BAT hunting, bug counting and bird spotting are on the cards at the first Oxford Festival of Nature.

Organisers of the two-day festival, that starts tomorrow, are teaming up with the annual West Oxford Fun Day for their biggest event at Botley Park, with about 50 activities.

Wildlife experts will run activities, including crayfish trapping, worm charming and falconry.

They are also conducting a “BioBlitz” – an intensive survey of the wildlife around Botley Park, off Botley Road.

Charity Science Oxford is running the Oxford Festival of Nature alongside West Oxford Community Association organising the fun day.

Science Oxford project manager, Dominic McDonald, said: “It looks like it is going to be a great weekend.

“We have got the weather, a fantastic range of activities going on and there has been a lot of interest from the community.

“I am really excited about it. We really think we can make this a brilliant weekend for everybody.”

The fun day launches another set of activities including pony rides, dog show, live music, and children’s art events from 1pm-5pm on Saturday.

As many as 1,000 people may attend the event.

Oxford Community Association manager Keith Birnie said: “It is the first time we have joined forces with another group to make it an even bigger event. It could be the biggest we have had.

“There is a range of stalls, lots of live music from local bands, fun things like a children’s art stall, a dog show, a bar, and zumba dancing.”

Some 50 fun day volunteers from West Oxford will be joined by 20-30 ecologists from groups including The Centre for Ecology and Hydrology near Wallingford, the Oxford Ornithological Society and the Berks, Bucks and Oxon Wildlife Trust.

The “BioBlitz” information is compiled into valuable scientific data for Oxfordshire on the Government-backed Thames Valley Environmental Records Centre website iRecord.

It all starts with a range of talks by ecologists tomorrow at West Oxford Community Association from 5pm.

West Oxford’s weekend of celebrations also includes the Botley Fete on Saturday at Louie Memorial Playing Fields off Arnolds Way, Botley, with activities and events from 3pm, starting with a parade of homemade giants, followed by a barbecue, beer tent, mobile skate park, barn dance and an open mic show.

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