Public events in Moray and Inverness

 The Last Wolf

free public events

October 2026

Tuesday 13^th Lost animals and wonderful places

·      Elgin Library, Crooker Park, Elgin, IV30 1HS, 11:00 - 16:00

https://fb.me/e/6D4SUiEcO

Wednesday 14^th, The Last Wolf and Other Lost animals 

·      Inverness Museum, IV2 3EB 10:30 - 15:30

https://fb.me/e/bEUBvAzp9

make your own folded animal

Thursday 15th, Lost animals and wonderful places

• Nairn Museum, Viewfield House, Viewfield Drive, Nairn, IV12 4EE
•     10:30 - 15:30
• https://fb.me/e/4xa9CuTKt

Friday 16^th: Lost animals and wonderful places

·      Forres Library, House Community Centre, High St, Forres, IV36 1BU, 10:30-  13:30

https://fb.me/e/9PBxXMaEf

What's all this about?

There are “last wolf” accounts found all over the UK. From full scale dramatic descriptions to a single sentence in a history book, we have noted the departure of this iconic predator. Accounts are almost always congratulatory which might reflect the impact wolves had - or were accused of having – or might have had - on local communities. Rarely is there any thought of what the bigger consequences of losing wolves might mean.

The Last Wolf project coincides with Caroline Bury's Ghosts in the Wood exhibition at Løre Gallery in Forres and sets out to encourage us to pause, reflect and be creative about how we feel about this changing world, about the animals we've lost, the ones we might be losing - and the ones that are coming back whether we like it or not! And its not just animals - if you're into plants, you could think about Ash Dieback and Sudden Larch Death.

Find out more about the whole project here: https://creepingtoad.blogspot.com/2026/07/the-last-wolf.html

Explore those changing landscapes of plants and animals in Scotland. A good starting point is to visit the Nature Champions website for more information and more species and habitats to think about!

where would you like to meet your animal?

Planning Public Events

With funding from the Pebble Trust, we are arranging public events and sessions in local schools.Make your own animal model and a pop-up landscape of the place where you would like to meet your wolf, frog, wild horse, mouse, eagle….

(and many thanks to Moray Council and Inverness Museum for their support!)

Details

These events are

·      free

·      no booking or tickets needed: just drop-by and join in

·      young people under 12 need to bring a grown-up with them

·      allow 45 minutes for the activity

·      Find out more: @creeping toad

·      https:// creepingtoad.blogspot.com/2026/07/the-last-wolf.html

 

Underground Nairn

 Nairn, underground

celebrations with 

the Nairn Book and Arts Festival, 2026 

Welcome to the world beneath the town.

Under leaf-litter and stones,

Under tree root and turf,

Tarmac and soil,

There is a world of wonders and marvels.

We have reached the end of another hectic week of adventures in Nairn as part of the Nairn Book and Arts Festival

THE BLESSING

By the tunnelling of moles

And the burrowing of worms:

By the beat of the centipede’s dance

And the marching of ants;

I have been coming here for about 5 years, working with schools during the Festival, picking up a sense of celebration in the theme of the year.

This year we dived into a world undergound and overground (and only adults of a certain age then almost instantly start singing Wombles songs!). 

With our school workshops this resolved into underground animals which included the likely (centipedes, rabbits, mice, foxes, ants) and the more remarkable (unicorn moles, rainbow worms, earth dragon…)

 

=

By the running of mice
And the drumming of rabbits;

By the persistence of moulds

And the dry slither of a snake;

 

Over the days I collected images from our young artists and stirred them into a mud-wallow of a poem to welcome human visitors to our underground world at the end o the Festival Parade (including The Blessing included here, the opening quote is from a longer piece)

The Parade itself featured a spectacular beetle and an immensely long adder and millipede…and some 300 people walking, dancing, laughing and revelling in the rhythms of the local Penguin Tuxedo Orchestra and Ewan Mitchell and his band

 

Many thanks to everyone! 

Including

• Nairn Book and Arts Festival: staff, trustees and volunteers!
• Auldearn Primary School
• Cawdor Primary School
• Millbank Primary School
  Rosebank Primary School
• Amy from Naturally Useful
  

 

We send you on your way

With joy and love and wonder.