City Nature Challenge

The City Nature Challenge is a global event where people in over 400 City Regions worldwide work together to record as much wildlife as possible from 28 April to 1 May.

As part of the City Nature Challenge, we’re calling on the people of Chester and beyond to take part in an epic nature challenge on Monday 1 May! Along with our friends at RECORD, we’re offering a full day of free activities and expert talks at our Nature Reserve.

Drop-in:

From 11am until 3.30pm you’re welcome to visit the nature reserve at anytime (no need to book) for activities including bug hunting and nature games. Spend time getting closer to nature and learning how you can get involved in the City Nature Challenge. We’ll be on hand to help you get started with exploring and recording wildlife.

Our moth trapping event and timed talks below have LIMITED spaces, so please book in advance to avoid disappointment.

Moth Trapping

Time: 8.30am until 10am
Join us as we delve into the fascinating world of moths as we have a look to see which species have flown into our moth traps overnight. There will be a chance for everyone to ‘give it a go’ with some beginner moth identification before recording what we’ve got and letting the moths go.

BOOK YOUR PLACE FOR FREE

Plants wander and talk

Time: 12pm (Booking is essential)
Join us for an overview of plant and tree species on the Chester Zoo Nature Reserve. Our Biodiversity Planning coordinator will also discuss other species that are easily identifiable at this time of year.

GET YOUR PLANT TALK TICKET

Bird ID wander and talk

Time: 1pm (Booking is essential)
Tony, RECORD trustee and local birder, will lead us on a walk around the Nature Reserve to look for bird species and share tips on how to identify them in the field by sight and sound.

GET YOUR BIRD TALK TICKET

Invertebrate ID wander and talk

Time: 2pm (Booking is essential)
Chloe, Monitoring Officer at RECORD, will lead us on gentle stroll around the different habitats found in the Nature Reserve and fill us in on the best ways to look for and identify invertebrates such as bees, butterflies and more.

GET YOUR INVERTEBRATE TALK TICKET

Are you planning to visit the zoo on Monday 1 May?

These two nature activities are included as part of your admission into the zoo. Join our Zoo Rangers who are taking on the City Nature Challenge too and need your help!

Brilliant Bugs
When: 10am -1pm
Where: Butterfly House exit
Let’s see what bugs and butterflies we can spot and help to identify them together.

Wildlife Watch
When: 1pm – 4pm
Where: wildlife garden (opposite the cheetah habitat)
Spend some time to explore the area to see what creatures we can find. We might spot beautiful birds at our feeders or unique bugs in our log pile!