Water and Wildlife Discovery Day
A packed day of activities for all ages at Oxford Botanic Garden. Discover the diversity of wildlife in freshwater habitats through hands-on workshops and activities.
Activities are included with standard entry to the Garden. To buy your day tickets, click here. Purchase your ticket for Sunday 14 July.
Download the iNaturalist app to make the most of the day's activities (read the how-to guide here).
Tickets
We recommend booking in advance to guarantee entry to the Botanic Garden on 14th July (10:00–17:00). Admission to the Water and Wildlife Day is included with entry.
Adult: £7.20
Under: 16s FREE
Oxford and Brookes University Students: (ID required) FREE
Disabled/Accompany Carer: FREE
Concessions
- Other students £5.90
- Alumni £5.90
- Over 65 £5.90
Activities: Booking Required
Please note that certain booked events will take place outside the Botanic Garden opening hours.
Bird ID for Beginners
Ages 13+. Do you enjoy seeing and hearing birds, but need some help identifying them? Ornithologists will help you search for birds that call this part of Oxford their home. Use apps to help you identify birdsong and become a citizen scientist as you upload photos and sound clips to support national species recording initiatives. No previous birding experience required.
8:00-8:45 Book in advance
11:00-11:45 Book on the day
14:00-14:45 Book on the day
16:00-16:45 Book on the day
19:00-19:45 Book in advance
Mini Meadow Plant Identification
Find out about Oxfordshire's rare meadows and their plants and help to identify those in the Botanic Garden's mini meadow.
Thames Valley Wildflower Meadow Restoration Project
11:00-11:40 Book on the day
15:00-15:40 Book on the day
Drop-in Activities
Water Quality Testing
Our rivers and freshwater habitats are at a crisis point and need urgent action. Experts from FreshWater Watch will demonstrate how you can easily measure nutrient pollution in freshwater using their special kit and scientific methodology. With this robust data, you can help fight for real change.
FreshWater Watch
Smartphone photography for species ID
Join artist and photographer Graham Fudger to learn how to use your smartphone and apps to photograph and identify plants and insects. Experiment with composition, zoom and focus to create a visual document, then upload your images to the iNaturalist species recording app and become a citizen scientist.
Graham Fudger
Freshwater Safari
What beasts lurk below the surface of our ponds and rivers? Discover the underwater inhabitants of the Botanic Garden, and find out what they can tell us about the quality of the water.
Evenlode Catchment Partnership
Aquatic Carnivorous Plants
Dive into the extraordinary world of bladderworts. Discover how these remarkable carnivorous aquatic plants capture their prey with lightning-fast traps. Watch mesmerising video footage, explore detailed images, and get a close-up look at live bladderworts under the microscope. Perfect for curious minds of all ages—no prior knowledge needed.
Oxford Botanic Garden
GroWet – saving our wetland plants
Find out about GroWet, a citizen science initiative addressing the ongoing declines in wetland plants. Help to sow seeds and pot-on rare and endangered wetland plants, which will be re-introduced back into the environment where they can thrive, bolstering and expanding populations.
Freshwater Habitats Trust
Floodplain Wildflower Meadows
Discover the role Oxfordshire’s rare floodplain meadows play in mitigating the current biodiversity and climate crisis and how they are being created and protected. Find out how to make your own back garden meadow and play games to hone your plant identification skills.
Thames Valley Wildflower Meadow Restoration Project
Oxfordshire Bats
Oxfordshire is home to 14 species of bat, some of which feed near water. Learn about the lives of these mysterious night flyers then take a quiz to test your knowledge. Includes batty activities and crafts for children to make and take home.
North Bucks Bat Group
