Scarletts Campsite welcomed young people from the Reigate & Redhill and Lewisham & Greenwich Districts for a very successful re‑launch camp held from 22–25 May. With hot, sunny weather throughout, the weekend provided the perfect backdrop for activities themed around the site’s nature‑restoration project.
Campers got hands‑on with conservation and bushcraft skills, making fencing stakes to build a dead hedge, constructing a hibernaculum to support overwintering wildlife, tying knots to create quadrats for future ecological surveys, and building bird boxes and a hedgehog tunnel.
A twilight bat‑detecting walk proved to be a standout moment, with both Pipistrelle and Greater Horseshoe bats identified overhead. An afternoon Wide Game brought even more excitement, and evenings were spent relaxing and singing around campfires, complete with hot chocolate and marshmallows.
The campsite is now being run by a new multi‑district committee, who have exciting plans for the future of Scarletts — watch this space for updates.
Scarletts will be hosting their next camp from 25–27 September, and expressions of interest are now open. For more information, visit scarletts.woodcraft.org.uk or email scarletts@woodcraft.org.uk.
