Come and help us celebrate

It's 20 years since Conwy nature reserve opened its doors to visitors, and how it's changed!  We were created from three million tonnes of mud sucked from the bed of the Conwy estuary during the construction of the A55 road tunnel.  From that, the RSPB has made a home for nature, which is still growing and maturing.  You can read about our origins on our history pages.

We're having a BIG party later this month to celebrate our first 20 years, and we'd love you to come along and celebrate with us.  It's on Saturday 25 and Sunday 26 July, from 10pm to 4pm, and we're hoping that many people will take up our challenge of doing 20 nature things by 4 o'clock each day.

1. Watch the puppet theatre
Theatre company Puppet Soup is producing a new show, called The Memory Keeper, which will premiere at the birthday party (performances at 12.30pm, 2pm and 3 pm each day).  The story, written by local writer Joanne Rae, is inspired by RSPB Conwy's story, and how we give nature a home.  Our huge thanks to Conwy Arts Trust for their support, enabling us to host our first ever puppet show.

2. See the Give Nature a Home competition entries
Local children have been getting creative, drawing, photographing and sculpting artwork on the theme of 'Giving nature a home'. Our star guest (you'll have to carry on reading to find out who) will be awarding prizes to the winners on Saturday, and the top entries will be on display through the weekend.

3. Wander the wildlife stalls
We have lots of local organisations here to help us celebrate, so it's a great way to find out more about local wildlife.  There will be North Wales Wildlife Trust, Pensychnant conservation centre and nature reserve, Snowdonia Society, Bywyd Gwyllt Glaslyn Wildlife, Rhyd-y-Creuau Field Studies Council, Cambrian Ornithological Society (Saturday only), and Natur Cymru.  There will also be plants on sale from Ann Bond, cupcakes from Lovelies Delights and second-hand books from RSPB North Wales Fundraisers.  Plenty to discover!

4. Go pond-dipping!
Always a favourite, there will be pond-dipping sessions throughout both days. There'll be a small charge, and this can be booked at the information point outside The LookOut.

5. See birds close up
Ringers from BTO Cymru will be catching birds in mist-nets throughout the day (weather permitting) and putting small metal rings on their leg so that we can learn more about them.  It's a great way to get up close to birds you might otherwise only see through binoculars.

6. Eat a s'more at the fire pit
We'll have a fire pit going each day, where you can come and make yourself a s'more, a campfire favourite from North America. It's yummy - and a bit messy!

7. Take a selfie in the new birthday sculpture
You may have already seen some of the wildlife sculptures carved by Simon O' Rourke Treecarving from Flintshire.  These are appearing around the reserve trails, thanks to donors.  The newest sculpture - to be unveiled by our star guest on Saturday (you'll still have to read on...) has an interactive dimension. But we're not saying any more than that at the moment. You'll just have to come and see!

8. 20th birthday bingo
Wildlife bingo sheets are popular family activity at many RSPB nature reserves - but did you know that they were invented here? We have produced a wide range over the years, and for the latest one, you'll need to find 20 different items around the nature trails.

9. Check out the wildlife welly walk
We want to rewild your wellies! Old welly boots make a great pot for flowers that help pollinators, such as bees and butterflies. Bring your old wellies, plant them up and add them to our welly walk (then take the boot home for your garden).

10.Spot tv naturalist Iolo Williams around the reserve
Fresh from BBC Springwatch, Iolo will be here throughout Saturday. Iolo has seen Conwy reserve grow during the last 20 years, and he's a great ambassador for wildlife and for Wales.  Come and say hello (see if you can think of a wildlife question to ask him).

11. Get creative
There will be several art and craft stalls for children, including Girlguiding Caernarfonshire helping you make spinning ladybirds, and Conwy Wildlife Explorers making badges.

12. Listen to Conwy Pop Choir
This local female choir will be performing in the events area between 1pm and 2pm on Saturday.

13. Make animal origami
Ryan Paul from Venue Cymru will be making three-dimensional cardboard animals - come and make one yourself!

14. Try your luck on the tombola
Help to raise funds for the RSPB by having a go at the North Wales Fundraisers' tombola.  Loads of prizes to be won each day.

15. Walk through the past
We've dug into the archive and placed photos around the trails from the birth of the reserve.  Be amazed at how bare the earth was, how little vegetation, and see how it's changed as we spent 20 years giving nature a home.  On Sunday morning, there will be a guided Big Birthday Wildlife Walk to see the reserve with local experts - you can ring us in advance to book, with any spaces left available on the day.

16. Meet a wildlife guide
Our experts will be in the bird hides - see if you can spot 20 different species while you're there. Some of the wildlife guides will be from Macclesfield RSPB Group, who donated the funds to build our Carneddau Hide.

17. Eat some birthday cake
Lovelies Delights are making a huge birthday cake for each day, so there'll be plenty to go round. Be around the events between 12 and 12.30pm each day.

18. Marvel at moths
Weather permitting, we'll have been attracting moths to a light the previous night, and will have them to show you before release in the Love Nature tent.

19. Admire and buy wildlife art Local artists Andrew Jenkin and Philip Snow will be exhibiting some of their work over the weekend.  Andrew exhibits here regularly, and Philip Snow has had a long history with the reserve, painting the original interpretation boards, back in 1995.

20. Promise to give nature a home
We hope that a visit to the reserve will inspire you to do one more thing to give nature a home in your life. It could be something in your garden, it could be supporting a conservation group; whatever it is, write it on a leaf and attach it to our tree of promises.

And on top of all that, there will be a hog roast, ice cream, the RSPB gift shop and coffee shop, children's photography workshop by Lightbox Oriel Colwyn, and a load of wildlife to enjoy!

On Sunday afternoon, we have a family Everyone Explores event, where you can all get hands-on and discover wildlife - you can ring us in advance to book, with any spaces left available on the day

Entry for RSPB/Wildlife Explorer members is £1 each.  For non-members, it is £2 per adult and £1 per child.

We've produced some posters to promote the weekend and it would be great if you could download, print and put them up for us in your school, a local shop, community noticeboard, even in the window of your car. Get the word out - it's going to be a great event.