Down to the River and Up to the Trees: Discover the hidden nature on your doorstep

Copyright

Thorsons

An imprint of HarperCollinsPublishers

1 London Bridge Street

London SE1 9GF

www.harpercollins.co.uk

First published by Thorsons 2017

FIRST EDITION

Text and illustrations © Sue Belfrage 2017

The poem ‘Night Blanket’ first published in Mslexia magazine in 2016

Cover design Micaela Alcaino © HarperCollinsPublishers 2017

A catalogue record of this book is available from the British Library

Sue Belfrage asserts the moral right to be identified as the author of this work

All rights reserved under International and Pan-American Copyright Conventions. By payment of the required fees, you have been granted the nonexclusive, non-transferable right to access and read the text of this e-book on screen. No part of this text may be reproduced, transmitted, downloaded, decompiled, reverse engineered, or stored in or introduced into any information storage retrieval system, in any form or by any means, whether electronic or mechanical, now known or hereinafter invented, without the express written permission of HarperCollins e-books.

Find out about HarperCollins and the environment at www.harpercollins.co.uk/green

Source ISBN: 9780008255268

Ebook Edition © June 2017 ISBN: 9780008255275

Version 2017-05-24

Dedication

To Matt, man of the woods

Epigraph

To see a World in a Grain of Sand

And a Heaven in a Wild Flower,

Hold Infinity in the palm of your hand

And Eternity in an hour.

WILLIAM BLAKE (1757–1827), ‘Auguries of Innocence’

Contents

Cover

Title Page

Copyright

Dedication

Epigraph

Introduction

— Earth —

Being Here

A Map of Smells

Good Enough to Eat

Wild Rosehip Soup

Hedgerow Jam

Mushroom Mayhem

Grow Your Own

Worm Wizardry

Sounds True

Litter Bug

Hunting – With a Camera

Natural Patterns

Rock Art

Earthworks

Wild Grass Cord

Pressing Matters

Walk the Land

The Wonder of Weeds

Colour Quest

— Sky —

From Dawn till Dusk

Sun Printing

Blue Sky Mind

Cloud Factory

Pine Cones and Seaweed

Let It Rain

Rainbow’s End

Fog Blanket

A Halo of Ice

Waxing or Waning?

Earthshine

Moon Walk

Dream Diary

The Steadfast Star

Shooting Stars

Turn to Face the Wind

Go Fly a Kite

Storm Watching

Spider Flight

— Water —

Go Fishing – Without a Rod

Skimming Stones

Dowsing

Take a Dip

As Nature Intended

Row a Boat

A Tribute to Tributaries

Wending Rivers

Snake in the Grass

The Toad’s Hidden Jewel

Pond Life

Going Underground

Wishing Well

The Sea, the Sea

Crabbing

The Simplicity of Shells

Drip or Dribble Castles

Rock Pooling

— Wood —

Shinrin-yoku, or Forest Bathing

Climb a Tree

Whistle in the Woods

Elderflower Magic

Welcome to the Insect Hotel

Carve Your Own Spoon

Catch a Falling Leaf

Conkers

Colour Wheel

Hedging Your Bets

Acorn Coffee

Stripping the Willow

Barking

Swing Time

How to Wield an Axe

Stumped

Around the Fire

— Feather —

Feather Light

Write Like Shakespeare

Wake Up with the Dawn Chorus

Bird Language

Make Your Own Bird Feeder

Pecking Orders

You’re on the List

DIY Nest Box

A Song of Your Own

A Mischief of Magpies

Living the High Life

Great Bird Spectacles

Birds of a Feather

The Inner Compass

Birds of Prey

Lark or Owl?

Eavesdropping on Skylarks

Pellet Power

— Fur —

Train Spotting

Wild Visitors

Invite the Neighbours to Dinner

Making Tracks

Create an Animal Highway

Badger Watching

Nutting

Rabbits and Hares

Wild Indoors

How to Catch a Mouse

Well Groomed

The Art of Camouflage

Cows Together

Heaven Scent

Burrowing Down

Mole in a Hole

Pop! Goes the Weasel

Bats

Night Shift

In Conclusion – A Beginning …

Further Reading

Acknowledgements

About the Author

About the Publisher

Introduction

First, a confession – I’ve never been to the Serengeti to marvel at lions. Nor have I witnessed a sunset in the Australian outback, or swum with brilliantly coloured fish over a coral reef. Yet I still remember one of the first times I saw a creature in the wild that made me gasp out loud.

I was sitting on the back of a motorbike at the time, riding pillion at 65 mph. And the creature that caught my eye was a buzzard, waddling across a field by the side of the road. It wasn’t soaring, swooping or doing anything particularly impressive. Most probably it was grubbing about for worms. But I was left buzzing at the thought that such a large bird of prey could exist, free to wander where it liked, within a couple of hours’ drive from London.

Today I live in the countryside and am surrounded by footpaths, green fields and woodland. And each time I step outside I’m struck again by the amazing variety of life – animals, insects, fungi and plants – that surrounds us.

But you don’t have to live in the countryside to experience that sense of wonder. Wherever your home and wherever you find yourself – suburb or seaside, tower block or terrace – you too are surrounded by living, breathing, growing beings, be they trees, bees or woodlice.

All the suggestions in this book are designed to help you create your own sense of connection with the natural world. If you’re drawn to this idea, you probably know intuitively that spending time in nature can be good for us. There’s a growing body of scientific evidence in support of nature’s many health benefits, from helping us destress and find calm, to strengthening the immune system and fighting disease, improving memory and creativity, and grounding ourselves in the present moment.

Most of the activities can be enjoyed at any time of year, although a few, such as nutting, are dependent on the seasons. Throughout this journal you’ll find plenty of inspirational quotes from great nature writers, and you’re invited to add to these by jotting down your own thoughts, ideas, sketches and observations in a notebook.

Other than being mindful of safety – for instance, when handling sharp tools – there are no firm rules. Be kind and give yourself permission to try things out, adapting them in whatever way suits you. Follow your instincts. Some of the ideas might be a better fit for you than others, or need a bit of adapting depending on the circumstances; nobody is going to judge you on the results.

When you do venture out and about in the natural world, please keep your wits about you and respect the environment. Be mindful that, as the poet Tennyson said, nature can be ‘red in tooth and claw’. If you go walking and don’t want to get lost, take a map (and keep a wary eye out for cows – more people are killed by cattle in the UK than tigers, that’s for sure). If you want to try wild swimming, check that you can get out of the water as easily as you can hop in. While some of the suggestions in this book might seem a little like child’s play, the intention isn’t to treat nature like a recreation ground, without any thought for other animals, plants and people; it’s about rediscovering the playful sense of curiosity and calm wonder that spending time in nature can nurture.

This journal isn’t a spotter’s guide and won’t, for example, tell you the weight of a robin’s egg or give you the Latin name of the common frog. If, however, your curiosity is piqued, perhaps you’ll go on to do a bit of research of your own. You might like to record your findings, whatever shape they take, in a notebook. And who knows what that might be – scientific insights, lines of poetry or quick sketches of things that catch your eye?

This much I can tell you: there’s a whole beautiful wild world out there, right on your doorstep, just waiting to be discovered. And it’s time to make yourself truly at home in it.

The Earth is our home in the solar system, and the soil beneath our feet. If you ever feel disconnected from your surroundings, go outside and stand barefoot for a moment or two, take a couple of deep breaths and focus on the uneven surface under your soles and toes. If you’d prefer to ground yourself by getting your hands dirty, try foraging for wild foods or consider growing your own. Perhaps build a wormery. Or walk somewhere new that leads you into the past.

Create a sense of rootedness and belonging wherever you find yourself by familiarising yourself with the smells, sights and tastes that surround you. Discover the plants that thrive against the odds and hidden wildlife.

Welcome yourself back to where you belong.

‘Live in each season as it passes; breathe the air, drink the drink, taste the fruit, and resign yourself to the influence of the earth.’

HENRY DAVID THOREAU (1817–1862), Walden

Being Here

Choose a place that you can visit easily. It could be your garden or balcony, an allotment or stretch of hedgerow, perhaps a park bench or even the corner of a car park. Somewhere you can go and sit or stand without being disturbed for a few minutes; turning off your phone will help. Don’t worry about being stared at; most people are too busy with their own stuff to notice if you sit quietly. (Of course, if you do want others to give you a wide berth, you could try singing the national anthem at the top of your voice; that should work.)

Mark out an area that’s about 1 metre, or an arm span, square. Think of it as a pillar that stretches from the ground up into the sky. Now focus.

What can you see?

What do you hear, smell or sense?

Is there anything in particular that delights you?

Or is there anything that disgusts you?

How does the air feel on your skin, on your face, ears and hands?

Can you hear bird calls or the sounds of animals?

What insects are crawling or flying around you?

What other creatures might have passed this way?

What difference do you make, being here now?

And what difference might you make, without disturbing the habitat of any creatures that live here? Could you tend to the plot in some way, perhaps by clearing away litter?

Repeat to yourself: ‘I belong here.’

You are part of it all.

If you like, why not return here once a day or once a week for a month? Make a note of your changing observations as time passes.

‘Come forth into the light of things,

Let Nature be your teacher.’

William Wordsworth (1770–1850), ‘The Tables Turned’

A Map of Smells

If you’re ever out and about, and come across a spot used by a fox to scent-mark its territory, you’ll find the odour hard to ignore: so strong and musky, it can often be smelt even if you’re driving past in a car with the windows shut.

There’s a particular corner in the middle of the village where I live that always smells of fox. Mind you, the village as a whole often smells of muck-spreading and cows, so there are probably people who crinkle their noses at the entire place as they drive past. I guess I don’t notice the whiff as much as visitors do; it’s just what I’m used to. But I don’t think we should underestimate the power of smell when it comes to making sense of our surroundings, or how important smell is in stoking our impressions and memories of a place.

Here’s a suggestion. On a warm day, when scents are likely to be strong, or after a shower of rain, why not tune into your sense of smell and make an olfactory map? You can do this either on foot, scribbling down notes as you go, or, if travelling by some other means, maybe on a sketch when you get home. What strikes you? Which smells are familiar and which are unexpected? Pungent or pleasing? Plant, animal or mineral?

Once you have tuned into your sense of smell, you might be surprised by just how much you pick up, and how important those smells are in shaping your relationship with a place.

Good Enough to Eat

Few things taste as delicious as blackberries picked straight from the hedgerow or an apple plucked from the tree. Likewise, it can be hugely rewarding to grow your own food or forage for your dinner.

If you do decide to go foraging, please make sure you have expert advice about whatever it is that you choose to gather. The consequences of eating that tasty-looking mushroom (which turns out to be poisonous) or the pip of a plump yew berry, for instance, are just too dire to contemplate.

Whether or not you do go and pick your own, it’s good to be aware of that sense of disconnection that can sometimes exist between the food on our plates and its origins in nature. Next time you have a meal, why not try the following:

Take a good look at the food in front of you. What are the basic ingredients?

What plants and/or animals did those ingredients come from?

Can you make a conscious connection between your meal and the various elements in it – animal, mineral and vegetable?

In what ways might those elements be nourishing you? How might they be feeding the ways in which you see the world, as well as the cells in your body?

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