If you come down to the Mosses today…

24 February 2006

On Tuesday 21st March NEWI is offering a welcome return to the informative and stunning slideshow of the Fenn’s and Whixall Mosses. The slideshow entitled ‘10,000 years on Fenn’s and Whixall Mosses National Nature Reserve’ is back by popular demand and being shown during Wrexham and Science and Technology Week.

The slideshow focuses on research into the history of the Mosses, from the formation of the valley they sit in during the last Ice Age over 12,000 years ago, right the way through to the discovery of rare new invertebrates this year which have appeared because the Mosses are being restored by English Nature and the Countryside Council for Wales to save their raised bog plants and animals.

The kind of creatures that inhabited the Moss over the years and that are now present will be shown, as well as slides of bog bodies. In fact Whixall Moss has turned up more bog bodies than any other bog in Britain. 8000 year old oaks and 3400 year old pines will feature along with sling shot stones lost on the peat bog pre-historic hunters thousands of years ago.

Old photographs from the local history project conducted in the mid 1990s, by English Nature and Clwyd County Council Archaeologists will feature in the show, involving many of the local families who had peat from the Mosses, old peat cutting tools will also be brought along, and the local tradition of holly wreathing will be explained.

This slideshow is being held at NEWI on Tuesday 21st March at 7pm. The event is free but people are asked to reserve their place by calling 01978 293439/3597 or e-mail eventsteam@newi.ac.uk. For more details on the events being held during Wrexham Science and Technology Week @ NEWI log on to www.newi.ac.uk.