Yarrow’s Achilles’ heel
This Scottish Pollinators post (13 October 2023) shares interesting facts about yarrow. A popular plant with pollinators, yarrow also has medicinal uses, a myriad of local names, and a rich cultural history in ancient Greek, and Gaelic legend.
Early years explore nature, art and culture outdoors
The Children and Nature Network share news (July 2023) on how a nature preschool in South Carolina, USA, partnered with local Latinx organizations. Together, they guide students in creating “alebrijes” — a traditional Mexican art form involving the carving of wood into imaginative or mythical creatures. Check out the story [...]
How Big, How Blue, How Beautiful
This Scotland’s Nature blog post (17 July 2023), features Sekai Machache, a Zimbabwean-Scottish visual artist and curator based in Glasgow. Sekai looks at the notion of self, using photography to explore the historical and cultural imagination. A fascination with climate change and Scotland’s peatlands has led to a striking set [...]
Bilean: Sacred Trees of Gaelic Scotland
In this article posted in Scotland’s Nature (23 June 2023), Roddy Maclean argues for a greater recognition of an ancient arboreal tradition in a Scottish Gaelic context. This helps to remind us of ‘an ancient spiritual connection between people and trees in Scotland that can inform and inspire today’.
Let’s make nature relevant for all cultures
The Children & Nature Network latest bulletin reminds us all of the importance of cultural relevancy and understanding when engaging communities with nature. They share papers in their research library on how different people, including children, engage with nature in different places.
Bird and flower of the Beltane
The marsh marigold and the whimbrel have Gaelic names with links to this time of the Beltane. This post in Scotland’s Nature (3 May 2022) describes how both species provide a reminder of the close links between Gaelic culture and the Scottish seasons. This post is also available in Gaelic.
The language of wildflowers
A lovely post from Grow Wild (5 April 2022) on how wild flowers are used for reflection, connection and remembrance. A useful resource for RME at school?
Tiptoe through the bluebells….
Spotted any bluebells yet? Muddy Faces Spring newsletter has shared Bluebell Folklore & Traditions here, a fab page from the National Trust.
