WHILE zoos have exotic animals like elephants and tigers, there is plenty of wildlife on our doorstep that should be celebrated and looked after.

A drama teacher from Denbigh was commissioned by Chester Zoo to perform a play that encourages children to think about the creatures in their garden.

Tracy Spencer, director of the Denbigh Workshop for young people, took part in the Wildlife Connections Festival on September 15 which celebrates native wildlife in the UK.

Families were invited to build bird nests, inspect creepy crawlies and observe amphibians and mammals such as hedgehogs, squirrels, mice and badgers.

Mrs Spencer, who has starred in West End productions including Blood Brothers, was joined by Christine Parle to perform the half-hour play in which a girl called Rose explores her garden and meets a giant bee called Bee. The furry black and white creature is busy looking for Harry the Hedgehog who became ill after eating a slug pellet, and Rose joins the search.

On their journey, Bee talks about her experience of garden life and how Rose can look after wildlife there, including planting pollinator-friendly flowers, building bug hotels and hedgehog highways.

The play took place alongside performances from CBeebies’ Maddie Moate and the Treemendous Street theatre.

Mrs Spencer said: “It was great to be with warm, supportive people at Chester Zoo and playing just a small part in this important conservation project.”