Into The Light 2026

Into The Light, our two-day rewilding gathering at Heal Somerset, will be back in June 2026 and the theme will be water - exploring and celebrating the rivers and wetlands in our landscapes from both a rewilding and a cultural perspective.

Whether you’re already involved in rewilding or just beginning to explore how to support nature recovery, this event is for you. Expect a welcoming, hopeful experience with learning, creativity and practical information.

What to expect:

1. Inspiring talks and conversations with leading voices
2. A focus on terrestrial water systems and the wildlife that depends on them
3. A beautiful setting within our rewilding site where you will be immersed in nature
4. Plenty of time between talks and activities for catching up with old friends and making new connections

Confirmed speakers include:

1. Minni Jain, director, The Flow Partnership
2. James Wallace, chief executive, River Action
3. Meg Avon, poet, activist, performance artist
4. Eva Bishop, environmentalist
5. James Aldridge, artist and consultant
6. Stephen Rutt, author and naturalist
7. Jack Perks, wildlife cameraman and river conservationist
8. Jon Burgess, chartered forester and resilience officer, Forestry Commission
9. Daniel Hill, rewilding ranger, Heal Somerset
10. Josh Ashbee, restoration specialist

With many more to be announced!

Friday 5 June

Friday is designed primarily for people involved in rewilding projects or working in ecology, land management, conservation, policy and education, as well as landowners, students and anyone looking to explore rewilding in more detail.

Key themes for Friday will include:

1. The health of our freshwater ecosystems
2. Rewilding-focused management of our river and wetland habitats
3. Wildlife found in those habitats
4. Habitat and species recovery

Saturday 6 June

Saturday is a day for sharing stories, challenging ideas, asking questions and celebrating the many ways people are making a difference for nature in their own places.

Our water theme continues, this time with more emphasis on our emotional, historical and cultural connections to rivers and wetlands. Through talks, workshops and shared experiences, we’ll explore what these habitats mean to us and how they shape the communities around them.

Key themes for Saturday will include:

1. Community-focused rewilding projects
2. The cultural and historical significance of water in our landscapes
3. Hopeful, practical stories of nature recovery from around the UK
4. Connection, celebration, and collective action

We will share more information about confirmed speakers soon, but in the meantime you can see the gallery from Into the Light 2025 to get a feel of what you can expect over the two days.

Ticket prices

Ticket prices are tiered, with higher prices for those that can afford it to help subsidise the cost of tickets for people who might otherwise not be able to come. This is an honesty system and we ask that you choose the level that is most applicable to you when booking your ticket.

There are opportunities to volunteer if the cost of attending is prohibitive, please contact [email protected] for more information on volunteering.

More details about Into the Light 2026

Food and drink

There will be vegetarian and vegan food available each day and a bar on the Friday and Saturday evening. More details to follow about these.

Age

Into The Light is open to anyone aged 16 or over. Ticket holders aged 16 or 17 need to be accompanied by an adult.

Camping

Camping tickets will be available on site from Thursday 4 June until Sunday 7 June. The campsite is in a beautiful setting deep in the site and is basic, with a mains cold water tap and toilets. If camping is not your thing, there are lots of places to stay in and around Frome and Bruton, which are a short drive from the site, and you can see more accommodation details here

Tours

We will have optional tours which we will let you know about once confirmed. You will be able to book in advance or on the day if there is still availability. These will take place outside of the main programme times so will not clash with any speakers.

Location

Heal Somerset is in a very rural location, a few miles from Bruton, Frome, the A303 and the Wiltshire border, at Lower West Barn Farm, Bindon Lane, Witham Friary, BA11 5HH. Directions will be sent in a confirmation email.

Transport and parking

The remote rural location means that travelling here by car is the most practical option. If you are driving, parking is included in the price of your ticket but you will need to select a parking ticket for each day you will be on site so we can keep an eye on the number of cars. We plan to also do some minibus pick ups from Frome and Castle Cary stations for those travelling on trains, you can find out more about those by emailing [email protected]

Clothing and other considerations

We recommend that you wear sturdy shoes or walking boots suitable for rough, uneven ground and wellingtons if the weather has been very wet in the days leading up to the event. If the forecast is wet, bring a waterproof jacket and a hat. To reduce the chance of ticks finding their way inside clothing, we recommend long trousers tucked into socks. If the forecast is hot, it's best to wear layers including a light cotton shirt or t-shirt and please bring sun cream and potentially a hat. We also recommend bringing a water bottle, preferably a reusable one (you will be able to top it up at the site) and plenty of antihistamine if you suffer from hay fever.

[We give this level of detail to encourage wider participation by people who may be unfamiliar with being at an outdoor event and we hope this is useful for them as well as a reminder to those already aware.]

Accessibility

If you are a wheelchair user or have any other additional accessibility requests, please email [email protected] to discuss requirements. We now have a Tramper (an all-terrain vehicle) to enable you to tour the mown paths on the site at your own risk.

If you use an assistance dog, your dog will be welcome.

Dogs and other pets

We welcome assistance dogs but you can't bring a pet dog or any other pets to the site.

Cancellation

We reserve the right to cancel this event in its entirety or one of the event days, but this will be avoided unless absolutely necessary. You will be refunded in the case of cancellation. Changes to the programme including speakers could be made at anytime.

Please note, once purchased tickets are non-refundable unless the event is cancelled. The deposit is fully refundable if you decide not to come or if the event is cancelled before tickets go on sale.