BioBlitz

Well we had a go in the garden at the weekend.. I'm still looking up and trying to identify many of the things we found, which is great because I'm learning all the time. The little one loved it, and his determined bug-hunting meant that we were able to identify three different types of woodlouse in our patch, including this rosy-coloured one.. I have to admit that before the BioBlitz a woodlouse was a woodlouse, as far as I was concerned!



A really noticeable thing was that we didn't find a single ladybird. Our garden is usually full of them. I've looked again this week, and have only found one or two tiny creamy-coloured harlequins, no red ones at all.

However, we were blessed with a large red damselfly, basking on a rose leaf in the mid-day sunshine:



And as well as white and blue butterflies, we found this tiny daytime flying moth:



I think it must be pyrasta aurata.. during the week I have noticed masses of them: numbers of them fly up as I walk amongst the plants in my herb garden, and now I know why! They feed on mints, marjoram and lemon balm, so I have provided them with pretty much a perfect place to set up shop.

Learning in Nature

I just wanted to share something I've been getting involved with this last week, having stumbled upon it via a blog, via a blog (as you do!).. its a very new organisation called the Save Childhood Movement and its in its very early embryonic stages and in the throes of working out who it is, what it stands for and what it wants to do.

I was drawn to it after some very surprising and worrying experiences finding out about nursery/pre-school provision and requirements for the little'un, and experiencing a massive amount of pressure from all quarters with regard to these issues. This isn't the place to go into more detail (though you can see my comments on the discussion board if you join up to it!).

However, listed in one of the Eight Core Principles is

"Children need a deep connection with nature, and they should be able to learn from nature and not merely about it."

.. and that comes within the remit of this blog. I know that many of you spend much time and energy outdoors in nature with grandkids and felt that you would be interested, like me, in this campaign.

I think this image from the Aims and Objectives page encapsulates how I feel beautifully.

Parenting styles and choices are deeply emotive and personal, and need to be respected. For this reason, I hesitated to mention these issues here, as Earth and Tree is a gentle blog about pooling resources, experiences and inspiration in honour of Mother Earth. I would always want to remain apolitical, only posting about campaigns directly related to environmental issues like saving woodland, recycling, carbon footprint and sustainable living which I feel the likeminded souls here might appreciate. But, you know, this IS about the Earth and nothing could be more central than ensuring that the littlies have access to, learn from and can be inspired by nature.

Our little'un is currently doing a fantastic Forest Fun course for ages 3 to 5 run by our excellent local SureStart service. He gets to jump in puddles, build dens, go on bug hunts and do all manner of fantastic things .. but its all up to him, he decides and can go exploring about and finding out freely. With a bit of luck, this new outfit will bring together lots of campaigns and organisations working to the same aims under one umbrella and will help support and inform parents who want to access this kind of experience for their children as well as lobbying government and organising folks on the ground to campaign on their local issues.

Human Rights

This post forms part of the 'Unite for Human Rights' blog event today. Where to begin, what topic to choose? Its so overwhelming.



The issue that springs to mind most quickly for me, of late, is the plight of Tibet and this year's Olympic event in China. And the bigger issue of news blackout and control of the press, generally, which also brings to mind what's happening in Burma at the moment.

A fortnight ago, I walked up the road to my local school and voted in elections for the Mayor of London. My chap didn't win, but my vote was counted and my voice was heard... which is not the case in Zimbabwe.

Yesterday I received a letter from my MP at the House of Commons to whom I had written expressing my concerns about the need to strengthen the climate change bill. It was a standard response, of course, but if everyone sends a letter he will take notice (else he won't get re-elected).

The right to protest, indeed, the right to express an opinion, is something that we in the West take for granted.. while some bloggers run the risk of jail and worse every time they publish a post?

We are complacent about our freedom to vote and protest in this country, and not enough of us get out and do it regularly. When confronted with the enormity of global human rights abuse it feels hard to know how to effect change ... maybe the answer is to make full use of those rights we are so lucky to have!

Visit Amnesty International and take action now.

Local Lavender Project

I've been adding a couple of my handmade lavender sachets to Etsy today .. and in the process, I found the details of the community lavender harvest where I collected the lavender and some photos taken on my last visit. It was such a beautiful way to spend a sunny afternoon and I thought others might be interested, too?

The once famous lavender fields of the Carshalton area of London have been revived by The Local Lavender Project: cuttings were collected from the public and grown as a horticulture project at HMP Downview, providing prisoners with useful skills. Then prisoners on day-release helped clear and plant up 3 acres of disused allotments. Now that the lavender has matured, hundreds of people turn up every year to “pick their own” at the annual community harvesting event.




It just happened to fall on my birthday the year I took these photos, and it was one of the best I've had. We had to be very careful, though, as my companion was allergic to bee stings... and where there are 3 acres of lavender, there are lots of lovely big bumble-bees!



It was really easy to dry the lavender.. I had only dried smaller quantities before, from my garden, by hanging up bunches by the stems with a paper bag secured around the flowerheads to catch them. The same method worked fine for the larger bundles and the room smelt kind of wonderful for months! I save the dried stems when I've rubbed the dried flowerheads off to put on the fire in the winter.

Bioregional Local Lavender Project

I will definitely be going along again this year. Its hard to describe how it feels (and smells!) to be waist deep in a field of lavender.. its wonderful. And as the sun shines down and you inhale the relaxing aroma, you can't stop smiling.