Garden festival countdown: everyone is buzzing

My name is Hannah Grist, and I am a Lifelong Learning Officer based at the South and West Scotland Regional Office in Glasgow.

It is the beginning of September, which means that it is under a week to go until the Glasgow Wildlife Garden Festival 2014 starts!

The leaflets have arrived and are being distributed across Glasgow right now. If you are interested in seeing a digital copy, look here, otherwise check out the fantastic map design below...

Fiona, the project manager, and I just spent several hours driving round Glasgow and dropping off leaflets and banners to a lot of the community groups and schools that are taking part in the festival. Despite the excellent map and sat nav we did manage to inadvertently travel through the Clyde tunnel three times on our way to Govan, but are pleased to report the leaflets made it safely in the end.

It’s been a busy few weeks getting everything prepared, and everyone can’t wait to get started now. It does mean that my job is getting even more exciting and varied than usual; last week, I had to explain to friends that I had spent my Friday dry-stone walling dressed as a bee. The superb bee-friendly dry stone wall was built by volunteers, and can be seen in the Botanic Gardens in Glasgow .

As for the bee outfit; well, look at Laura modelling the look below, and watch this space for updates on what that was all about later this week!

I’m particularly looking forward to a few events on the calendar. We have a screening of the brilliant film Project Wild Thing happening on 11^th September, and it is going to be shown open-air at the Kelvingrove Bandstand. The Bandstand has just been completely refurbished into a snazzy new venue for music and performing arts, and we had a lot of fun working there during the Commonwealth Games. The film itself is a funny and compelling story about a subject that is important to me, getting everyone outdoors and connected to nature. I’m really looking forward to seeing it for the first time at such an iconic venue, cuddled in a blanket under the stars and with a good supply of popcorn.

We also have a den building evening happening on the 15^th September which is going to be absolutely amazing. We have a range of activities planned including scavenger hunts, engineering challenges, games, marshmallows and toys: and all for adults! Why should children have all the fun?

Details on all the events are on the RSPB web pages, or check out www.glasgowgardenfestival.org if you want to know more...