The programme for next month’s Wild Dunedin Festival of Nature has been released, inviting locals and visitors to celebrate nature, conservation and the outdoors.
Festival director Carla Munro said the strength of Wild Dunedin, now in its 11th year, was the diversity of experiences it offered.
‘‘There is a real sense of community around Wild Dunedin,’’ she said.
‘‘It brings together people from across the city and region to celebrate something we all care deeply about.’’
A new addition to the festival is the Wild Ride, held on April 19, which encouraged people to explore Dunedin’s harbour pathway Te Aka Ōtākou, linking Port Chalmers and Portobello.
The path would be dotted with science activities and experiences, with ferries running between Port Chalmers and Portobello through the day.
About 30,000 people attended last year’s Wild Dunedin Festival.
Organisers were expecting another busy year with over 200 events across ten days.
One of the festival’s largest events is NatureDome, hosted in Forsyth Barr Stadium, where hands-on activities, science displays, a sustainable market, food trucks and entertainment will be on offer.
Another headline event is Pitch Choir, where a crowd will sing Nature by Fourmyula and later covered by The Mutton Birds, on the stadium pitch.
The event will conclude with a performance by The Mutton Birds’ Don McGlashan.
Wild Dunedin co-founder and festival trust member Kerry Buchan said the event had grown from a local initiative to ‘‘New Zealand’s festival of nature’’.
‘‘It is something the community has really embraced and it continues to grow every year.’’
Alongside the larger events, the programme includes a range of talks, workshops, guided experiences and wild dining events hosted by local organisations, scientists, businesses and community groups.
The festival runs April 10-19.
The full programme is available online.
