Nature Spot

I love food - and I love seasonal food - for lots o reasons.

The recent purchase of a butternut squash inspired the cooking of butternut squash risotto, and got me thinking again about all the other things I can make from this vast vegetable, the joy and importance of eating seasonally.

Eating seasonally can help us connect with nature’s seasons, use up what we have grown on our allotment on veg patch or in our balcony pots.

It can reduce emissions from the food we eat and the other environmental impacts of that food.

The link to the website I mentioned is below.

Eat the Seasons - http://eattheseasons.co.uk/why.php

Seasonal right now - http://eattheseasons.co.uk

It’s a short episode today, but I hope you find it interesting.

It’s a short episode today, but I hope you find it interesting - and I would love to hear what you cook, or grow. What you think about eating seasonally, and if you’ve ever considered eating or cooking as a form of nature connection. So please get in touch via the voicemail on anchor.fm/naturespot or via Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/naturespotpodcast/

Please like, share and subscribe on whichever platform you are hearing this, and as ever - thanks for listening. 

I woke up this morning with that feeling of ickiness that I feel when it’s grey, cold and wet outside. 

Feeling somewhat 'self-judgy' at not wanting to venture out into the drizzle, I headed to my new 'illustrated journal' for solace. 

Today's diminutive episode is about me surprising myself at the quality of my nature connection through this new daily journal - and I wanted to share it with you, because sometimes - when you really don't want to go out but still want to connect with nature - you might find that this really does the trick!

I have a few prompts below to start you off if you would like to try it.  All you need is pen and paper - no expensive art supplies required. Add colour if you want to - use what you have and see how you feel.

7 days of Prompts

* birds I see from my window

* different leaves I have seen today while out and about

* interesting seeds and seed heads

* how many kinds of wild berries spotted recently

* things I like to make with foraged fruit

* different types of tree bark (can you spot at least 3 different barks)

* the spiders in your kitchen (or wherever they congregate ;-))

Let me know what you think, do you journal? Will you give it a go now?

If you enjoyed this episode, please like, share, rate and subscribe on whichever platform you are hearing this, and get in touch via the voicemail on Anchor - anchor.fm/naturespot or at https://www.instagram.com/naturespotpodcast/ if you want to comment on this episode or would like to be a guest on a future one.

And as always - thanks for listening!

Today’s episode is a bit of a ramble - you will see why and I challenge you to count how many times I said ‘apple’ in the main part of the recording.

I hope you enjoy this episode - and would love your thoughts on apples, local food, local food, food systems, accessibility, or indeed anything else nature related.

If you want to find out more about World Food Day - visit http://www.fao.org/world-food-day/take-action/en/

Visit https://lovefoodhatewaste.com for lots of great tips on reducing food waste by getting creative with your leftovers, storing and freezing your food, and more besides. You can also follow the #lovefoodhatewaste hashtag the https://www.instagram.com/lfhw_uk/ account on on Instagram.

And check out the https://www.instagram.com/empowerment_collective/ instagram account to find out about the work of the extraordinary young woman I mentioned at the start of the pod.

If you enjoyed this episode, please like, share, rate and subscribe on whichever platform you are hearing this, and get in touch via the voicemail on Anchor - anchor.fm/naturespot or the @NatureSpotPodcast Instagram account if you want to comment on this episode or would like to be a guest on a future one.

And as always - thanks for listening!

https://www.instagram.com/naturespotpodcast/

Today, I’m talking to Kathryn Reynolds, whom I first met virtually through a mutual friend when we formed a running group for the RunAroundTheWorld challenge -

As you know, the Nature Spot podcast aims to bring the outside in and help people to connect with nature so that they feel it’s wellbeing benefits and hopefully love it more.

Kathryn is a wonderful example of someone who connects with nature daily (unless the weather is really very unfriendly), and does so in a dynamic way - through cycling. She shares beautiful photos on her Instagram account every day, and she agreed to talk to me about how she connects with nature, what she gets from that, and what keeps her heading outdoors, even as the mornings grow colder and darker.

If you would like to follow Kathryn’s daily adventures - you can check her out on https://www.instagram.com/kathrynjreynolds/

To find out more about World Mental Health day- how to access help or to lend a hand, check out the hashtag on Instagram or visit:

World Federation for Mental Health - https://wfmh.global/world-mental-health-day-2020/

The W.H.O. - https://www.who.int/campaigns/world-mental-health-day/world-mental-health-day-2020 - you might be interested in the Global Advocacy Event which kicks off at 19.30 UK time on 10th October (today).

Time to Change - https://www.time-to-change.org.uk/get-involved/world-mental-health-day

Mind - https://www.mind.org.uk/need-urgent-help/what-can-i-do-to-help-myself-cope/relaxing-and-calming-exercises/

If you enjoyed this episode please like, share, rate and subscribe on whichever platform you listen, and get in touch via the voicemail on Anchor or the @NatureSpotPodcast Instagram account to comment on this episode or to be a guest on a future one.

I wish you a safe and happy Saturday, this World Mental Health Day, and as always - thank you for listening!

https://www.instagram.com/naturespotpodcast/

I ventured out today despite my initial reluctance to get out in the rain, and am now feeling smug :-)
Well OK not smug, but definitely happier for pulling on my boots and jacket and heading out to the woods under my over sized umbrella.

How do you connect with nature when the weather in not enticing? Do you head out anyway, watch the world go by through your window or do something else to connect?

I would love it if you would share your stories and it would be really great if you would leave a voicemail on anchor.fm/naturespot that I could add to a future episode! 

If you would like to share your stories of your favourite nature spots, memories, strategies for keeping connected, or to be a guest on a future episode - please get in touch via anchor, or on the @naturespotpodcast Instagram account.

As always - thanks very much for listening!

Today's bonus episode was recorded on 11th September - on the last afternoon of my short holiday on the South Devon coast and as promised, at the end of Episode 15 - I wanted to share with you the sounds of the sea - without the interruption of talking.

I wanted to do this because it's really such a beautiful sound - and a very distinct one - so it might be fairly easy for you to close your eyes and see in your mind's eye the beach or piece of coast that you last visited, and so transport you to a place of good memories.

Following my return from the seaside, I also realised how valuable these sounds could be to those of you who have not had a chance to visit the sea in some while, or who might struggle to get out of the house. On the first morning of my holiday - I spoke to my grandma who has been house-bound for a number of years, and was unable to travel any distance even before that. I called her from the beach where I recorded this episode - so that she could listen to the waves. It had been a couple of decades since she was able to visit the sea, and she told me how much it meant to her to be able to hear it. How good just those few moments made her feel and the good memories that the sound conjured.

And so for those of you who love the sea but who have not seen it for a while - for any reason - I hope that this brings some joy,

Thank you so much for listening - and please get in touch via voicemail at https://anchor.fm/naturespot or the https://www.instagram.com/naturespotpodcast/ Instagram account.

Today I’m speaking with Maddie. An artist and photographer who lives in Berlin with her husband, and has been finding nature even in the big city, watching the leaves change colour as autumn comes in, and connecting with nature.

She shares a very personal story of loss and grief, and how nature has helped her and her husband to navigate through this time. I am very grateful to you Maddie for sharing your story, and I know that your sharing of it, and of your spiritual connection to nature will bring comfort to a number of those listening, as it has to me.

Maddie also shares her wonder and joy in the every-day things like squirrels, conkers and pineapples, and tips on connecting with nature if, like me, you find it a struggle sometimes.

So - huge thanks to Maddie, for getting in touch, for speaking to me, and for so generously sharing your experience.
If you would like to follow Maddie on social media - please find her athttps://www.instagram.com/maddieoh_

If you liked this episode - if it made you think, helped in any way, please get in touch via the voicemail on Anchor or the @NatureSpotPodcast Instagram account.

And please like, share, rate and subscribe on whichever platform you listen, and get it touch if you want to comment on anything that we spoke about today, or would like to share your own story of nature connection and be a guest on a future one.

As always - thank you very much for listening!

https://www.instagram.com/naturespotpodcast/

This week I’m talking to Heather about the power of nature to heal us, messy gardens, veg patches, the community of community gardening, getting comfortable with silence and making nature connection a habit which is good for the soul. 

We talk about connecting in a physical way too, to the walking or the feel of the soil, to the exercise, which are so good for our bodies too - although the two are of course connected. 

We recorded out chat over zoom, so you will hear some variation in the sound quality.

Many thanks to Heather for joining me and sharing some personal insights, and I hope that our discussion inspires you to let your garden grow a little bit wild(er), and to connect with nature wherever and whenever you can. As Heather said - “nature is the route to happiness”.

As promised, here is the link to the RSPB's Give Nature a Homecampaign - https://www.rspb.org.uk/get-involved/activities/give-nature-a-home-in-your-garden/

And to the other podcast which I mentioned during our chat https://anchor.fm/rebellationshirleybillson/

If you enjoyed this episode, please like, share, rate and subscribe on whichever platform you are hearing this, and get in touch via the voicemail on Anchor or via https://www.instagram.com/naturespotpodcast/if you want to comment on this episode or would like to be a guest on a future one.

And as always - thanks for listening!

This week’s (unedited) episode was recorded just yesterday, during my last few hours in Paignton where I spent just a few days making the most of the late summer sunshine.

I know that we had a seaside episode just last week but frankly I have felt recently that I have really needed it!

This episode is really about just being - and how difficult our conditioning can make it for us to just stop. I hope you enjoy it, and would love to hear from you - as always - on this or the subject of any other 'nature spot' which has meaning for you.

Here are the links I mentioned at the end of the recording:

Torbay geology - http://www.torquay.com/tour-the-geology-of-torbay/

Gulls - https://www.wildlifetrusts.org/how-identify/identify-gulls

Cormorant or Shag - https://www.wildlifetrusts.org/wildlife-explorer/birds/seabirds/

Turnstone - https://www.wildlifetrusts.org/wildlife-explorer/birds/wading-birds/turnstone

Benefits of the beach according to science - https://www.inc.com/anne-gherini/how-beach-benefits-your-brain-according-to-science.html

If you enjoyed this episode, please like, share, rate and subscribe on whichever platform you are hearing this, and get in touch via the voicemail at https://anchor.fm/naturespot or the https://www.instagram.com/naturespotpodcast/ Instagram account if you want to comment on this episode or would like to be a guest on a future one.

And as always - thanks for listening!

Today's episode was recorded *on the August bank holiday* - the last one of the year, during a walk along the Pembrokeshire coast path from Strumble head to Goodwick.

We took in Pen Anglas, Carreg Wastad, and a bay of which I don't know the name, but where we sat and stared at a few grey seals while they looked back.

The glorious sunshine was a real surprise on the one day of the whole weekend which remained dry until early evening, but the rough seas were a reminder of the storms that had been around for some time. We had the path largely to ourselves, and marvelled at the butterflies, chubby seals hauled out on various rocks, and at just how beautiful this place is. A whole day of nature connection that was so good for the soul!

If you enjoyed this episode, please like, share, rate and subscribe on whichever platform you are hearing this, and get in touch via the voicemail on Anchor or the @NatureSpotPodcast Instagram account if you would like to comment on this episode or be a guest on a future one.

As always - thank you for listening!

*what a pickle - no it wasn't - it was recorded on the Saturday before the bank holiday! - I always come here for the August bank holiday and this was the first year in about 20 that I didn't - hence the confusion - apologies ;-) - As those of you that follow me on Instagram will know - I was cycling in the Cotswolds on the bank holiday! 

Chatting to dear friend Kathryn today about the wonders of allotments and how hers has been a joy and comfort during lockdown.

Allotments have seen a resurgence in popularity in recent years and in some areas there are waiting lists once again. Not only are these places where you can grow your own food - a super empowering experience, and to make friends, but during lockdown have been a much needed outdoor space for those without a garden or public green space nearby. 

Pease like, share, rate and subscribe on whichever platform you are hearing this, and get in touch via the voicemail on Anchor or the @NatureSpotPodcast Instagram account if you want to comment on this episode or would like to be a guest on a future one.

And if you would like to see Kathryn's allotment - please check out https://www.instagram.com/kathrynhay/ on Instagram - and the many photos that she posts there of her beautiful, ever evolving and joyful space. 

As always - thanks for listening!

While picking blackberries the other day I was struck by just how fantastic hedgerows actually are - from natural beauties to habitats and sources of deliciousness for animals and people alike - care to listen?

To find out more about hedgerows and why they are so ecologically important visit any of the websites of The Wildlife Trusts - https://www.wildlifetrusts.org/habitats/farmland/hedgerow is a great place to start. 

Hedgerows are also boundaries, and have been for hundreds, if not thousands of years in some areas, and have also been a controversial means to enclose formerly common land from the 13th Century, but notoriously between the 1730's to the 1830's. Historic maps can be a fun way of tracing the history the hedgerows near you.

Pease like, share, rate and subscribe on whichever platform you are hearing this, and get in touch via the voicemail on Anchor or the @NatureSpotPodcast Instagram account if you want to comment on this episode or would like to be a guest on a future one.

As always - thanks for listening!