The Cumbria Nature Festival, which will be held for the first time from May 8 to May 10, is aimed at naturalists—wildlife enthusiasts—not naturists, who practice social nudity. Organisers posted on social media to address the confusion, stating: "After a recent enquiry, we need to clarify - Cumbria Nature Festival is primarily aimed at NATURALISTS... not NATURISTS. While we aim to be as inclusive as possible, and certainly do not judge anyone, we are aiming the event at wildlife enthusiasts. Please do dress appropriately."
According to Daily Express - UK News, Sam Griffin, a member of the organising committee, said the misunderstanding is common and that the festival has not had to refund anyone. He added that the clarification post gained followers on Facebook and generated ticket sales. The festival is described as a family-friendly event with activities and guest speakers about the natural world, with no nudism involved.
We haven't ultimately had to refund anyone, so we're hopeful our offering has been sufficient to retain their interest, despite imposing a dress code.
People hear 'naturalist' and they interpret it as something else. It's a common misunderstanding, I suppose.
We're just wildlife enthusiasts rather than anything else. We've had quite a good response to the post - we gained a lot of followers on the Facebook account and that's generated ticket sales.
It's not just the Lake District National Park. There's a lot going on in Cumbria generally. It's a beautiful area to explore.
The festival will have experts from across the country, but we have a wealth of local expertise as well. The idea is to get everyone with an interest in the natural world together.