Gemma and Lewis record in the dark by the camp-fire during a family camping sleep-over. It’s 9:50 pm, owls are calling and they’re a bit overtired – so expect extra waffle and late-night tangents.

• Rain relief – finally breaks a three-week dry spell; both admit jumpers are Britain’s national security blanket
• A huge sweet-chestnut limb dropped after drought; quick reminder about “summer branch drop” in oak/chestnut as well as beech
• Setting up their first moth lamp and reminiscing about the perfect buff-tip moth that once fooled everyone as a snapped birch twig
• Night-time bird chat: tawny owls, chiff-chaffs, little owls, robin midnight song, nightjars, mute-swan hisses, Seagulls glowing white on rooftops, pheasants and the hot-pennies festival, aggressive swans and chicken nappies
• Walking in total darkness – how woodland navigation forces mindfulness; why torches are so tempting for children and how to structure multi-night dusk sessions
• Meteors! The Perseid shower peaks 11-13 Aug (best around 02:00 after moon-set) – plan a night watch if skies are clear
• Nocturnal wildlife: why badgers, hedgehogs and bats remain abstract for many children; how perseverance and silence are rarely rewarded in an age of instant gratification
• Bird-feeding ethics – is it genuine care or a desire to see creatures up close? the pigeon vs. songbird dilemma
• Nightjar surveying: ideal habitat is recently felled conifer plantation; they “churr” and clap wings overhead
• Street-lights that switch off after 23:00 give surprise star-watching spots
• Dusk/after-school Forest School – challenges of tides for Beach School, shifting sunset times, leaving gear out in the dark
• Final moment of stillness – the woods fall silent; Gemma and Lewis creep off to check the moth sheet

Feedback / ideas
Run dusk or night sessions? Do a regular meteor watch? Tried a moth lamp? Let them know what works (and what doesn’t).

Contact / links
Email: admin@theforestschoolpodcast
Web: theforestschoolpodcast.com
Support & extras: patreon.com/theforestschoolpodcast