queer nature club south west
A community of folks (LGBTQIA+ & allies) who are interested in exploring ideas of queer nature and going on walks or expeditions together to local landscapes and nature reserves in the Southwest of England.
Activities are queer affirming and queer-led, the programme is designed to be as open and accessible as possible.
In 2024-5 we made a zine together.
In Summer 2026 we’ll be making a banner together- for pride parades later in the year and 2027.
To join our mailing list drop us a line: socialmaterialcic@gmail.com
UPCOMING EVENTS….UPCOMING EVENTS….UPCOMING EVENTS….UPCOMING EVENTS….UPCOMING EVENTS….UPCOMING EVENTS….
Queer nature Club: Autumn programme 2026
Join us this Autumn for a programme of events across the South West of England, including
- explorations of animal and insect hibernation at Moors Valley, Dorset
- dolphin watching & incredible insects at Berry Head, Devon
- creepy, ghostly and haunting stories of nature at Arlington Court, Devon
- encounters with centuries old trees at Horner Wood, Somerset
- nature by night on Portland (booking coming soon!)
- meeting remarkable bats at Ninesprings park, Yeovil, Somerset
Where the Wild Things Sleep: Trip to Moors Valley
DATE: Saturday 19 September
TIME: 1.30 - 4pm
LOCATION: Moors Valley Country Park, Dorset
Booking required in advance. Pay what you can; Free places available
An exploration of hibernation, burrows and winter-hideouts for insects, mammals & reptiles. Led by a ranger, with Swan Club.
Option to meet us there or join a minibus from at Lighthouse, Poole at 1pm
TRIP TO BERRY HEAD, BRIXHAM, Devon
DATE: Sunday 20 September
TIME: 11am - 1pm
LOCATION: Berry Head, Brixham, Devon
Booking required in advance. Pay what you can; Free places available
Berry Head is a beautiful, historic site and nature reserve. Delightful cirl buntings are resident year-round, whilst peregrine falcons, sparrowhawks and kestrels can be found circling the headland and out to sea, fulmars, kittiwakes and gannets can be seen foraging for fish.
If we're lucky we'll also see schools of dolphins feeding below the cliffs.
Haunting nature at arlington court, north devon
DATE: Saturday 24 October
TIME: 3pm - 7pm
LOCATION: Arlington Court, nr. Barnstaple, Devon
Booking required in advance. Pay what you can; Free places available
A walk through the woods discussing the mythical and murderous tales in which our trees, plants and animals played central roles.
Followed by a creative writing session led by Queer Nature Club, accompanied by hot soup and marshmallows.tell your story online can make all the difference.
link.outsavvy.com/haunting
ancient woodland walk at the holnicote estate, somerset
DATE: Sunday 25 October
TIME: 11am - 1pm
LOCATION: Cloutsham, nr Porlock, Minehead, Somerset
Booking required in advance. Pay what you can; Free places available
Join East Quay Watchet, Queer Nature Club South West and the Holnicote Estate (National Trust) for an autumn walk through the beautiful Horner Wood to explore stories and ecologies of the ancient and veteran trees.
bat walk at ninesprings park, yeovil, somerset
DATE: Monday 2nd November
TIME: 6.30pm - 8pm
LOCATION: Ninesprings Park, Yeovil, Somerset
Booking required in advance. Pay what you can; Free places available
Join Queer Nature Club for a walk with Yeovil Parks to encounter the wonderful local bats at Ninesprings Park, Yeovil.
We'll be led by a knowledgeable local ranger, and be able to listen to the bats through special listening devices as they hunt at night using echolocation.
Queer Nature Club X East Quay: Midsummer Meadow Walk
DATE: Saturday 20 June
TIME: 3pm - 7pm
LOCATION: Holnicote Estate, Exmoor (near Selworthy, Minehead)
Booking required in advance. Pay what you can (suggested cost £5 - £10)
A special midsummer event in the meadows at the Holnicote Estate in Exmoor, led by artists Ione Maria Rojas and Daniel Baker-Wells, in partnership with East Quay.
The event will include a guided walk of the stunning meadows, creative workshops in colour-making and painting, an exploration of the Holnicote rewilding project, and a visit to the beaver enclosure.
Queer Nature Club X East Quay: Artist-led Workshop Day
DATE: Saturday 27th June 2026
TIME: 11.30am - 4pm
LOCATION: East Quay, Watchet,
Somerset TA23 0AQ
Booking required in advance. Pay what you can (suggested cost £5 - £10)
East Quay and Queer Nature Club South West will host an informal, relaxed day of practical hands-on workshops, including creative writing, drawing & printmaking exploring queer birds, animals and ecosystem. The session will be led by artists Sixto-Juan Zavala and Daniel Baker-Wells.
Queer Nature Club South West is curated by Daniel Baker-Wells, design by Sixto-Juan Zavala.
The programme was seed funded by the John Lewis Foundation Nature Fund in 2025. 🦡
The Queer Nature Club Autumn Programme organised in partnership with Arlington Court, Holnicote Estate, East Quay Watchet, b-side, Swan Club, Lighthouse Poole, Moors Valley, Proud2Be, Yeovil Diversity Project and Yeovil Town Council, thanks to the support of Sovereign Network Group; Dorset Community Foundation; South Devon National Landscape through the Life on the Edge with funding from the National Lottery Heritage Fund; and Awards for All using public funding through the National Lottery Community Fund.