Rewilding weekend on Dartmoor

Yes of course. It's called Moor Barton Woods, a place where both Ella and Elspeth have have spent a significant amount of time. Click here to read more about Moor Barton.

Moor Barton Wilding project is a little bit off the beaten track - hopefully, exactly what we're all looking for! The last few miles of the journey are down country lanes and unfortunately, it isn't completely accessible via public transport. Prior to the event, we will support and encourage car-sharing, and pick-ups from nearest train stations - Exeter, Newton Abbot and sometimes Tiverton can be a good one, as it's close to the motorway. 

We will have supper (vegan friendly) ready for you when you arrive on Friday, we'll provide a hearty breakfast on Saturday and Sunday, as well as group supper on Saturday evening. Please let us know on the booking form if you have any dietary requirements.

Hot water & drinking water will be available throughout the weekend too for making hot drinks and if required for meals/snacks. We'll provide a variety of tea bags (along with our freshly foraged plants for tea!), coffee and milk/milk-alternatives, but feel free to bring along too, if you have particular favourites. 

You will need to bring food for lunch on Saturday & Sunday. Please note there are no fridges on site. We can provide guidance on what to bring closer to the the time, but things like bread crackers, tinned fish, blocks of hard cheese, carrots, rice in packets etc are easy to bring and will last. 

We'll also use any of the plants we forage to make some wild tasters on Saturday afternoon /evening.   

Please note that we have a no drugs / no alcohol policy on our courses so we'd be grateful if you'd leave at home. 

Arrival is from 3pm on Friday 20 June, we will wrap by at 2pm on Sunday 22 June. 

We'll include a variety of workshops and activities on the site to help you reconnect to nature, tap into your wilder side, educate you about rewilding land, and leave your soul bursting with the joy of human connection out in nature. 

We'll include lots of foraging, circle time around the fire, sessions on rewilding, a tour of the beaver habitat, celebration of the solstice, singing around the campfire, sauna etc

Note that all activities are optional, and if you just need to take some time out to dip in the stream or rest in a beech clearing, that's all ok! 

Sample timetable - subject to change but to give you an idea of what to expect:

Friday 

15.00 - 17.00 - arrival, settle in & put up tents

17.00 - gather for welcome, introductions, opening circle etc

19.00 - supper (vegan, provided)

20.00 - gather around the fire, singing & stories etc

Saturday

Option to get up early to dip in the stream

07.30 - morning stretching & movement

08.00 - breakfast (vegan or vegetarian as required, provided)

09.15 - 12.15 - introduction to rewilding & tour of Moor Barton, including beaver habitat

12.15 - 14.00 - lunch (bring your own)

14.00 - 17.00 - afternoon workshops

17.00 - 19.00 - sauna available

19.00 - supper (vegan, provided)

20.00 - gather around the fire for evening discussions

Sunday

Option to get up early to dip in the stream

Option to get up early to observe beavers at work - sighting not guaranteed, nature is nature! 

07.30 - morning meditation

08.00 - breakfast (vegan or vegetarian as required, provided) & pack down camping kit

09.30 - 12.15 - morning workshops

12.15 - 13.15 - lunch (bring your own)

13.15 - 14.00 closing circle & goodbyes

14.00 - departure

Please note the moor is usually several degrees colder than everywhere else and the weather can be more unpredictable. Don’t be fooled by a sunny forecast, please still bring warm layers, waterproof gear and appropriately warm sleeping gear. You can leave extra warm sleeping kit in the car, it's horrible being too cold!

Bring clothing that you don’t mind getting dirty and smoky, ideally wool as that is  safest around the fire, and remember clothes with long sleeves and long trousers. Beware of polyester clothing around the fire. 

• Waterproof jacket and trousers – Please bring, even if the forecast looks good! You can leave them in the car but it's better to have and not need them than the other way round.
• Base layer top - Synthetic or merino-wool base layers are best. In the cold it is best to wear several thin layers rather than one thick layer.
• Spare base layer top - to sleep in.
• T shirts or activity shirt for daytime. 
• Leggings/long thermal underwear - Highly recommended to keep your legs warm and to sleep in.
• Underwear
• Socks, wool ones for warmth & some bed socks.
• Thin wool or fleece jumper(s)
• Warm wool jumper and/or a down/insulated jacket
• Trousers - Ideally bring ‘outdoor’ leg wear that will dry quickly and that you don’t mind getting dirty & smoky by the fire.
• Shorts for daytime in case it's really hot. 
• Wool or fleece warm hat - to keep you warm in the evening and to sleep in on cold nights.
• Warm scarf or snood - if you feel the cold e.g. “Buff”.
• Gloves - if you feel the cold.
• Sun hat & sunglasses
• Walking boots/outdoor footwear that you don’t mind getting muddy. There'll be plenty of opportunity to roam barefoot but if the weather is cold & wet, you will definitely want warm footwear. 
• Wellies – these are advised as some areas of the site do get wet, particularly if you’re interested in seeing the habitat that the beavers have created!
• Swimming costume - if you’d like to dip in the stream/sauna  (skinny dipping very welcome!)
• Towel (2 towels required if using the sauna)

Once we're on site, we're not leaving and there are no shops nearby so please ensure you have everything that you need. 

Wash kit

• Toothbrush, toothpaste and a flannel.
• If bringing soap/shampoos please ensure these are natural and biodegradable as will go directly onto the land, or into the stream.
• Please avoid strong smelling deodorants, perfumes and soaps.
• Menstrual products - Consider bringing even if not due – being in the outdoor environment can bring it on early!

Eating and drinking

• Water bottle
• Knife, fork, spoon, bowl, plate and mug – it’s a good idea to keep in a cloth bag or similar so that it can all be kept safe in one place.
• Lunch and snacks for Saturday & Sunday. There are no shops nearby so you do need to bring everything for the weekend. 
• *Please note we have a no drug and alcohol policy on our courses.

Sleeping

• Tent/Tarp/Bivi bag – Whatever you’re most comfortable with, taking into consideration the forecast.
• Sleeping bag - A three season bag should be adequate but if you feel the cold opt for a four season bag. A sleeping bag liner can add extra warmth too.
• Insulation mat - Either a foam roll mat or an inflatable mat and/or a sheepskin. Good underneath insulation is the most important part of your camping sleep system. 
• Pillow / small inflatable pillow - for extra comfort.
• Ear plugs & eye mask.

Other kit

• Daypack - For keeping essentials to hand through the day.
• Extra cloth bag - for foraging.
• Head torch and spare batteries.
• Personal first aid kit - Including plasters, anti-bacterial wipes, a small bandage, tweezers, tick remover, insect & tick repellant (see below for advice), small mirror, sun block.
• Personal medications - Bring any medications you are currently on.
• Notebook and pen – For making notes on what you learn (we encourage notetaking on pen/paper rather than phone, this is a great opportunity to step away from phones.)

Optional items

• Trainers, stretchy trousers/leggings, exercise mat - for optional morning movement sessions
• Camera
• Binoculars
• Sit mat, sheepskin or small camp chair to sit on.
• Musical Instrument/story to share – for time around the campfire
• Scissors/small knife - for foraging.

As the climate is getting warmer, ticks are becoming more prevalent in the UK. They hang out on the end of fern branches, waiting to jump onto unsuspecting people as they brush past. For prevention, wear long sleeves & long trousers tucked into your socks, and paler colours so that you can see the ticks on your clothing & can brush them off. 

Always check yourself for ticks, and carry a tick remover in your personal first aid kit. Don't worry, we'll remind you to do this and will have tick removers with us, I have extracted many in my time! 

There's really useful advice here and here  from NHS on when to be concerned if you've been bitten by a tick.

Use Smidge or other good insect repellent, or Parakito wrist bands and roll-on have also worked well for me to repel ticks. 

If you're missing some of the kit and want recommendations on what to get, let us know and we can provide some ideas. If you would like to borrow something, please get in touch too and we will do our best to supply - we don't want this to be a barrier to your participation.

We definitely have two bivvy bags which we can lend out if you'd like to try sleeping under the stars. 

As much as we love our furry friends, this event isn't suitable for dogs.

Please get in touch with us if you'd like to bring your campervan, there should be plenty of space to park up but we'll need to keep an eye on how many vans we'll have. 

Yes definitely, the site is really well set up so it's not far between where you'll park and where you'll camp. You can leave lots of kit & food in the car and have easy access to it all weekend. 

This is a chance to free yourself from the confine of your daily lives, so a perfect time to stretch your comfort zone with respect to time between showers! 

If you really feel the need to shower, there are two solar shower bags which can be left in the sun to heat up and also shower cubicles to offer privacy for using the shower bags. Alternatively, you could hang the shower bags on a tree limb somewhere private or bring a small bowl and wash cloth. 

It's also fine to wash in the little plunge pool in the stream but it's important to please only use natural eco products and soap yourself a little way from the stream so any suds can filter through the earth rather than going into the water.

There are 3 compost loos on site which have steps going up to them, but we'll also be encouraging wild wees. If you have difficulty with steps, please let us know before booking as the site will prove tricky. 

We will go ahead! There is adequate shelter from rain. Please make sure you bring appropriate clothing and kit for the weather conditions. 

In event of extreme weather conditions ie dangerously strong winds over 30mph, constant torrential rain, thunder/lightening, we will review and provide as much notice as possible in the days leading up to the event. The decision by Joyful Outdoors to cancel an event for safety reasons is final and under these circumstances, Joyful Outdoors is not liable for any travel, accommodation or other costs you might incur if an event has to be cancelled. We suggest that you have personal travel/trip insurance to cover you, for this eventuality.

To keep costs down and due to up front costs involved in setting up this weekend, the booking fee is non-refundable, though we can be flexible if you want to transfer your booking to someone else.