Saturday 27th May to Monday 29th May

Location: Classified, somewhere in South West England.

Mission Start Point: https://w3w.co/cowboy.blasted.officials 

Cost: £85.

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The planned mission...

We hope you will join us on this short but very special mission into The Bioasis. Leave the hustle of everyday life behind and escape into the quiet of ancient forests, wildflower meadows and the stunning coastal estuary of this hidden corner of the UK.

 

We are aiming for a group of around 20 to 30 teachers - made up of clients from both The Bioasis and STC Expeditions. We hope it will be an opportunity to reflect, regenerate and generally put the world to rights. 

 

Want to join us?

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Below is a summary of the plan for the weekend. Please note the structure of the days and some activities may need to change depending on weather, tide times and the make up of the group. 

 

Saturday 27th May

Meet the Bioasis team at the above Mission Start Point and walk from there into basecamp. We plan to have two scheduled departures times from the MSP for the walk in – one at 11am and another at 2pm. Please allow plenty of time to park, get your kit ready, boots on etc, so you’re ready to leave on time.

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Depending on which basecamp we use for this mission, the trek in is usually between 45 minutes and an hour. Most of it is on gravel tracks and bridlepaths but the final 20 minutes to each camp is uphill on narrow footpaths through woodland. Good outdoor footwear is required!

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Settle into basecamp with some tea, coffee (and lunch if you’re on the early walk in). Arrival briefing from Mission Control and your mission leaders, followed by the setting out of wildlife cameras and small mammal traps. 

Afternoon session in the woodland with tree ID sessions and hands-on conservation work such as removal of invasive rhododendron.

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Return to basecamp for dinner. We’re hoping to arrange an evening talk from the landowner and his vision for the estate which includes regenerative farming, increasing biodiversity, nature-based tourism and re-wilding. Evening session around the campfire. We’ll learn how to use bat detectors and, all being well, enjoy some quality star gazing!

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Sunday 28th May

This morning we’ll check the mammal traps before breakfast, identifying and then carefully releasing anything we find. Having prepared our packed lunch, we’ll head down to the estuary and meet our canoe team for an adventure on the water. Heading upstream, we’ll pass petrified forests, salt marshes and agricultural retaining walls built by Napoleonic prisoners of war. Keep an eye out for a wide range of birdlife and, with luck, sea bass and trout too.

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In the afternoon, we’ll head back downstream and hopefully (time allowing) explore some of the estuary south of our put in point before the tide becomes too low. There is usually the chance to do some plastic clean up work in various locations along the estuary too.

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Back on shore, we’ll head back to camp for the remainder of the day, checking the small mammal traps again, along with a look at the reptile refugios and camera traps. For those that still have the energy, there is the possibility of a walk to a see one of our other basecamp locations which is approximately 45 minutes walk away (one way). Dinner and evening around the fire.

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Monday 29th May

After breakfast and checking the traps for the final time, we pack all our belongs ready for these to be taken back to our MSP by vehicle later in the day. Head off on foot to the other side of the estate to look at the field archery course and an area of the estuary where large build ups of ocean plastic can occur. After a packed lunch out and about we head back to the MSP where we say goodbye to the mission team. You should be free to travel home by around 2pm or 3pm, although if you can’t stay that long we can make provision for you to depart earlier.

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