Nature & Environment Day

Nature & Environment Day 2026 from 11am – 3pm

A fun, nature-themed day of activities on the Ship Inn Community Space. There will be a tree walk with John Parker, 2 x herb walks, story-telling and 2 x ‘Find out about fossils’ talks. There is also an evening Bat walk planned.

Bookings for walks and talks will be announced soon.

Stalls include:

• Transition Stroud with Pedal Power ebikes
• Stroud Valleys Project
• Warm and Well
• Field fresh skin care
• Bat conservation
• Butterfly conservation
• Wildlife Trust

Timetable for Walks/Talks:

• 11.15: Story telling – Just turn up!
• 11.30: Cotswold Herb Centre walk
  • A short walk (suitable for all ages) around the boundary of the Ship Inn site and across the bridge to the canal path opposite. Even in a small space there are an amazing number of purposeful plants to see. Laura will help you recognise them and her lively conversation about plant characters and past uses, along with a basketful of props and tasters, will help you remember your neighbourhood plant allies and perhaps find ways you’d like to benefit from them. Each walk will last about an hour, and spaces are limited to 24 people. 
  • Laura runs regular herb walks around Cam & Dursley – first Saturday of every month – as part of the Cotswold Herb Centre. Laura is a trustee of The Herb Society, founder of Field Fresh Skincare and author of ‘Vital Skincare’ – so expect plenty of tips on how to use our local plants to get your glow from the hedgerow!
  • Booking link coming soon
• 11.45: Story telling – Just turn up!
• 12.00: Find out about fossils
  • A young Fossil Hunter’s Guide – What are fossils? Where and how to hunt them safely. In an interactive session where Cotswold Warden and Geologist, Gareth Beamish, will discuss the fascination of fossils, and how children and parents can gind fossils, especially those local to Gloucestershire. It will be exciting if you bring your Fossil finds for identification.
  • Booking link coming soon
• 12.15: Story telling – Just turn up!
• 13.00: Tree walk with John Parker
  • Local arboriculturist and Town Councillor John Parker will lead a tree walks around the vicinity of the Ship Inn Community Space. We will visit trees and species of interest, and talk about the Stonehouse Arboretum project and the importance of tree care.
  • Booking link coming soon
• 14.00: Find out about Fossils (as above)
  • Booking link coming soon
• 14.30: Cotswold Herb Centre walk (as above)
  • Booking link coming soon
• 21.10: Discovering Bats
  • Evening Bat walk to discover what bats are flying around Stonehouse and the canal. After a short introduction to bats and the evening’s walk, enthusiastic volunteers will take you at a leisurely pace around the locality to allow you to learn about and encounter these fabulously fascinating flying mammals. You’ll be equipped with a bat detector to use as we walk, so you can listen for the ultrasonic calls of the bats swooping past as they’re busy hunting and searching for insects to eat.  
  • Please bring a torch with you and wear appropriate clothing and footwear to suit the weather conditions. If you have your own bat detector, feel free to bring it along with you.
  • Children are welcome but must be accompanied by an adult. 
  • Meet at The Ship Inn Community Space. Depending upon the conditions and levels of bat activity, we anticipate returning to meeting point at 10:45 – 11:00 pm.
    • Booking link coming soon

Refreshments

• Winstones ice cream
• Bubble & Brew Coffee Cart
• BBQ
• Stroud Brewery (to be confirmed)

Other Entertainment

• Children’s games equipment available on site

Check out our other events here