Foraging & Reciprocity: 2-day workshop (for adults)

Course dates September 9-10th 2023, 10-4pm Spring Rise Community Gardens, Emerson College, Forest Row, East Sussex, RH18 5JX

Price Options

Standard fee: £75, Supporters fee: £100, Single day ticket: £40

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About the course

On this two day course, we will walk the land and gather the wild berries, fruits, nuts and seeds gifted by nature in this season.  We will explore the ancestral uses of important tree foods, their medicinal benefits and how this active participation in the cycles of nature offers us the opportunity to be part of a reciprocal relationship.  We will learn how to gather from the plants with respect and honouring, through practical consideration and care, song and story.  You will learn to prepare and cook this harvest on the fire and how to sort and store seeds for planting. 

These days lead into the following optional workshop ‘Forests from Seed’ and is open to all interested adults; it will particularly support those working with children in nature education.  We recommend participating in both the foraging and forest from seed workshops.

Who is this course suitable for?

  • This workshop is for adults and will support those working with children in outdoor education such as Forest School facilitators.

The course will cover

  • Provide practical skills to correctly identify key local plants and trees that provide food and medicines
  • Learn how to gather plants with safety, care and respect
  • Learn ancestral and modern techniques to process the plants 
  • Provide practical knowledge for conservation and propagation of the plants
  • Understanding the risks and benefits of foraging 
  • Building a sense of belonging to the land through connecting with the plants through the seasons
  • Cultivate life long relationships with the plants and trees in our local areas

With gratitude to the National Lottery Heritage Fund for supporting this course.

About the tutors

Anna Richardson: Anna has been a nature mentor and trained forest school leader for over 20 years, working with children of all ages and mentoring adults in plant lore, foraging, nature connection and bushcraft. The 8 Shields deeply informs Anna’s work and approach.  She is passionate about connecting to nature through creativity and reverence for life and is also a forest school trainer through Circle of Life Rediscovery and has co-authored two books : Learning with Nature and The Children’s Forest and am the founder of the Children’s Forest.

Lucinda Warner: Lucinda is a medicinal Herbalist, naturopath and nature lover. She loves to spend time on the Downs with the plants that grow there and can often be found in her kitchen blending, brewing, bottling and batching any number of strange and wonderful potions and elixirs. Lucinda loves sharing her experience of the many gifts that the natural world has to offer and empowering others to know and use some of the common plants that grow freely around us. You can find her at www.whisperingearth.co.uk

Testimonials

Slide 1

“I love everything about Children’s Forest's courses. These immersive nature days are filled with so much enchantment and joy that leave me feeling deeply connected to the more than human world and to my true self as an inseparable part of nature. I particularly adore singing tree songs together, which feels like a beautiful way of reciprocating the many gifts the trees offer us. I've shared with my children and they are now Children's Forests biggest fans!"

Rachel P
Slide 2

"A really wonderful day connecting with trees and learning more about our own indigenous traditions too. I'd highly recommend these workshop for anyone looking for a couple of hours escape - I arrived exhausted and left energised and rejuvenated!"

Lucy R
Slide 3

"I've attended numerous Children’s Forest short courses and each time I leave brimming with inspiration and new knowledge that I can't wait to share with my family and the groups I teach. I've learned so much from the wealth of wisdom they share on tree lore, responsible foraging and some truly connective nature crafts, games and songs that will really enrich my educational groups!"

Sally B
Slide 1

“Thank you so much Children’s Forest, the days you bring feel very special, like a forest school for adults. Beautiful beloved songs sung from the heart, weaving and connecting hearts together, hands on experience with nature from source to creation, gathering in circle and being truly human and releasing all the bliss you have inside can be shared.”

Jo P
Slide 1

"I loved learning how to process and eat the nourishing acorns on the acorn workshop. The Children's Forest course was fun and left me with skills that I will be using for the rest of my life!"

Millie D
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