A children's TV favourite is set to appear at Pensthorpe Nature Reserve next month to help celebrate the natural heritage of the River Wensum.CBeebies star Jelly, from The Story Makers and Green Balloon Club programmes, will open the Wild About the Wensum event on Saturday, May 16.

A children's TV favourite is set to appear at Pensthorpe Nature Reserve next month to help celebrate the natural heritage of the River Wensum.

CBeebies star Jelly, from The Story Makers and Green Balloon Club programmes, will open the Wild About the Wensum event on Saturday, May 16.

It is the third time the day has been held to raise the profile of the special qualities of the Wensum valley, one of the most important areas of natural conservation in the East of England.

The admission-free event will run from 10am to 5pm including local craft demonstrations, face painting, a bird radio tracking game, bird identification sessions with local experts.

Tim Nevard, trustee of the Pensthorpe Conservation Trust, said: “Wild About the Wensum is an event for all the family and is a great opportunity to celebrate the natural history and heritage of the Wensum valley, with loads of activities from a mini beast exploration to guided walks, nature quizzes and treasure hunts.”

Pensthorpe, the home of the BBC's Springwatch show, plays a key role in the protection of the Wensum valley along with partners including Natural England and the Norfolk Wildlife Trust.

The river is celebrated for its outstanding chalk river wildlife including brown trout, white-clawed crayfish, otters and a large number of dragonfly and damselfly species.

It has been awarded Europe's highest level of conservation protection and designated a Special Area of Conservation.

Pensthorpe's owner Deb Jordan said: “Last year over 4,000 people attended the Wild About the Wensum event and we hope that many more local people will take the opportunity to come on May 16 to discover this amazing natural world on their doorstep.”