Most of us have used Manchester Airport, but have you ever walked beside the runway on a carpet of grass, surrounded by fauna and flora?

Despite lengthy protests by eco-warriors, Manchester Airport finally opened its second runway in 2000, spending over £17 million on environmental issues.

These projects involved diverting the River Bollin, planting 150,000 trees and the creation of ponds stocked with amphibians, as well as bat barns. Since then, the wildlife has been monitored, while being left to survive naturally.

Steve will lead us to explore some of these habitats alongside the active 2nd runway, including the huge tunnel through which the river flows freely, well away from the vehicles on the busy road that we would have left behind earlier.

Bring your binoculars, put on sturdy footwear and waterproofs, to join us on a wildlife walk with a difference.

We will encounter a few steep slopes and numerous stiles along the uneven pathways en route, so this walk is unfortunately inaccessible for wheelchairs or pushchairs.