The Royal Parks and Open Air Laboratories (OPAL) will hold a fun day on Sunday 7 December 2008 in Kensington Gardens. The event will celebrate the launch of OPAL, a new initiative which has received a grant from the Big Lottery Fund, with guided walks and activities for all ages on a winter wildlife theme.

Fun family activities will run from 11am - 3pm. There will be an opportunity to create seasonal crafts and festive decorations with the team from OPAL. There will also be guided tours of Kensington Gardens and the chance to learn about the amazing diversity of flora and fauna that live there. The ever-popular Royal Parks' shire horses, used to help maintain the parks, will be there to meet and greet and the RSPB will be talking about how to look after birds during the winter.

Tom Jarvis, Park Manager, Kensington Gardens, said: "The Royal Parks are home to a wide variety of wildlife and this event is a great way for people to find out more about them."

Dr. Linda Davies, OPAL Director, Imperial College London, said: "OPAL will encourage more people to spend time outside exploring, studying and enjoying their local environments. There is so much to discover and together we hope to gain a much greater understanding of the world around us, and how to protect it."

Media enquiries:

For further information please contact: Katy Murray, The Royal Parks on 0300 061 2128 or kmurray@royalparks.gsi.gov.uk

Laura Stowe, OPAL on 020 7942 5946 or l.stowe@nhm.ac.uk

Notes to Editors

About the event:

• Winter wildlife activities will give people an opportunity to find out information about wildlife in London from The Royal Parks, The Natural History Museum, The London Wildlife Trust, The British Lichen Society, The London Natural History Society and the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds.
• The event will take place between the Albert Memorial and Coalbrookdale Gate entrance to Kensington Gardens.
• For a detailed map and parking information please visit: http://www.royalparks.org.uk/parks/kensington_gardens/
• Most activities and demonstrations will be held within a heated marquee - hot drinks, cakes, and snacks will be available.

About OPAL:

• The Open Air Laboratories (OPAL) network is a new nation-wide partnership initiative that will inspire communities to discover, enjoy and protect their local environments. It aims to create a new generation of nature-lovers by stimulating interest through local and national projects which are accessible, fun and relevant to anyone who wants to take part.
• OPAL received a grant from the Big Lottery Fund and aims to inspire a new generation of nature lovers by getting people to spend more time outdoors. It will bring science and the public closer together and reveal new insights into the environment across England.
• For further information please visit: www.OPALexplorenature.org

About the Big Lottery Fund:

• The Big Lottery Fund's Changing Spaces programme was launched in November 2005 to help communities enjoy and improve their local environments. The programme funds a range of activities from local food schemes and farmers markets, to education projects teaching people about the environment. Imperial College London (the leading OPAL partner) was awarded a £11,760,783 Changing Spaces grant in August 2007.
• For further information please visit: www.biglotteryfund.org.uk

About The Royal Parks:

• The Royal Parks is an executive agency of the Department for Culture, Media and Sport.
• The Royal Parks are: Bushy Park, The Green Park, Greenwich Park, Hyde Park, Kensington Gardens, The Regent's Park and Primrose Hill, Richmond Park and St James's Park.
• For further information please visit: www.royalparks.org.uk