Big news - if you’re 16-24 you’ll soon be able to visit some of the UK’s most wonderfully wild places – for free. Starting from November 6, RSPB nature reserves will be yours to explore without spending a penny - here’s all you need to know
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Nature is for everyone. It’s our ambition to encourage more and more people of all ages and backgrounds to engage with wildlife and wild places and make our natural world as accessible as possible.
At the moment we know we need to do more to engage and connect with 16-24 year olds. Young people are less likely to visit our nature reserves than other age groups and we know that cost is one of the main barriers. By removing entry charges, we hope more young people will come to explore these wonderfully wild places and connect with the great outdoors in new ways.
From November 6, all you need to do is show a valid photo ID with your age on it when you arrive at the nature reserve. This could be a driving license, a proof of age card or your passport.
Entry to the 21 RSPB nature reserves across the UK which charge visitors are now free for 16–24 year-olds. Parking charges may still apply at our nature reserves, so please keep this in mind if you’re coming by car.
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Free entry will initially be for two years, but we see this as our first step towards encouraging more young people to connect and take action for nature. In the future we’re planning to to create new opportunities for young people to get first-hand experiences of nature in an engaged and mindful way. Watch this space for other announcements in the coming months.
The new changes for 16-24 won’t impact on our current arrangements for under 16s. These are that under-fives go free at our nature reserves and the first child is also free with a paying adult.
If you’re aged 16-24 you could be a Youth Member (for under 18s), an adult member or a family member, all of which means you already enjoy free access to RSPB nature reserves. If you are a member aged 16-24, you don’t need to do anything different, just show your membership card when you arrive to get free entry.
If you’re not a member and aged 16-24, there are still great reasons to join us, with youth, family and adult memberships all offering slightly different benefits on top of free access to reserves. For youth members aged 13-18 for example, you get a wildlife journal on joining as well as Wingbeat delivered to your door – a brilliant nature filled magazine written by teenagers for teenagers.
By becoming a member you’re also helping to support the vital work we’re doing to protect and restore our wildlife and wild places.
Parking charges may still apply at our nature reserves, so please keep this in mind if you’re coming by car.
