A recent sighting at Rye Meads was 50 intrepid campers who spent a night on the reserve to experience night-time nature and get into the wild and back to basics!
The evening started with crafting in the classrooms as we all decorated our own lanterns to hang up outside our tents, it was lovely to see them all lit and glowing as darkness fell!
Photo credits: Nick Spellman
Next the BBQ was lit and everyone enjoyed lots of food before the evening sunset walk began. Despite the pouring rain both all the day before (and all the day after!) we were lucky enough to have a beautiful mild evening, and spotted lots of insects flitting about and all the birds out on the scrape settling down for the night. Once back, we set up the moth trap and it was time to start the campfire ready to toast our GIANT marshmallows! Who can resist a toasted marshmallow?!
And next it was on to some fun and creativity as photographer and volunteer Tom Mason gave a workshop on night-time photography. We had lots of fun running about with head torches and glow sticks and making patterns in pictures using long exposures.
Photo credits: Tom Mason
And off we retired to bed. In the morning we enjoyed an early dawn walk (for those of us awake!), a special picnic breakfast in the hide, and a look at all the moths we had attracted in the night. Everyone's favourite was the Poplar hawkmoth which the children enjoyed holding and getting a really close look at!
Photo credit: Nick Spellman
A BIG thanks to all our wonderful volunteers who helped out on the day/night, and also to all of you who came along, were merry, and made it all such a success! We loved our third #BigWildSleepout and already can't wait for next year! In the meantime, or for those who couldn't make it, why not check out the RSPB website for ideas on camping out in your own garden, fun ideas to try while you're out there, tips on attracting nocturnal wildlife, or even suggestions of activities you could try doing outside that you would usually do inside!? http://www.rspb.org.uk/discoverandenjoynature/discoverandlearn/sleepout/getready/index.aspx.
Make sure you spend a night in Nature's Home before the summer's out.. we guarantee you won't regret it!