a fantastic start on the decorations, and all our art and photos from Under the Pier itself will be displayed at Ryde Library in September!
Don’t forget
Under the Pier takes place on Saturday 29th August from 3.30pm to 5.30pm on the Western beach of Ryde Pier – meet at the entrance to the beach on the green at the bottom of Union Street & St Thomas Street, Ryde.
For more information visit our website or email [email protected]
