Engaging people with a Destination NNR

60 years of discovery at Yarner Wood

“It is not half so important to know as to feel….once the emotions have been aroused- a sense of the beautiful, the excitement of the new and unknown… then we wish for knowledge about the object of our emotional response. Once found it has lasting meaning.”

Rachel Carson

A bit of background

• Yarner Wood was the first National Nature Reserve to be designated in England in 1952

• It is now part of the larger East Dartmoor NNR which covers Yarner Wood, Trendlebere Down and the Bovey Valley Woodlands

• It’s important for the internationally rare western oak woodland which supports a rich diversity of fungi, lichens ,mosses and ferns and for its rare butterflies and nesting birds

Previous engagement

• Public access originally controlled by permit, access to a few trails only

• Schools Nature Trail set up in 1968 with museum cases along the route , ground breaking at the time

• Project work by university students• Occasional school visits• Volunteer task days

Visitors- a change in perception

• A slow change in management of reserves to allow unrestricted access and to encourage visitors/ not see them as a problem

• Reserve staff trying to engage people through occasional walks and school visits

• Spring 2010 Natural England appointed Outreach Advisers to its most accessible reserves- its destination NNRs to encourage more children and families to get out and involved in the countryside- Million Children Outdoors. – Based on research “Childhood and Nature survey” by NE and

further developed recently by National Trust “Natural Childhood” and NT “Reconnecting Children with Nature”

– Children and families need to play out more in the countryside!

Why we are trying to engage people

• Want people to value and care for the reserve and their local greenspace in the future

• Want to attract and help nurture the naturalists and wildlife champions of the future

• Bird hide moment where keen naturalists share their passion and knowledge with families and youngsters

• Create a sense of awe and wonder• Engagement at the heart of what we do- people and wildlife

Challenges to getting people out on the reserve

• Limitations due to physical constraints of site, in particular car parking and fields to congregate for larger events

• Coach access• Publicity- getting the word out there that we are open! Especially in

a marketing freeze.• Changing peoples habits NNRs perceived as closed areas!• So many other opportunities close by, school grounds, gardens etc• Other leisure activities• Resistance from colleagues

Early on in the project

• Strategy of reaching out to schools to reach wider family audience• Hard going at first• struggled to get school visits, only picked up when offered free

transport!• Public events -poor turnouts despite posters and flyers and website

and press releases• Knew what I was offering was good, as had been doing similar

activities in previous job up north• Picked up the first summer when I discovered “Primary Times” a

free magazine given out to every school child in South Devon• From there have worked hard to develop a mailing list to help

spread the word and strategy has worked

A range of activities to suit a varied audience

• A mixture of old and new activities working with the site• Some guided, others self led• Minibeast hunts• Stream dipping• Letterboxing trails/ treasure hunts- opportunities for families to have

fun- making fairy houses or collecting natural treasures• Shelter building and family survival days-using popularity of bush

craft to provide cheap opps for families to do things together• Crafts• Character led adventures- tying in with popular themes like pirates!• Tying in with the work here- bird ringing• Targeted themed activities-why you need to visit here an nowhere

else

Attendance

• Worked with 2600 people in 2010/2011• Worked with 4995 people in 2011/2012• Worked with 1955 people so far 2012

Bigger events!

• Spring Woodland Festival

An annual event to showcase the wildlife of the reserve at its best.– Working with local partners like National Park, Woodland Trust,

RSPB, Butterfly Conservation and local wildlife organisations– Supported by local Scouts– Guided walks, dissecting owl pellets, pond dipping, bug hunting,

arts and crafts, storytelling, music– Local landowner allows parking on their field for the day– Over 800 people in first year. Worked because we sent flyers

out through local schools. Putting reserve on map and saying we are open

Lantern Walk Project

• Been trying to put on a range of activities that put the reserve at the heart of the local community

• Wanted to put on an event to encourage a new audience to engage with the reserve

• Something different and unusual which would attract new visitors but not at the expense of the reserve

• Bring the woodland to life for one night using lanterns, artwork, storytelling, music and a sense of community celebration

• Find local schools to build link with- offering lantern making/art workshops-help create the scale of the artwork required, foster link with the reserve and encourage children to come on the night

• In its third year, a walk to celebrate the woodlands of the reserve. Has really caught peoples imaginations

• 400 people came the first year, 800 last year• Set up a box office this year to try to manage numbers and keep the

event manageable• More than just an event, spend the month running up to it working

with local schools to create lanterns and artwork and performance• 400 people involved in creating artwork, stewarding etc• Schools and uniform groups, community groups and business

Feedback

• Have been meaning to e-mail to say "thank you" for arranging such a lovely event.

• The evening was just magical and everyone I spoke to about it afterwards had a really great time.

• We were all amazed when we got the clearing to see all the lanterns and displays, and the live music was wonderful – it really felt magical.

• Just wanted to say how wonderful Saturday was such a magical night.

• Just to say well done on such a fab night on Saturday - what an amazing evening!

Summary

• We’ve put engagement at the heart of what we do on the reserve• It’s not purely about numbers but about connecting people with the

reserve and the wider countryside through a range of activities• It’s about creating that spark so that people want to come back and

make their own discoveries• It’s about being sensitive to the site and working with the team• It’s about having fun and finding time to stop, stand still and listen

and share your enthusiasm