Over the past few years we have hosted many arts and nature workshops in the grounds of Stoke Minster in the middle of the town as part of our Nature Connect Club.  We have loved finding out how many bugs, beetles, wild animals and plants find their home in this nature-rich space.  
More recently we have been creating a labyrinth and woodland walk in the Minster grounds featuring a stunning oak-tree bench cleverly sculptedby chainsaw artist and sculptor Anthony Hammond. (You can read more about Anthony and his work on our Creative People page).
Students and staff from Stoke Minster CE Primary Academy helped to sow wildflowers around the bench which will form a labyrinth once established.
If you’re passing by, take a look at the carving and the work taking place to create a greener and more welcoming space for people and wildlife. It's another step along the way to making the city more bee-friendly. 
The work forms part of Pockets of Paradise, a project in partnership with B-arts and Festival Stoke and funded through the Stoke High Street Accelerator programme.

We are still developing the Woodland Walk and will feature recordings of some of the wildlife you can hear and see in the Minster grounds.  

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Goldfinch

​​​The Goldfinch is a colourful finch with a bright red face and yellow wing patch. It's a very sociable bird, often breeding in loose groups. It has a delightful twittering song and call. Their fine beaks allow them to extract otherwise inaccessible seeds from thistles and teasels. Increasingly, they are visiting bird tables and feeders. In winter, many UK Goldfinches migrate as far south as Spain.