Tickets are going quickly for Norfolk Wildlife Trust’s
Cley Calling Wild Winter - Thursday 6 till Sunday 9 December – with ways to discover and explore the wildlife of the north Norfolk coast.
With Norfolk Wildlife Trust’s
Aspinall Centre as its hub, Cley Calling Wild Winter is a festival of wildlife, poetry, music and performance all inspired by the natural world.
This festival is extra special as we are saying thank you to National Lottery players by offering free entry to the nature reserve on Sunday 9 December to anyone with a National Lottery Ticket. It is part of the Heritage Lottery Fund’s
#ThanksToYou campaign. NWT received £1.5 million from HLF in support of its Living Coast project, which saw habitat restoration, the building of the Simon Aspinall Wildlife Education Centre and the development of a vibrant events programme encouraging more people to engage with nature.
NWT Cley Marshes is the oldest Wildlife Trust nature reserve in the UK, bought in 1926 by NWT founder, Dr Sydney Long. Today it welcomes more than 100,000 visitors a year, to the beautiful reserve and also the café, visitor centre and events.
This is the third year of Norfolk Wildlife Trust’s Cley Calling festivals. For availability and to book events where required, go to www.cleycalling.com or call the NWT Visitor Centre at Cley on 01263 740008. This festival’s events include:
Workshop: Night Sky Photography, Thurs 6 Dec, 1.30 – 3pm
As part of his exhibition, Shaun Reynolds is our guide to winter night skies with practical advice on how to produce your own photographs, including how to capture the Milky Way.
Cost: £8 NWT members, £10 non-members (includes a light lunch)
Evening talk: Tristan Gooley- Wild Signs and Star Paths, Thurs 6 Dec, 7pm supper, 7:45 performance
How to sense direction from stars and plants, forecast weather from woodland sounds and predict the next action of an animal from its body language.
Cost: £10 NWT members, £12 non-members
Music: Sam Lee, Fri 7 Dec, 6.30pm doors for food and bar, 8pm performance
The Mercury Prize nominated folk singer with an ambition to connect the nation deeper with nature and our environment.
Cost: £12 NWT members, £15 non-members
Children: Christmas at Cley, Sat 8 Dec, 10.30 – 12.30am
Create some unique Christmas decorations from natural materials.
Cost: £4 watch members, £6 non-members (1 accompanying adult free)
Music: The Norfolk Broads, Sat 8 Dec, 2 – 4pm
Music from a witty female quartet, as you enjoy mince pies and mulled wine.
Cost: £10 members, £12 non-members
Families: Stargazing for Families, Sat 8 Dec, 7 – 9pm
Norwich Astronomical Society will identify the many spectacles of the dark sky. One of their experts will give an introductory talk exploring the wonders of stargazing.
Cost: £1.50 children, £3 adults
Performance: Poetry in Ocean, Sun 9 Dec 2 – 3.30pm
Poetry from Susan Richardson's fourth collection, Words the Turtle Taught Me.
Cost: Children free, £3.50 NWT members, £5 non-members
Chief Executive of Norfolk Wildlife Trust, Pamela Abbott hopes many people will come and enjoy the festival: “Cley Calling Wild Winter is a festival of creativity inspired by the natural world. There is even more to this celebration of all things wild in North Norfolk and of the wild creativity of people faced with nature: guided walks; a beach clean; poetry; and more. We are delighted to celebrate the National Lottery also and all it does to bring nature and people together.”
Ros Kerslake, Chief Executive of the Heritage Lottery Fund, said: “December is a wonderful time to experience the UK’s rich, diverse and exciting heritage, which has been transformed by more than £7.8bn National Lottery funding since 1994. This is a small gesture of thanks and a way of giving something back to the people who buy tickets.”