Stow Maries: Family Nature Day

Not just a museum. Not just an aerodrome.

For decades, Stow Maries Great War Aerodrome was largely undisturbed by the passage of any intruders except the resident farmer, his workers and time.

This means that a thriving and diverse range of flora and fauna has had time to settle in and make themselves comfortable!

Even now, with the site a bustling hive of activity, the Charity takes the care and conservation of its ecology very seriously indeed - as a member of the Natural England Stewardships Scheme and as a Conservation Zone.

Now, you have a chance to join us and enjoy it!

At this Family Nature Day we will be searching for butterflies, bugs and mini-beasts! What can you find living in our meadows and woodlands? Take a close-up look and see if you can identify your finds with help from our Wildlife Guides.

We will be welcoming members of the Essex Field Club to Stow that day, and they will be counting all the different species that we have on site – they look amazing with their nets, tubes and pots for collecting insects, and hopefully we can meet them and see some of what they have discovered.

Your time with us will include a guided walk around some of the quieter areas of the aerodrome that aren’t usually visited, and we are happy to lend binoculars to make it easier to spot some of our shy winged visitors.

You'll spend at least 90 minutes with the wildlife team in our conservation areas, with plenty of time left to explore other aspects of the day - including handling nature items and hearing more about our rare and endangered species. And, of course, your ticket includes all the usual museum attractions.

All you need to do is book your tickets and make yourself know at the Welcome Area after parking and we'll be ready to go!

All this, included as part of your usual admission fee - so you can enjoy the museum galleries, historical tour and Airmens Mess Cafe as well!

Propeller Club Members can enjoy this event without any admission charge.

Image Credits: Stretton/Beattie/SMGWA