PARENTS in Dumbarton are being given the opportunity to take their children to a series of fun, free wild bird workshops at Pets at Home to support the RSPB’s Big Garden Birdwatch this January.

From Monday, January 23, Pets at Home in Dumbarton will be hosting a series of My Pet Pals Wild Bird workshops, to educate the next generation of animal lovers on how to care responsibly for their flying friends and help provide them with all the tools they need to care for local birds and wildlife.

The workshops will cover how to help birds survive the colder months, how and what to feed them and how human behaviour can negatively affect the wildlife around us.

There will also be games and activities.

Children will also be able to learn how to recognise which bird is which as well as ways to attract certain species of birds to their gardens and local outdoor spaces via materials provided through the My Pet Pals workshops.

Pets at Home colleagues will be providing friendly expertise helping ensure children learn everything they can to help wild birds while having fun.

Laura Tompsett, store manager, said: “The workshops also provide a free way for children to learn about how to care for animals, even if they don’t have a pet themselves.

“It’s great that we can use our My Pet Pals workshops to support a great charity like the RSPB, which works to help threatened birds and wildlife so that our towns, coast and countryside can be full of fascinating wildlife.”

John Capper, RSPB national account manager, added: “Pets at Home workshops provide a unique opportunity for our young people to learn more about the different birds in their local community and how to look after them.

“By attending these events we hope children will have all the knowledge they need to get involved in our Big Garden Birdwatch.”

After completing the workshops, each child will receive an A3 poster to help them identify the birds around where they live, activity sheets and stickers to take home.

They will also be given a leaflet which details how to send off for the RSPB’s Big Garden Birdwatch pack, which encourages children to spot different bird breeds when out in the garden.