Braywick Nature Centre

Did you join us for a tractor safari ride at Braywick Nature Festival? How many of our animals did you spot hiding in the meadow? 👀

Huge thanks to our tractor driver Nick Manderfield and to Copas Farms for supplying the trailer 🚜

Big thanks also to volunteers from Centrica for helping to make signs and safari animals, and to Kaizen Scouts and Dragon Scouts for helping with tractor ride coordination and visitor support!

We may not have The Big 5 in Maidenhead, but we do still have some fascinating creatures of our own which made their appearance at the festival, including:

🐛 Cinnabar moth caterpillar: this striking black and yellow caterpillar turns into a beautiful red-spotted moth which can be seen flying both day and night. You've got a good chance of spotting them amongst common ragwort, which it feeds on almost exclusively. Their bright colours warn predators they're poisonous, which they build up through their diet!

🐞 Ladybird: there are more than 25 species of ladybird in the UK, and conveniently many are named after the number of spots they have which help us to tell them apart. They can have between 2 and 22 spots!

🦉 Tawny owl: this charismatic bird can reach a flight speed of up to 50MPH... that's more than triple the running speed of the average person. They are responsible for the iconic "twit-twoo" sound we often associate with owls...but did you know that's actually not the call of a single bird, but a male and female singing to each other!

Which other animals did you see on your tractor ride? Let us know in the comments!

Summer holiday activities this week! Come along to Braywick Nature Centre on Tuesday and Thursday for some pond dipping fun 🐟

Book your tickets now - link in bio and comments!

Acoustic performers available today? !An artist due to play at Braywick Nature Festival today has been forced to cancel and we have a slot available 1:45-2:15pm for a local artist who might like to perform on our lovely Garden Stage. Message us ASAP if you’re interested! 💚💚💚

Got any questions about waste and recycling? Our team have a stall today at the Braywick Nature Festival and are giving out food waste liners (while stocks last) and outdoor food waste caddies ♻️

If you don't have a food waste caddy, you can order one and find out more 👉 https://www.rbwm.gov.uk/environment-and-waste/recycling-and-rubbish/recycling-services/food-waste

Braywick Nature Festival 2026 is finally here! 🥳

Take a look at our schedule, festival map and important info ⬆️

No tickets are required for Friday and Saturday, just turn up on the day and sign up for free activities at the welcome desk at our festival basecamp (at the Nature Centre). See you there!

Link in bio for more details.

We've got a jam-packed line up of activities at Braywick Nature Festival, including our evening sessions:

🌳 Heritage Conservation with Ranger Tom

🦇 Bats and Beers

📽 Film Fest: featuring the People's Emergency Briefing and a series of captivating short-films

All activities across the 2-day festival and evening events are FREE! Spaces at our evening events are limited, so book your spot today. More details and tickets in the link in bio and comments