The end of July saw Love Parks 2024, a free family-friendly event organised by the city council’s parks team to celebrate Chelmsford’s green spaces. 

This year the event was hosted at Oaklands Park, on the front lawn of Chelmsford Museum. There were over 20 stalls from city council initiatives (including Play in the Park and Love Your Chelmsford) and local groups that make great efforts to help our green spaces and the wildlife within them: from bat and hedgehog conservation to birdwatching, youth wilderness programmes to reading challenges, and more. 

It was a hive of activity from the very start! Children and adults alike were able to see real-life birds of prey and bats, make their own bird feed balls and herb pots, and go nature spotting across Oaklands Park. Attendees also printed their own tote bags in honour of Chelmsford Museum’s J.A. Baker exhibition and tried willow weaving with the local artist behind the peregrine sculptures recently installed in the park. 

Above all, the day was an opportunity for people to learn more about the nature around us, what these groups are doing to support it, and how you too can get involved to help. 

If you’re eager to do more after Love Parks: 

  • Enter a locally-sourced and sustainable recipe into the 5For5 challenge