What’s believed to be the first ever Reclaim the Night event on a nature reserve has been held at the Otter Estuary, celebrating the right of women and girls to walk freely, safely and joyfully in nature at any hour.
More than 50 women and girls joined the Pebblebed Heaths Conservation Trust (PCHT) in a lantern-lit procession of solidarity at the Otter Estuary Nature Reserve on Friday 12 December.
The Reclaim the Night movement began over 40 years ago in urban areas across the UK, where women marched with torches and banners to demand safe access to public spaces.
The Conservation Trust believes this is the first time such an event has been hosted on a nature reserve – an important step toward ensuring equitable access to the countryside.
Savannah Brownlow, Engagement Ranger for PCHT explains: “For those who work or are in school, daylight access to nature is often limited during winter – by the time you get home, it’s already dark.”
“And if women don’t feel safe or confident going out after dark, the precious chance they have to connect with nature and enjoy the wellbeing it brings is squeezed into the weekends.”
National data* highlights the need for action:
- Men make more visits to green spaces than women.
- 26% of women in the UK spend less time in nature due to safety concerns (compared with 9% of men).
- Some women feel excluded or unsafe outdoors due to harassment, discrimination, or fear of harm.
Savannah added: “Our reserves should echo with Curlews, not curfews. Together, we lit the way toward a countryside where everyone feels safe, day or night.”
After the event Susan Watts commented: “ A great walk – so lovely to experience the Otter Reserve in gentle lantern light and quiet chatter.”
India Laurence-Othen and Gill Reggler reflected on their experience: “To look behind us and see women with their curlew lanterns lit up, it was magical and quite emotional.”
This event was part of the Pebblebeds For All project, supported by funding from The National Lottery Heritage Fund, which aims to make the Pebblebed Heaths National Nature Reserve inclusive and welcoming for everyone.
Recent initiatives include a series of ‘Wonderfully Wild Women’s Workshops’, bringing different groups of women together to explore how their confidence, connection and relationship with nature has changed to better support their engagement with the natural world in the phase of life they are in now.
For more information about upcoming events or to get involved, visit our What’s On page or contact [email protected]