Hundreds flock to Bury Wildlife Day event in the Abbey Gardens, Bury St Edmunds

Hundreds of people flocked to a wildlife event in Bury St Edmunds which featured guided walks and ‘interesting’ talks.

The Bury Water Meadows Group hosted its fourth Bury Wildlife Day from 9.30am to 4pm in the Abbey Gardens on Saturday.

The event, which was free to attend, celebrated all of the various wildlife in the town.

Included in the day were guided walks, creative activities and a mini-beasts safari, as well as talks led by local ecology specialists and enthusiasts.

Libby Ranzetta, one of the organisers, said: “The event went really well and we were super pleased with it.

“The sun shone, the talks were really interesting and well-attended, and loads of people got involved with our stalls.

“It was also lovely to see so many people engaging with questions and the wildlife generally.

“The best part was that there were so many people that we hadn’t seen before and it gave us the chance to talk about all the diversity in Bury and see their enthusiasm for it.”

Libby added that a highlight of the day was spotting a female Hairy Dragonfly - an unusual dragonfly known for its dark body, paired yellow spots on the abdomen and brownish eyes.

People at the event were invited to vote for an animal or plant they think deserves the honour of the town’s favourite species, from a shortlist of 10, with the water vole coming out on top.

“Water voles are cute and people love to see them. They're great little creatures,” Libby said.

Libby also expressed her gratitude to those who came to the event and showed their support as well as all the volunteers who helped out on the day.