I’ve just got back from another amazing weekend at Cameron’s Cottage in the New Forest, on a Wild New Forest wildlife camp. These camps happen twice yearly, both in Spring and Autumn, and I’ve been lucky enough to go on five over the last few years. The importance for a young naturalist to be among other young people with the same interest, the same passion, cannot be understated; the world of nature and conservation can sometimes be a lonely one, but it can also be a wonderful community of kindred souls.
For me, it’s always been a struggle to find people my age who share my interest in the natural world. Many of the people I know in this field are adults, and it’s brilliant, they are my friends and mentors, able to share experience and knowledge that has propelled me to where I am now. However, there’s something different that can be brought to the table by spending time with other young nature enthusiasts, and it’s been just as crucial to me.
I always go into these camps excited and slightly nervous, but my fears have always been unfounded so far, simply because the transition going into the weekend is always seamless. I just seem to slot in with everybody else, and we pick up where we left off last camp. There’s such a range of ages there, and there’s so much experience and knowledge within the group. I never seem to feel more confident in myself than at these camps, and that just means I look forward to them even more. Because of this though, the readjustment to life at home after camp takes a bit longer. It’s just not the same, although I always leave these camps happy and enthusiastic (not that I wasn’t beforehand).
Frustratingly, they always go so quickly; time really does fly by when you’re having fun. The wildlife camps are also an amazing way to learn something new. My main area of expertise is, of course, birds, but at Cameron’s Cottage I can learn from other people, both the young participants and the older leaders there, who maybe have a different speciality, such as insects or plants. I’d also like to think that they might have learnt something from me. By spending time with other young people, I can directly become a more well-rounded naturalist with knowledge of families from reptiles to trees, which will help me hugely in the long-term.
I tend to think of the wildlife camps as a weekend away in a bubble. Within that bubble is the Cottage, woodlands and heathlands and of course, loads of amazing, knowledgeable young people and adults that come together to learn from each other and have a good time. I feel so lucky to enter that bubble and when I do, it’s like my brain switches from outside world mode to relaxed. It’s truly therapeutic.
So, I fully plan to tell you more about the camp I’ve just been to in the future. I just thought it would be a good idea to tell you of my emotions and thoughts about just how incredible these camps are, and how important they are to me. They have genuinely changed my life and my outlook on the world, and it’s near impossible to feel alone as a young naturalist when I know all these amazing people exist, and it’s just a matter of months before I can enter that special bubble again.
None of this could be possible without the dedicated commitment of those at Wild New Forest Guided Tours running the camps. Huge thanks has to go out to Marcus, Emily and the whole team. I cannot stress enough to positive impact you’ve had on me and so many other young people. I also have to thank the Cameron Bespolka Trust, who do so much to support the camps and make this possible. I had a lot of fun this camp, and we had several unexpected encounters, from photography opportunities with some colourful spiders, to a glimpse of a rare mammal in broad daylight. The countdown to the October camp begins now!
The Bovey Birder 