The HERDS – Animal Travels

The HERDS is a groundbreaking public art and climate initiative designed to inspire action and renew our bond with the natural world. From April to August 2025, life-size puppet animals will sweep through city centres on a 20,000km journey from the Congo Basin to the Arctic Circle, bringing together the worlds of arts and science in an urgent call for climate action.

We are excited to let you know that Stanwick Lakes has been given a grant from the Art Fund to host hands-on educational, community activities to raise awareness of this amazing project.

Throughout May and June we will create a giant kestrel puppet with a professional puppeteer and local teenagers, which will be part of an “Animal Travels” exhibition in the Visitor Centre Heritage Museum. The exhibition will take place in the May half term holiday and will feature some of the stories of the animals who lived in this part of the Nene Valley in the past, and include local finds such as a woolly mammoth tooth and an auroch horn!  Alongside the exhibition, there will be FREE drop in animal puppet crafts and a “Follow the HERDS” trail to help visitors learn about some of these amazing journeys while being immersed in beautiful views and wildlife outside on the nature reserve.