THE first ever Alresford Wildlife Week is taking place up to and including this Saturday in and around Alresford town centre with lots of fun activities for children to enjoy every day during half-term week.

One part of the activity is the ‘wildlife quest’– a forager hunt which gets the children collecting items such as leaves and stones from the countryside as well as British Wildlife stickers from shops. All children completing the quest receive a prize and participants can also take part in a special prize draw to win prizes from Ragamuffin, Oakleaf Stationery, and Pretty Woman Beauty Salon.

Wildlife Week has been put together by Winchester City Council’s market towns support officer, Kat Lemon, with financial support from The Southern Co-operative, Alresford Chamber of Trade, and 10 local businesses. The activity has three main objectives; to get children and their parents out into the fresh air over the holidays, to encourage learning about local wildlife, and to offer families another way to enjoy Alresford town centre.

The quest packs also contain the Alresford Millennium Trail guide and the New Alresford Pocket Guide to help participants and their families explore even more of Alresford over the half-term break.

Wildlife Week also offers children the opportunity to take part in a series of free wildlife-related activities run by organisations including Hampshire and Isle of Wight Wildlife Trust, The Barn Owl Project, and the local Cubs and Guides. Alresford Community Centre will be a hub for these activities, with some taking part at the library.

Rob Humby, the portfolio holder for business partnerships, said: “This activity demonstrates the city council’s broad and creative approach to supporting local businesses, increasing town centre footfall and at the same time promoting health and wellbeing.

“The support of Alresford Chamber of Commerce and many local businesses is testament to the success of these kinds of initiatives.”