Craigmillar is to host a day full of family fun this weekend with an array of free activities for families to enjoy, including a petting zoo, face painting, hula hooping and free ice cream.
The event is part of a series of community events being held by independent charity,
Edinburgh & Lothians Greenspace Trust, which aims to boost community wellbeing and re-connect people with their local green spaces.
The festival is being held at Craigmillar Castle Park on Old Dalkeith Road this Sunday from 1pm to 4pm and follows numerous successful events at the Park. Previous events have included tree planting and educational woodland walks, and throughout September events on offer include a Bat Walk, Mini Zoo and woodland walk to mark the transition to autumn.
Ben McCallum, Woodland Engagement Officer at Edinburgh & Lothian’s Greenspace Trust said: “The Family Forest Festival is a great opportunity for families living in Craigmillar and the wider Edinburgh area to experience the great things that are on their doorstep and the greenspace so close to the city. We hope that the local and wider community come along this Sunday and enjoy what’s set to be a jam-packed day of activities in beautiful woodland surroundings.”
Denise Havard, Community Development Manager at The EDI Group commented: “Craigmillar
Castle Park is an amazing asset for the local community and we are pleased to be supporting the Woodland Engagement project which has helped to promote the woodland to both the local and wider community. Ben has put together a varied and exciting programme of events and it’s great to see people of all ages benefiting from these events and learning about the nature in their community. The festival is set to be a fantastic event and we’d encourage families to
venture to Craigmillar to see for themselves what’s on offer.”
A dedicated Woodland Engagement Officer has worked to develop the activity programme in a
newly-created role which has been financially supported by The EDI Group and Forestry Commission Scotland. The role was created to encourage the local community to foster a greater understanding of nature and its value, providing opportunities for them to get involved with looking after the Park which is owned and managed by the City of Edinburgh Council. Other forthcoming events organised by ELGT at the woodland include:
·
Bat Walk: Saturday 2nd September, 7pm. Join bat expert Graeme
Wilson and discover the bats that call Craigmillar Castle Park home.
·
Mini Zoo: Sunday 10th September, 1.30pm – 3.30pm.
Animal Man’s Mini Zoo will be bringing along a selection of weird,
wonderful and cuddly animals to the park. There will also be face painting and
arts & crafts.
·
A Walk in the Park: Friday 22nd September, 3pm-5pm. What
better way to celebrate the first day of autumn than by taking a walk through
the wonderful woodlands of Craigmillar Castle Park.
The Family Forest Festival will take place between 1pm and 4pm on Sunday, 20 August
at Craigmillar Castle Park, Old Dalkeith Road, EH16 4TB.
For more information
about Edinburgh and Lothians Greenspace Trust events, please visit: www.elgt.org.uk or https://www.facebook.com/Edinburgh-Lothians-Greenspace-Trust-192106231309/
