Hello,
We’ve always known that eventually we would win back our rights to access the land. But we didn’t imagine how this story would unfold. The last two weeks have been an outcry, the wild injustice of not being able to sleep freely under the stars has felt raw and moved thousands of people to act. Thank you for being here and supporting the campaign.
We also owe thanks to Alexander Darwall: through his selfish actions, he demonstrated that the story of enclosures is one that is alive and active today. Wealthy landowners continue to chip away at our rights. This is a system where one wealthy man can use their money to take away the rights of hundreds of thousands of people.
But when lots of people organise together, things can change. The protest on Saturday - the largest land justice demonstration in a generation - was a powerful and inspiring message of hope. Your stories resonated loudly and helped the true spirit of Dartmoor, embodied in the folklore character of Old Crockern, to rise.
The right to wild camp on Dartmoor showed us what we have always known: that when people have access to land and the belonging that comes from that, they are bound to it. Saturday demonstrated what happens when people are deeply connected to a place. It’s no wonder that some landowners want to break the bonds we have to the rocks, streams and meadows.
Thank you to everyone who helped organise Saturday’s amazing action, and joined in droves on the day; has shared stories of wild camping; and donated and joined the campaign. Your support means we can keep fighting for a Right to Roam. In our next mailing we’ll update you on the plans for next year and how to join the movement at a local level. But for now….
Here are some next steps:
1. Write to your MP… creatively!
We will not win the right to wild camp without a new Right to Roam Act. We will not accept permissive access as a substitute for our rights.
Please write to your MP by following this link for information on how to do this and some suggested text. MPs will have email inboxes full with messages, especially ones that are about the same thing. We think it would be powerful to send an actual letter, something they can feel in their hands as they read our words. If you’re able to, print and post this (beautifully illustrated by Nick Hayes) version of the letter that you can personalise and sign before posting.
Don’t forget to always include your name and address when contacting your MP so they know you are one of their constituents.
2. Keep in touch with groups in Dartmoor
If you’re local to Dartmoor, or specifically want to support future actions in Devon and the wild camping appeal process, these are the accounts to follow:
@thestarsareours on Instagram
@EveryonesStars on Twitter
@DartmoorDPA for Dartmoor Preservation Association
3. Keep rising
It’s not just Old Crockern who will rise, we’re calling on everyone to tell your stories of land and love. What mythical creatures are sleeping in your hills, marshes and forests? Dartmoor isn’t the only place where greed will stir up the old ones. All of England was once free. Let us know by using #yearoffolklaw on Twitter and Instagram.
4. Donate to the Right to Roam campaign
We have a small team and we’re all starting to dedicate more of our time to the campaign as the movement grows. The money that you donate means we can keep pushing for our Right to Roam, organising events, demonstrating what is possible and exposing what we’ve lost. The system of land ownership is rotten to the core, so we’ve got our work cut out.
You can donate here.
Love,
Nadia and the rest of the Right to Roam team
No comments:
Post a Comment