Good morning! This coming weekend, we have our two night Big Wild Sleepout event on the reserve. There are still spaces available on both Friday and Saturday nights, so here is a run down of what we will be getting up to.
Friday 7 August
The theme on Friday is a bat and moth night. Participants can set up their tents from 5pm onwards. A guided walk to listen for the species of bats that call the reserve home will commence at 7.30pm. Special bat detectors will be available to borrow. After dark, we will then take a look in the moth traps to see which species of moths have been caught. Hopefully, they will include colourful species like these ones, that we caught here last night:
A burnished brass:
A canary shouldered thorn:
A drinker moth:
A poplar hawkmoth:
A ruby tiger moth:
Image credits: David White
After a good night's sleep, we will have breakfast in the visitor centre. We will then go through the various moth traps that were left out on the reserve overnight. If you would like to book places on this event, please follow this link to do so.
Saturday 8 August
For those people who are camping both nights, there will be a selection of activities taking place throughout the day. This will include the following:
More details will be available on the day.
Family fun night
The theme for Saturday night is a family fun night. Once again, participants can set their tents up from 5pm onwards. There will be a selection of activities going on throughout the evening, beginning with a guided walk that will leave the visitor centre from around 7pm. If the skies are clear, local astronomer Jonathan Shanklin will be on hand to point out stars and possibly meteors in the night sky from 8pm until 10pm. If the skies are not clear, we will go for a slightly extended guided walk. There will then be an opportunity to toast marshmallows over the camp fire.
Sunday 9 August
There will be an optional pre-breakfast guided walk which will leave the visitor centre at 5.30am. After breakfast, we will take a look at the moths that were caught overnight on the reserve. If you would like to book places on this event, please follow this link to do so.
If you would like more information, please do not hesitate to get in touch by ringing 01842 863400 or e-mailing lakenheath@rspb.org.uk; We hope to see you there!