Over the coming weeks, you might hear talk about the 'Big Wild Sleep Out' - this will be a nationwide event over the weekend of 9th-11th of August where the RSPB is encouraging people across the country to spend a night under the stars.
This is the first major event marking the launch of our 'Giving Nature A Home' campaign, and I'm proud to say that Coombes Valley is one of the many reserves that will be welcoming members of the public to camp out overnight.
Image:Eleanor Bentall (RSPB-Images)
At reserves and other locations across the country, visitors will be able to enjoy evenings full of exciting activities and campfire food. At Coombes for example, we'll be going on a bat walk, star gazing, and having jacket potatoes and s'mores cooked over the campfire before turning in to sleep in the great outdoors.
But you're probably wondering why we're doing this. Although it will be fun, what relevance does camping out for a few nights have to 'Giving Nature A Home' - the campaign message we're all now standing for? Following the recent release of 'The State of Nature' report, which found severe declines in numbers of all sorts of wildlife across the country, including garden wildlife, the need for urgent action to stop these losses has never been more apparent.
The event will therefore go a long way to raise money for conservation projects across the UK, not only from ticket sales for events on reserves, but also from people all over the UK being sponsored by their families and friends to sleep outdoors in their gardens. However, simply raising money isn't enough.
The core aim of this event will be to get people - especially children - across the country to engage and connect with the nature in their own backyards by spending a night in Nature's Home. Too many people have forgotten that wildlife does not just belong on a nature reserve, but everywhere, and everyone can do something to help it, no matter how big or small.
The Coombes Valley Big Wild Sleep Out is running from 4pm on Sat 10th August - 10am on Sunday 11th. Spaces are limited, so booking is essential. For details of the event or to book, please see our website - http://www.rspb.org.uk/reserves/guide/c/coombeschurnet/events.aspx. For more fundraising ideas, and details of all organised sleep outs and night themed events you can take part in, go to rspb.org.uk/sleepout.
To find out more about how to make homes for wildlife in your garden, go to rspb.org.uk/homesfor wildlife.