AN ECOLOGICAL festival celebrating the green credentials of Tavistock has been hailed a success.

The Tavistock EcoFest, last Saturday, was saved by a last ditch fundraising concert at the Stannary Brewery in the town to help with the rising costs of staging the event.

The free family festival attracted many children, green activists, sustainablity groups, folk groups and other musicians with green messages along with campaigners, eco-warriors and local craft sellers.

Among the stall holders were a group of children who baked polar bears and hedgehog cakes to sell in aid of wildlife conservation charities. The young bakers were Finn Gardiner, Tom and Sarah Middelkope, Iowen Eperon and Ben and Sofia Pushchendorf

Abi Gardiner said: “All the children here are home-educated and said they wanted to bake in aid of charities to help save animals and trees under threat from climate change and pollution. They care about the environment and want to learn about what they can do to help protect their local wildlife. So, they baked their choice of animals they care about and are selling them to raise money for eco-charities, which is very enlightened of them.”

Maggi Squire created a magical underworld setting on wheels out of recycled materials on which she enacts puppet shows: “I use my puppet carriage message to show how important the underworld and the sea is. I use bubbles and include a mermaid living in an estuary to encourage children to interact and show them how magical the undersea world is and how it is worth looking after.”

A group called the Rebel Botanists chalked messages on the paths around the Meadows and riverside naming the trees and other plants with their latin names. Their style is a little after the famous rebelious graffitti art of Banksy.

They are seekng to highlight the importance of often overlooked plants in pollination and maintaining a healthy ecology in urban areas. Grouo member Liz Richmond said: “We’re trying to get people to take notice of the wonderful trees there are here and use their latin names. We’re all about encouraging people to look after neglected pieces of verge and banks in towns which can be rewilded and restored to attract insects and play a role in the local ecology as part of the circle of life.” Stiltwaker Ezra Shaw and companion Bel Yates dressed as fungi, firing soap bubbles and entertaining children and adults. Ezra said: “We’re here to make people smile and encouraging children to eat their veg.”Other attractions were a giant soap bubble blower, a drum workshop for children, traditional games and sessions in recycling textiles from Tavistcok Scrapstore. TaviRail, which is campaigning to restore the rail link between Tavistock and Bere Alston signed up 106 new supporters.