Nature festival mixed up with nudist event
HW SlackWildlife enthusiasts are urging visitors to "dress appropriately" after a mix-up saw their event for naturalists confused with one aimed at nudists.
Cumbria Nature Festival issued what it called an important clarification and offered a refund to anyone to who had "booked in error".
The event is being staged from 8-10 May at a site in Workington and will feature a range of guest speakers and activities for all ages.
Sam Griffin, a member of the organising committee, said the announcement followed a "misunderstanding" and that "we haven't ultimately had to refund anyone so we're hopeful our offering has been sufficient to retain their interest, despite imposing a dress code".
In a Facebook post, the event said: "After a recent enquiry we need to clarify - Cumbria Nature Festival is primarily aimed at NATURALISTS… not NATURISTS.
"Whilst we aim to be as inclusive as possible, and certainly do not judge anyone, we are aiming the event at wildlife enthusiasts. Please do dress appropriately."
'Common misunderstanding'
Griffin told the BBC the group had felt compelled to speak up to prevent any further confusion.
"People hear 'naturalist' and they interpret it as something else. It's a common misunderstanding, I suppose.
"We're just wildlife enthusiasts rather than anything else.
"We've had quite a good response to the post - we gained a lot of followers on the Facebook account and that's generated ticket sales."
Guided walks, workshops and conservation talks will all be part of the festival's offerings, as well as storytelling and craft sessions for youngsters.
Griffin believes Cumbria has lots to offer wildlife fans "but is perhaps not given the same attention as other parts of the country".
"It's not just the Lake District National Park," he added. "There's a lot going on in Cumbria generally. It's a beautiful area to explore.
"The Solway Firth has wintering geese and swans, and the industrial coast has the Small Blue butterfly at Maryport, Workington and Barrow, which is a little gem.
"The festival will have experts from across the country, but we have a wealth of local expertise as well.
"The idea is to get everyone with an interest in the natural world together."
