Festival honouring Shrewsbury-born Charles Darwin to take place this February half term

Named after the Shrewsbury-born scientist, the DarwIN Shrewsbury Festival will see a range of activities aimed at children throughout the month. 

Festival-goers can expect everything from Wiggly worms and a Lego workshop to fabulous fossils and educational talks designed to celebrate the life, work and legacy of Charles Darwin. 

The festival is organised by John K Hughes, Darwin Festival Manager, and Shrewsbury Civic Society, supported by Shrewsbury BID and Original Shrewsbury.

Here is a list of upcoming events and how to get involved: 

Darwin Festival Fun at Barnes Theatre at Shrewsbury School, Wednesday February 12 between 1pm and 3pm 

Year 5 and 6 children can hear from Dr Matthews-Bird delivering his talk, Why Are Big Mammals Rare? which takes listeners on a geological murder mystery investigation seeking to discover why the majority of large mammals have died out. A talk from Dr Richard Case on the Voyage of the Beagle follows, where children can find out more about Darwin's childhood and how he became one of the most famous scientists. 

Lego Explorer at Shrewsbury Museum & Art Gallery in The Square, Saturday February 15 between 10:30am and noon 

This Darwin-themed Lego Workshop is a chance for children aged five and over to find out more about the life of Darwin and build their own Lego model inspired by the man himself.

Darwin’s Wiggly Worms at Wroxeter Roman City, Monday February 17 and Sunday February 23 between 10am and 2pm

This is a free fun drop-in event with no bookings or tickets required allowing youngsters to follow in the footsteps of the young Charles Darwin by exploring the archaeology of the Roman city and having a go at testing the theory behind Darwin’s Worm Stone. They will also learn how worms from over two millennia have helped to bury ancient buildings - and they will be able to make their own wiggly worm to take home. Please note that normal admission fees apply for exploring the rest of the Wroxeter site.

Fabulous Fossils at The Cut Visitor Centre, Shropshire Wildlife Trust, in Abbey Foregate, Thursday February 20 between 10.30am and 4pm 

This is a chance to see a collection of Shropshire Fossils, learn about the weird creatures that formed them and how they did it. It promises to be a fascinating insight into the world as it was hundreds of millions of years ago.

Find a full list of DarwIN Shrewsbury Festival events via the official website.