THE first of more than 50 events will be held next week as this year’s Exmoor Nature Festival kicks off on Saturday, May 16.

The festival showcases wildlife, the benefits of nature for human health, and the sheer beauty of the national park.

Visitors and the local community will be able to enjoy a wide range of experiences across the area to experience all that Exmoor’s unique natural environment has to offer.

An Exmoor National Park Authority (ENPA) spokesperson said: “It is a great line-up, from family fun days, forest bathing, wildlife walks, volunteering opportunities, farm walks, and outdoor yoga, there really is something for everybody.”

The festival starts at a leisurely pace with two-hour walks through the Lorna Doone Valley and surrounding Exmoor landscape on the Saturday, starting from the Buttery Café, in Malmsmead.

Or, families can follow a self‑led trail designed to guide them around some of the rare, unusual, and historically significant trees which help to make Dunster Castle and Gardens such a special place, with free trail maps available from the visitor reception building.

At the same time, Dunster Castle is hosting a bees and blossom spotter trail with knitted bees and colourful blossoms hiding in the castle’s nooks and crannies.

Saturday also sees a Two Moors Way nine-mile walk visiting Withypool Hill, Tudball’s Splats, Worth, Parsonage Farm, and Tarr Steps, full of contrasts, with an ascent which will provide extensive views of Exmoor, followed by a beautiful riverside walk through sections of woodlands.

And the ENPA team will also be at Tarr Steps for a free, pop up nature and wildlife activities day with fun for all the family.

The festival is supported by the Somerset and Exmoor Local Visitor Economy Partnership, funded by the Government through its UK Shared Prosperity Fund, with Somerset Council as the lead authority.