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.

Nettles for Energy

I just wanted to share with everyone my experience this year of drinking nettle infusions ..

"Drinking Nettle infusion is like drinking the energy of the earth - good solid energy"

I have to tell you that I have found a fantastic increase in energy. And its not a sudden but finite burst of energy like you might get from caffeine, which you have to do 'payback' for later. Firstly, I noticed I wasn't getting that mid-afternoon 'slump' anymore. But then, it seemed that somehow I had more mental energy as well. I experienced a definite shift from feeling overwhelmed and exhausted by my multiple and ongoing health issues to being able to tackle them.

One of the reasons I was interested in trying the nourishing herbal infusions was to find a rich source of minerals (esp. magnesium) to replace the multi-mineral and vitamin supplement I was taking. This has worked out brilliantly for me. Once I stopped taking the multivit/mineral (which had a high level of ascorbic acid in it) and stopped needing caffeine to keep me going through the day, my heartburn and stomachache subsided quite rapidly (in about 10 days).





I don't want to be bore and embarass everyone with long ramblings about my ailments, but I decided its so important to share and document experiences of working with plants so that hopefully others don't have to reinvent the wheel, everyone struggling away on their own in isolation. If I can save someone some time or point them in a helpful direction than it'll have been worth it.

I have to tell you, too, that the biggest test of whether something is working for you is what happens when you stop! So having done my nettle infusion drinking for several months it kind of fizzled out in May .. partly because we were eating nettle soup, but really because I was feeling so much better and just getting absorbed in life. And I suppose, you know, that you think it just couldn't be that simple .. maybe your condition just improved of its own accord, coincidentally.

But after a month or so, everything started creeping back .. caffeine started reappearing and indigestion along with it.. and a general feeling of struggling. So now I really start to get it .. drinking the infusions isn't a 'quick fix' its an insurance policy, long-term nourishment - the clue is in the title 'nourishing herbal infusions'. And we all know that prevention is better than cure! I think I will always be one to learn the hard (or long) way!

So it would appear, actually, that it really IS that simple.

Nettle Diary

This is the photo diary of a little nettle which grew this year alongside our compost:

March 9th

March 12th

March 18th

April 29th

May




This nettle was tall and green and handsome, bursting with life. I had hoped to dry some tops for making infusion. But I was too slow and somehow, overnight so it seemed, flowering happened and I missed my opportunity. Now the nettle is in a bucket with some rainwater and soon all its goodness will be returned to the earth by way of my vegetable patch, making way for a playhouse for the little'un under the tree.

Minerals

Just wanted to share with everyone some wonderful words I found in this book by Paul Bergner:

'Traditional peoples all over the globe consider Earth to be our mother... we literally must nurse from the earth and nature to obtain the minerals our bodies need.'

The book describes how all the different minerals and trace elements are formed in the earth's core, magma and crust and are drawn up through the root systems of plants into sea vegetables and the plants that we eat as food. It goes on to talk about the way in which intensive farming has de-mineralised the food we eat and the impact the use of NPK fertiliser has on the balance of minerals in our food. He then explains the effects of mineral deficiencies on the body, causing dysfunction and disease, and how western medical practice does not consider the issue in relation to ill health. All the various minerals and trace elements are considered in turn, with their individual characteristics and foods which are rich in them. However, it is also shown how the minerals all act with each other, so if you become deficient in or supplement one it will put out the delicate balance with all the others. It is also stressed that too much of many of these minerals can be dangerous. And much more besides (issues of absorption, effects of sugar and refined white flour, the work of ground-breaking early 20th century travellers and researchers into the diets of indiginous peoples).. It is a fantastic book in which the science and technical issues involved are discussed clearly and without losing the reader, but which also has a clear spiritual component running through it.

For me it was extremely helpful, as I am constantly seeking ways to ensure adequate magnesium in the face of my own health issues. This book gave me a lot of useful information, suggested ways forward but also helped to explain some of the things I'd worked out for myself along the way via trial and error.

I was really struck, though, with how the description of how the elements are all formed within the earth and then rise up to the surface .. how the Earth actually does sustain us. With how the cycle is broken when we exhaust the supply and don't return the waste to the ground to renew it. As a historian and archaeologist it was fascinating to realise the different ways our ancestors used the land for a short spell then moved on, allowing nature to take over and restore the nutrients. It shows that we have much to learn from our ancestors .. much knowledge has been lost and our relationship with our planet along with it.

I ordered my copy from the inter-library loans service (its expensive on Amazon) but, if your interested in this sort of thing, Paul Bergner has done some You Tube videos on the subject of mineral depletion which contain enough information to whet your appetite and give you the outline of his research.

Clean Energy

I loved this little video clip by Friends of the Earth. Its about challenging the big energy companies who are monopolising the market and their hold over government. These companies have a financial interest in pushing 'dirty' fuels at the expense of small companies and communities producing cleaner energy. If you are interested, you can find out more about the 'Final Demand' campaign and sign a petition requesting the government hold an investigation into the issue.

Solar Power Campaign

Friends of the Earth would like you to help put pressure on David Cameron over the government's intentions with regard to solar power .. you can read the full details here.

Just thought I'd spread the word .. please pop along and sign the letter if you've got a minute!

Tree Tribute

Earth Hour

This Saturday, 28th March, the WWF are organising a 'Switch it off!' campaign to highlight global warming. At 8.30pm local time, people all over the world will be switching off their lights to signal to their governments the urgent need to tackle climate change.. please help to spread the word!



You can sign up to register your support and find resources for making your own blog post and visit the WWF's Earth Hour website for further information .. hope you'll be joining in?

Green Fair

A wonderful thing - I've just been to the Better Haringey Green Fair which was held just over the road from our house this afternoon.

It was so nice to see the green space outside Tottenham town hall being used for such a great purpose - it used to be behind railings, overgrown, full of litter and only frequented by vagrants and winos. But a year or two back the council put money and effort into sorting it out, opening it up and adding broad paved access paths and lovely old-fashioned street lights to make it safer. It is used a lot now and looks great.

But I digress! Back to the Green Fair ... lots of stalls with local campaigning, wildlife and recycling groups. I chatted to some lovely people, including the local Friends of the Earth group who had a bloke dressed up as an orang-u-tan to launch their campaign about Bio-Fuels: the EU is proposing a directive requiring 10% of petrol and diesel be made from biofuels by 2020, but using land for palm oil is causing food shortages and accelerating rain-forest destruction .. find out more here and contact your MEP about blocking the proposal.

It was great to visit the stalls and I signed petitions and MP letters on a number of issues and picked up lots of leaflets.

Thought I'd share some of the info and links, in case anybody's interested?

I got a wonderful 'STOP! Don't bin it, recycle it!' sticker which I'm going to stick on the lid of our kitchen bin to remind everyone to think twice about whether something can be recycled. This was from Recycle for London whose website tells you where to find your nearest recycling facilities and has lots of info on more ways to recycle kitchen and garden household waste.

At the BBC Breathing Places stand I was given a free CD 'tune into the dawn chorus: audio guide' which has the songs of different birds on it plus a quiz at the end.. brilliant! I can only recognise one or two, and would really like to learn some more so that I can listen out for them. We have a pretty good dawn chorus here, despite being in a built up city area. There's a little booklet to go with it which has pictures of all the birds and advice on encouraging birds into your space. You can hear and see some of them here and also download a beautiful kingfisher screensaver. Apparently, once a year in May there is an International Dawn Chorus Day.. shame we just missed this year's one, but definitely something to get involved with in 2009! Some more bird links you might like are British Trust for Ornithology and the RSPB.

I was also given a 'tree party' pocket guide - which has tree-planting tips plus spotting tips for common local trees. You can download your own copy here and, if you have kids, you might be interested in the Tree For All initiative, too?

Well, I hope you found something to interest you somewhere in all that! I'll add the links to the side bar in my continuing quest to develop Earth and Tree as a sort of resource centre for information on all these earth friendly types of thing.

Saving the World

Want to help fight climate change? Install the '350 Challenge' badge on your blog and Brighter Planet will offset 350 pounds of carbon in your name... so what are you waiting for? Earth and Tree is in!



Thanks to Earth and Economy for alerting me to this initiative, and for posting this wonderful list of 50 simple ways to save the world...

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.

Technology

Well here I am, back in action! Its been a strange few days .. no internet, plus two four-hour power cuts in 3 days.

No phones, no radio, no telly, no internet, no kettle .. no noise, no distractions! You know there was something nice about the quiet, and it did me no harm at all to have a long soak in the bath by candlelight and an early night. And I kind of liked making my tea with a pan of water over a flame on the stove. It reminded me that the act of infusing plants to make beneficial drinks is not some dark art or hippie new-age thing but something that all of us do all the time without even thinking about it. And this is how it should be.. health and well-being enshrined in the everyday, habitual acts which constitute the unglamorous business of being.

Its all got me thinking. Firstly about how little we actually NEED. Secondly about how peaceful and stress-free it is not having news and information blaring out all the time. Thirdly about how although we humans like to think we are so clever and sophisticated and technologically advanced, etc, we are still just as subject to the whims of nature and our environment as any other animal.. we are NOT all powerful, as we sometimes seem to think. And yet we mock or look down upon those cultures who show deep reverence and respect for the Earth as under-developed. In western society we tend to value science, technology, 'progress', and so forth much more highly than simple, everyday, 'down-to-earth' skills and common sense. We don't value our own intuition as much as we perhaps should.

You know what was wrong with our internet? The box outside containing the technology was getting too hot in the sunshine.. that's why it would activate once the heat of the day had passed and it had cooled down again.

Anyway, an interesting few days. No need to be concerned .. there's no danger of me taking off and living in a tent in some farflung corner of the globe, I am who I am and that just wouldn't be me! But a little balance and taking time out to find some peace now and again .. that's a lesson its always good to have refreshed and uppermost in mind?

Earth Day

So tomorrow is Earth Day and people all over the world will be attempting to focus their leaders' attention on the plight of the planet, as well as re-visiting how they themselves can take positive steps to make a difference.

This is the Official Earth Day site and I've collected a couple of interesting links to peruse on Earth Day, if you're having a perusing kind of a moment (!)

The Nature Conservancy Earth Day info including details of their Plant a Billion Trees campaign

Wear Blue on Earth Day to Vote for NO COAL

Earth Day Gallery at Love Earth which has some stunning images of the Earth viewed from outer space.




Earth Day isn't such a big thing here in the UK .. but I'm not going to let that stop me joining in! So I will be donating all proceeds from tomorrow's sales at Hedgewitch to Friends of the Earth. Please spread the word if you can, and help me raise some funds for a good cause!




I usually mark the day by quietly appreciating the earth .. and I will be doing this tomorrow the best way I know how, by getting outside in the fresh air to commune with nature, either visiting a local site or on the roof in my garden with my sleeves rolled up!

------> GET INVOLVED: How do you celebrate Earth Day? What does the Earth mean to you?

Stop Global Warming

I just visited this website and found a list of tips for reducing carbon emissions. The list is long, but I have picked out things that are do-able for me and my lifestyle (or are, in fact, things I'm already doing).

I have always felt fairly powerless to make significant changes, as I live in rented accomodation so cannot do the major things our house needs like double-glazing or draught-proofing etc. But I was amazed by how many of the things on the list didn't apply to me in a POSITIVE way.. for example, the fact that I don't use a car or a dishwasher. And we don't have central heating. So it turns out I'm doing better than I thought, after all, which is heartening!

One day I'll hopefully live in an eco-house with solar panels, but until then, here are my little contributions..

Use Recycled Paper
Make sure your printer paper is 100% post consumer recycled paper. Save 5 lbs. of carbon dioxide per ream of paper.

This is something I've been working on recently .. I have found an affordable supplier and from now on all Hedgewitch information sheets and newsletters will be printed on 100% recycled paper.

Buy Products Locally
Buy locally and reduce the amount of energy required to drive your products to your store.

This is a tough one in the city, but I am planning a visit to that local farmers' market I found so that hopefully I can buy less food from Tescos. I already get my fruit and veg in a box, which is delivered by van, but I know they source things as locally as they can within the UK.

Buy Minimally Packaged Goods
Less packaging could reduce your garbage by about 10%. Save 1,200 pounds of carbon dioxide and $1,000 per year.

My fruit and veg box comes in a cardboard box which you return for re-use the following week. I re-use the corrugated card dividers to pack the ceramic pieces in Hedgewitch parcels and I re-use the string for tying up plants in the garden.

Am generally horrified how much packaging everything comes in! I recycle all the card sleeves and re-use the plastic trays for plant saucers and incubators. But finding places to buy less packaged products is something I really want to work on.

Reduce Garbage
Buy products with less packaging and recycle paper, plastic and glass. Save 1,000 lbs. of carbon dioxide per year.

You know, since I've stepped up my recycling/re-using/composting, we've been amazed how little garbage we are putting out now. One black sack a week, rather than one every other day.

Plant a Tree
Trees suck up carbon dioxide and make clean air for us to breathe. Save 2,000 lbs. of carbon dioxide per year.

Hmmmm.. maybe I could think of giving the gift of planting a tree via The Woodland Trust for special occasions?

Unplug Un-Used Electronics
Even when electronic devices are turned off, they use energy. Save over 1,000 lbs of carbon dioxide and $256 per year.

I could (and must) do this!

Buy Organic Food
The chemicals used in modern agriculture pollute the water supply, and require energy to produce.

I do as much as I can, for health reasons, but this is an added incentive.

Bring Cloth Bags to the Market
Using your own cloth bag instead of plastic or paper bags reduces waste and requires no additional energy.

I was given the most fabulous cloth bag by friends of mine for Christmas.. it is tongue-in-cheek and features 'typical London wildlife' (a one-legged pigeon, a large rat etc!) Its great because it folds up small and weighs nothing, so I just keep it stashed in my handbag for any shopping I pick up while I'm out.

Ditch the Plastic
2.5 million individual plastic water bottles are thrown away every hour in the US. Start using a reusable water bottle and just say no to plastic!

I could DEFINITELY do this, as I do sometimes buy small bottles of water when I'm out. I need to drink more water .. I'm really bad at this. I think I will fill a bottle with tap water each morning (whether I'm home or out) for use during the day. When its hot in the summer, I sometimes fill a water bottle with tap water and add a couple of ice-cubes with lemon balm or pineapple sage leaves in them, which is really refreshing.

Knit for Oxfam

I don't usually blog about knitting, but when you read this you will see straight away that its about the earth, because mothers all over the earth are dying unnecessarily .. wanted to help spread the word, as I know there are knitters out there!

" Every minute, a woman with no medical care dies in pregnancy or childbirth

Millions of mums in poor countries get low-quality health care, or are forced to go without it altogether. High fees, a shortage of hospitals and clinics, and not enough doctors and midwives means women struggle to get the medical care they need and all that too often they don’t survive to look after their babies. In Africa and South East Asia pregnancy and childbirth represent the biggest cause of death amongst women of childbearing age.

Each square you can knit or crochet will represent a newborn baby, left needlessly without a mother because of lack of healthcare. These squares will be joined together and handed into the UK government in September. "


This is what I'll be doing this evening... click the title to link to this post, which has details of what you need to do (its basically knitting a 9" square).

Trees for Life

I was visiting the Trees for Life website today - this organisation campaigns to save and increase the Caledonian forests of Scotland.

I found this wonderful quote:

"...today it is the duty of every thinking being to live, and to serve not only his own day and generation, but also generations unborn by helping to restore and maintain the green glory of the forests of the earth." Richard St. Barbe Baker


and ordered these:

envelope re-use labels

I always used to have re-use labels, but though I still re-use envelopes I've been just using blank labels to cover the old addresses. Struck me that by using these, I'd be raising awareness for the charity .. and they are beautiful, too!

Love Earth

I found a really beautiful site about the earth .. it is beautiful and informative. It also has galleries of postcards where people are leaving messages about wildlife, nature and the earth. This month's theme is Motherhood and I have left a little postcard tribute .. I know others of you will love this too!




You can visit my postcard here... love earth postcard

Mothers' Day

Today was Mothers' Day here in the UK.. and it seems to me that motherhood is something to be celebrated.

I took this picture in Bruges, where it was one of many shrines to the Madonna to be found on street corners. I love how peaceful it is, and how it symbolises the Mother and Child.



So here's to all the mothers of the world and the great mother earth herself.

Sowing seed

At the first signs of dusk I planted my first seeds of the year. Always a lovely thing to do, looking forward to the season ahead.

I have a little propagator with individual cells so that I don't have to prick out the seedlings. This first batch was to get my tomato plants started. I'm growing a big beefsteak type tomato called 'Brandywine' that I love. Alongside I started some Pot Marigold to companion plant with my tomatoes.

I've also done an early batch of Sunflowers - one of my favourites, so I want to see them in flower as soon as possible. I'm growing two dwarf varieties, as they will be living on my roof .. and the tall ones would just sail away!! One day, when I have a real garden, I'm going to have huge sunflowers. I was really inspired by a house I saw last summer where someone had trained them up round their front door - it looked amazing!

Sown February New Moon. Germination time approx 1 to 2 weeks. Recommended germination temperature 18 degrees C (so might need a hot water bottle!)