During the weekend there will be guided tours, talks, exhibitors and stalls with information and advice about wilding, as well as things to buy.
Conservation experts will show you the wildflower meadows, ponds, and grasslands identifying the insects, birds, reptiles, and amphibians that they find.
Julia will be telling visitors about the challenges and successes of wilding at Hooke and she will be joined by other experts covering a variety of topics.
John Butler from the Bumblebee Conservation Trust will be doing a bee tour at 2.30pm on Saturday. Tours with other guides will be happening at regular intervals throughout the day.
ORGANISATIONS INVOLVED
Ticket sales will be donated to the National Garden Scheme (NGS) charities. Here’s a link to their page about the Weekend.
Money raised from food, drink, and other sales will be donated to Operation Future Hope. We will be launching their crowdfunding campaign – any money raised will go towards scaling up their rewilding schools initiative. This includes a nature and rewilding apprenticeship course for school-age children. Lesley Malpas, from Operation Future Hope will be welcoming visitors and telling us more about what she’s doing.
We’re excited to announce that Clipper Teas have kindly agreed to sponsor the Wilding Weekend and they’ll be telling us more about what they’re doing to support biodiversity. They will be serving teas and coffees from their special van – and 100% of the proceeds will be donated to Operation Future Hope.
Hollis Mead Organic Dairy have kindly let us use one of their fields for parking – thanks.
STALLS AND SPEAKERS INCLUDE
Bee Happy Plants & Seeds (Sarah Holdsworth) – Sarah is an expert on bee-friendly plants. She’ll be here to give advice and to sell what she has grown.
Bridport Book Shop: There will be a wide array of books relating to wilding, conservation and wildlife for sale – supplied by the Bridport Book Shop.
Bumblebee Conservation Trust (John Butler) – Helping to identify the different types of bees found on the site.
Butterfly Conservation (Colin Burningham): Like last year the Butterfly Conservation stall will show some of the moths trapped the previous nights, give advice and sell related products.
Dorset Mammal Group (Suzie & Colin Varndell): Suzie and Colin Varndell will be exhibiting Colin’s wildlife photography and telling people about what they’re doing to preserve mammals in Dorset.
Dorset Wildlife Trust Daisy Meadowcroft – will be talking about what the DWT is doing to protect wildlife and make Dorset wilder.
Great Big Dorset Hedge (Dorset Climate Action Network – CAN) – Julie Leah will be explaining the Dorset Climate Action Network’s initiative to promote hedgerows as a vital habitat for wildlife
Herbert Clark Woodwork (Bertie Clark) – Bertie had done a lot of work around our site, including making and repairing our sweet track, pontoon, chicken house and insect hotels – some of the work has been done with others.
Real Wild Estates – Julian Matthews will talk about what they’re doing to help large landowners embrace wilding.
Sizzle – Making Greener Choices – Trewin Restorick has been a sustainability leader for over 30 years. His focus is on making green choices easier and he’ll be talking about why we must all stop using peat.
The Dorset Bat Group – Steve Masters will be running a bat tour on Saturday night. Click here to find out more.
Tom Clark Stone Carver – Tom Clark built our bat egg and he’ll be here on Saturday 17th only.
Wessex Wilding – Andrew George was instrumental in designing the layout of our site and sowing the wildflowers – and he designed our quirky hen house too. He’ll be giving tours at the weekend.
West Dorset Wilding – Tom Brereton, will be telling us more about West Dorset Wilding and the Mapperton Wildlands project.
FOOD & DRINK
We’ve been lucky enough to be able to offer a Pop up F.east for our Wilding Weekend! Some of you will know Claire Wellman, who ran a top-quality vegetarian restaurant in Ilminster and now does F.east in the Field. She has come up with some delicious food ideas for our lunches and teas.
We’re also offering scones, cakes, Purbeck ice-cream, elderflower cordial and Clipper teas and coffees.
WAT’S HAPPENING
Please note that there will be both a professional photographer and a video person at the Wilding Weekend.
