This week, the Otley Courthouse has been buzzing with excitement as the annual Otley Science Festival has brought the community together to celebrate the wonders of science and creativity. The week-long event, held in the heart of West Yorkshire, featured a variety of engaging activities, including a science fair, demonstrations, and hands-on experiments. Wharfedale Men’s Shed (WMS) was delighted to play a part in the festivities, offering a hands-on activity that proved to be a big hit with attendees.
Our contribution? A fantastic bird-box building activity! Members of WMS prepared 17 bird-box kits, inviting visitors of all ages to join us in assembling their very own bird-box to take home. Under the expert guidance of Michael, Malcolm, Stephen, Ken, and Stuart, our younger visitors enthusiastically drilled, screwed and built their way to creating their own pieces of garden art. In the event they had to make 4 more kits to satisfy the demand!
The day was filled with laughter, teamwork, and a few well-earned breaks for some delicious pork pies—kindly provided by Bob M and enjoyed by everyone, courtesy of WMS. By the end of the event, all 21 bird-boxes were successfully completed and proudly taken home by their makers.
This hands-on project was a brilliant way to engage with the community, introduce young people to the joys of woodworking, and contribute to local wildlife conservation efforts. It was a wonderful day filled with learning, creativity, and camaraderie.
A big thank you to the Otley Courthouse for hosting such a fantastic festival and to everyone who joined us to make the event such a success. Here’s to inspiring the next generation of makers and naturalists!
#CommunitySpirit #WharfedaleMensShed #OtleyScienceFestival #BirdBoxBuilding
