The RSPB have teamed up with Sussex based foraging school, Hunter Gather Cook, for a fundraising event with a difference:
I was lucky
enough to grow up in a small village in West Sussex which was surrounded by
woods, fields and roaming horses. I’d
play outside with my friends all day long, experiencing wildlife first hand. We’d make rope swings, build dens and generally
create allot of extra washing for our mums. I’d play and explore from breakfast until the
call of my name across the fields would herald dinner time and I’d run home.
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| Nature is one big playground when you're little. Photo Liam Jefferies |
As an adult,
my love of wildlife and the natural world has only grown, you will still find
me ‘playing’ outside of a weekend - swimming down the Ouse or climbing trees in the woods. Which is
why I’m so excited about putting on an event which will celebrate everything
outdoors and raise money for the RSPB too.
The event, which takes place on Thursday 25 July, includes foraging for
edible plants, which will be used in the evening’s campfire meal and building
your own shelter to spend the night in – all under the guidance of experienced Hunter Gather Cook instructors.
The foraging school is based within a private nature reserve which is
carefully managed to create a haven for a rich variety of wildlife. Hidden in the woodland is the schools’
rustic outdoor kitchen, complete with an oven made from the clay beds of the
nearby stream. The kitchen is
covered by an elegant A-frame structure, crafted from birch, with pots and pans
hanging from the roof struts.
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| Hunter Gather Cook HQ |
The event will begin with a guided walk around the reserve, led by RSPB
conservation officer, Dr. Richard Black. July at the reserve
boasts the chance to see the rare Silver-washed Fritillary and White Admiral
butterflies flitting along the woodland edges.
Next, guests will be shown where to find the plethora of edible plants
on the reserve and how to identify them. The foraging school instructors are
experts in living off the land; they are also experienced chefs, who visibly
relish the chance to craft sumptuous and original dishes from foraged
ingredients.
Nick Weston, who established the school in 2011 said: “I opened the
school to teach people about living comfortably in the great outdoors and to
create great dishes using wild produce.
“I’m really pleased to be teaming up with the RSPB and helping them
raise funds for their work; both our organisations encourage people to connect
with nature and it will be great to work together on this.”
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| Get back to nature this July. RSPB images |
Back at base camp the instructors will demonstrate how to build a fire
using traditional techniques and cook a leg of lamb in an underground oven for
the evening’s foraged feast.
As the sun goes down and the resident Nightingales begin to sing, guests
can learn how to mix up the perfect wild cocktail, using foraged infusions and
syrups prepared by the Hunter Gather Cook instructors.
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| Nightingale. RSPB images |
To end the evening, guests will build a shelter and nestle down to spend
the night around the crackling fire. Breakfast will be provided the following
morning before home time at 10am.
Foraging is
great way to get out and enjoy green spaces and can result in some very tasty
dishes! I’m really excited that the event is taking place on the private nature
reserve which provides a valuable home to a variety of wildlife.
Not everyone
had the chance to play and run wild in the great outdoors as a child, but it’s
never too late...
There are 15 places available on the event at £80 each. Proceeds from the event will be going towards the wonderful work of the RSPB. For further details and to secure a
place contact alice.jefferies@rspb.org.uk
