Ely Museum Back to Nature exhibition from July to November

The "Back to Nature" exhibition has been created with input from Ely Nature Friendly Farmers, RSPB, and the National Trust at Wicken Fen to shine a spotlight on various eco-friendly projects across the fenland landscapes.

The Fens is home to a large range of unique wildlife, but the landscape has, over time, changed dramatically from being wetlands to a drained farmland.

With advancements in technology, farming practices have also changed, resulting in a decline in biodiversity.

Pollinating bees at Hey Farm (Image: John Parish)

However, Ely's Nature Friendly Farmers are employing innovative techniques to revive nature-friendly values and traditional farming methods.

The Ely Nature-Friendly Farming Zone, established in the winter of 2017, demonstrates how modern farming techniques can coexist with wildlife.

The collective of farmers represents an area over eight-thousand hectares in Ely and surrounding villages.

The group said: "As a group, the Ely Nature Friendly Farming Zone are committed to creating a profitable, sustainable farming landscape.

"Supporting increasing levels of fenland biodiversity, we want to inspire others by sharing best practice in nature-friendly farming locally and nationally."

The exhibition runs this summer (Image: Ely Museum)

The 'Back to Nature' exhibition is also offering various fun activities for children and families, such as a role-play vegetable patch, a craft table for making butterflies to add to the museum display, and a new trail around the museum.

Rosie Amos, senior project officer at Ely Museum, said: "It has been wonderful to see how the farmers and conservation organisations are working together to make such a difference to the biodiversity in our local area.

"We are really looking forward to welcoming visitors in to explore the exhibition."

The exhibition will be open from July 20 to November 30, 2024, and can be visited from Tuesday to Saturday, 10.30am – 5pm, and on Sundays, 12pm – 5pm.