MORE than 400 nature lovers celebrated the work of Gilbert White and helped take the legacy of the famous naturalist into the 21st century.

The Nature Festival at Gilbert White’s House at Selborne at the weekend offered visitors the chance to explore the surroundings, with walks and talks by experts from associations including the Natural History Museum, Hampshire Bat Group and the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB).

Throughout the event they collected data which will be published as part of a modern natural history – updating White’s renowned The Natural History of Selborne book. There were cows, newts, wasps and bees to see, and lots of environmentally-friendly family activities too.