Shap Outdoor Festival '25
The Shap Outdoor Festival 2025 (SOF25) returns this spring.
Event Date
22 May 2025
12:00 AM
This event occurs daily from
26 Apr 2025 to 26 May 2025
£
Description
It's a month-long celebration of nature, wildlife and conservation.
Running from Saturday 26th April to Sunday 26th May. This year, the festival will spotlight Cumbria’s temperate rainforests – a rare and remarkable ecosystem found in the Lowther Valley and beyond.
Festival highlights include:
Main Exhibition – The Old Courthouse’s ‘Exhibit A’ Gallery hosts a month-long exhibition. In collaboration with the #Species Survival Fund Rainforest Project led by the Woodland Trust in partnership with Plantlife, Cumbria Connect, Cumbria Woodlands and other partners. This project is funded by the Government's Species Survival Fund developed by Defra and its Arm's-Length Bodies.
The exhibition will showcase the beauty, biodiversity and importance of temperate rainforests. There is a particular focus on Naddle Forest at the RSPB at Wild Haweswater and the wider Lowther Valley.
Guided Walks and Nature Experiences, Nature Talks. Visit www.theoldcourthouse.org for details and to register.
Red Squirrel Watching, Saturday 3rd May at 9am, 10.30am, 12.30pm at Shap Wells Hotel, Penrith
Join rangers Jerry Moss and Gary Murphy for a short walk to watch the red squirrels in the grounds at Shap Wells Hotel. See the fantastic work they are carrying out to protect the red squirrel habitat. Places limited. Book online.
Temperate Rainforest Walk and Talk – Naddle Valley Saturday 10th May at 10am to 1pm
The RSPB at Wild Haweswater, Penrith. Online registration essential. Join Cumbria Woodlands for a walk and talk in our temperate rainforest, home to rare species of lichen, moss and liverworts. Discover what temperate rainforest is and the work Cumbria Connect are doing to restore it.
The 3km walk will largely take place on stone/earth paths in and around the forest, though we will go off-path at times. The gradient is very steep and rocky in places and it can be muddy underfoot
Full Moon Forest Bathing and Walk, Monday 12th May at 8pm to 10pm, at The Old Courthouse, Shap, Penrith, CA10 3NL
Discover how the magic of woods can bring you health and happiness, deep peace and restoration, on a Forest Bathing adventure amongst the wonderful woodlands of Wild Haweswater.
Cumbria’s Temperate Rainforests, Tuesday 13th May at 7:30pm to 9pm, Talk at The Old Courthouse, Shap, CA10 3NL
Join Georgia Stephens, Plantlife’s Rainforest Advisor for the North West of England. Discover a little more about this incredibly rare habitat. These temperate rainforests, rich with moss-covered trees and rare wildlife, once covered 20% of the country. Today, less than 1% remains, scattered in small, fragile fragments. Plantlife is working to protect their long-term future in this area. Register online.
Edible plants for beginners - Walk, Talk and Nibbles! Wednesday 14th May at 12noon to 2.30pm at Old Lowther College Lowther Penrith CA10 2HH
Join us for a walk across Lowther Park and into the woods and discover the abundant wild foods growing at this time of the year. Learn to identify edible plants with local expert Jordan Mckeating from
Wild Foods UK who will lead you on this fabulous walk.
Science and Nature - What's it all about? Thursday 15th May at 7.30pm to 9pm. Talk at The Old Courthouse, Shap
Join Mo Verhoeven, Conservation Scientist from Cumbria Connect and discover more about the wonderful world of Science and Nature.
Beavers and our Freshwater Fish, Friday 16th May at 7.30pm to 9pm at The Old Courthouse, Shap
Join us for a screening of Balancing The Scales, a new documentary from the Beaver Trust. This dives into the fascinating interactions between beavers and fish.
Stick around after the film for a beaver Q&A with Martin Varley, Programme Manager for Cumbria Connect and Joe Clements Assistant Conservation Manager at Lowther Farming Partnership.
Managing Deer for Nature Restoration Talk, Tuesday 20th May at 7pm to 8.30pm. Talk at The Old Courthouse, Shap
Learn about deer management with Jo Sheehan, Cumbria Connect’s Deer and Venison Project Manager. Hear our plans to restore woodlands, encourage natural regeneration and provide accessible sustainable venison for the community. Tasty venison nibbles will be provided after the talk for you to try from Moveable Feasts.
Cumbrian Lichens, Wednesday 21st May at 7pm to 8.30pm, Talk at The Old Courthouse, Shap
Join Pete Martin from the Cumbria Lichen and Bryophyte Group. Learn all about what lichens are; how we think they work and how we tell them apart.
We'll discover the different sorts of lichens that you can find in different sorts of wet woodland around Cumbria - and what that might tell us about the woodlands.
Deer and Woodland Management Walk Saturday 24th May at 7pm to 8.30pm
Take a woodland walk with Cumbria Connect. Learn about our plans to restore woodlands and encourage natural regeneration through Deer Management. 3km in total. Easy terrain, few slopes but uneven, muddy ground and stile. Meet at Larch Cottage, Penrith CA10 2DR. Car Park. Places limited, book online.
Lichen hunting in Naddle Woods, Sunday 25th May at 10am to 12noon, The Old Courthouse, Shap
Have a look for lichens on the trees and rocks in Naddle Forest at Wild Haweswater, which is managed by the RSPB and United Utilities.
Lichens are long-lived mini-ecosystems: a symbiosis of fungi, algae and more. They can give an indication of the ecological health of its habitat.
Address
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