Wellbeing Walks in the West of the City
Green Communities has supported local communities to discover new local nature spots with their monthly ‘Wellbeing Walks’, in collaboration with the Hive at Barne Barton.
We have started each walk at William Sutton Memorial Hall, with the aim of exploring local green spaces and giving residents an opportunity to connect with nature on their doorstep.
The first walk in January was held at Blackie Woods, where we learned how to identify trees within winter and listened stories about the origins of certain tree species. Did you know that Hazel has a reputation as a magical tree and in some parts of England, hazelnuts were carried as charms and held to ward off rheumatism? Or that Blackthorn has been long associated with witchcraft, and it is said that witches' wands and staffs were made using blackthorn wood?
Our second walk at Kinterbury Creek focused on the mythology and medicine of common plants. Attendees heard how Snowdrops are being used in modern medicine to treat Alzheimer’s disease and learnt how to spot (from a safe distance!) the UK’s most poisonous plant, Hemlock Water Dropwort.
On our third walk, again to Blackie Woods, we grabbed our binoculars and went on a bird watch. We saw Magpies, Robins, Great Tits, Chiffchaffs and Gulls and discovered how to identify birds through their song.
The Green Communities team would like to thank everyone who has attended so far: we have enjoyed meeting new residents and taking time to slow down and experience the beautiful spaces around us.
