FAMILIES visiting RSPB Arne over the summer will be able to enjoy a bumper catalogue of events.

The nature reserve near Wareham has announced three new events and getting there will be easier than ever before with the launch of the 2RN shuttle bus.

‘Reptile Survey Walks’ will be held in small groups and presents a unique opportunity for visitors to take part in one of the reserve’s reptile surveys. Participants will walk in some of the more sensitive areas of the reserve to explore where the creatures call home.

RSPB Arne is one of the few places in our country where you see all six species of British reptile, including the rare sand lizard and the elusive smooth snake. The event will take place on Tuesdays throughout June, July and August.

Back by popular demand is the ‘Nightjar Walks with Supper’ - an exclusive opportunity for families to listen to the unmistakable ‘chur’ of the nightjar. Taking part at night time the walk is a wonderful opportunity to see the reserve under the cloak of darkness: and it includes a two course meal!

​​‘The Big Wild Sleep Out’ at RSPB Arne gives families the chance to sleep out in the wild. There will be guided walks, a campfire and stargazing opportunities in the idyllic surroundings overlooking Poole Harbour and the Purbeck Hills. The event takes place on the weekend of July 23 and 24.

And it will be easier than ever for Dorset communities to connect with nature thanks to a shuttle bus that launched this month.

As part of the RSPB’s “Hyde’s Heath Project” the organisation will be trialling the Service 2RN from Wareham Train Station to RSPB Arne until August 31st.

The RSPB is hopeful that the ‘little green bus’ will help people who can’t currently access the nature reserve due to limited personal transport. RSPB Arne comprises of a 565 hectare patchwork of land on the Isle of Purbeck with Hyde’s Heath Project launched in 2019 with the aim of engaging people with their local heritage.