IMMERSE YOURSELF IN NATURE AT A WILDERLANDS WILD WEEKEND THIS SUMMER 2021
After an incredibly challenging 18 months, the desire to leave the stress and hassle of everyday life behind and immerse ourselves in the natural world feels stronger than ever. Inspired by this link between nature and wellbeing, as well as the need to protect against climate change, Wilderlands is a new project that encourages rewilding in the UK. The aim is to unite and empower people of all ages to reclaim their wild heritage and become better connected with the environment, in order to enrich their lives and support our natural ecosystems.
This summer, Wilderlands is hosting a series of family-friendly Wild Weekends, where people of all ages can come together and spend time in nature, creating a deeper connection to our landscape, flora and fauna, and supporting both our mental and physical wellbeing. The events, in partnership with August’s Into the Wild festival, will take place every weekend from 21 May to 19 September at a stunning campsite in the beautiful woodlands of Chiddinglye, West Sussex, where the forests and wild meadows are brimming with life.
Each weekend will have a mix of offerings both for adults and kids – details for each individual weekend are listed on the Wilderlands website here: https://www.wilderlands.co.uk/wild-weekends-programme.
In addition to live music, a woodland spa, stunning country walks, an Ethical Clothing Boutique, wild nature, and a Craft Brewery on site, world-leading teachers, speakers, musicians and foragers will also be invited to take part in these magical weekends. All weekends feature the opportunity to learn new skills, with workshops taking place in smaller groups of up to 30 people, including den-building, wood carving and flint knapping, identification of trees, plants and birdsong, tracking, bird language, natural navigation, archery, Celtic blacksmithing, astronomy and star gazing, Yoga, relaxation and meditation, lucid dreaming, creative writing, wild arts, foraging, wild cooking with campfire music, myth making and storytelling. There is the option of pitching your own tents or hiring bell tents or a woodland cabin, delicious organic food available to purchase from the on-site café and Curry Leaf Truck, showers, BBQ facilities, firepits, plus the option of BYO.
Musicians performing at Wilderlands across the summer include: TEYR, The Langan Band, Seize the Day, Max Bailee, James Patrick Gavin Trio, Folkadelix and Carrie Tree amongst many others, while speakers include: Alan Watson Featherstone (founder of Trees for life), Peter Owen Jones (TV presenter and Vicar at Firle), Derek Gow (Rewilder, farmer, author and Beaver Expert), Jay Griffiths (award winning author of Wild and More), Gail Bradbrook (co- founder of XR), Neil Ansell (Author of the last Wilderness).
These Wild Weekends offer the opportunity for family and friends to reconnect and become part of the natural world, find a sense of inner peace, and rest both body and mind in the splendour of nature, with the support of the fantastic Wilderlands crew. All around the world we are losing our wildlife and natural resources at an unprecedented rate, so it is time for us all to co-create the lands we want to inhabit, to support wildlife to return and flourish. Wilderlands long-term goal is to help communities buy land for rewilding, encouraging everyone from the smallest garden to the largest landowner to commit to creating biodiverse landscapes where nature can thrive. Rather than seeing nature as profit or something purely to be harvested, we can become custodians and friends of the wild, and enjoying a magical Wild Weekend in the stunning West Sussex countryside is the perfect way to start.
SITE INFORMATION
The Wilderlands site includes the wonderful Red Moon Roots Organic Vibe Cafe, serving gorgeous meals, cakes and more, all locally sourced, even from Chiddinglye Farm itself. There is also the delicious Curry Leaf Truck on site and an Ethical Clothing Boutique, which supports small families of hand-makers in India and England by selling beautifully crafted, raw cotton and wild wool clothing for men, women and children. Opening Friday: 4pm – 9pm, Saturday: 1pm – 3 pm & 6:30pm – 10 pm, and Sunday: 12pm till close. There is also The Enchanted Glade Spa down in the Sequoia grove, offering massages, hot tubs, and a sauna that can all be pre-booked.
The Missing Link Brewery can be seen from the north end of the camping field. They offer craft beers brewed and served on site and a variety of gourmet food truck caterers at the weekends. Reservations MUST be made for table service and food (scroll down the first webpage to BEER FIELD BOOKINGS and book meals via EventBrite), while a walk-up service is available for take away beers & ice cream.
At the top of the meadow there is an info tent called Badger’s Den. There are facilities for making hot drinks – tea, coffee and hot chocolate. There are snacks available including fruit, vegan and Gluten free varieties, plus Wilderlands T shirts, and Charcoal for BBQ’s. We also offer the following:
– Phone charging (For a fee), First Aid, General Welfare
– Lost & Found Property, Information, Programmes
– Safeguarding for Found children (enhanced DBS & Safeguarding)
– A quiet/safe place to sit either in or outside.
– Hot water etc will be available from 8am until close – between 6-8 depending on how busy it is.
There are six workshop spaces: “Tiger’s Nest”, “Wolf Clan Cave” “Lynx’s Lair” “Kestrels Camp”, “Foxes Daen”, and “Wise Owl woods”. There are also compost loos, showers, a safe BBQ area and lots of space to camp. The estate is beautiful. Please make sure you go out to explore the woods, including the stunning giant Sequoia forest, and ancient rocks. Make sure you bring cushions and shawls to workshops in case you want to fully submerge yourself in this moment.
Covid: On a practical level, we ask that you please read our covid policy on the website and respect everyone and their own boundaries. Give people space, please wash your hands and clean toilet and showers after use, to respect the next person coming along. There are no more than 30 people to gather at any one time until June 21st. Please respect this.
Rubbish: We ask that you take please home any rubbish that you bring or create. Our policy is to leave no trace and be aware of what we use. There are bin liners at Badger’s Den and at the gate. Everyone here really, really appreciates your help with this.