NATURE IS HOME

How exposure to local nature can increase your sense of home and belonging.

I have been working with a local forest school teacher Tania Orgill from PlayWood Bath to deliver nature walks for a family who has recently moved to Bath from Chile. I wanted to explore what effects spending time outdoors in local nature had on the family’s sense of home and belonging. I imagined it would help their overall wellbeing too. I have one last session to complete the cycle (Autumn) but so far the family has fed back that the walks have helped them feel comfortable with their local natural environment and more confident naming local species too. It has been beautiful to watch the children grow and witness the cyclical rhythm of nature.

Although these walks would have been equally beneficial had I not been there with my camera, it has been a privilege to capture these moments and freeze these unique experiences in the children’s lives. It has offered the family the opportunity to reflect on their experiences, send the images back home to family and also have a positive keepsake of their time in Bath.

Looking back at the images I can see how confident the family has become being outdoors exploring nature in a deeper more mindful way.

I can’t express how grateful I am to Tania for running these sessions, teaching me so much and for Mili for being involved.

The project will hopefully culminate in an exhibition in autumn 2024.

Spring

18.05.23

On our first walk we went to Combe Down. It is a beautiful walk in a field then down to a beech forest. Sara was quite nervous and took a long time to relax into the walk and the activities. Once she put on her cape at the end she became quite powerful and playful. Clemente seemed to adore being out in nature and loved holding the knitted animals that Tania passed him. By the end of the session he was on the forest floor touching (and eating!) mud and wild garlic!

In the post walk questionnaire Mili said ‘Sara loved to know that some plants and flowers are edible. All the interaction with nature was amazing. Sara loved the activities. The stick full of “natural treasures”, the sticky paper, etc. Now every time that we go to the woods she asks to look for special things and take them home.’

Summer

11.09.23

We met at the end of summer on a beautifully sunny day in Combe Down (almost at the bottom of the Spring walk) but this time we crossed open fields and blackberry bushes. What a beautiful walk that Tania had planned full of fantastic activities. We were joined by Jaquin (5) who is Cleme and Sara’s older brother. It was really great having an added dynamic with him joining the fun.

Like in the first walk the children were a little reluctant to get involved at first but we soon stopped to eat blackberries and they quickly joined in full heartedly!

In the questionairre Mili talked about how free the children felt, ‘we are so lucky in the place we live. Surrounded with nature and outdoor spaces to discover, breath and relax. We all had a great time enjoying time outdoors. After this day both kids kept asking to create things with objects that can be found in nature, go for a walk to explore, etc…was a great instance to realise how these activities stimulate creativity and imagination.’

Winter

24.02.24

We have been immensely lucky with this project so far as it has always been sunny. This day started with torrential rain but by the time we met at 3pm it was incredible weather - it really felt magical!

We walked along the Dundas canal to the aqueduct and then crossed over to a forest normally used by BMX junkies. We helped Tania build a den for the teddies, looked thorugh binoculars and created a shambala on the forest floor. The family was joined by Jaquin senior who was such a fun addition to the group. Since the first walk the children were much more independent and although they were guided by Tania, they got on with the tasks set on their own and remained mostly focused. Jaquin jr was tired after a busy day of partying so he wasn’t as perky as he had been in the summer, however he did so brilliantly and particularly loved running down a hill into his father’s arms.

The most impressive aspect of the afternoon was seeing how big Clemente had become. Wow, I always talk about how important it is to capture little children as they change so quickly and this is testament to that! What a beautiful curly haired, walking toddler he had become. I was delighted to see that he still liked to hang out on the forest floor, although he has stopped eating mud, he was delighted with his little basket and trowel to collect moss and earth.