Natural England

28 November 2008

Natural England launches Red Letter Days on its National Nature Reserves.

You’ve seen the wildlife documentaries - now Natural England and Red Letter Days,  the UK market leader in gift experiences, are taking people out of the living room and onto National Nature Reserves. This is the perfect chance to go behind the scenes and experience some of England’s most spectacular wildlife, up close next spring.

Vouchers are available from Monday 1 December, giving everyone the chance to take part in sporting challenges and time-honoured conservation activities - including making and shooting longbows, pond-dipping and moth trapping – amongst some of England's wildlife packed reserves, all located within an hour of London. The days will be led by expert Natural England staff who help manage these special places.

Dr Helen Phillips, Chief Executive for Natural England, said: “The secrets of the great outdoors are not just the privilege of wardens, birdwatchers and Springwatch cameramen.  Activities like badger watching, deer stalking and stories round the camp fire are fantastic and fun ways to enjoy and learn about our natural environment."

“This is a fantastic addition to our already very successful selection of family experiences,’ says Bill Alexander, Managing Director of Red Letter Days. This is the first package of this kind we have offered and we expect it to be a great success.  Natural England's National Nature Reserves make a wonderful day out for any family and we are very pleased and excited to now bring that to our customers.”

Where you can go and what you can do:

• At Kingley Vale near Chichester, conservation experts will guide groups through the spectacular ancient yew forest to see elusive nocturnal mammals, such as badgers and deer coming out to feed at dusk.
• At Stodmarsh in Kent you will experience a wild place teaming with birds all year round with a chance to hear booming bitterns, and get up close and personal with the mini-beasts that infest this wetland wilderness.
• At Aston Rowant near High Wycombe, the day will be tailor made for families with young children. Each member of the family will go on an individual journey of discovery, encountering stunning red kites, bats and bugs along the way, all adding to a genuine wildlife experience that families can share forever.

Helen Phillips continued: "Society is becoming increasingly detached from nature and we want to reverse this trend.  The best way to secure the future of these areas is to help people to understand them, enjoy them and take care of them. By providing these wild personal experiences, we are showing how our stewardship helps nature in England's wilder places.

"These new and tailored Red Letter Days are an exceptional opportunity to learn about conservation in England, have fun and get back to nature!”

Natural England run over 130 National Nature Reserves across England, all open for the public to enjoy. Many of these offer opportunities for volunteering.