Open Day 2024 - Photo reportage

On the 22nd of September, we were excited to host our annual Open Day and welcome 400 visitors to the Creekside Discovery Centre. Our latest blog post is a photographic story of the fabulous day!

The weather in the days leading up to the event was wet and stormy, creating an atmospheric start to the event and raising questions about whether we'd safely be able to get into the river. Early in the morning of the big day, we ventured down into the Creek and found, due to the overnight rains, a frisky river! Thankfully, with a bit of tweaking to the plan and no more rain on the day we could keep our entire programme of fun and informative nature-inspired activities!

 

We had many activities for everyone of all ages, from river and pond dipping, badge making, exploration of algae and wildflower walk. The visitors got to experience the Creek, and families made their badges, found wildflowers, and tasted the delicious food prepared by the Spring Café from Cockpit Art Studios. The café treated visitors to tasty lunches, and everyone was given complimentary tea and coffee with a biscuit.

 

Toddlers and young ones enjoyed playing a wildflower-themed bingo game where they had to find all the flowers pictured for them and grown-ups with teenagers could join a guided Wildflower Walk led by our man Nick Bertrand. Creekside Centre side can have nearly 300 different species flowering at the same time! Of course, that happens mainly during the summer; however, during the Open Day, we still find many plants showing us spectacular displays of flowers, from Perennial Wall-rocket, Watermint, Herb Robert to Hawkweed Oxtongue and so on.

 

Older kids with parents explored the river and its aquatic inhabitants' so-called creatures from the Creek; under 8s had a great time pond dipping and looking at the living things via a magnifying glass. They found newts, snails, and six-legged animals such as damselfly nymphs, pond skaters, and boatmen. Yes, our pond is full of life! 

 

The main room was buzzing with little artists engaging in Arts & Crafts, with badge-making stealing the spotlight as it allowed children to unleash their creativity. We should all thank Julia, who operated a badge-making machine all day! In a smaller room, the citizen science project Slimewatch 2 captivated visitors with its insight into the algae life in Deptford Creek, adding an educational twist to the fun!

 

Overall, it was a day filled with joy and adventure, and the Creekside team was thrilled to have seen so many people connecting with the wonder of urban wildlife. We are already looking forward to our next open site adventure!

 

A special thank you to everyone who visited and all our volunteers who helped make the day such a success. We're also grateful to The Deptford Challenge Trust, who provided funding for the event, and the Mayor of London, with the support of London Wildlife Trust, whose Rewild London funding is enabling important habitat and engagement works featured during the day.