wassailing...

Wassatt? No, not what is that! But yes! What is 'wassailing?

Have you ever heard of the old Pagan tradition, originally performed on 12th night, of Wassailing? 

Practised for centuries throughout Britain on Twelfth Night,  the act of Wassailing occurs around two weeks after the Winter Solstice, which is normally around the 21st December. Festivities of merriment and joy would commence during these dark weeks, culminating in a tradition of 'Wassailing,' to end the midwinter season. Taking place around the 5th or 6th January each year, the word is believed to originate from the Old English derivation of 'waes' and 'hael,' meaning to 'be healthy' or 'good health.' The Pagan custom would see people of the land, gathering sticks, shotguns, drums, in actual fact anything with which they could make some noise, and head off to visit their local orchards. A wassail bowl, filled to the brim with an alcoholic brew of spiced apple juice or  cider, would be carried along with them and on arrival at the most honourable and prolific tree, singing would commence towards the top of the trees, in order to ward off any evil and to welcome in the good spirits, in an attempt to encourage healthy growth and a fine yield for the next season of fruit.  Rhymes, chants and songs could be heard and were sung to wake up the tree from its winter slumber, to ensure the tree and the sap would awaken and start the process of growing for another year.  The base and trunk of the tree would be bashed with the implements brought with them and gun shots fired into the branches, to encourage the tree to wake up! After much merriment  and enjoyment, bread, soaked in the brew from the wassail bowl, would be placed in the branches as an offering to the spirits for the fruit to grow and for a good year to come. In Sussex, it is said that a small boy would be placed in the branches of the tree, and he would also receive offerings of bread, cheese and cider to represent gifts to the tree spirits. Any left over brew would then be shared amongst the revellers and any remainder after that, sloshed onto the base of the tree...

These two songs are still sung today and originate from Devon:

Health to thee, good apple tree,
Well to bear pocket fulls, hat fulls,
Peck fulls, bushel bag fulls 

Hats full! Caps full!
Bushel - bushel - sacks full
And my pockets full too! Huzza!

A Sussex version of this ceremony, often referred to as 'Howling,' was performed and the following saying chanted by the wassailers:

Stand fast root, bear well top
Pray God send us a good howling crop
Every twig, apples big
Every bough, apples enow.
Hats full, caps full, full quarter sacks full
Holla boys holla!

A lovely blessing originating from Somerset, was performed to welcome good growth in the coming season:

Good luck to the hoof and horn
Good luck to the flock and fleece
Good luck to the growers of corn
With blessings of plenty and peace

Enough said. I'm off to find an apple tree, a stick and a large bowl of spiced cider...

Happy Wassailing!

1870 - 1953

Born in Paris on July 28th, 1870, to an English Mother and a French Father, Hilaire Pierre Rene Belloc, is not a name that many people have heard of. But take yourselves off to either Slindon, nr Arundel or Shipley, nr Horsham and you may well find some signs of his existence...

After moving to the safety of England, as a baby, to escape the Franco-Prussian War between July 1870 and May 1871, Belloc and his family returned to their home in France to find it completely vandalised by the German Troops who had occupied it during the war. Returning to England, after his Father's death, Belloc and his Mother and sister made their home in Slindon, nr Arundel in a house called The Grange, as the then highly fashionable London was sadly out of their league. It was here that Belloc developed his love of The South Country and began his prolific writing about it. Educated in Oxford, Belloc was blessed with debating skills and high energy and was highly opinionated. A man not shy to speak as he saw fit, he was also a great orator and writer and was adept with his diversity of knowledge, both depth and breadth. Genres from French and British history, through to satire and comic verse, Belloc also wrote about topography and travel, religion and social and political commentary. And yet, how many of us have actually heard of him, let alone know of his writings...

What does one do when all around you changes? How do we cope without some sort of normality? Where can we go to meet our friends?

During the COVID-19 pandemic of March 2020, our lives, sense of purpose and priorities were changed, when a microscopic bug, crept into our livelihoods and halted the way we lived. Being in lockdown, stuck indoors for hours on end and being cut off from businesses, no access to family or friends, and restricted within a 2 metre tether, we had to find alternative ways in which to go about our lives. Luckily, for many Forest School Practitioners, we are resilient and thinkers outside of the box. However, what this meant was that we would have to go against the grain of what we normally advocate, of being unplugged and immersed in nature in the great outdoors, and literally stay indoors, plugged in and think inside a box...

What are you talking about? I hear you ask. Virtual Forest School sessions, by way of a fabulous computer app called Zoom, has kept us all virtually connected during this surreal time and enabled us to keep in touch with our contacts and loved ones and see each others faces. Being unable to meet and greet our Forest School groups and indeed hug and hold our families and friends, has had an impact on the well-being and mental health of many individuals. However, in delivering these sessions on a weekly basis, we have been able to see and virtually connect with our networks and boost moral and social interaction, by literally meeting inside little boxes, on screens in peoples homes and gardens...

Each week, in partnership with my friend and a fellow Forest School Practitioner, Judy from Green Caterpillar https://greencaterpillar.org/ and I choose a theme and deliver a 30-40 minute session to those wishing to participate. Each session commences with an introduction, by way of the Name Game, a familiar game played by many,  where individuals choose an animal that begins with the same letter or sound as their name: I'm 'Kate the Koala.' Their forest names are then typed in and are displayed on to their individual boxes, giving them their sense of me, instead of it just saying, ' Barnie's iPad!' We have an activity or two planned each week linked to the theme, which they can take part in and details of resources required are sent to them in advance. We have time during each session for the children to have a chat and tell everyone what they've been up to and it is lovely to see the interaction between themselves. For some, they are only children and have no siblings, so this may be there only chance each week to see other children's' faces! Each week is then ended with a story, which the children listen to, generally whilst carrying on with their activity...

Go wild or mild...

During the month of May, I thought that it would be great for the children to have a focus and a challenge each day, similar to the 30 days wild that The Wildlife Trust runs every year. So, with that in mind, here is a list of challenges that I have compiled, with the idea of taking on one a day. 

I will also be running this on Facebook, where I will be encouraging individuals to post photographs of their achieved challenges...

Here goes!

#1 Wear all green from head to toe ~ to honour the Beltane festival and the Green Man and the beginning of Summer https://beltane.org/beltane-fire-festival/

#2 Make an egg box creature

#3 Make a Stick Man and his family

#4 Create a Star Wars light sabre - May the Fourth be with you 

#5 Do something different with your hair

#6 Bake some cakes or biscuits in readiness for Friday and VE Day ~https://www.veday75.org/

#7 Look out for the Flower Full Moon tonight ~ https://www.space.com/supermoon-full-flower-moon-2020-photos.html

#8 Celebrate the 75th VE day with a Teddies Tea Party

#9 Learn how to tie some knots

#10 Spend the day looking out of your window & spot what you see

#11 Make a nature collage

#12 Take  drawing lesson ~ look at http://www.robbiddulph.com/draw-with-rob

#13 National Frog Jumping Day ~ https://www.nonstopcelebrations.com/days/in-may/celebrate-frog-jumping-day-every-may-13/

#14 Create a poem

#15 Make a musical instrument

#16 Make an indoor den & sleep in it

#17 Collect flowers & press them

#18 Make a sock puppet

#19 Ident-a-tree ~ find out as many facts about one particular tree & create a note book

#20 Wear stripes, spots & cheques all day

#21 Face-paint or make-up your Mum or Sister, plus join in with a World Record attempt to get the whole world drawing together... https://www.artworldrecords.com/

#22 Write your own story

#23 Stay all day in your pyjamas

#24 Create an animal mask

#25 Fashion a May Day Crown or Headdress

#26 Have a picnic in the garden or in your lounge

#27 Paint your Dad's or brothers nails

#28 In the evening lay on the ground & look up at the stars

#29 Make an origami creation ~ https://www.easypeasyandfun.com/

#30 Plant a seed & watch it grow

#31 Start thinking & creating your own list of Wild day activities

Keep safe & well

Enjoy

xxx

January

Although fairly slow to start, this year for business started off with four schools looking for Forest School sessions during the year and a number of enquiries about my ...Bespoke Birthday Bashes. The main event for January was continued rehearsals for the local village pantomime, where surprisingly I had been cast as one of the main roles! How, I don't know how or why, although it was the character part of the beast, in Beauty and the Beast, if that says anything. A very wet birthday party at the end of the month, saw a great group of children make wooden mallets, using a bow saw, axe and knives...

february

February was an exciting month, starting with a trip out of the woods and into the great city of Prague. A fabulous, cultural visit, taking in all the sites and enjoying being immersed in exquisite artwork, whilst visiting The National Gallery on its 220th anniversary, we witnessed original pieces of Monet, Picasso and Van Gogh, to name but a few... 

Half term events and birthday parties continued to flourish, gaining new children and interest from schools all the time. Another cultural trip, but this time to the big smoke, took us to see the Burberry & Henry Moore Exhibition at The Maker's House in London. A great display of the reimagined cape, using all forms of textiles, including feathers,  jewels, metal and wool, were entwined amongst Moore sculptures. Two of my favourite interests, fashion and sculpture, in one grown up day, rounded off with supper.

march

Normal service resumed throughout most of March, with the added excitement of one year 5 class, from Great Ballard School, obtaining their Discovery Certificate, as part of their John Muir Award. This award is a great way for children to learn about their environment and be connected with it in a way that they will nurture it for future generations. Look here for more information about this fabulous award,  https://www.johnmuirtrust.org/john-muir-award. Towards the end of the month, a couple of events, as part of The South Downs Society, saw a talk from Tristan Gooley, the Natural Navigator, https://www.naturalnavigator.com/ and taking part in the South Downs National Park conference, held at Plumpton College. Meeting like-minded people, who also deliver Forest School programmes or who are involved in outdoor activities, is always heartwarming, as it confirms that you are doing the right thing... 

April

A little adventure with my gorgeous Cocker Spaniel, Monty, started the first week of April off and what a week to choose! We had decided to challenge ourselves to walk from Eastbourne to Winchester, along the South Downs Way, all 100 miles. Starting off with an overnight stay in Eastbourne, we began our walk the following morning walking through Eastbourne and then continuing up the side of Beachy Head to be met by incredible views and extreme winds... The week saw us walking on average 15 miles a day through the stunning scenery that is the South Downs National Park and with an overnight stay in Alfriston and being collected at the end of the other days, we completed our walk in 7 days - although Monty dipped out on our second to last day as he was too pooped! Next year we intend to walk the SDW again, but in reverse, started in Winchester.

may

During May, From the Ashes... entered Trafalgar Community School into the Horsham Festival, Eco Beast Sculpture Competition, as part of Sussex Green Living. This entailed the school and children collecting items of rubbish that can or cannot be recycled and building a beast during our Forest School sessions. The children were very imaginative and this resulted in entering individual beasts as part of a Beast Village. Not expecting to be placed anywhere due to the extent of quality entries, imagine my surprise when I went back at the end of the day to collect our creations; a certificate showing that we had gained 2nd prize! What a treat and great for the school and me...

june

My Godson's Wedding in a beautiful woodland and a new school, were my highlights of June. On the iconic date of - 17/06/17 - the happy couple tied the knot, under a canopy of conifers, with the sun beating down through the needles and with the pews formed from tree trunks, we witnessed a special joining in a magical environment. At the end of the month a Woodland Day for the Year 4s at Pennthorpe School, was the nature of the day. The day took the form of 30 children having a relaxed Forest School experience in their extensive 16 acre site, taking part in activities that consisted of Viking Knitters, bug-hunting, stream exploration, hammocks, branding irons, Nordic Slinging, story books, scallop-shell fires, pitta pockets and the old favourites, hot chocolate and s'mores. A talk by Ranulph Fiennes, on his incredible life describing his numerous expeditions, finished off the month beautifully. 

july

Birthdays, birthdays and more birthdays, plus a great camping week in Shropshire, kept us busy during July. From the Ashes... took a couple of birthday parties to the houses of the individuals, which was a first, but turned out to be very successful. Activities for the parties ranged from survival bracelets, bug-hunting, t-shirt dyeing using natural dyes, branding irons, picture frames, slacklining and shelter building, saw a mass of youngsters running around the woodlands being immersed in their environment. A week camping at the end of the month, in the unsung county of Shropshire, was just what the Doctor ordered to end a very busy school summer and to see the start of an eventful summer holidays...

august

And it's back, for the third year running, to the lovely setting of Cornbury Park, in Charlbury, just outside of Oxford, to join a team of Forest School Practitioners to deliver sessions to this years' campers at The Wilderness Festival. Around 60+ children sleeping, once again, in homemade shelters, under starlit skies and enjoying the peace and tranquility, away from the heartthrob of the festival, taking part in a programme of fun activities with new and old friends. A Forest School week with Little Laura's Nursery School,  http://www.littlelaurasnursery.co.uk/ and our own From the Ashes'... sessions busied us for the rest of the summer, enjoying all the usual activities and rekindling old friendships.

september

Schools start again and the end of the month saw the start of my next half century, when I turned 50! How did that happen? A month full of celebrations, both in and out of woodlands, took the form of a reunion of old school mates, a trip to Kew Gardens, a cinema outdoors, afternoon tea in an old railway carriage, birthday breakfasts and lunches in the woods, ending in a fabulous weeks' holiday on the beautiful Isles of Scilly, my childhood paradise and the home of my Uncle and Aunty, who own the vineyard on the stunning island of St. Martin's. The weather was incredible and the scenery exquisite, as we spent the entire week walking Monty, eating and spending time relaxing...

october

More From the Ashes'... events during half term and a plethora of ...Bespoke Birthday Bashes, kept me busy during October, which was just as well as it was my last month of working in the woods for a while, as at the end of the month I was taking a break from activity and hibernating for 6 months, due to the fact of discovering Osteoarthritis in my feet and having to have both feet operated on. Wondered why they hurt so much...! A special trip to the Weald and Downland at the end of the month, spent the evening at the beautiful venue, walking between the buildings of vernacular architecture and listening to traditional stories, spoken by actors in period costumes, whilst sitting around open fires. Culminating in warm, spiced cider and fruit flapjack, a fitting ending for the end of my year...

The Ash Tree is known as the 'timber tree,' as it is not only a good wood for burning, but also an excellent wood for use in the timber trade, due to its renowned strength and flexibility. It is used extensively throughout the building business, due to these properties, for furniture making, garden tools, farming equipment, weapons and also musical instruments. I like to refer to it as the 'burner/turner' tree, which enables me to remember its qualities and I also like to feel that its strength and flexibility are two areas that I take through to my job; hence 'From the Ashes...'

John Evelyn, (1620 - 1706), a British horticulturist and diarist, published 'Sylva,' in 1664, a comprehensive study of the nation's trees, which was the first book ever published by the Royal Horticultural Society (RHS), and the World's earliest forestry book. In this book, Evelyn stated that, 'every prudent Lord of a Manor should employ one acre of ground with Ash to every twenty acres of other land, since in as many years it would be more worth than the land itself...' In April 2014, Gabriel Hemery and Sarah Simblet launched The New Sylva for the 21st Century - A Discourse of Forest and Orchard Trees, which based on the original book, updated the entries for today's reading. 

The ash provides perfect habitats for a number of different species of wildlife and with its airy canopy and early leaf fall, this allows sunlight to reach the forest floor enabling the perfect condition for dog violet and dogs mercury to thrive, which the rare and threatened high brown fritillary butterfly, in turn, feeds off... https://www.ecosia.org/images?q=high+brown+fritillary.

During the winter months the ash can be identified by its black buds which are shaped like Bishops mitres, which form on opposite branching forms. A compound leaf which has between 5 and 9 leaflets per leaf, identifies the tree in spring, and its unique diamond like patterning of the bark is fairly distinctive in the woods. The winged seeds or 'spinners,' also known as ash keys, provide perfect conditions for butterflies and woodpeckers, as well as owls, redstarts and nuthatches, who all use the trees for nesting. A fungi called cramp balls or King Alfred cakes, form on the dead or dying branches of the ash tree and are natures excellent fire starters when dried. History tells of how these little black gems were used to transfer fire from one place to another, as once alight they can be kept alight and carried. Once sited, the cramp balls can be gently blown enabling the embers to glow, and by adding dry tinder to the ball a new fire can emerge in its new site.

There's an ancient weather-lore saying that states:

Oak before Ash

In for a splash

Ash before Oak

In for a soak

And depending on which tree comes into leaf first, determines the weather for the rest of the summer...

In Norse mythology the first man was made from ash and Yggdrasal - the tree of the World - is thought to be an ash tree...

Born in Shropshire on the 25th August, 1876, to Arthur and Tye, Eglantyne Jebb was the middle child of six in the family. A name you would remember really, if ever you stumbled upon it; but do you know who she was?

Eglantyne Jebb was the fourth child of Arthur Trevor Jebb and Eglantyne Louisa Jebb, known to all as 'Tye.' Born during the reign of Queen Victoria, Eglantyne was brought up in a very loving environment by her mother Tye and her Aunt Bun (her father's youngest sister), who provided both moral code and conduct, in a household that was very busy and active. Alongside the children's schooling, the siblings were found to be gathering bugs, feeding the hens, searching for fossils or fishing. With a healthy curiosity for their world and encouraged to have the confidence to trust their own judgements, the children experienced a plethora of hands-on experiences. In the family home in The Lyth, Ellesmere, Shropshire, a spare bedroom was converted into a workshop where the children were introduced to carpentry, wood and metal work, glass cutting and glazing and were taught how to make boomerangs, kites, popguns, bows and arrows, fishing nets and even learnt how to melt lead and cast into pellets, over the bedroom fire...

After World War I, malnutrition and rickets were rife in children throughout Europe, in particular in cities like Berlin and Vienna, where children were literally starving to death. Although not a naturally maternal woman, Eglantyne was appalled at the poor humanitarianism throughout the World and openly confessed that children were, 'little wretches...' and the 'dreadful idea of closer acquaintance never entered my mind.' She once remarked how, 'I don't care for children...,' when in fact Eglantyne spent the rest of her life striving to 'give life' to children from a distance and at the end of WWI set up the Save The Children Fund. 

In 1919 Eglantyne was arrested in Trafalgar Square for causing a ruckus, by handing out leaflets showing photographs of starving Austrian children. As she hadn't got Government backing to do this, she was tried and represented herself in court. She was fined £5 and after the court was out, the crown prosecutor, Sir Archibald Bodkin, openly placed a £5 note in Eglantyne's hand. Although found guilty, legally she had lost, but morally Eglantyne had won. This £5 represented the first donation towards the Save The Children Fund...

Eglantyne's drive didn't come from any maternal instinct or concern for individual children; what powered her, was her compassion for that which had been done to young individuals that, through no fault of their own and alone, they could do nothing about their present situation. She rightly saw that all children throughout the World, were the next generation and it was them who had been physically and psychologically damaged through the war years. The emotive appeal of children, was Eglantyne's way to promote her fundraising and she often used a quote from the eminent writer of the era, George Bernard Shaw, who stated that, 'I have no enemies under the age of 7.'

Sitting atop Mount Saleve in Geneva, Switzerland, in 1922, Eglantyne had climbed to the top to clear her brain. Once there, with the wind blowing through her hair and clearing the cobwebs from her mind, she drafted the pioneering statement of children's human rights. Being well ahead of her time, Eglantyne simply wanted the rights and welfare of all children to be something that everyone took responsibility for. She set up the 'Declaration of the Rights of the Child' which in turn was adopted by The League of Nations, a forerunner to the United Nations, which subsequently inspired today's United Nations, 'Convention on the Rights of the Child.' 

https://www.unicef.org.uk/what-we-do/un-convention-child-rights/

Working closely with her sister, Dorothy Buxton, Eglantyne knew that publicity, although good and spreading the word, wasn't enough to save the starving children of the World. It was money, and money alone that was required across all Nations, to save all children. The first fund from the Save The Children Fund coffers were enough to afford a herd of dairy cows to provide a source of nutrition to the malnourished children of Vienna... 

https://youtu.be/o4e77ldN6hA

the only international language in the world is a child's cry...

If you were to look in an English Oxford dictionary, Junior edition, and look under 'A' for acorn, what do you think you would find...? Well, you wouldn't find the word or definition for an acorn, that's for sure...

In 2015, around fifty 'nature' words were literally disconnected from the English Oxford Junior dictionary, in exchange for more 21st century savvy words, like attachment, blog and chat-room, instead of acorn, buttercup and conker. A dictionary that is aimed at 7-9 year olds, the prime age for learning and soaking up information like a sponge, is being stripped of information, where a generation will not only not experience first hand in nature, but will now not be able to find the language of the woods in books.

https://www.theguardian.com/books/2015/jan/13/oxford-junior-dictionary-replacement-natural-words

It all kicked off in 2007, when the word 'blackberry' was deleted from the dictionary in preference for the more modern 'block-graph.' Today's generation of children will now be totally confused when their elders ask of them if they would like to go blackberry picking; they will think that their Grandparents are off down the road to pinch an electronic device on which they can converse with others... These omissions started a roller coaster of words being neglected, like 'buttercup' and 'minnow,' which were decided upon due to their lack of usage throughout modern literature. Up to fifty nature words were removed from the dictionary and in exchange replaced by more connected words linked with our modern society. My concern is not that these nature words are being replaced in the dictionary, more so that children's experiences are being narrowed. When individuals do not have episodes to explore in the outdoors, they are desperately losing opportunities to reconnect with their environment and being constantly connected to electronic pathways, they are losing their connectiveness and understanding of nature and the great outdoors, and information about flora and fauna will be lost, not only in books but in children's knowledge...

Only a generation ago, 40% of children played outside in all weathers and had wild, untamed experiences, without the intrusion of adults' fear and concerns with regards to their children's safety. Children learned through trial and error, how and what was safe, and developed strategies to cope, adapt and problem solve in their environment. Now, with a vastly reduced only 10% of children experiencing outdoor play,  how can we educate them firstly, through direct and personal contact to their natural space and secondly, about their own living world without them experiencing it first hand or through books...

In the vain hope of holding on to these words for our future generations, Robert MacFarlane and Jackie Morris have recently published a fabulous book, entitled 'The Lost Words,' which is beautifully illustrated and contains poems and spells of all the words that have been omitted from the dictionary during the last ten years. The book endeavours to hold on to our everyday nature words through a series of poems eloquently written by Robert MacFarlane in an acrostic style and beautifully illustrated by Jackie Morris, to remind us how incredible these plants and animals actually are... If children are not going out in nature to discover these animals and plants firsthand, and if they are being taken out of the dictionaries, how will the next generation know what these things in our fields and woodlands are?

If you would like to purchase or just have a look at this stunning book, then you can follow this link.

https://www.penguin.co.uk/ladybird/books/293340/the-lost-words/

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/celebritynews/11341311/Atwood-Morpurgo-and-Motion-join-campaign-to-bring-nature-back-to-childrens-dictionary.html

A petition has been started to try to bring back these nature words to the younger generation in the vain hope that they will not be lost forever. If this is something that you may be interested in signing, then please follow the attached link and sign up.

https://www.change.org/p/12846511/u/22219180?utm_medium=email&utm_source=petition_update&utm_campaign=223162&sfmc_tk=B72YxTL3T6zfdfT45sMp5rBY8eFt7GygYzHdkMakUu1yC7QoWiMI6bqEWJ4IcjHc&j=223162&sfmc_sub=293425982&l=32_HTML&u=40848730&mid=7259882&jb=156

Each year the Oxford Dictionaries chose a word of the year and last year, 2017, the word was 'youthquake,' a word that was first coined in 1965 but has since been used frequently, to describe how our younger generation are more actively engaged in political, cultural and social change.   

https://en.oxforddictionaries.com/word-of-the-year/word-of-the-year-2017

 'An apple a day keeps the Dr away'  - well it used to, but today you can say hello to the future with one.

'What's in a name? That which we call a rose by any other name would smell as sweet' - Shakespeare's words hopefully will last forever...

60 children, 8 adults, 2 nights, 1 festival - The Wilderness Festival, Cornbury Park, Charlbury, nr Oxford, Oxfordshire.

The weather was once again pretty kind to us, although setting up in the rain on Wednesday for some of us, questioned why we are mad enough to continue doing this. Thunderstorms and winds threatened us throughout the weekend, but thankfully someone was looking over us and they abated, moving on to some other poor, unsuspecting souls...

Friday morning arrived all too soon and it was all hands on deck, or rather forest floor, to create shelters and set up activities for the arrival of the green team; 30 excited, intrepid explorers, keen to camp out for the night. Some old faces amongst the group confirmed to us that we must be doing a good job, else why would they return for a second year running? Whilst walking back to our base camp, new friendships were sparked and old memories re-kindled...

Introductions around the fire with juice and biscuits, followed by an ice-breaker game of 'Rhythm Master' to break down a few more inhibitions, it was out into the field to play some more team-building games, breaking down those barriers a little more to enable new friendships to be made. After some fun with a water pistol and running off a little steam with some games, it was back to the woods to gather into our shelter groups ready for pimping their shelters and sort out their accommodation for the night.

Our activities of fire-lighting, Viking knitting (rope making), Nordic slinging (friendship bracelets), mammal trapping, pewter casting and bug hunting filled our time unto supper of cowboy beans, potatoes and sausage was served around the fire.

Sometimes mistaken for the earlier flowering Rowan tree, the Elder (Sambucas Nigra), a native tree to the UK, can be found growing in woodlands, hedgerows and on wasteland. Preferring chalky soils, in dense shade, the Elder thrives on scrub land and cleverly produces a reserve bud underneath that of the main bud, that lays dormant for many years until it is required. This ensures the trees survival in harsh conditions and it is this quality that the ancient Britons, Celts and Romans were referring to, when they referred to the Elder as the healing tree, having the ability to regrow any damaged branches. These qualities are also used within the cosmetic industry where the flowers have a soothing effect and are frequently used in eye creams. The trees' beautifully patterned bark, is unusual in the fact that it has a spongy middle layer that can be removed, leaving a hollow tube behind. It is believed that the tree gets it name from the Anglo-Saxon word aeld meaning fire, and that these hollow stems were used as bellows to blow air into the centre of the fire...

The leaves of the Elder are pinnate and grouped in 5 or 7 pairs along a stem with each leaf being an oval shape with serrated edges. The creamy white bunches of elegant flowers are dusted with yellow pollen and stand up, like grand candelabras and it is these that can be picked in bunches, by the dozen, to make into elder-flower cordial and champagne during late Spring.  In the Autumn, the unpicked flowers mature into heavy bunches of purplish-black hanging berries called drupes, which are extremely high in vitamin C and are highly effective in treating cold and flu symptoms. But beware! Some people may find the flowers and berries, along with the leaves and stem of the Elder, a laxative and diuretic. 

In British folklore, the Elder was considered a lucky tree, that offered protection against evil spirits; it tells the story of how horse-riders once carried a twig of Elder in their pocket as a charm against saddle-soreness and that Elder was attached to the horses' harness to protect them in hot weather; Country myths talk of how no Forester would touch or cut the Elder, before first asking the Elder Mother's (Hylde-Moer in Norse Mythology) permission three times over and even then live in fear of retribution; it was also customary to touch one's hat when passing an Elder tree. One myth that I always go by, is when taking any of her flowers or berries, to use in cordials or vinegars,  I always ask Hylde-Moer's permission and wait for a reply, her consent is granted by silence...

elderflower cordial

Best to forage the flower heads at the end of a sunny day when the pollen is at its best, go in search of these fabulous flowers in order to make a superb drink that is quintessentially the English summer taste... 

20 full flower heads

1.5kg granulated sugar

50g citric acid

2 unwaxed lemons

1.5l of boiling water

In a fermenting bucket melt the sugar in the boiling water until fully dissolved and allow to cool, stirring occasionally. Once cooled add the flowers, citric acid and cut lemons and allow to steep, again stirring occasionally. Leave the mixture for at least 24 hours, covered in a cool place to allow the flavour of the elder flowers to come through. The mixture can be left for longer if required. When ready, remove the flowers and lemons from the liquid and strain the cordial first through a fine sieve and then through muslin. This will remove any bugs that are still hanging on, and any stray pips from the lemons or forlorn flowers that may still be loitering...

Place into sterilised bottles and label. If you don't have any bottles or would like to prolong the life of your Elderflower Cordial, place it into washed and sterilised milk cartons and the liquid can be frozen. Dilute to taste and add to water, champagne or gin...

Delicious x

Born in Dunbar, Scotland on the 21st of April, 1838, John Muir was the third bairn of eight, who with his father, Daniel Muir and mother, Ann, (nee Gilrye) lived on the High Street, away from the raucous behaviour of the fisherfolk and the deprived conditions of the Victorian, Glaswegian streets. Daniel had extreme religious beliefs, which led him to convert to a hardline, evangelical, Presbyterianism way of life, where the family were subjected to a life of staunch religion, hard manual labour, and living a God-fearing existence. Daniel believed he could raise the hopes and standards of his family by living this way and discouraged the family from partaking in any frivolous activities. Ann had to refrain from her music, writing poetry, reading and embroidery and the children were regularly beaten if they were caught doing anything other than hard work and chores. To John, the beatings were worth it, as he loved nothing better than to disappear into nature and immerse himself in the great outdoors.

In 1849 at the age of 10, John was uprooted from Scotland and his beloved Grandparents, and sailed to Wisconsin, USA with his family. Daniel was longing for equilibrium and saw hope in the 'New World' where hard work and extreme conditions reaped its rewards. John's education was stopped to enable a holy life on the land to be lived, but in the early days of his arrival in America, John relished in his newfound freedom and enjoyed nothing better than searching for birds' nests,  being acquainted with frogs and racing over the hilltops. John's mind was blown by the vastness of his new home and the species that thrived within it and it was this that lay the foundations for his future as a naturalist and a conservationist. All this was soon to change though when his father bought land and the hard manual labour began and the frivolity stopped. 

During John's early teens he experienced the slow decline of the 'wild woods' and helplessly watched on as swathes of woodland became decimated to create money for the burgeoning timber trade. Habitats were destroyed and so were the wildlife that depended on them. John couldn't understand why great trees were felled for posts and fencing, whilst they had no wood for the fire to keep them warm. He also had a great contempt for the gangs of boys and men, who went off into the remaining woodland to shoot whatever they could find, for fun.  A scoring system involved points for various animals and their different parts of the body stolen as trophies: a grey squirrel's head - four points; the head of a red one - two points. These sightings and actions of others, formed the building blocks of how John was to later live his life; respecting and caring for nature in a bid to keep it for future generations...

Enough was enough! Since studying at the University of Wisconsin, John had had various jobs of toolmaker, inventor, and farm hand and in the autumn of 1863, he left behind the confines of his home and set foot on a journey through the Canadian wilderness; a journey that would see a great change in him. Taking barely anything with him, John spent his time camping out in the woods, eating what the land gave him and odd-jobbing between families, as he travelled through the unspoilt lands that Canada had to offer and relished in what he saw. Even though he had nothing, he was at one with nature and even at his lowest, it was the delicate 'Calypso Borealis' flower that lifted him from his depths, as he saw beauty in something so precious, that was able to survive in such a cold and damp environment.

Once back home and having again mastered numerous skills and vocations, it was an accident in 1867 that changed John Muir's outlook on life completely. Whilst working in a factory, a tool slipped in his hands and embedded in his eye, resulting in blindness. After a month of recuperation he did regain sight in that eye, but vowed that what he had nearly lost was too precious to lose again and not be able to see the beautiful nature that surrounded him. Here started his wanderlust years, walking a thousand miles from Indianapolis to the Gulf of Mexico; he sailed to Cuba; he walked from San Francisco to Yosemite and it was here that he was captured by and settled in the Sierra Nevada, California and continued to travel the world.

A meeting with Theodore Roosevelt in 1903, in his beloved Yosemite, followed by a three-day camping trip with the President, was the beginning of how our National Parks began. The seed was sown, with John showing the President the wonderment that the Giant Sequoias had to offer and the vastness of the land that would be destroyed, if the timber trade and new way of life continued to decimate the forests. It was during this encounter, around a camp-fire, having experienced extremes of weather, that the future of our woodlands and wild places was saved. President Roosevelt declared there and then that, 

  "There can be nothing in the world more beautiful than the Yosemite, the groves of the giant sequoias...our people should see to it that they are preserved for their children and their Children's children forever, with their majestic beauty all unmarred." 

From then on, Yosemite and Mariposa Grove of Giant Sequoias was put under federal protection and included in the National Park.

If you have found this little snippet, about a remarkable, but fairly unknown man, of interest, then take a look at The John Muir Trust website (https://www.johnmuirtrust.org) where you can find out how you too can help to protect and enhance our wild places...

Last week I decided it was time to conquer a challenge, that for some time I have been yearning to do; walk the entire South Downs Way; all 100 miles. Not wanting to experience this alone, I decided to take my faithful cocker spaniel 'Monty' with me, for albeit a rather long walkies...

 31st March   eastbourne - alfriston  13 miles

After spending the night in The Ebor Lodge, in Eastbourne, (http://www.eborlodge.co.uk) an excellent, dog-friendly establishment, with a superb breakfast to fuel me for the day ahead, Monty and I started our little adventure, to walk 100 miles, along The South Downs Way. The weather was warm and bright and the seaside resort was bustling, as we sauntered along the promenade getting our bearings and our legs stretched for the journey ahead.

Passing the Wish Tower and heading up Cliff End, we were met by two magpies, a good omen I thought and looking back to where we had just walked, Eastbourne sparkled like a gem in the morning light, with the sun bouncing off the waves and windows of all the hotels below. The Seven Sisters and Beachy Head didn't disappoint and a welcome stop at Birling Gap to enjoy a well deserved ice-cream didn't go amiss either. Also here, was a water tap to refresh water bottles and provide a drink for your dog.  Onwards to Cuckmere Haven and another cheeky stop at Saltmarsh Farmhouse, (http://www.saltmarshfarmhouse.co.uk) where I sampled the delights of a delicious carrot cake and a pot of tea.

Next stop was to follow the meandering banks of the Cuckmere River, taking us to our evening destination of the picturesque village of Alfriston, where we were to spend the night in our dog-friendly accommodation. Monty enjoyed cooling himself in the rather smelly river, chasing ducks and fetching sticks and chilling after his first day of adventure...

Monty moments: 

On checking in to our bijoux B and B for the evening, the landlords made just one comment: 'Just make sure that the dog doesn't go on the bed...' 'No problem' I said, 'He never goes on the bed.' With that, I popped out to the toilet and on my return was horrified to see large, muddy footprints all over the WHITE bedspread...! 

 1st April   alfriston - housedean farm (a27)  13 miles

After confessing and apologising profusely to an extremely disgruntled and annoyed landlady, we both checked-out of our B and B and left with our tails between our legs, feeling as if we had been told off by the Headteacher; 'Never in my 4 and a half years of being here, have I ever had such bad behaviour!' - Whoops... Thankfully we were being met by my great mate, Keith Foskett - the indie author, long distance hiker and blogger, (http://www.keithfoskett.com) who was joining us for our stretch of the walk today, so the morning brightened up a tad.

Alfriston is a beautiful little jewel of a village, nestled within the South Downs that has it all. Chocolate box cottages, pubs, eateries, antiques, boutiques, local shops, places of interest, like The National Trust Clergy House, and is well worth a visit prior to stepping back on the SDW again. The vistas on today's walk stretched for miles and took in the delights of Bostal and Beddingham Hill, Firle Beacon and a slight detour into Rodmell to have lunch at The Abergavenny Arms (https://www.abergavennyarms.com), was a very welcome break. A dog-friendly establishment with an excellent choice on the menu and a garden in which to enjoy your lunch. Back on the path we headed towards the day's end at the A27 where our lift was collecting us. En-route we walked above the stunning village of Kingston near Lewis, which shone in the afternoon sun, where the church and windmill  glistened next to the golden rape fields. Keith had decided to camp out for the evening, so before meeting our lift, Monty and I joined Keith in a cup of tea prepared on his small meths stove. Bidding each other our farewells, Monty and I left Keith to set up home for the evening and plodded on down the hill to meet our lift home.

2nd April   housedean Farm - botolphs (a283)  16 miles

Being dropped off this morning, we had another welcome wanderer joining us on this leg of our journey, none other than Andy, my hubby and Monty's Dad. We were once again blessed with the weather and our walk this morning climbed up to Balmer Down, where the walk then levelled off along Plumpton Plain, looking down over Plumpton College and taking in Ditchling Beacon, where the mirage of an ice-cream van, thankfully came into vision the nearer we got to it and praying that it would not leave before we got there, we were thankfully rewarded with a '99.' Being a Sunday, the crowds were out in force along the SDW today, but it didn't really detract from the sights and the para-gliders and kite surfers were also out in their droves, making the most of the calm winds and the fine weather, giving us an excuse to stop and watch awhile, as they endeavoured to catch a breeze under their sails.

Jack and Jill windmills, otherwise known as the Clayton Windmills (https://www.jillwindmill.org.uk), were just off the track, so we decided to pop down to see them, as the guidebook claimed that there was a tea shop open on a Sunday. Sadly, Jill windmill, open to the public, doesn't in fact open until the Summer and Jack windmill is now converted to a private residence. Still worth a glance at though... Onwards towards Devil's Dyke, we noticed a lot of activity around Saddlescombe Farm (http://www.camillaandroly.co.uk/saddlescombe-farm) and on nearer approach saw that they were open for a Lambing Day. Tractors and trailers were ferrying families to and from the farm, but to our delight the farm was still open and offering tea and cake - well, who could refuse! There was also a water tap here for replenishing water bottles and camel packs.

Continuing on our journey towards our lift at the A283, we passed Truleigh Hill and the YHA accommodation, where sadly dogs are not welcome, although there is also a campsite here, but again dogs sadly are not invited. This unfortunately became an issue for both Monty and I, as very few places on the SDW were dog-friendly. This is something I intend to research, as many dogs and their owners must walk this great trail, but where do they stay? I realise we could wild camp or hammock, but surely a few woof welcome places to rest, wouldn't go amiss...

3rd april  botolphs - Bury hill (a29)  16 miles

We couldn't see further than our noses this morning, as the mist was very low and even as we ascended Annington Hill, walking past the piglet nurseries, the atmosphere clung to the chalk downs, leaving limited visibility in front of us.  The downs sloped to our right, towards the villages of Steyning and Washington and apart from the chalk beneath our feet and the families of white pigs that we encountered at the start, we saw and heard very little this morning. I knew that we were walking towards Chanctonbury Ring, an Iron Age fort with beech and sycamore trees planted on top, by Charles Goring of Wiston House in 1760, but could we see it. The ring is quite a dramatic site and from the road, noticeably juts out from the South Downs Way. Unfortunately, during the great storm of 1987, many of the trees were destroyed, but thankfully recent re-planting is coming to fruition and the ring is looking a lot fuller. Crossing the A24 can be a bit hairy, especially with a dog, but thankfully today it wasn't too busy. The path then took us up onto very familiar ground, Chantry Post, Kithurst Hill, Rackham Hill and Amberley Mount, all local dog-walking haunts as they are close to where we live and regular stamping grounds. The views across the rape fields stretched as far as the eye could see and were now stunning as the mist had dispersed and lifted to expose the beautiful surroundings. Continuing on above Amberley, I decided instead of popping into The Bridge at Houghton, (http://www.bridgeinnamberley.com/) for a needy cuppa or a swift half, that I would stomp on up towards the A29 and Whiteways where we had arranged for our lift to collect us.

4th april  bury hill - buriton farm, treyford  15 miles

Another fabulous morning as we set off from the top of Bury Hill, which was great as we were already at the top and the only way was along... Today's walking was also very familiar to us, as we were once again on home turf, walking along some recently trodden footpaths. One of our first points of interest we came across this morning was 'Toby's Stone,' a memorial to Toby Wentworth-Fitzwilliam, the secretary of the Cowdray Hounds and marked by a large stone on the brow of Bignor Hill, a welcome spot to stop and sit a while and look across to where you have walked.

5th april  treyford - meon springs  13 miles

This morning when I went down to great my furry walking companion he could hardly lift his head from his bed! Monty eyed me, with suspicion, as I walked to the fridge to get breakfast. Normally, on opening the door to the cool white cabinet, he is there by my side awaiting a treat, but not today. His eyes followed he around the kitchen as I got my breakfast and packed my lunch and snacks for the day, but his weary body remained still in his bed. As I reached for his harness and lead, his eyes averted mine and I knew then that today would be a solo mission... Well, he had walked rather a long way already, and it was hardly a ‘walkies.’

Monty did however join me in the car, as my hubby drove me back to Treyford to continue my walk.  Eyes were once again averted as I got out of the car, and you could see his body sigh with huge relief as he stayed and I walked...

Again the weather was incredible, nothing but blue skies and bird song. Ironically, on today’s stretch, there were no sheep and no pheasants, but as I had no Monty either, it felt quite strange.

6th april  meon springs - winchester  14 miles 

From the Ashes... would just like to say a huge thank you to all the children, parents, colleagues, volunteers, GAP students, schools and staff who have supported me once again throughout another great year. 2016 has seen me make new connections and been lucky enough to work in Bury CE School, Dorset House School, Great Ballard School, Little Laura's Nursery School, Rudgwick Primary School, Trafalgar School, as well as running my own sessions during the holidays at my own site and birthday parties.

January

What better way to start the year off, than with a surprise 50th birthday party for my Forest School buddy. Most treat their girlfriends to a spa break or afternoon tea... well not me! An evening spent with friends, around a log fire, under a parachute, eating chocolate chilli, drinking wine and sharing memories, whilst playing guess-who and pass-the-parcel with forfeits... Follow this with a night in a tipi, under a clear winter sky, listening to the rutting deer and the hoot of the owl... Bacon butties in the morning; what more could a girl want?  

february

'A twist in the tale' was the From the Ashes'... half term event, which saw young foresters creating their own tails! to wear in the woods. Shelters, s'mores and sheep's wool, was the nature of the day, ending with a game of 'Capture the flag' to end the session. An Anglo-Saxon curriculum day was a new event for us, but thoroughly enjoyable, creating new themed activities that the children could take part in: Rune writing; natural dying; cordage and beads; griddle cakes and mint tea; clay pots and hessian pouches, entertained 30 children in the woods for the day...

march

A Stone Age Day this month, with slightly adapted activities of woolly mammoth wool dying; scallop shell fire lighting; pottage and bread making; clay pots; cordage & beads and charcoal & chalk cave paintings..

April

Dr Seuss was our inspiration for our Easter event, with 'Green Eggs and Ham' taking the title role. Eggs were hidden in the woods for the children to find, with a basket of green eggs to be enjoyed around the fire, after quesadillas and cake. The usual activities resumed and the usual fun was had by a new group of children. The weather was again very kind to us and the fire kept us warm and fed us throughout the day.

may

A festival for the weekend, was the main attraction for From the Ashes... this month, experiencing the delights of Pippingford Park and The Elderflower Fields Festival. A fabulous, family, fun filled festival with phenomenal food, fabulous music and fantastic memories were made throughout the weekend. Tails adorned, new friendships were made, old ones re-kindled and experiences secured, and another great opportunity to work with a wider range of children and share activities with like-minded people

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june

A chance page share, a comment and a liked page in January on Facebook, won me an amazing weekend in Worcester, courtesy of Native Awareness. Setting off on the train, with my rucksack and my hammock, I ventured up North to a secret location set amongst Hemlock trees. Fox walking; plant ID; fire by friction; natural cordage; spoon carving and flint knapping, to name just a few of the activities during the weekend. Learning new skills and perfecting old, James and his team delivered a memorable break, one that will stay with me for a very long time...

july

During the Summer holidays we ran 'Go Wild' and 'Wild Things' sessions which were very well attended and enjoyed by many, both old and new. Re-kindling a couple of new friendships, made on other courses, I was pleased to welcome volunteers to my sessions who wanted to get a feel for what we did. Throwing themselves into all the activities and joining in with the kids, Marco, Lisa, Alison and Heather were a great asset to the team. Thank you guys and here's to next year. A handful of birthday parties completed the summer school season.

august

Off to another festival, this time Wilderness Festival, set in the sumptuous Cornbury Park in Oxfordshire, another excuse to sleep in my hammock. The weather was very kind to us all weekend and the groups of children were once again fab. In the evening of Sunday, after our duties had been done, it was time to let our hair down and go and find some great music...

september

And another new experience this month. Off to Wakehurst to help with their first Kids' Camp sessions and first overnight camp. In the evening we were welcomed by the bat lady who introduced us and the children to her collection of tiny mammals. A first for many, to see these tiny creatures up close and personal. Bows and arrows were made and new Maid Marion's and Robin Hood's were created and memories made.

october

Pumpkins and Play Structures kept us busy during October and From the Ashes... was privileged to welcome Jon Cree, Chair of the Forest School Association, to our site in Fittleworth to run a 'Play Structures' course for other Forest School Practitioners. The day featured knots and lashings, with ladders being created and ended in a tree-house being started, which will be finished off during next year by myself and my young foresters that join us...

november

From the Ashes... tried something new this month and trialled selling their vinegars, jams and jellies, that had been produced from foraged fruits throughout the year, and sold them at the local Village Farmers Market. Elderberry Vinegar, Quince & Pomegranate Vinegar, Quince Cheese, Plum Butter, Oaken Pin and Cox Apple juice, Salt rub, Cranberry Sauce and Apple, Apricot, Almond & Amaretto Mincemeat in readiness for Christmas. A great local community activity to be involved with and a chance to step back be involved in the village life and chat to other creative people.

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december

A fairly quiet month as far as Forest School activities go, but nevertheless it didn't stop us from having a couple of great Christmas parties, as well as a last minute 5th Birthday party in the woods on the 17th. A great way to end the year, with 10 new young foresters running off steam in the woods, building shelters, using branding irons, making cone creatures and toasting marshmallows...

Here's wishing everyone a happy, healthy and hopeful 2017

From the Ashes... last week, was very chuffed to be able to host its first ever adult training session, at its own site in Fittleworth. Eight Forest School Practitioners and myself,  joined forces with the one and only Jon Cree, chair of the Forest School Association, to learn and make play structures within my grounds in West Sussex. 

The day started, as is fitting of any Forest School session, chatting around the warm fire, under a parachute canopy, making introductions and catching up with old friends and colleagues. Whilst the kettle was boiling, we set to cutting and preparing our stakes for ladder making, a great structure that has many uses other than just a ladder. Working in pairs we intially lashed the two main poles together to make a sort of 'A' frame and then using the ladder lashing, simultaneously lashed the rungs to the 'A' frame to construct a ladder. With one person testing the strength of the rungs by bouncing on each rung individually, the lashing tightened, making for a secure struction and 'et voila' - our first handmade structure!

We then tried our hand at some rope work, with firstly Jon showing us how to put up a 'Strapline' securely and safely. After walking along this and discussing the benefits of balance and confidence in partners, as well as conquering maybe a fear of height for others, we moved on to making a swing. Selecting the perfect bough of the oak tree, between the garden and the paddock, a competition between the men ensued, as to who could get the rope over the, quite high, branch. Jim was determined, Jon was focused, but it was Andy who mastered the art of rope throwing, whilst the rest of us looked on in earnest... After Jon had safely secured an anchor rope to another tree and attached, with clove hitches, a seat to the hanging rope, Jon then sat on and a few of us, in tug of war fashion, held onto the standing rope to pull the seat up to give purchase to the swing, and then let go!

After lunch of homemade butternut squash and sweet potato soup, with bread and butter, followed by homemade Dorset apple cake, toasted chestnuts and honey, all washed down with tea and coffee, we started the afternoon's session by looking at where a tree-house could be constructed. The weekend before, we had felled a couple of Sweet Chestnut trees from the garden to use as the main stays and uprights, so these were then cut to size and put in place around the three Sycamore trees, in the area the children call 'Emerald City.' Using hessian as a protection for the trees and square lashings, as well as a cut to size clamp, the team worked collaboratively putting the basic structure in place. Securing the centre of the base of the tree-house with a central stay, using the trunk of one of our felled trees, the main framework of the structure was completed. Floor boards, from a recently fallen Douglas Fir, were then put in place to create the start of the flooring, a fitting place returning the tree to the garden once more... The tree-house will be worked on over the next couple of months with the aid of the children, and adults, who take part in any From the Ashes'... future sessions.

There surely is nothing better than making something for your store cupboard, from free fruits that you have foraged from the hedgerows...

Well, this is exactly what I did. There is not a walk that goes by, without me collecting something on the way. It may be a feather, or a few sweet chestnuts, squirreled away in my pockets for toasting later or a mere leaf whose colours have caught my eye, but never do I return empty handed. My walks with my cocker spaniel, Monty, take me to many different environments, which enable me to forage for completely different finds. Be it Silver Birch bark for fire-lighting, cones for creature creations or fruits for making into something delicious, I am always on the look out for exciting new treasure.

What a way to end the summer of 2016...

Last Thursday saw the first of hopefully many, Forest School sessions at Wakehurst Place, a National Trust garden just outside of Ardingly, West Sussex, that is also the home to the Millenium Seed Bank http://www.kew.org/visit-wakehurst/explore/attractions/millennium-seed-bank. 

This weekend then culminated in a night in the woods at Wakehurst, ending the summer season in style with the first of the Kids' Wild Sleepovers.

Set in Pearcelands Wood, 16 children joined in the fun on Thursday to take part in a full day of forest fun, starting with introductions and then straight into exciting activities. These consisted mostly of bow making, using recently whittled Sweet Chestnut lathes that the children found in the woodland. Using a palm drill to make a hole at either end, the children then threaded sisal through to complete their bows, getting the tension right and finishing it off with a bit of frapping. Then after that, our Robin Hoods and Maid Marions set to, firing their bows with bamboo and hazel arrows through a make-shift target. Viking knitting, fire-lighting, Nordic slinging, den building, branding irons and Hapa Zome - Japanese flower painting, were also undertaken, until it was time to head back to the main entrance to be collected by their parents.

Despite the rain, on Saturday, 12 intrepid overnight explorers, aged between 8 and 12 years, joined us once again in Pearcelands Wood to experience a wilderness sleepout! The majority of our group hadn't even been camping, so for them this was a real sense of achievement and a great thing to undertake and enjoy. The day took the same form as Thursday's, so more bows were created and all the other activities tried, before arranging themselves into groups to sleep for the night in their shelters.

In the evening, Jenny Clark (MBE), founder of the Sussex Bat Hospital in West Sussex, enlightened us with her extensive 30 year knowledge of bats and brought some of her prized posessions along with her. Cocooned within a cosy wicker basket, each bat was carefully taken out of its own little resting place and with Jenny wearing a special pair of cotton gloves to handle them, each bat snuggled in whilst being exhibited before the glare of a welcoming head-torch, to our eager group of onlookers. Pipistrelle, Noctule and Brown bats were displayed and the children, and adults, were in awe of the little critters that get such bad press and the care and attention that Jenny gives them.

Later, a hearty meal of Cowboy beans, sausages and potatoes was consumed, followed by Gutter pudding, and then it was customary to sit around the fire and stare into it prior to having hot chocolate and s'mores. After some jokes were performed, stories told and songs sung, our sleepy heads actually asked if they could go to bed!

Returning to my hammock for the last time this season, I was once again lulled to sleep, but this time by the gentle breeze and the drip, drip, drip of raindrops falling on my pillow! Note to self - must fashion myself a drip line before my next expedition!

Early morning start and after eating the traditional eggy bread, baked beans and bacon, accompanied by a large cuppa,  the children continued with their activities before heading back through the beautiful gardens of Wakehurst to be met by their families.

If you would like more information about bats or where to take rescued ones then please get in touch with the following link...

http://www.sussexbatgroup.org 

Walking along the hedgerow in search of rosehips, brambles and blackberries, it is easy to overlook the humble, fleshy red berries of the Hawthorn tree, known as haws, hanging around in abundance in little bunches, similar I suppose to those in Soho, but with a little more decorum and grace! The Hawthorn, (Crataegus Monogyna) gets its name from the Anglo-Saxon hagathorn, with haga meaning ‘hedge.’ The Common Hawthorn is a hardy deciduous species that is related to the rose family and is native to Europe, usually grown as hedging or a shrub, but can flourish as a tree up to around 30ft. Found the length and breadth of Britain, albeit not the extreme north-west of Scotland, the Hawthorn, again in comparison to those found in Soho, thrives and tolerates most soil conditions and the haws are tough and resilient and are capable of surviving in harsh surroundings!

Known as the ‘May’ tree in the country, the Hawthorn is covered in a prolific white blossom in the Spring and provides an excellent habitat for an abundant of wildlife species. The flowers in Spring produce nectar for insects, especially moths and the aptly named Hawthorn Shield Bug, and its berries during the Autumn provide a near endless supply of food for small mammals and birds, particularly the Redwing and the Wood Mouse. Its not only the local wildlife that the Hawthorn provides a source of refreshment for, as there are also many uses for the leaves and berries that us humans can discover.

Inspired recently by Christina Stapley on her A-Z of Medicinal Trees course, at the Weald and Downland Museum, I have also learnt the inherent uses of our native trees. The Hawthorn’s small ovate, lobed leaves can be used as a refreshing and beneficial tea and are best picked just before the tree blossoms in Spring, when they contain the highest concentrations of flavonoids – powerful compounds that contain antioxidant properties. The leaves can be dried and then used as you would use normal tea leaves. Known for its excellent cardio tonic, the hawthorn leaf is attributed to a good, healthy heart and can aid in the relief of pressure and tension to the chest and heart. The flavonoids are said to assist in the dilation and opening up of the blood vessels, allowing the oxygen-rich blood to enter the heart. Being a good regulator of blood pressure, hawthorn also aids circulation and reduces cholesterol and is thought to be really beneficial during the early stages of heart disease.

The delicate bunches of berries can be harvested and used in a variety of culinary delights. The haws are rich in anthocyanidins and are thought to be of great help for arthritis and osteoporosis, as it is thought to prevent the formation of thromboxane-A2, a hormone involved in inflammatory processes. These haws can be made into ketchup, brandy, wine, a syrup to stave off a cold or even dehydrated for making into a fruit leather. Not one to be worn on the feet though!

Steeped in folklore and beliefs, the Hawthorn is strongly linked to the giver of courage. In Pagan terms it was the symbol of fertility and was always the traditional tree used during wedding ceremonies. Thought to be the species used as ‘The Crown of Thorns’ during the Crucifixion of Christ, Hawthorn also represents The May King or Green Man, in Pagan beliefs where, during May, hawthorn blossom was worn in his leafy costume. The Hawthorn has also been known traditionally as ‘the bread and cheese’ tree, because the leaves and fruit can be eaten straight from the tree and apparently, when eaten together, they reduce any hunger pangs you may have had! Nothing quite like an actual cheese ‘n’ pickle sandwich though, is there?

So when next out walking and foraging, don’t forget to keep an eye out for the not so humble Hawthorn.

Now I’m off to make my syrup in readiness for the Winter…

All Hale! to the humble Hawthorn…

Last weekend I was privileged to be part of a team delivering kids' overnight camps, to 50+ children at the Wilderness Festival in Oxford.

The weekend started with the team meeting up on Thursday to create the site and build friendships, before setting off into the festival to enjoy the sights for the evening, prior to our work beginning in the morning.

Friday morning arrived and after a hearty breakfast of cereals and eggy bread we set about building the shelters for the children to sleep in. At midday, with excitement in our hearts and heads, we walked into the festival to meet and greet our first group of children for our Friday night sleepover in the woods...

The blue t-shirt group, consisted of 27 children ranging from 8 - 12, all with mixed emotions: anxious; excited; scared; unsure; happy; well who wouldn't be, with the thought of spending a night in the open with people they had never met before. Some children were very courageous and had even come on their own, having never even been away from home for the night before!

They really had no concerns. After walking the mile or so from the festival back to our home in the woods, we introduced them to their hotel for the night and had a drink and a snack around the fire, whilst introductions of the group and the 'Camp Wrap' - song of how to keep ourselves safe - were carried out. Time for games next, in the field, for more bonding and to enable the children to relax and let off steam whilst working out who they fancied joining forces with, to spend the night in a shelter.

After an evening spent re-designing, extending and decorating their shelters, team blue then had a hearty meal of Cowboy beans, jacket potatoes and nachos, followed by gutter pudding - a giant banana split served in a gutter! Time then for camp fire with songs, hot chocolate, marshmallows and skits, before heading off to their shelters, to be lulled to sleep by the gentle hum of the distant festival music sounding like a heart beat, reminding them that their families were not far away.

A few of us slept around the fire to keep an eye out throughout the night for our intrepid explorers, whilst the remainder of the team sauntered back to their tents and hammocks to retire for the night.

Morning arrived and after a fairly quiet night, half of us prepared a breakfast of eggy bread and cereals, whilst the remaining team set up the activities: branding irons; Hapa Zome - Japanese flower printing; scallop-shell fires; friendship bracelets; mammal ID, atlatls; Viking knitters and play...

With tails donned, 9:30am arrived all too soon when it was time to walk the blue team back to the festival, taking their trophies in hand, singing songs and carrying newfound memories and friendships with them. Sassying into the festival with our tails trailing behind us, we bid farewell to our blue team explorers and turned tail to head back to camp to prepare for the green team that would be ready for collection later in the afternoon.

A repeat performance of the blue team, followed throughout Saturday and into Sunday with the green team and once we returned our 25 children back to their families on Sunday morning, it was time for us to enjoy the festival. The evening saw makeshift costumes and random make-up being adorned, before heading off for a relaxed evening of music, mayhem and the odd sherbet!

Here's to 2017...

This year NativeAwareness celebrates their 10th birthday and I was lucky enough to win a half price weekend break of my choice, through a social media competition. So Native Skills 1, was the weekend I chose and off I went up to Worcester on the train with rucksack and hammock in hand. Meeting like-minded people in a woodland environment and learning primitive ways of survival, may not be some people's idea of a relaxing weekend, but to me pure heaven...

This was my home for the weekend, a DD hammock, strung between two Hemlock trees, swaying gently in the breeze and listening to the call of a Muntjac (Muntiacus Reevesi), a wild deer, throughout the night. Fueled and ready to go after breakfast, the weekend was one of story telling, hands-on crafts, tracking, identification and skills based on primitive forms - a real back to basics experience.

New friendships were formed, connections with nature made and new skills learnt throughout the weekend. The activities included making a spoon by burning the bowl with a coal from the fire and then carving it into shape; using plants and hammer stones to make natural cordage; constructing my own bow drill fire set to create fire by friction. Fox walking was performed; night-time awareness heightened, by stalking in virtual darkness; medicinal plants identified; Tom Brown stories listened to; flint knapping observed and throwing skills perfected - well not quite!

Thank you to James Watson of Native Awareness for such a thought provoking and awe inspiring weekend. I had a blast and I will be back for more...

If you would like to see the other fabulous courses that Native Awareness runs, just drop into their website and take a look, you certainly will not be disappointed.

http://www.nativeawareness.co.uk/

'All God's people, however serious or savage, great or small, like to play. Whales and elephants, dancing humming gnats and invisible small mischievous microbes - all are warm with divine radium and must have lots of fun in them.'

John Muir - The Story of My Boyhood and Youth

What is play? How can we describe play? To me, the very essence of the word 'play' embodies the pure indulgence of a spontaneous action that stumilates the soul. All children, and indeed, all adults have a right and a need to play. Play is innate and from birth is fundamental to human development and well-being and is a necessity to all. From picking up a stick in the woods, to jumping in the puddles, from a round of golf, to an impromptu trip to the beach, play should be freely chosen by the individual, personally directed and intrinsically motivated. Like a stage show, children should be the Directors of their own play; with an authentic backdrop, it is their theatre and they should choose the actors and the script to enable their play to run smoothly... but this should not only be on their opening night, but on every performance.

As a Forest School Practitioner it is our role to facilitate the play that the child leads and enable them, from a distance, to play to their potential. This may be as basic as providing space for them to play safely, giving them some simple resources, such as string and water, and allowing them to have 'wild' play, where their imaginations can literally roam free...

At the Forest School Conference in Shrewbury in 2015, Bob Hughes (Play theorist and advocate) spoke about the desperate need for children to have 'wild' play - free from adult supervision, that is directed by the participants and undertaken for its own sake. He described how natural play has been in decline since the 1960s with the increase in traffic and the lack of green space, matched with the concern of parents allowing their offspring to go outside and a risk averse society.

Play deprivation can have serious affects to human development and can manifest in many areas. The biggest challenge we have is that children and their parents, have a fear of risk, and we are bringing up a future generation that are scared to go outside and get their hands dirty. Some children I have worked with literally cannot cope if they become grubby with the slightest bit of mud on them. I appreciate rolling around in the mud is not for all, but a little bit of dirt is actually good for us. 

Research has shown that today children have become vulnerable to stress, anxiety, depression and helplessness and that their ability to problem solve and cope with strategies is dwindling, making resilience harder. Alongside this, insufficient social skills, clumsiness and poor co-ordination, have been prooven to be on the increase, due to the technological age, where children are permanently plugged in to electronic pathways...

Sue Palmer, former head teacher and author on the effects of contemporary childhood, along with a number of researchers from other fields of industry, have gathered research into what they term as ‘Toxic Childhood Syndrome,’ (Palmer, 2007). The evidence from psychologists, neuroscientists and marketing agencies revealed that the contemporary elements that are put into children on a daily basis build up to produce a lethal cocktail, impinging on their later development. A mixture of highly processed food, lack of exercise, unusual sleeping regimes, and modern play, where we are continually plugged in, can result in a generation of unhealthy, unfulfilled youngsters.

A holistic approach to the learning and development of an individual encompasses the emotional, intellectual, physical, relational, and spiritual aspects of a child’s life. If we analyse these components of development through the perspective of play we can compare and evaluate the benefits of contemporary play compared with that of basic play in Forest School. As Sarah Blackwell, Chairman of Forest School Education states, to play freely in the great outdoors is the most naturally supportive form of play that is accessible to all, with a little thought. Nature acts as a therapeutic way for children to engage with their environment and encompasses all of an individual’s developmental processes. Mary Jane Kehily, Senior Lecturer in Childhood and Youth Studies at The Open University, describes the notion of play as a social practice in which young people engage, that is defined through imagination, benign exploratory actions that are conducted in a safe environment in which individuals learn to deal with their emotions. By encouraging self-expression through ‘free play’ (Palmer, 2010) children begin to define their characters and personalities.

 The Taxonomy of Play Types

 Symbolic play - gradual exploration & increased understanding - sticks & string

Rough & Tumble play - physical flexibility & close encounter - leaf angels

Socio-dramatic play - real-life experiences - mud kitchen

Social play - interaction explored - team play & families

Creative play - transformative information - clay, tools & craft

Communication play - play-acting & mime - fire circle games, riddles & songs

Dramatic play - dramatization of events - Harry Potter & Star Wars

Deep play - developing survival skills - scallop-shell fires; bug hunting

Exploratory play - manipulative behaviours - natural chalk making

Fantasy play - child's play - fairies & elves

Imaginative play - no rules apply - anything goes

Locomotor play - all movement - tree climbing

Mastery play - control of the environment - shelter building

Object play - hand-eye manipulations - survival bracelets & knots

Role play - exploring ways of being - painting the trees

Recapulative play - ancestral enactment - bows & arrows & swords

http://rphughes44.blogspot.co.uk/p/publications.html

The definition of play as described in the Oxford Dictionary is, ‘… to occupy or amuse oneself pleasantly with some recreation, game, exercise… to act light-heartedly or flippantly… to take part in and … be able to perform… a freedom of movement’ (2003, pg. 627).

This definition of play strikes a chord with what any child under the age of ten should naturally be doing on a daily basis in order to experience their childhood, but in the 21st century is that what our youngsters are actually familiar with? In adulthood if we play then it is considered childish, in childhood is it not a given that that is what children do – play? However, in reality is this what young people really experience?

As I walk through the woodland, swathes of sapphire carpet lay before me, the sweet smell of spring in the air, accompanied by armies of green soldiers, standing with shoulders proud, their arms outstretched and their heads under helmets. The sapphire sirens serenade us whilst the forest fiddleheads forge through the undergrowth…

To what am I referring you may ask; bluebells and ferns of course.

Nestled in woodlands, hedgerows and clumped under trees, the smell that greets us during April and May is the sweet, intoxicating aroma of bluebells. Belonging to the lily family, bluebells are in fact wild hyacinths and are a protected species, but their heady aroma welcomes me as I wander aimlessly through woodland to find them.

With two types of bluebell in our woodlands; the English Native bluebell (Hyacinthoides non-scripta) and the Spanish bluebell (Hyacinthoides hispanica), both have quite distinctive differences. Our native English bluebell (as photographed above) is easily recognised for its elegant arching floral stems, with the characteristic blue bell shaped flowers, dangling down its length. In comparison to this, the Spanish bluebell stands upright and is a slightly lighter shade of blue, with its bells on either side of its stem. If you look carefully at the bells of both types of bluebells, then you will notice that the English flowers’ petals, curl elegantly back, whilst the Spanish variety splay outwards. Inside the bells, lying in wait for the eager bees to land, is the pollen which in the native bluebell is white, whilst the Spanish bluebell has blue pollen with practically no scent, unlike that of the English flower. So, if you see a bee floating past you in a bluebell wood look to see what colour socks he has on, then you will know whether he prefers the English or the Spanish variety, depending on whether he is wearing white or blue socks!

Occasionally, as you walk through the woodland, you will notice a different colour bluebell, sometimes pink and sometimes white. These bluebells are hybrids of the more aggressive and invasive Spanish species, which unfortunately seems to be invading our woodlands… Sounds like the Spanish Armada all over again! Let’s hope that history repeats itself and Mother Nature can once again defeat the Spanish…

• Did you know that Britain contains more than half of the World’s population of bluebells?
• The bluebell was Voted as England’s favourite wild flower in 2015
• The majority of our bluebells are to be found in Ancient Woodland
• The bluebell is an Ancient Woodland Vascular Plant (AWVP) ~ indicator of Ancient Woodland
• Known as ‘Fairy Flowers’ in Folklore, it is said that one who hears the bluebell ring, will soon die!
• A field of bluebells is intricately woven with fairy enchantments
• The sap from the bluebell can cause dermatitis
• During the Bronze Age the sap was used to attach feathers to arrows
• The Victorians used the starch from bluebells to stiffen their collars and cuffs
• Emily Bronte wrote a poem about the bluebell in 1838 ~ as detailed

The Bluebell

The Bluebell is the sweetest flower

That waves in summer air:
Its blossoms have the mightiest power
To soothe my spirit's care.

There is a spell in purple heath
Too wildly, sadly dear;
The violet has a fragrant breath,
But fragrance will not cheer,

The trees are bare, the sun is cold,
And seldom, seldom seen;
The heavens have lost their zone of gold,
And earth her robe of green.

And ice upon the glancing stream
Has cast its sombre shade;
And distant hills and valleys seem
In frozen mist arrayed.

The Bluebell cannot charm me now,
The heath has lost its bloom;
The violets in the glen below,
They yield no sweet perfume.

But, though I mourn the sweet Bluebell,
'Tis better far away;
I know how fast my tears would swell
To see it smile to-day.

For, oh! when chill the sunbeams fall
Adown that dreary sky,
And gild yon dank and darkened wall
With transient brilliancy;

How do I weep, how do I pine
For the time of flowers to come,
And turn me from that fading shine,
To mourn the fields of home!

Written by Emily Bronte 18/12/1838

Have you ever noticed the bracken and fern as it pushes its way up through the undergrowth during the Spring? Take a closer look next time you are in the woods and you may well notice the sprouting fiddleheads of the new growth, prising its way betwixt the forest floor.   

Marching proud through the woodlands at this time of year you will see an army of Bracken (Pteridium aquilinum) and Lady Fern (Athyrium filix-femina) emerging over mounds, squeezing through small crevises and trailing across heathland, all reaching towards the summit and nearer to the sky. First appearing, shaped like the top of a violin, fiddleheads are a delicacy in many countries and are known as warabi in Japan and koru (Mãori for ‘loop’) in New Zealand. On Vancouver Island, in Canada, the First Nations people collected bracken roots, considering them as a luxury food, and ate them roasted. New Zealand Mãoris and Australian Aborigines traditionally eat bracken root and in Siberia a beer is made by fermenting the roots of bracken with barley.

• The fern in New Zealand is the unofficial symbol of the Nation’s identity
• The ‘koru’ is used as the commercial logo for Air New Zealand
• The Silver Fern leaf is represented on many NZ sports teams eg. The All Blacks
• Harmful to cattle and dogs as the fronds contain cancer inducing enzymes
• Not recommended for consumption during pregnancy

For fabulous and interesting recipes to try with fiddleheads and other foraged goodies, take a look at the website of  ~ Hunter.Angler.Gardener.Cook ~ maybe try a few…

 http://honest-food.net/2016/04/28/bracken-fern-edible/

Bracken and fern can be easily mistaken for one another but one identifying factor that I go by is that bracken grows in single fronds, that can easily be pulled when young, whereas ferns grow in a clump and look more feathery!

What an exciting weekend that was! Spending the weekend in my hammock is always a pleasure, especially when you share the event with great colleagues and meet a fabulous new bunch of children.

Celebrating its 5th year, Elderflower Fields Festival was born in 2012 when a small group of friends decided that it would be really nice if there was a festival purely for families. Set amongst the beautiful woodland and estate of Pippingford Park, nestled in the stunning Sussex countryside, From the Ashes... was very pleased to be supporting the Kids Woodland activities run by her great friend, Judy Agate of Green Caterpillar. Around 3,000 people enjoyed fabulous entertainment, delicious food, sports and craft activities throughout the weekend and the weather was pretty kind to us too, cooler in the woods but at least dry for the whole weekend.

During the weekend we had four sessions, each of which could take 20 children, aged between  4-11 years old. The activities took the form of those that are generally put on during Forest School sessions and enabled the children to just have a go at what they fancied, during the two hours. Scallop-shell fires; Hapa Zome - Japanese flower printing; bug hunting; toasting marshmallows; Viking knitting - rope making; talks & games about small mammals; Nordic Slinging - friendship bracelets; branding irons and named tree trophies...

In the evening we sauntered into the festival, swishing our tails and experienced the excitement of the live music and entertainment that was being performed on the various stages. Bejewelled candelabras adorned the trees, bird bunting, glittered animals, ribboned bridges and paper parasols bedecked the woodland, all setting the scene for a magical event.

A wonderful weekend meeting new families, listening to different genres of music, eating great food and dancing in the woods, all topped off with the comfort of my hammock amongst the trees, being gently swayed, whilst listening to the quiet hum of distant instrumental and vocals.

Here's to 2017 and hoping that I get another invite to go play in the woods...

Take a look at this little video of the festival and keep an eye out for some tails waiting at the burger bar for their supper and a couple of off duty dinosaurs dancing at the disco...

 https://vimeo.com/184118338?ref=fb-share&1

Starting in March with the buttery yellow of daffodils; the landscape laden with the sweet smell of honey from the fields of rape; subtle primroses, the first rose of the year; golden gorse that smells like coconut; the rare but beautiful cowslips; spotty carpets of buttercups and celandines; and the common, but intricate dandelion that opens up in the sun.

Gradually moving into April, the woodlands change from yellows to hues of blue; sapphire bluebells with a sweet smell of hyacinth; the durable forget-me-nots that grow in the barest of soil, and how could we…; vivid borage, good for freezing in ice-cube trays for enjoying in your Pimms; purple bugles reaching up to the sky; and the delicate eyes of the speedwell that last just a day.

Moving into May we enter the white phase. Greeting me recently, in a local woodland in West Sussex, nestled in, at the foot of The South Downs, a little paradise, complete with meandering stream and bursting with the smell of wild garlic.  A veritable feast of white welcomes the eyes and gets the taste buds tingling, whilst your nasal passages are flared trying to take in the overwhelming scent of spaghetti bolognaise – as one child said to me the other day!

Together with this is the flowering Rowan ~ Mountain Ash  ~ (Sorbus Aucuparia). Rowan trees are currently laden with bunches of minute white flowers, their bows dancing in the breeze, often mistaken for the more sweetly smelling Elder. The flowers of the Rowan trees sadly carry the fragrance of cats’ wee, whilst the Elder trees ~ (Sambucus Nigra) ~ are ripening their flowers in readiness for cordial and wine, whilst the blossom of the Hawthorn ~ May Tree (Crataegus Monogyna) ~  is presently abundant with dainty florets bursting along a hedgerow near to you.  

  Rowan  Cherry

The next chapter – Summer – a carnival of colour is coming shortly to your calendar.

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Intelligences are multifaceted and complex and contain many elements that encompass a set of skills particular to the individual...

It is the job of the educator to focus in on the strengths of the individual and encourage them to pursue their learning in that field.

Dr Howard Gardner, a psychologist and professor of neuroscience from Harvard University, New York, developed a theory based on 'multiply intelligence.' He challenged the traditional believes about intelligences and their relationship with academics and short answer questions and focused more on the diverse aspects of an individual’s character. Based on nine independent intelligences, Gardner’s theory proposed that people have a particular set of skills enabling them to create solutions to solve problems in their lives through gathering new knowledge.

Which intelligence do you favour:

Linguistic - good with words - journalist
Interpersonal - understands others - nurse
Intrapersonal - understanding of oneself - counsellor
Naturalist - sensitive to the natural world - gardener
Existential - philosophical believer - priest
Logical-mathematical - problem solver - accountant
Musical - in-tune with rhythm - conductor
Spatial - sees the bigger picture - architect
Bodily-kinaesthetic - good with their hands - sportsperson

Children should not be conditioned to work in a particular learning style but be encouraged and provided with opportunities in which they can experience different learning styles and have occasions when their desired learning style can be carried out.

Terri Apter, in her book The Confident Child, discusses, ‘How children learn is far more important than what they are taught, with ‘A child’s attitude toward learning…has far more impact on her confidence and, hence, on her future, than the precise facts she knows’ (1997, pg. 129). If this is the case, then a varied curriculum, suited to all learning styles, needs to be encouraged and promoted daily throughout the school life to suit all learning abilities with the inclusion of both indoor and outdoor activities. Once children and educators establish the preference of learning styles for individuals, then their strengths and acquisition of knowledge can to be developed and enhanced. This in turn will encourage confidence, self-esteem and enjoyment, enabling individuals to achieve to their best potential.