Spring Woodland Festival

May is a month already bustling with weird and wonderful traditional customs celebrating Spring, so is there room in the calendar for one more?
Give Dartmoor's birds a warm welcome home this Sunday 19 May with a colourful parade around Yarner Wood to help the King of the Flycatchers find his Woodland Queen.
The arrival of birds like the pied flycatcher from West Africa marks an important time of the year for nature. This is when the woods burst into life, the oak trees come into bud and the trees are full of birdsong.
The parade is the perfect way to mark the cycle of life and the epic journey these birds make. It's all part of a day of exciting activities to champion our woodland wildlife, at this year's Spring Woodland Festival.
Local school children from Bovey Tracey, Widecombe and Ashburton have been busy creating flags, and wild creatures to be used in the procession into Yarner Wood.
Andy Bailey from Dartmoor's Moor than meets the eye says, "We are bringing the May traditions up to date by creating a fun way to gather people together to celebrate Dartmoor's wildlife."
Join the fun
The Spring Woodland Festival takes place at East Dartmoor National Nature Reserve on Sunday 19 May from 11am. Everyone is welcome for a great day out celebrating Dartmoor's "African" wildlife. There will be guided walks, children's activities, music, storytelling and refreshments. Entry is £2 per person, full details online at www.moorthanmeetstheeye.org.
Follow the event signs from Bovey Tracey, on the road towards Haytor and turn off into Yarner House.
Please note: There is a steep walk into the nature reserve from the event car park, but there will be a limited shuttle service for those who require it.