On Saturday (15 October), Oxford Botanic Garden and Harcourt Arboretum hosted its annual Autumn Fair at Harcourt Arboretum.
The event saw more than 2,700 people from communities across Oxfordshire visiting the Fair to enjoy locally-produced food and drink with influences from around the world; live music featuring talented local artists; woodland crafts and hands-on activities; and a chance to take in the stunning autumn colours around the Arboretum.
This year’s event was the most well-attended Autumn Fair to date, and marks the start of an exciting new project to develop visitor facilities at Harcourt Arboretum and increase access to nature for local communities.
Dr Lauren Baker, Secondary Education Officer at University of Oxford Botanic Garden and Arboretum, said: “It was fantastic to see so many people enjoying the Arboretum on Saturday. The activities were popular, and huge thanks must go to all our collaborators who came to join us. Arguably of even more importance, was the fact that the Arboretum was full of visitors exploring our important collection of endangered trees, some for the first time. The autumn colour was at its finest and we could not have asked for better weather to show what makes Harcourt Arboretum such a special place.”
The Arboretum Development project has received initial development funding of £191,420 from the National Lottery Heritage Fund, made possible by National Lottery players. The aims of the project are to build partnerships with local communities, increase wellbeing from access to nature, and create new all-weather education facilities, cafe and shop to transform the visitor experience.
Read more about the Arboretum Development here
