The weather forecast is looking good so if you are looking for something to do to explore the great outdoors why not visit The Slaughters, the Forestry Commission riverside meadow just downstream from Symonds Yat East and the Rapids and upstream of the Biblins Bridge, on Sunday, May 8 from 12noon to 6pm.

A special Wye Valley River Festival event is being held in conjunction with Forest Research to help people find out more about the health of our river and the woodland on its banks. Forest Research is a branch of the Forestry Commission and it will have scientists on hand to measure the trees and tree experts talking about the age of some of the magnificent species along the banks. Visitors can learn about how trees grow and help measure some.

Shirley Pegna with her Ground Sound earth microphones will encourage the curious to ‘Listen to the Sap Rising and Hear the Earth Move’. Richard Jinks will be listening to the sap and telling about life inside the trunks and noted ecologist Dr George Peterken will be talking about everything to do with trees while Owain Jones Professor of Environmental Humanities at Bath Spa University talks about a project looking at the ways communities relate to water.

The Wye Valley River Festival’s A&E River Health Check Laboratory will be in attendance, with its comic performances underpinned with a serious message. The festival characters The Water Ones will be there with their theatre and comedy and the Caravan of Fact and Wonder. There will be much tea drinking and storytelling, river-dipping, watery woodland facts and merriment! There will also be a mobile café.

To join in with this magical woodland experience visitors can walk down from Symonds Yat car park, along from Saracens Head or cycle from Hadnock Road, Monmouth. For more information visit www.wyevalleyaonb.org.uk; Twitter: @wyebeauty #wyevalleyriverfestival; Facebook: www.facebook.com/ wyevalleyriverfestival