Here’s a wild scenario from leader Lorna Stoddart - “I am an urban explorer, my name is Lorna, and I’ve just come back from an adventure. Whilst out searching for creatures [on Birchall / The Waste / along the canal] I became trapped, my leg wrapped by a writhing, creeping thing covered in sharp claws. I called for help and a wise woman told me to stay exactly still whilst she carefully unwrapped the thing from my leg, freeing me. Together we wrestled the creature into [a laundry basket, bag for life, rucksack] and brought it straight here. I hope you can help me identify it”… “on closer examination I noticed the white frothy flowers and Bees, Butterflies, day flying moths landing on the flowers again and again and I realised the plant wasn’t fearsome at all, it was generous sharing its sweet nectar with beautiful animals”.
This led to guessing what might be in the bag, resulting in Bramble, then describing the Bramble with any words, e.g. colour, movement, observed characteristics, feelings. Depending on the engagement, extending this through excitement, questions, memories. Movement was searching for Bramble on the school grounds, then using our bodies to make bramble shapes: yoga poses and joining into the shapes of flowers, arching stems, leaves.
Once energy was burnt off, we began to make bees, butterflies and other wondrous pollinators using wool, pinecones, and tracing paper wings. These puppets encouraged play and focused exploration into further understanding of their environment. Some children enjoyed drawing Brambles together on long sheets of paper; others enjoyed collaborating on a word hoard, creating a record of words that are real and words that were made up in response to Bramble. Interestingly, around half of the children I saw had never picked a Blackberry much to their teacher’s horror. I’d like to think that when they come back to school in September there might be some left behind for them to enjoy.
The bramble workshops were just a few among the many that took place in different schools during Wild Week. For more about the plans see our last newsletter article. Other workshops ranged from hunting for lost words, making adders from clay to weaving words with willow. Our thanks go to all the schools, the workshop leaders (Anthony, Kate, Lorna, Louise, Mark, Mike and Sally) and our wonderful MCA volunteers (Claire, Harry, Jenny, Judy, Penny, Sally, Sue and Tina). A big thank you, also, to Picture Book in Leek, as Sally Richardson gave us a good discount on our bulk book order, and also of course to our funders – Nature in your Neighbourhood, Outside Arts and the Wildflower Society.