Oriel y Parc reveals the wild secrets of the coast this May
This May half-term, Oriel y Parc, National Park Discovery Centre in St Davids will be alive with birds, creativity and coastal discovery, as families are invited to explore a lively programme of events inspired by the Pembrokeshire landscape.
Throughout the holiday week, A Trail of Birds and Song will be running through the Centre’s woodland, courtyard and grounds, inviting young adventurers to search for hidden nests. There will also be two drop-in Make & Take sessions giving children the chance to get creative with woodland window art on Wednesday 27 May and clay seabirds on Thursday 28 May.
The highlight of the week is Seabirds Discovery Day on Thursday 28 May, which brings the rich wildlife of the Pembrokeshire coast to Oriel y Parc through a lively mix of expert talks, demonstrations, guided walking and family-friendly discovery.
A courtyard market will run from 10am to 3pm, alongside a series of expert-led events. Greg Morgan, RSPB Cymru Detection Dog Handler for the Biosecurity for Wales project, will talk about the role specially trained dogs play in protecting Wales’s seabird islands, followed by free demonstrations from Jinx, the biosecurity detection dog.
The Discovery Day will also include a guided walk and talk from Caerfai to St Non’s led by National Park Authority Ranger Libby, a former Seabird Island Ranger, along with an insight from National Park Authority Ranger Chris, an ex-Skomer Warden, into life on the island, its internationally important seabird populations and the pressures they face in a changing climate.
As dusk falls, attention will turn from the coastline to inland wonders with a guided Brilliant Bats walk around St Davids.
Please note that some events on Seabird Discovery Day have limited numbers and booking is essential. Further information can be found at www.orielyparc.co.uk.
Alongside the events, visitors can also explore a range of exhibitions, from Garry Fabian Miller’s light-filled Môrwelion / The Sea Horizon and Dafydd Wyn Richards’ new paintings of the Pembrokeshire coast to the locally inspired work of Jo Thomas of Pembrokeshire Craft Makers.
In the Tower, Celebrating the Mischief of Rooks by Jackie Morris and Elly Morgan turns to the clamour and character of the rooks around Oriel y Parc, with paintings and ceramics inspired by the birds that gather in the surrounding trees.
The half-term programme also leaves plenty of room for browsing, with two courtyard markets bringing together handpicked local stallholders and a tempting mix of handmade crafts and produce. The ever-popular Makers Bizarre will return on Tuesday 26 May, followed later in the week by the May Craft Market on Saturday 30 May, with free entry to both.
Manager of Oriel y Parc, Rachel Perkins, said: “Pembrokeshire is a landscape of constant discovery. This May we are peeling back the layers of the coast to reveal the vital work and wild secrets that make this National Park unique. From the dogs guarding our islands to the bats of the Cathedral, it is an invitation to see this world-class environment through fresh eyes.”
