Watercress Wildlife Association Summer Family Day

We've long enjoyed knowing about an almost secret place in the heart of St. Albans - Watercress Wildlife Preserve. It's along the Alban Way, near the corner of Riverside Road and Cornwall Road, and is a wonderful hidden away oasis of nature.

Once the home of watercress beds - thus the name - the land has been brought back to a natural state by a group of volunteers. Now there is a large pond, the river Ver flowing through the grounds, remnants of an old orchard being nurtured back to their full fruit bearing state and more. We even saw a deer there on one visit a few years ago.

On Saturday we took our kids over for what we thought was going to be a quiet afternoon mulling around Watercress, almost undisturbed by others, so were surprised to find the summer fundraiser underway. There was a story tent, bug spotting area, nets to use to capture small fish and tadpoles (who would then be thrown back) from the river, duck racing, and face painting.

You can find out more about Watercress, which is run by volunteers and supported through memberships and donations, on their website: http://www.watercress-net.org.uk/