Although the Friends of Rye Harbour Nature Reserve have existed almost as long as the reserve itself, they had never had a “home” before the opening of the discovery centre. Now though, the second Saturday of each month is friends’ open day.
Cliff Dean, chairman of the friends, explained how the day unfolds: ”It begins at 8:30am with a short bird walk starting from the car park. The discovery centre opens at 10am and volunteers and committee members are present to greet friends and other visitors, to give information and answer questions about the reserve and its wildlife. It’s also a useful opportunity to discuss issues between formal meetings.
“At 11am is the monthly draw of the friends’ 833 Lottery, set up to support the discovery centre, and throughout the day there are fund-raising sales of crafts and second-hand books. An increasing number of people drop in to meet old friends and make new ones, to catch up with reserve news and find out where to see interesting wildlife. A special pleasure is to meet those who knew the area but have moved away, since they are so often amazed at the way the reserve has developed and at the beautiful discovery centre itself.”
I went down on Saturday, June 9 to meet Linda Wren, who organises A Guide in a Hide and Pat, who was manning the book stall.
They were both so friendly and welcoming and then Barry and Ann Yates arrived and showed me delightful bunting made by the Wednesday afternoon creative group. This of course led to a photograph opportunity with a few staff, which always adds to my visit if I can. As we were organising the shot other volunteers came up and joined in including artist, James Tomlinson. This just shows what a great place it is to drop into on open days because you never know who you are going to pop into or what you might learn.
You can join the friends online at rhnrfriends.co.uk.
Image Credits: Kt bruce .