April newsletter
March seemed to fly by, and there has been a lot happening out there in the the natural world. We’ve had a pretty wet month, but interspersed with some glorious sunshine and a few warm days. Read on below for our latest updates: Species of the month is Buff-tailed bumblebee TV review on My Garden of a Thousand Bees Community outreach & social prescribing. Wild Roots Nature Fest – further updates. Warmly,Ros Species of the month Buff-tailed bumblebee (Bombus terrestris) I love a bumblebee. Their size and buzzing makes them a distinctive sight and sound of early spring, and the…
Spring walk – Quay & quay meadows
Finding our pace Spring is officially here, and the days are now officially longer than the nights. Mid-March brought us some much warmer (unseasonably so) weather, and we’ve had a really good run of sunny days, so it was a joy to get out and see how much things have changed over the last few weeks. We began our walk along the historic stretch of St George’s Quay, taking a moment, as always, to pause, breathe, and gently arrive.Everyone was invited to find a slow presence in the here and now. This simple act of grounding set the tone for…
March Newsletter
Welcome to Wildlife Wellbeing Walks monthly updates for March 2026. Spring has definitely started, although the weather has been a bit mixed so far! Read on below for our latest updates: Species of the month is Lesser Celandine Film review on the documentary Six Inches of Soil. Community outreach & social prescribing – what we can offer. Wild Roots Nature Fest – an update on what we are offering this year and how you can access all of the content and book your place. If you aren’t on our mailing list and would like to sign up, we’d love to…
Mute swan – September’s species of the month
Mute swanCygnus olor Whilst my background is as a botanist, I also love birds and one constant in my time in Lancaster has been the remarkable mute swans that nest on the canal. These birds have consistently reared 6-9 cygnets a year (and as far as I can tell it has been the same pair) for 14 years. As a species which doesn’t start breeding until age 4, an average survival age of 10 years, and typically 4-7 eggs, these are remarkable birds indeed. If anyone knows whether these are the same birds, or a succession of different pairs, I…
The Wellbeing Hour – September
What is ‘Wellbeing’? For our 3 sessions in September we have explore what wellbeing actually is and what we can do to help improve it. We looked at the 5 Ways to Wellbeing and how these might relate to nature: Connect – both with each other and with nature. Learn – with the natural world there is always something we don’t already know. Every day is a school day! Be Active – taking a walk in nature is a great way to do this. Give – both monetary, time and even some lazy ways to help support nature. Notice – really…
Claver Hill – 10th Anniversary
Sunday 27th August 2023 A community farm (in every sense) When they talk about ‘community’ at Claver Hill, it means everything as well as everyone. What do I mean by this? Well, it was clear from our Wellbeing Walk around the space that it is very much managed with the natural community in mind. All too often, we forget that we are part of nature: no matter how much we silo ourselves in buildings and (some) think that we are superior to it. Working with, rather than against, nature has clearly reaped a whole host of rewards at Claver Hill…
Mindfulness and nature
A personal journey Why do I have a photo of a cat here? Well, this was my lovely old Soots when he was in his prime, but I had to say goodbye to him this weekend. Aside from the obvious heart-wrenching grief of losing a precious member of my family, it has made me realise some things, and I wanted to share this in case it helps or inspires you. Firstly, I am a massive worrier and have been for a large proportion of my life. And I overthink. I am saying this with kindness to myself, not judging: it…
The Storey Gardens
Talk & Walk – Saturday 1st July A hidden gem in the heart of Lancaster The Talk The Talk portion of the day was delivered by Janet, a volunteer who has a wealth of knowledge about The Storey Institute and the Gardens. Janet delivered a fascinating insight into the history of the site (the gardens only exist thanks to World War II evacuees being located in The Storey), and how the Tasting Garden came to be. I had no idea that it was a conceptual art installation! The original sculptures from the installation are long gone (sadly, stolen for their…
The magic of June
Dog rose (Rosa canina). Image (c) Ros Jones As a June baby, I am perhaps a little biased that this is the best month of the year. This isn’t without merit, however, as I hope you will see from what I have gathered below. This is based on observations and questions from the Summer Nights walk (3) on 1st June around Fairfield Nature Reserve. There was so much to see, a real abundance for the senses, and so much has changed in the last few weeks. Our walk started from the Cromwell Road entrance to the reserve, through Flora and Fauna.…
A weekend of wildlife wonders
Up close and personal with Visions of Landscapes On Saturday 15th April, artist Anita Burrows part of Higherford Mill Artists and I introduced some immersive walks in the beautiful Storey Gardens. This was in conjunction with the fantastic art exhibition, Visions of Landscapes, being held in The Storey. Half-hour walks were given throughout the day offering people a chance to see the garden in a whole new way: up close and personal. We used hand-held lenses to magnify plants, lichen, mosses and insects. This is a great way to mindfully immerse yourself even in a small space like the Storey Gardens.…