In March, UK Aware held their London show at Kensington Olympia. It was great and fun and everyone involved had a fantastic time, but what could make it that little bit better?

Well, how about holding a second show in Bristol in conjunction with the Festival of Nature weekend? Running on Saturday 18th and Sunday 19th June and a member of DEFRA (the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs) and supported by the Environment Agency, the Festival is a weekend of fun, designed to hook even the most cynical amongst us and it is being held in Bristol – a city short-listed for the EU Green Capital award in 2008; in fact, it was the only UK city short-listed.

This, of course, just goes to show how green the city is and what a great idea it is to hold the Festival and the second UK Aware show of the year in Bristol. Free of charge to visitors, the Festival gives wildlife aficionados the opportunity to get up close and personal with the natural world by exploring the wide variety of exhibits and events that are on offer over the weekend.

WHAT’S GOING ON, WHO’S GOING AND WHAT IS THERE TO SEE?

• UK Aware – straight from London’s Kensington Olympia, UK Aware is a dedicated and contemporary sustainable living show and will be the first large-scale show of its kind in the Southwest. While stand space at the Festival is already all booked up, UK Aware may still be able to help by hosting businesses and organisations within their area – do not delay in contacting them as we have been told that space is going fast. If you are interested, please contact UK Aware on 020 7221 4934 or email them at carlos@ukaware.com

• The Green Forum tent in Anchor Square – a place where top professors and amateur enthusiasts can come together to discuss new ideas and old philosophies. Over forty environmental and wildlife organisations will be hosted in the tent, bringing a not-to-be-missed collective together for the weekend.

• Talks at the Amphitheatre – to be scheduled, but will include BBC presenters and wildlife experts amongst others.

• The IMAX cinema at the Bristol Aquarium – space is limited but tickets are sold on a ‘first-come, first-served’ basis. Seating at the IMAX is limited to 350 seats and the show is “Sea Rex: Journey to a Prehistoric World” in IMAX 3D. Unmissable!

• As well as all of this, the Festival will be enlivened and will practically spark with the entertainment on offer. From puppet shows to musicians (including ‘human jukeboxes’ and an acapella group) to Pete ‘the Bug Man’ and his exotic creepy-crawlies.

• The Market and Bar area – including stalls offering food sourced from sustainable and jewellery stands and plant stands where you can find that special little gift for that special someone – or for yourself! There is a full list of the Market and Bar exhibitors and stall holders on the Festival’s official page, but see below for the ones that really jumped out at us;

- Absolutely Cakes – Freshly created, free of additives and absolutely scrummy from the individual cupcakes to the giant, custom-made wedding and speciality cakes
- Wessex Pantry – Your gateway to high-quality and handmade meat, fish and game pies
- Dream Blue – Quality products from Turkey, ranging from throws to ceramics to stunning turquoise and silver jewellery
- Woodfruit Exotic and Gourmet Mushrooms – Grow your own or buy from the company, sourced from the area along the banks of the River Dart in Devon
- Munnion Art – Individual and detailed works of art, on sale at the show

SCHOOLS’ DAY – THE BEST FIELD TRIP IDEA ON THE BOOKS:

Before the Festival opens on the 18th June, the organisations involved will be holding their annual free Schools’ Day on Friday 17th June. Sponsored this year by Clifton College, the Schools’ Day is the ultimate in school field trips – it is both educational and fun, as all field trips should be. If you are interested in taking your school along, please get in contact with Sara Chapple to book your place (visits to Schools’ Day are free). On the day, over fifteen organisations will be running hands-on activities to amuse and distract children of all ages. Sara Chapple can be contacted on 01179 304926 or by emailing sara@bnhc.org.uk