Westbury Wildlife Park to reopen after decades long closure
A new wildlife park in north Bristol is due to open in May 2021 following a decades-long closure.
Westbury Wildlife Parkwill be opening on Thursday, May 6 and will be “a community space to helppreserve and protect local flora and fauna”.
It will also be an educational, creative and therapeutic space for people in the area.
The team behind the park hope to open it four days a week from 10am to 6pm, with additional time allocated for disabled people on Thursday and Friday mornings after “a year of hard work”.
Located a stone’s throw from the heart of Westbury-on-Trym, the park was closed 20 years ago.
Kira Emslie and her partner Jonathan Ashby have been the driving force behind reopening the park, which is being supported volunteers and a board of trustees.
No dogs or alcohol will be allowed in the park, and following a GoFundMe campaign in September 2020, the pair hope to create a centre for environmental education, creative exploration and crafts. There are also hopes to create community gardens and to hire wildlife specialists.
Access to the park, which volunteers hope will soon have a cafe too, will be free. The opening of the green space is being celebrated over two weekends in May to protect wildlife. There will be limited capacity each weekend until October 2021.
On the opening weekends, May 6-9 and 13-16, there will be a BBQ, wildlife workshops and more.
“The time is finally here where we are announcing the opening of Westbury Wildlife Park,” say volunteers.
“We made it! We have worked through rain, sun and snow to get the space ready, and we could not have done it without the support of all our amazing contributors and volunteers.”
Main photo of Kira and Jonathon: Westbury Wildlife Park
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