Following a successful series of events to celebrate Earth Day last year, community groups in Pickering are working together again to lay on a  host of family-friendly activities in town this Saturday.

This year, the theme is making more space for nature to thrive in our gardens and beyond.

Blue hearts will be centre stage, as Pickering launches its very own Blue Campaign, where blue hearts are used to mark areas that are being managed for wildlife. Pickering Town CIC have been working with the Pickering Yarn-bombers, Next Steps, Pickering WI, Pickering Sew ‘n’ Sews, the Orchard Close Crafty Chatters and ladies at the knit and natter in Pickering Library to decorate the town using recycled fabric and wool.

Pickering Environment Group are organising a Wildlife and Nature Fair in The Memorial Hall. Experts from organisations including RSPB, Yorkshire Wildlife Trust, Yorkshire Butterfly Conservation and Yorkshire Dragonflies will be on hand to talk about the amazing wildlife on our doorstep, and what we can do to help on our own patch.

Visitors will also be able to seek advice on and purchase wildlife-friendly plants and seeds and find out new places to visit to experience some of the incredible nature on our doorstep.

Pickering Town Council will be on hand to present and discuss the work they are doing to create wildflower verges. There will be lots to engage families with young children, including a “Who’s Poo” quiz, dissection of owl pellets, and giveaways including wildflower seeds and bookmarks.

The fair organisers are hoping to collect as many pledges for action as possible . They point out that there are many simple steps people can take to help, including leaving a patch of grass to grow long , leaving a corner of the garden to grow wild, adding wildlife-friendly plants, or providing homes via mini-ponds, log piles and nest boxes. Visitors making a pledge will be given their very own Blue Heart signpost to take away to mark the spot at home.

Children will be able to take their blue hearts over the road and decorate them at a stall outside The Beck Isle Museum.

Beck Isle Museum will be opening its doors for free on Saturday, April 20, as part of the town's Earth Day celebrations.

Visitors will be able to decorate a blue heart to show their support for the campaign, plant sunflowers to take home and create garden bugs from recycled materials. Younger visitors will enjoy exploring the museum whilst hunting for garden bugs.

The museum will also be hosting local wildlife speakers and award-winning wildlife novelist Lizzie Pepper will be hosting family storytelling sessions linked to her inspirational debut series ‘The Last Year of the Wild’.

This fopportunity to visit the museum for free and learn about the wildlife in your garden has been made possible by an Inspire grant from North Yorkshire Council’s Stronger Communities Team.

Other events include a local wildlife photography exhibition in the library and a “Waste Not Want Not” eco fair at The Hungate Centre.

Paul Norrington from Pickering Environment Group, said: “Nature is in trouble. It needs our help. Private gardens in Britain cover an area bigger than all the country's nature reserves combined. As well as creating a wildlife haven, there’s an opportunity for people with gardens to be rewarded by creating a truly natural outdoor space to re-connect with nature.”

Full details can be found at www.ryedaleenvirogroup.co.uk/ed24.