Wild Goose Festival

Nana’s Garden – Children's Activity with Lift D&G
2024-10-15 13:00 - 15:00 UTC | Lift D&G, Lochside Road, Dumfries
Lift D&G Cabin

Join LIFT D&G and local artists for engaging, nature-themed workshops for children at the Cabin on Dunlop Road. Let your imagination soar, get creative, and forge a deeper connection with the local environment. Artist to be announced.

Hidden in Plain Sight: Revealing the Intricate Lives of a Lesser Loved Goose, the Greylag
2024-10-10 14:30 - 16:30 | Balmaclellan Village Hall, 1 Murrayfield, Balmaclellan, Castle Douglas, Scotland, DG7 3QE, United Kingdom
Greylag Goose in Flight | Photo by Tony Hisgett

Speaker Larry Griffin: Larry works on wildfowl in Scotland and, in particular, over the past 25 years on Barnacle Geese, Pink-footed Geese, and Whooper Swans in Dumfries and Galloway, and more recently on the resident Greylag Geese.

In the recent past, the Greylag Goose was a rare protected species restricted to the north-western isles. It has become more common in this region and within Scotland and the UK generally. It appears to be static, but GPS tracking has shown that they have a complex set of seasonal movements specific to each individual, and the birds you see on your local patch are unlikely to be the same birds day in and day out. This is an under-appreciated species with a much-tarnished image, which has interesting and varied breeding strategies, even nesting in trees.

Connecting Habitats with Dr Larry Griffin
2024-07-16 08:00 - 17:00
Connections between different sites celebrating the geese such as Lindisfarne and D&G are celebrated as both host our internationally important barnacle and pink-footed, and both sites cater for brent geese from different parts of the Arctic too through their provision of safe, high quality undisturbed foraging and roosting habitats.

All three species have similar coastal habitat needs for saltmarsh and wet pastures.

These migratory goose needs can be contrasted with the year round needs of our own resident greylag geese which are often overlooked, ill understood and unappreciated by comparison, yet they are a rich source of intrigue once we start to shine a light on their yearly exploits and struggles for survival.

Goodbye to the Geese - Dusk Flight
2024-03-31 19:00 - 21:00 | WWT Caerlaverock, WWT Caerlaverock, Eastpark Farm, Dumfriesshire, Scotland, DG1 4RS, United Kingdom
Barnacle geese at sunset over Caerlaverock

This Easter weekend, join us at WWT Caerlaverock as we say farewell for now to our overwintering geese.

On our dusk flight walk, you can witness the stunning spectacle of barnacle geese gathering on the Solway mudflats in their thousands as they prepare to make their 2,000-mile migration to Spitsbergen in the Norwegian Arctic.

Join the wardens out on the merse, as we stay open later to watch the geese flighting out against the sunset.

Bring warm, waterproof clothing, walking boots or wellingtons, binoculars and a torch.

Terms & Conditions

Booking essential, £10 per person (minimum age 10 years), please phone 01387 770200.

Goodbye to the Geese - Meet a Warden
2024-03-30 11:00 - 13:00 | WWT Caerlaverock, WWT Caerlaverock, Eastpark Farm, Dumfriesshire, Scotland, DG1 4RS, United Kingdom
This Easter weekend, join us at WWT Caerlaverock as we say farewell for now to our overwintering geese. Come and meet a warden to learn more about barnacle geese, their migration, this important wetland habitat and how we manage the reserve for geese and other species.

Dusk Flight: Walk up Wardlaw
2024-03-29 18:00 - 20:00
Flock of Pink-footed Geese in flight at sunset

WWT Caerlaverock wardens are joining NatureScot reserve staff to lead a walk up Wardlaw Hill to see the dusk flight of the pink-footed geese and barnacle geese as they head out to roost on the Solway mudflats.

The walk will start at Caerlaverock Castle, it is a free ticketed event – please email: southern_scotland_admin@nature.scot if you require further details.

Please wear good sturdy footwear and bring warm clothes and waterproofs in the event of cold/wet weather.

BOOKING ESSENTIAL

Accessibility Details: No wheelchair access, due to steep hill walk and off road tracks. No dogs except guide dogs.

Age Restriction: 8+

Three Sisters – A Story from the Climate Future (Day 2)
2023-10-29 14:00 - 18:00 | Kirkconnell House, New Abbey, Dumfries, DG2 8HL
From the renowned art and social justice group Platform, Three Sisters – A Story from the Climate Future, is a drama made specifically for Nithsdale and premiering at the Wild Goose Festival.

Created in New Abbey, just to the south of Dumfries, this immersive audio drama uses the structure and sensibility of Anton Chekhov’s Three Sisters to explore a thriving community set against the backdrop of social and ecological collapse.

It is a beautiful dissection of isolation, longing, and family ties set in the late 2030s. All within the echoing cries of the geese of Solway.

After 15 years of weathering storms, floods, and lockdowns in the Nith valley, will this community keep together?

With a cast of 11 and recorded on location at Kirkconnell House in New Abbey, this audio drama will lead the audience through the story of the community and an experience of a remarkable building.

Using the highest quality sound design the piece will engage the audience in the most pressing questions of our times.How will we live under the impacts of climate change, with extreme weather events and so many forced to be refugees?

What shape will our altered society take? How will we love?

Accessibility Details: Restricted

Age Restriction: 12+

Remember to choose the correct date for the performance you’d like to attend in the below checkout:

A Traditional Scottish Halloween at the Home of Rabbie Burns
2023-10-29 11:00 - 15:00 | Ellisland Farm, Ellisland Farm, Hollywood Road, Auldgirth, DG2 0RP
Join us at Ellisland for a ghostly day of Halloween fun for all the family. We are hosting a celebration in the spirit of the Bard himself wi’ merry sangs and unco tales!

The history of Halloween is steeped in Scottish traditions, Burns himself had an affiliation with the supernatural and references to this can be found across his work. Especially in his infamous tale Tam O’ Shanter that depicts a drunken Tam’s encounter with witches and warlocks on a cold market day in Ayr. Here at Ellisland you can walk the paths and take in the surroundings where the poet conjured the infamously spooky tale.

Take part in our guising parade where the best costumes will win prizes. There will be hot food and beverages available to purchase on the day as well as an array of home baking. Families can also participate in activities such as Dookin for apples, arts n crafts, an unlucky dip and try and pin the tail on Meg! There will be a roaring fire pit to warm yourself by while you are serenaded by traditional music from local musicians.

No need to book just come along on the day

Accessibility Details: Cobblestones in the farm yard can be uneven, toilets are accessible via a ramp, there are two steps into the farm cottage and a wheelchair ramp can be provided on request.

Age Restriction: All ages

Writing for Nature – Connecting Place, Species & Season
2023-10-28 18:30 - 20:30 | National Trust for Scotland’s Threave Nature Reserve, Kelton Mains, Castle Douglas, Dumfries & Galloway, DG7 1TJ, United Kingdom
BOOKING ESSENTIAL

Stephen Rutt’s book Wintering: A Journey with Geese was chosen as Times Nature Book of the Year 2019, and described as “a poignant testament to how we can find peace in the rhythms of the natural world”.

Stephen is partnering with National Trust for Scotland to deliver a relaxed, creative evening workshop at Threave Nature Reserve for anyone interested in developing their nature writing skills.

Based in Dumfries, Stephen is also author of The Seafarers: A Journey Among Birds (2020), winner of the Saltire First Book of The Year award 2019, and The Eternal Season: A Journey Through Our Changing British Summer (2022).

“Rutt’s dreamy prose is as cool and elegant as the season he charts. His love for them shines throughout a seamless blend of field observations and cultural history, framed by his continuing journey towards discovering solace and sense in nature” – Jon Dunn, BBC Wildlife

Participants are encouraged to take a walk around Threave Nature Reserve at some point leading up to the event.

Please bring your preferred writing materials. Tea and coffee will be provided. Please note we have no wi-fi at the Reserve.

BOOK YOUR TICKETS HERE

Accessibility Details: Venue is wheelchair accessible, wheelchair accessible toilets on site. Please contact us to discuss requirements – ThreaveNature@nts.org.uk

Age Restriction: The workshop is designed for adults and older young people

Goose Roost on Sandflats Walk at Mersehead
2023-10-28 17:15 - 19:15 | RSPB Mersehead, RSPB Mersehead Nature Reserve, Southwick, Dumfries, DG2 8AH, United Kingdom
Part of the #WildGooseFestival2023. Some of the greatest spectacles of nature take place at dusk. Join our guide to enjoy Svalbard barnacle geese descending on the sandflat and reserve to roost. This will involve a ¾mile/1.2km walk down to the shore, to view incoming geese. There may be some standing around for a while once in position. Please wrap up warmly, come prepared for cold or wet weather and bring a torch for safe return to the car park afterwards.

Note that access over the sand-dunes is not suitable for normal wheelchairs. Families welcome (though not suitable for younger children). All children must be accompanied by ticketed adults. Additional car park charge applies for non-RSPB members.

BOOKING ESSENTIAL

BOOK YOUR TICKETS HERE

Accessibility Details: Firm, mostly surfaced path along route. Distance: 2+miles/3.4km. Visibility will diminish, with return walk in darkness.

Age Restriction?: Adults and children 12+

Three Sisters – A Story from the Climate Future (Day 1)
2023-10-28 14:00 - 18:00 | Kirkconnell House, New Abbey, Dumfries, DG2 8HL
From the renowned art and social justice group Platform, Three Sisters – A Story from the Climate Future, is a drama made specifically for Nithsdale and premiering at the Wild Goose Festival.

Created in New Abbey, just to the south of Dumfries, this immersive audio drama uses the structure and sensibility of Anton Chekhov’s Three Sisters to explore a thriving community set against the backdrop of social and ecological collapse.

It is a beautiful dissection of isolation, longing, and family ties set in the late 2030s. All within the echoing cries of the geese of Solway.

After 15 years of weathering storms, floods, and lockdowns in the Nith valley, will this community keep together?

With a cast of 11 and recorded on location at Kirkconnell House in New Abbey, this audio drama will lead the audience through the story of the community and an experience of a remarkable building.

Using the highest quality sound design the piece will engage the audience in the most pressing questions of our times. How will we live under the impacts of climate change, with extreme weather events and so many forced to be refugees?

What shape will our altered society take? How will we love?

Accessibility Details: Restricted

Age Restriction: 12+

Remember to choose the correct date for the performance you’d like to attend in the below checkout:

Goose Themed Forest School
2023-10-28 13:30 - 15:30 | RSPB Mersehead, RSPB Mersehead Nature Reserve, Southwick, Dumfries, DG2 8AH, United Kingdom
Join us for another one of our popular Forest School events, this workshop will be all things goose to coincide with the #WildGooseFestival2023.

Limited places are available for primary aged school children. Each workshop costs £5 per child. Parents and guardians are required to stay.

Suitable clothing and footwear for outside play are essential. Please email george.hemstock@rspb.org.uk to reserve a space or for further information.

Forest school involves learning that is in tune with nature and the great outdoors. Its aim is to promote new skills, confidence, self-esteem, and team building while participants take part in fun outdoor activities.

BOOKING ESSENTIAL

TO BOOK – Email: mersehead@rspb.org.uk

Goose Quest
2023-10-28 10:30 - 15:30 | National Trust for Scotland’s Threave Nature Reserve, Kelton Mains, Castle Douglas, Dumfries & Galloway, DG7 1TJ, United Kingdom
Goose Quest at National Trust for Scotland Threave Nature Reserve drop-in activities throughout the day –

follow the lives of our resident greylag geese and the incredible journeys of our visiting barnacle, pink-footed and Greenland white-fronted geese

explore our wetland, grassland and woodland habitats while looking for clues along the Goose Trail

enjoy family craft activities and a cup of tea or coffee at the Information Point

see what you can spot through the scopes at our wildlife hides

find out more about the innovative land restoration project underway at Threave Nature Reserve

NTS Rangers and Volunteers will be on hand to help you get the most out of your visit, and to help you spot wildlife at our hides.

Picnic areas are available, or enjoy lunch or cakes at our café just a few minutes’ drive away at Threave Garden.

Threave Nature Reserve is just off the A75 Castle Douglas bypass – follow signs for Threave Castle (please note we are not at Threave Garden, which is signposted separately).

BOOKING IS ESSENTIAL

BOOK YOUR TICKETS HERE

Accessibility Details: Smooth wide gravel paths around the reserve. Wheelchair accessible toilet on site. The circular trail is 1.5km. Please contact us as accessibility may depend on weather conditions and activities – ThreaveNature@nts.org.uk

Age Restriction: All ages – children must be accompanied by adults

The Geese at the Crook
2023-10-28 10:30 - 12:30 | RSPB Crook of Baldoon, Shell Road, Wigtown, DG8 9AF
The RSPB Crook of Baldoon Reserve covers 194 hectares (479 acres) along the Baldoon Sands adjacent to Wigtown. The site lies adjacent to the Cree Estuary Site of Scientific Natural Interest (SSSI) and the River Bladnoch Special Area of Conservation (SAC). There is a designated Scheduled Monument (SM), which is a target range from the second world war.

The reserve is a key place for passage, wintering and breeding wildfowl and waders within Southwest Scotland. Its collaboration with the enlarged Wigtown Bay Local Nature Reserve (WBLNR) is an internationally important haven for the population of Pink-footed Geese, Whooper Swans and Svalbard Barnacle Geese. Many waders and wildfowl will utilise the reserve’s network of wetland and saltmarsh habitats. Hen Harriers, Peregrine Falcons, Merlin, and Ospreys are regularly seen hunting on the reserve. All of this makes the Crook of Baldoon a very special place to visit during winter months.

The event in partnership with the goose festival will be led by the warden and will take you through the two main habitats on the reserve. To the inland side of a sea bank there is a developing wet grassland that hosts breeding lapwing in summer and winter waders such as Snipe and Curlew. To compliment the wet grasslands a number of lagoons have been created, they have developed over a number of years into a diverse habitat with Little Grebe, Shoveler and most recently Coot breeding. As well as winter Wigeon, Pintail and scarcer wildfowl such as American Wigeon.

The seaward side of the bank is the grazing merse. Cattle graze the merse through the summer to ensure that by the winter the vegetation is of a correct length for grazing geese.

The event will focus on the geese around the reserve but there will be a chance to see a range of wildlife on the day. We will also explore the history and management of the reserve that enables the wildlife to thrive, and about the Species on the Edge project which is working to protect coastal wildlife on the Solway.

BOOK YOUR TICKETS HERE

Accessibility Details: The car park is at the end of Shell Road off the A714, from there, a path runs parallel to Wigtown Bay to the north and south of the car park. The path is level but is unsurfaced and can be muddy and uneven especially when wet. A Toilet will be available on site for the event. Please be dressed in warm clothing and have wet weather gear. There will be cattle on site, so dogs are welcome but must be on a lead.

Age Restriction? Under 18 allowed if accompanied by parent or guardian

The Wild Sound of Great Writing
2023-10-28 10:00 - 14:30 | WWT Caerlaverock, WWT Caerlaverock, Eastpark Farm, Dumfriesshire, Scotland, DG1 4RS, United Kingdom
Some writers manage to capture the thrill of being among and of the natural world in words which resonate and serve as portals to our understanding and memory. This is the motivation for a special collaboration between Spiracle Audiobooks, WWT Caerlaverock and David Borthwick.

Passionate about writing which expresses love of and connection with the environment, David Borthwick chooses stories, passages and poems which will be performed by authors and actors across the WWT Caerlaverock reserve. This is a day to immerse in a place of fluid boundaries, of vital connection between the human body and the natural world.

Spiracle Audiobooks is a new audiobook platform which celebrates great writing and champions the independent presses.

Accessibility Details: Our site has disabled parking & facilities, is wheelchair accessible with wheelchairs available for hire. Trained service dogs are allowed.

LEARN MORE HERE

Dawn Flight
2023-10-28 06:45 - 09:00 | WWT Caerlaverock, WWT Caerlaverock, Eastpark Farm, Dumfriesshire, Scotland, DG1 4RS, United Kingdom
Take this unique opportunity to watch thousands of Barnacle geese flighting in to the reserve against the dawn sky.

We will walk out to the merse at dawn to watch this spectacular wildlife event. Please bring weatherproof clothes, suitable footwear, binoculars, and a torch.

Please bear in mind, this requires a walk of approximately half a mile on uneven paths in low light conditions.

BOOKING ESSENTIAL

BOOK YOUR TICKETS HERE

Waking The Witch - Walking Tour
2023-10-27 19:00 - 21:00 | Dumfries and Galloway Council Museums Service, Dumfries Museum, Rotchell Road, Dumfries, DG2 7SW
The dark days of the witch trials left a powerful mark on the town of Dumfries… At the height of the persecutions, at least 78 people were accused of witchcraft, with many more affected in the wider region.

Join award-winning storytellers, Mostly Ghostly, as they reawaken a collection of historical, thought-provoking accounts, through layers of rich narrative and first-hand dramatisations, exploring cases of alleged witchcraft and their devastating human consequences…

Kathleen Cronie, John Hill, Mary Wood,

The launch of our new tour features a special evening visit to Dumfries Museum and the Old Bridge House Museum, where guests will have the opportunity to view intriguing artefacts connected to the witch-hunting era, and consider the impact of key historical events that occurred in view of the Old Bridge, including a haunting account of five women transferred to Kirkcudbright to await trial, where they would be imprisoned in the ‘dark dungeon’ of Kirkcudbright Tolbooth…

BOOKING ESSENTIAL

BOOK YOUR TICKETS HERE

Tickets are also available at the Midsteeple Box Office

Accessibility Details: Fully accessible museum. Other venues and sites around town not accessible, need to be able to walk around town e.g. steps on the Old Bridge to negotiate.

Age Restriction: Age guide 12 and above

Northern Tales & Tunes
2023-10-26 19:30 - 20:30 | The Stove Cafe, 100 High Street, Dumfries, Scotland, DG1 2BJ, United Kingdom
Sami storyteller Stina Fagertun and Sami musician Øistein Hanssen travel to Dumfries for a cosy and unique evening of stories, music and songs from the far north.

About Øistein Hanssen

Øistein Hanssen has roots from Sami, Kven and Norse ancestry and has studied the different cultures’ musical background. To gain a deeper understanding, he has spent decades tracing humanity’s musical heritage back to the dawn of time. The sources are archaeological excavations, cave paintings, myths from religions and folk tales together with genetic traces that show how human groups have migrated to new areas of the globe. The stories and myths are told with short touches from prehistoric musical instruments made of materials such as bone, horn, wood and hollow plant stems.

About Stina Fagertun

Based in Tromsø, Stina Fagertun has been a cultural ambassador for more than 30 years and has collected ancient, unique fairy tales from the Coastal Sami, Kven and Arctic storytelling tradition.

Birds of The Nith with Stephen Rutt
2023-10-26 19:00 - 21:00 | Dumfries and Galloway Council Museums Service, Dumfries Museum, Rotchell Road, Dumfries, DG2 7SW
In the main hall of Dumfries Museum, the award-winning nature writer Stephen Rutt will deliver a talk about the birds of the River Nith.

Using the museum’s recently refreshed taxidermy displays as a starting point, he will explore what they can tell us about the River Nith and what the river can tell us about the range of birds that make their home in its range of habitats.

In his unique style, combining art and science, his own writing (and featuring excerpts from his current, unpublished project) and his encounters with the Nith’s birds, this talk is for everyone who is fascinated by the river that runs through the heart of Dumfries and curious to find out more about the life it holds.

No booking necessary

Riverside Walk with Stephen Rutt
2023-10-26 17:00 - 18:30 | Devorgilla Bridge, Dumfries, DG2 7BE
Join Adam Murphy of Nith Life and award-winning nature writer Stephen Rutt for a guided sunset walk, looking with readings along the River Nith. Discover Dumfries’s urban wildlife, learn more about rivers and hopefully a skein or two of geese passing over.

About Stephen Rutt

Stephen Rutt is an award-winning author of three books about nature and landscape. He won the Saltire Society’s first book award for his debut work, The Seafarers and was listed in The Times books of the year for 2019 with his follow up, Wintering. His most recent work, The Eternal Season, was about the changing nature of summer wildlife. He lives in Dumfries with his wife, toddler and cat.

Accessibility Details: Public paths and bridges may include steps and uneven ground.

Age Restriction: 12+

Autumn Discovery Walk at Mersehead
2023-10-26 11:00 - 13:00 | RSPB Mersehead, RSPB Mersehead Nature Reserve, Southwick, Dumfries, DG2 8AH, United Kingdom
Discover some of the amazing wildlife looked after on this farm.

As the season changes, so too do the habitats and special creatures found here – with lush greens turning to golds, reds and browns and flocks of ducks, geese and wading birds arriving in massive numbers.

These walks will give you a chance to see it all close-up and learn how we manage this important place for nature in our fields and on the wetlands.

Please wrap up warmly, come prepared for cold or wet weather and bring binoculars/cameras if you have some.

All children must be accompanied by ticketed adults. Families welcome (though not suitable for early years). This walk will take place along our wheelchair accessible trail.

BOOKING ESSENTIAL

BOOK YOUR TICKETS HERE

Accessibility Details: Mostly wheelchair accessible. Distance: 2+miles/3.4km

Age Restriction?: Adults and children 7+

Natural Crafts
2023-10-26 10:00 - 16:00 | WWT Caerlaverock, WWT Caerlaverock, Eastpark Farm, Dumfriesshire, Scotland, DG1 4RS, United Kingdom
We’ll be hosting 2 sessions throughout the day: 10am-12noon & 2pm-4pm.

Taking inspiration from nature, these drop in sessions are for all ages and abilities. We will select some natural materials gathered from around our reserve. Where creativity is encouraged for the simple pleasure of it, in a fun, supportive and positive atmosphere coupled with guidance that builds confidence.

Make an autumnal crown, wreath or wand as well as a pinecone bird feeder (latter not suitable for those with nut allergies).

No advance booking required.

BOOK NOW

Accessibility Details: Our site has disabled parking & facilities, is wheelchair accessible with wheelchairs available for hire. Trained service dogs are allowed.

Keep Looking Up: Stargazing
2023-10-25 19:30 - 21:30 | Caerlaverock Castle, Castle Road End, Dumfries, DG1 4RU
Geese like stars, they help them to migrate. Nigh-ttime is a great time for stories, star stories in particular. Elizabeth Tindal, Biosphere Dark Sky Ranger, will be there to tell you stories about constellations, the importance of the North star to both people and birds, moon geese and the moon rabbit all while standing under the stars.

Wrap up warm and come along to see the stars above Caerlaverock Castle.

There will be hot drinks provided to warm you up while you have a chance to chat about the space, the universe and everything.

Led by Freelance Ranger and Biosphere Dark Sky Ranger, Elizabeth Tindal

BOOKING ESSENTIAL

BOOK YOUR PLACE HERE

Accessibility Details: Mix of gravel and grass trails

Age Restriction: Any age

Note: There will be wet weather contingency.

Wild Goose Festival 2023 Caerlaverock Cycle Ride
2023-10-25 10:00 - 13:00 | Dock Park, Dockhead, Dumfries, Scotland, DG1 2RY, United Kingdom
Cycling Dumfries are delighted to join WWT, Nith Life and NatureScot, to host this guided wildlife ride to WWT Caerlaverock, taking in Caerlaverock National Nature Reserve and the river Nith along the way. The ride is around 20 miles – but with plenty of stops on the way to look out for wildlife and take in the sights and sounds of the Nith and the estuary.

Each group will be accompanied by a wildlife expert as well as a ride leader and we’ll stay in small groups. The ride includes refreshments on arrival at WWT Caerlaverock.

Please bring your own binoculars and snacks/drinks for the ride.

Families welcome, although given the length of the ride overall, we recommend this ride is only suitable for those aged 10 or over.

BOOKING ESSENTIAL

Accessibility Details: The route is suitable for anyone able to cycle 20 miles on a bike, ebike, hand cycle, trike etc.

RSPB Guide in the Car Park
2023-10-25 10:00 - 12:00 | RSPB Ken Dee, Ken-Dee Marshes Reserve, Castle Douglas, DG7 2LY
Join our RSPB Warden at Ken Dee Marshes by the car park to look for and hear about the geese and other wildlife that winter around Loch Ken and surrounding area, including the Greenland White-fronted Geese which we be arriving after their epic migration from Greenland via Iceland.

Drop by to chat and ask questions of our Warden, look through the spotting scope provided and find out about where best to look for geese in the area.

No booking required

FOR MORE DETAILS, CLICK HERE

Accessibility Details: Accessible for all.

Event Capacity: 8 cars

Age Restriction: Under 16’s to be accompanied by an adult

Badger Banquet at Mersehead
2023-10-24 18:00 - 20:00 | RSPB Mersehead, RSPB Mersehead Nature Reserve, Southwick, Dumfries, DG2 8AH, United Kingdom
Feast your eyes on badgers, as they snuffle around for a snack in our garden. So, they’re not goosey but are just as black, white and grey as our barnacle geese! These creatures are living on the reserve and often leave tracks and signs along our trails but close views can be a challenge.

Watch them close-up from the comfort of our Sulwath Centre, with hot drinks also available for the evening. And who knows what else might turn up?

All children must be accompanied by ticketed adults. A great experience for families (though not suitable for early years).

BOOKING ESSENTIAL

BOOK YOUR TICKETS HERE

Accessibility Details: Restricted spaces. Indoor event, wheelchair accessible, toilets and audio hearing loop available in venue. Nearby car parking.

Age Restriction?: Adults and children 12+

Goose Gander
2023-10-24 10:30 - 12:30 | WWT Caerlaverock, WWT Caerlaverock, Eastpark Farm, Dumfriesshire, Scotland, DG1 4RS, United Kingdom
Join us for a walk with a knowledgeable warden to learn how we manage the reserve for the thousands of barnacle geese and pink footed geese that migrate here in winter. Learn how to identify different species and experience the sights and sounds of these wonderful wildfowl.

BOOKING ESSENTIAL

BOOK YOUR TICKETS HERE

Accessibility Details: The trails are all accessible. Walking boots or wellies may be needed in wet weather

Women, Witchcraft and Birds
2023-10-23 19:00 - 21:30 | Dumfries and Galloway Council Museums Service, Dumfries Museum, Rotchell Road, Dumfries, DG2 7SW
Judith Hewitt managed the Museum of Witchcraft and Magic in Cornwall for five years and she will draw on her work at this museum for this talk.

This included a display dedicated to The Goddess – a Pagan deity who takes many forms. Many Goddess archetypes connect with birds in some way and, arguably, some of this symbolism developed into the early modern idea of ‘the witch’.

The persecution of those accused of witchcraft will also feature in this talk with accusations involving flight, feathers and birds as familiars included.

Visitors to Dumfries Museum for this talk will also be able to explore the museum’s two exhibitions ‘The Women of Dumfries: Art, Suffrage, Temperance and War’ and ‘Dr Flora Murray: Suffragette, Doctor and Daughter of Dumfries.’

No booking necessary

Accessibility Details: Fully accessible, ground floor

Age Restriction: The talk aimed at adults

Make a Willow Bird Feeder
2023-10-23 13:00 - 16:00 | WWT Caerlaverock, WWT Caerlaverock, Eastpark Farm, Dumfriesshire, Scotland, DG1 4RS, United Kingdom
Come and make a willow bird feeder with experienced weaver Fiona Moir.

You will learn how to work with willow to make a feeder that takes fat balls. Hang it in your garden and then watch the variety of birds that will use it.

Fiona practices various crafts and has taught many craft classes to different age groups. She is also a guide in the hide volunteer at WWT Caerlaverock

BOOKING ESSENTIAL

BOOK TICKETS HERE

Accessibility Details: Our site has disabled parking & facilities, is wheelchair accessible with wheelchairs available for hire. Trained service dogs are allowed.

Conversing Building in partnership with Fife College & HMP Dumfries
2023-10-23 09:00 - 2023-11-18 15:00 | The Stove Cafe, 100 High Street, Dumfries, Scotland, DG1 2BJ, United Kingdom
Postponed from October 16th | Closed Sunday’s

As part of this year’s Wild Goose Festival, the Stove’s Conversing Building project has been engaging with Fife College learners based at HMP Dumfries. Sharing inspirations and prompts from the festivals theme of Keep Looking Up, the learners have worked through a variety of creative mediums to respond through both creative writing and visual mediums including painting and drawing.

The works on display began during a creative workshop day exploring the background of the festival and it’s wider themes of migration, nature and of course, a celebration of our seasonal visitors – the geese!

Stop by the Stove Café during visitor hours to have a closer look at the work created.

All artworks are submitted anonymously.

Keep Looking Up

The migration of the barnacle goose has been a rich source for writers and artists for centuries. Before we were able to monitor their movements, there were many myths on the origins of the barnacle goose. Like the name suggests some used to believe that during the winter, barnacle geese turned into barnacles in the sea, as they disappeared after every summer leading many to question their whereabouts.

Their arrival is most noticeably heard by their calls in flight as they pass over the towns and villages of Scotland. As onlookers crane their necks skyward, the faint but distinctive ‘V’ formation affords us an opportunity to pause, to observe and to connect, for a small moment, with our natural environment.

That’s why our theme for this year is ‘Keep Looking Up’. We’re asking everyone to take a moment to pause, to look up and ponder their place in the natural world.

About Conversing Building

Conversing Building is an in-house Stove project that explores how communities and artists can interact with the Stove building and wider environments through visual means. Conversing Building considers all of the spaces in and around the Stove as potential locations for dialogue, activity and gathering.

The Stove Cafe hosts regular displays and exhibitions, both as part of the Stove’s activity and featuring ‘guest’ projects and artists with visiting works, conversational installations and displays – that seek to gather, share and create discussion in the town centre.

About Fife College

The vision of Fife College is to transform the lives of our students through inspirations learning and teaching. Our mission is to deliver excellent opportunities for our students and work with them to develop their full potential with life enhancing skills, knowledge, experience and resilience that will shape their future success.
