The beginning of August was a busy few week at RSPB Fairburn Ings! The staff team were busy getting the site ready for Big Wild Sleepout- the wildest sleepout of the year! From the warden team getting the campsite mown (whilst also preserving the food plant of the brown argus butterfly, which they made some amazing signage about!), to the VE and retail teams making sure everything looked spick and span for all our guests arriving, the reserve was a hive of activity. The first few weeks passed by in a blur and before we knew it, it was time for the event to begin!
Everyone arrived with all their kit and you could feel the excitement in the air, it’s not every day you get to stay overnight on an RSPB nature reserve! The day kicked off with setting up camp and then straight into some crafting.
The kids made animal masks, buzzy bees and made some rather cool (if I do say so myself) looking owls. Then it was onto the messy part… seed bombs! Everyone got some rather muddy hands later to say the least, mixing clay, soil and some bee-friendly RSPB seed mix everyone created balls filled with seeds that they took away and can now plant in their garden to really give nature a home on their doorstep. It’s so easy to do, that anyone can do it at home too. Why not check out the instructions below and give it a try? Your local beehive will thank you!
After some clever crafts, it was dinner and then straight into an action-packed evening of activities. We discovered damselfly larvae, stickleback fish, leeches and more at pond dipping, and then went out to see what wildlife calls RSPB Fairburn Ings home on a wildlife wander. Walking through the reserve on the wildlife walk was so peaceful and calming, and interesting as we learned everything you can think of about the wildlife on the reserve. There was even a guest appearance from some of our resident bats as we walked about the campsite with our detectors. The evening was finished off with some star gazing, where we were even lucky to see part of the Persephone meteor shower light up the night sky and some shooting stars.
It was amazing to see so many people excited about nature and the reserve, the excited exclamations from the children when they found a fish, water boatman or another curious creature is something that will live with me for a long time. Everyone having a blast made it all worth it in the end. It’s a reminder to us all that it’s the seemingly little and mundane things in life that can spark joy in all of us.
But the adventure doesn’t stop here at RSPB Fairburn Ings now that big wild sleepout is done! There’s loads of kid's activities, guided walks and more available to book now, so why not check it out and find your next outdoor adventure? Have a look here and see what you’ll discover this summer and autumn.
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Written by: Heidi Campbell
Picture credit: Margaret Cook
How to make a seed bomb instructions: