THE Lion Salt Works in Marston welcomed young lepidopterists from Sandiway Primary School to trial a new learning activity.

The Lion Salt Works Learning and community officer Lorna Kernahan has developed a new session in partnership with Sandiway Primary School KS1 teachers and Rupert Adams, education officer for Butterfly Conservation.

Rupert took the children on a bug safari in the butterfly garden, discovering the mini creatures not normally spotted.

There are 2,500 species of moths in the UK and 60 species of butterflies. Rupert showed the moth trap (a harmless way to collect and study moths before releasing them). Favourites included the Large Emerald, an expert in camouflage and the Buff Ermine, a species that pretends to be dead.

Children also spent time in the museum’s landscape gallery learning about the unique habitats of the area and the animals that lived there and had a special tour of the site, meeting Harry the barman who told the stories of the sites workers and conditions.

The Lion Salt Works is one of the last four historic open-pan salt-making sites in the world. It includes a butterfly garden originally designed and created by Butterfly Conservation volunteers.

The garden features the Cheshire Buddleia collection, incorporating 38 species, as well as a range of plants specially selected to attract butterflies and moths.

This year’s Big Butterfly Count organised by Butterfly Conservation runs from July 17 - August 9. The count encourages people to spend 15 minutes recording the butterflies and moths they see. The big butterfly count is a nationwide survey aimed at helping to assess the health of our environment. It was launched in 2010 and has rapidly become the world's biggest survey of butterflies.

Councillor Louise Gittins, Cabinet Member for Culture, Leisure and Wellbeing, said: “I hope as many people as possible across the borough will take part in the big butterfly count.

“More than 44,000 people took part in 2014, counting almost 560,000 individual butterflies and day-flying moths across the UK. The Lion Salt Works is an ideal spot for your 15-minute butterfly recording.”

West Cheshire Museums Learning Team welcomes schools from across the northwest offering school curriculum-based sessions from Pre-history to World War II.

The new Lion Salt Works science, history and natural history sessions are very exciting and compliment the pre-history, Vikings and Saxons at Weaver Hall.

Added Councillor Gittins: “Schools also visit the Stretton Watermill and the Grosvenor Museum in Chester, making a very rich learning offer. “

The Lion Salt Works offers educational sessions for all ages starting with storytelling and meeting local characters touring the site, in the butterfly garden and on nature walks for early years. A brand new two-site local history session starting in September will compare Work or the Workhouse

Hands-on, engaging sessions for history, geography, science, design and technology are being developed for school age children, whilst the site is also ideal for Colleges/sixth form, linking to vocational subjects like tourism. University students will be able to use the site for teacher training, out of doors education, learning outside the classroom and heritage studies training.

The Lion Salt Works is open Tuesday to Sunday (closed on Mondays). Details about the site are available at www.westcheshiremuseums.co.uk