by Sarah Waterfield
Hi I’m Sarah and I’m a big believer in small positive changes, in little steps. It covers everything in my life, especially getting more outdoorsy.
As an outdoor education tutor, you’d probably expect me to be into all things outdoors and adventure, I wish it was true, so I’m working on it. After several years of living near London and occasionally cycling to work I realised that I missed being outdoors for its own sake rather than as part of a commute or because of my job. I wanted time for me. And that’s what being outside in the wild does, it’s time to be.
I started to make a few incremental changes, having lunch in the garden was the first step, then lunch in the woods. That quickly became breakfast as the weather improved and the sun woke me up earlier and earlier. As I was up early, why not camp out? Then I decided to cycle more, so as a gentle introduction I started cycling the 3 miles to the shops and then occasionally to visit people, rather than getting the train.
Slowly (over a couple years) this has snowballed into me deciding to tackle 500 miles around northern Scotland but then, realising I’d increased too quickly, it became 200 miles over seven days - a nice gentle tour. We’re all capable of more than we think we are, but we need to build that sense of our own abilities progressively.
So in the build up to #WildNightOut2019, what can you and your friends/family do to build your sense of your own abilities?
A meal outside in the garden? A walk around the neighbourhood? A walk around the neighbourhood at dusk? An open day at a local nature reserve? Sit somewhere quiet to listen to the birds? Lie under a tree to look at the branches? A picnic dinner?
Look for all the different natural colours in an area (or turn this into a game “Find something ..orange”)?
Make a plaster cast of an animal footprint in the mud?
Hunt for bugs?
Make a daisy chain?
Walk around the area you’d like to camp?
A BBQ and silly songs?
Start where you are and see where it takes you. Happy Adventuring!
#WildNightOut2019
WILD NIGHT OUT: GET INVOLVED
There are so many ways you can go wild at night. Anyone and everyone can take this opportunity to make some amazing memories to treasure forever. To get your imagination going, we’ve gathered together some ideas, stories, and how-to guides to help you design the very best Wild Night Out for you.
Everyone needs a Wild Night Out!
MORE ADVENTURES
