CHILDREN in Barry can take part in a series of fun, free wild bird workshops at Pets at Home to support the RSPB’s Big Garden Birdwatch.

From January 25-31, Pets at Home in Barry will host a series of My Pet Pals Wild Bird workshops, to educate the next generation of animal lovers on how to care responsibly for the flying friends and help provide them with all the tools they need to get involved with the RSPB’s Big Garden Birdwatch 2016.

Workshops will cover how to help birds survive colder months, how and what to feed them and how human behaviour can negatively affect the wildlife around us.

There will also be fun games which look at how different birds fly, as well as a chance to make a bird feeder to attract birds into their own garden.

Children will also be able to learn how to recognise which bird is which as well as ways to attract certain species of birds to their gardens and outdoor spaces via materials provided through the My Pet Pals workshops.

Pets at Home team members will be providing friendly expertise helping ensure children learn everything they can to help wild birds while having fun.

More than half a million people from across the UK are set to take part in the RSPB’s Big Garden Birdwatch by counting the birds in their gardens over the weekend of January 30-31. They will also make a record of the other wildlife they see throughout the year, providing a vital snapshot of UK nature.

Store manager, Alex Jones, says: “We are very excited about welcoming children to My Pet Pals Wild Bird workshops to support the RSPB Big Garden Birdwatch. It’s a great way for children to learn about the importance of being responsible for the wildlife around them, whilst having fun at the same time. The workshops also provide a free way for children to learn about how to care for animals, even if they don’t have a pet themselves.

“It’s great that we can use our My Pet Pals workshops to support a great charity like the RSPB, which works to help threatened birds and wildlife so that our towns, coast and countryside can be full of fascinating wildlife.”

After completing the workshops, each child will receive an A3 poster to help them identify the birds around where they live, activity sheets and stickers to take home. They will also be given a leaflet which details how to send off for the RSPB’s Give Nature a Home pack, which lists 20 free ways children can encourage and help nature around their area.

To find out more about My Pet Pals Wild Bird workshops and book your place in your nearest workshop, please visit petsathome.com/workshops.