Superworm comes to Wakehurst
Get a wiggle on and join the family-friendly adventure this Easter. Thursday 30 March - Sunday 23 April
Release date: 22 February 2023
- Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler’s much-loved tale brought to life for Easter 2023
- Interactive installations and activities at Wakehurst, Kew’s wild botanic garden in Sussex
- Children earn a new Nature Heroes badge in the Mighty Microbes Mission
Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler’s renowned tale Superworm arrives at Wakehurst for Easter 2023, bringing families together through new interactive activities in a stunning spring landscape.
This brand-new trail follows the inspiring feats of the incredible invertebrate Superworm, whilst exploring different botanical blooms and their superpowers. The springtime adventure will also include a microbe-hunting mission, pre-bookable wormery workshops and daily storytelling in the gardens.
Tasked with helping Superworm find the evil Wizard Lizard’s magic flower, children will embark on an exciting adventure through Wakehurst’s biodiverse landscape with interactive activities and sculptures helping to bring the tale to life. From giant skipping ropes to optical illusions, there will be plenty to keep energetic explorers active over the holidays. The path winds through stunning landscapes, over the six-acre American Prairie and through the dramatic heights of the Pinetum.
Alongside the main trail, there will be an add-on microbes mission and bookable wormery workshops, an opportunity for visitors to get stuck in and gain practical skills for protecting worms, learning how to encourage a natural environment for marvellous minibeasts at home.
The add-on Mighty Microbes Mission forms part of Wakehurst’s new family programme, Nature Heroes, where young adventurers can conquer a themed mission each school holiday and half-term, collecting a new badge for their very own superhero cape. Following the February half-term Bird Buddy trail, a second badge is up for collection this Easter. Children can gain a special Superworm badge for their Nature Heroes cape, as they help Superworm assemble a team of mighty microbes to keep the soil healthy.
Head of Public Programmes, Lorraine Lecourtois commented:
“The Superworm trail is set to be a very special event at Wakehurst, as we bring this charming tale to life. The role of worms in the ecosystem is vital, so it’s a privilege to be able to bring wildlife science to the forefront of our family programme, through a range of activities for all ages. Combined with our exciting workshops and practical events, we’re hoping to really immerse visitors in the tale of Superworm.”
Alex Sanson, Senior Brand Manager of Magic Light, said:
“Kew and Wakehurst have done a fantastic job of bringing the story of Superworm to life in a completely new and really fun way. The activities are interactive and original – it’s great that they’ve been able to use the story to highlight the importance of biodiversity and what an important role minibeasts play in our ecosystem.”
Beyond the Superworm trail, visitors can discover the wider stretches of Wakehurst’s wild landscape bursting into life with Spring colours. Bethlehem Wood comes alive with a carpet of bluebells and the stunning Water Gardens are home to beautiful pastels of magnolias.
Please note, the Superworm trail takes place in a dog-free area of Wakehurst.
Main trail included with entry: Adult: £14.95, Members: Free, Young person (17-25 years): £7.50, Children (0-16 years): Free
Members’ early opening from 9am and quiet sessions from 9.30am: selected dates
Mighty Microbes Mission (Nature Heroes badge): £3
Wormery workshop: £23 per child
Tickets are on sale soon and must be pre-booked at https://www.kew.org/wakehurst/superworm
Wakehurst, Sussex
Ends
For more information, images and interviews please contact Jessica Hayne, Communications & Content Executive: j.hayne@kew.org or WakehurstPR@Kew.org.
For tickets, please visit www.kew.org/wakehurst.
Notes to Editors
Ticket Information
Superworm adventure
10am to 5.30m
Main trail included with entry – pre-booking essential
Children 16 and under go FREE.
Members early opening 9am
Quiet sessions 9.30am
Saturdays and Sundays plus Friday 7 April (Good Friday) and Monday 10 April (Easter Monday)
Mighty Microbes Mission (Nature Heroes badge trail)
10am to 4.30pm
£3.50 per child
Wormery Workshops
3 – 5, 12 – 14, 18 & 19 April
£23 per child
Suitable for children ages 6+
Storytelling
Daily, 11.30am and 2.30pm
About Wakehurst
Please note that Wakehurst is referred to just as Wakehurst, not Wakehurst Place. It is not a National Trust property.
The National Trust was bequeathed the Mansion and grounds of Wakehurst in 1963. It was then entrusted to us here at Kew in 1965, and we now work in partnership with the National Trust to care for our collections and heritage areas.
Wakehurst is Kew’s wild botanic garden in the Sussex High Weald. Its ancient and beautiful landscapes span 535 acres and are a place for escape, exploration, tranquillity, and wonder. Its diverse collection of plants from Britain and around the globe thrive within a tapestry of innovative gardens, temperate woodlands, meadows, and wetlands. Wakehurst is a centre for UK biodiversity and global conservation, seed research and ecosystem science. At its heart is Kew’s Millennium Seed Bank, the world’s largest store of seeds from wild plant species.
RBG Kew receives approximately one third of its funding from Government through the Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) and research councils. Further funding needed to support RBG Kew’s vital work comes from donors, membership and commercial activity including ticket sales. In the first six months since implementing a new accessibility scheme for those in receipt of Universal Credit, Pension Credit and Legacy Benefits, Kew has welcomed 10,000 visitors with £1 tickets.
At the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, we’re dedicated to harnessing the power of plants and fungi to end the extinction crisis and secure a future for all life on Earth. With our world-leading research, global partnerships and beloved gardens – home to the world’s most diverse collections of plants and fungi – we’re using our trusted voice to shape policy and practice worldwide. As a charity we rely on the critical support of our visitors, not only to sustain the gardens, but to protect global plant and fungal biodiversity for the benefit of our planet and humanity.
About Magic Light
Magic Light Pictures is an award-winning brand-building company with a strong background in production, creating rich and imaginative experiences for families worldwide. The company, founded in 2003, directly manages production, licensing, global distribution and marketing. The company balances its brand-building work with film making of the highest quality – including Oscar-nominated animated feature Chico & Rita, comedy thriller Wild Target and natural history documentary One Life. Magic Light’s key brand is The Gruffalo, from the best-selling picture books by author Julia Donaldson and illustrator Axel Scheffler. Magic Light produced the Oscar-nominated and BAFTA-winning half-hour animated films, The Gruffalo and The Gruffalo’s Child, and has sold them to over 180 broadcasters worldwide. Magic Light also runs a cross-category international merchandising programme for The Gruffalo brand, with over 80 licensees and hundreds of products that capture the charm of the original books. Magic Light also produced Room on the Broom, Stick Man, The Highway Rat, Zog, The Snail and the Whale, Zog and the Flying Doctors, Superworm and The Smeds and The Smoos films – which have proved to be award winning half-hour classics that are as loved as The Gruffalo. In 2016 Magic Light produced two half-hours based on Roald Dahl’s Revolting Rhymes. They were watched by 9.3million viewers and have won numerous awards including a BAFTA for Best Animation.