Woolly sea creatures go on tour across Kent

From an octopus to a seahorse and a chalk reef, the entire display has been knitted and crocheted by volunteers and staff members as part of the Guardians of the Deep project, funded by the Heritage Lottery Fund.

The marine critters were unveiled earlier this month at Riverside Country Park in Gillingham, and will be travelling to the Isle of Sheppey from March, with more stops planned throughout 2019.

Fiona White, Marine Officer at Kent Wildlife Trust, says: “This magical display is stunning and educational too. Our oceans face huge threats from pollution, overfishing and damaging fishing gear. But, through conservation efforts and with the right policies in place, we can change this. We hope that our ‘Woolly Watery World’ inspires people by conveying the beauty of the undersea world, while spreading an important message about why we need to look after our oceans.”

“It’s great to see our volunteers’ creativity and their motivation to make a difference.”

Planned locations for the display include:

• Riverside Country Park Visitor Centre in Gillingham, where the display will stay until February
• Community centres of the Isle of Sheppey
• Kent Wildlife Trust’s Visitor Centres in Romney Marsh and Sevenoaks
• Margate Visitor Information Centre

For more information on upcoming dates and locations is available on the Guardians of the Deep website.

The Guardians of the Deep project is a partnership between Kent Wildlife Trust, Thanet District Council, Medway Swale Estuary Partnership, Kent County Council and Natural England. It is funded by the Heritage Lottery Fund. The project aims to get local people involved in the protection and monitoring of Kent’s coastal wildlife. Kent Wildlife Trust also campaigns for policies and planning decisions that will preserve the county’s oceans.

Anyone can contribute a knitted creature to the display by following knitting patterns on the Guardians of the Deep website.