Prompted by Nature

In this writing prompt, we focus on woods and trees and I offer some ideas for incorporating these into your writing.  

The episodes I refer to are:

I've also popped the image I talk about over on my website, which you can find at https://www.promptedbynature.co.uk/series-four/45-cheryl-duerden-in-a-land-of-giants-empathetic-forestry 

Let me know how you get on and enjoy!

Happy writing!

Helen x

This episode’s action point - https://www.woodlandtrust.org.uk/support-us/act/

Today I have the pleasure of chatting with Forester, Woodland Surveyor, Writer and Photographer, Cheryl Duerden

Originally from Singapore and a graduate in media and mass communication, Cheryl started out in professional photography and journalism in 2002, travelling around the world on assignments. A chance opportunity – as a writer/photographer tagging along on a field trip – opened her eyes to nature conservation. She discovered and learned about tropical rainforests, mangroves and coral reefs, qualified as a scuba diving instructor and plunged deep into the underwater world, a surreal dimension that still captivates me today.

Cheryl has travelled to remote islands and witnessed Nature’s marvellous scenes and wildlife, including rare birds of paradise, immense trees, dugongs, sharks and whales.

After moving to the UK, Cheryl earned the chance of working with one of the largest conservation organisations in Europe and has since been learning as much as possible about the natural history of Britain, finding her area of speciality in trees.

Cheryl says that she is on a journey to become a successful and empathetic forester, arborist, woodland consultant and ancient & veteran tree surveyor!

You can find Cheryl’s blog over at www.inalandofgiants.blog and her Intagram is @inalandofgiants.blog

Remember to listen in to the writing prompt that follows this episode, which will be out on Tuesday.

Find me on www.promptedbynature.co.uk , on Instagram @prompted.by.nature, and you can buy me a coffee at www.buymeacoffee.com/promptedbynature

Share, rate and review - it really helps!

Happy listening!

Helen x

As I mentioned in the episode (listen below or on your favoured podcast platform), the images I wanted to add to this prompt are too many to fit under the main episode post so I’ve created a whole new one over on my website (https://www.promptedbynature.co.uk/series-four/44b-creative-prompt-for-lydia-needle)

In this prompt, you can listen to Miriam Sheppard talk about her piece ‘The Imperfect Perfect Lawn’ (pictured on the website) and use this as inspiration for your own writing or art.  I also mentioned the audio of the poem by Penny Stapleton, for her piece with Hazel Mountford, please find over on the website and have a listen to this gorgeous piece of writing.  Perhaps use it to inspire your own!

Most of the pieces I've included, including Lydia’s gorgeous bees, are available to purchase via the Ace Arts, again, all links are in the post on my website.

Enjoy this and let me know how you get on if you use it.

Remember to find me on Instagram @prompted.by.nature or on my website www.promptedbynature.co.uk

Happy creating!

Helen x

In this episode I speak with Lydia Needle.  Lydia is an ecological artist working in Somerset.  In her work, Lydia contemplates what we bring to the planet and our communities - what we can add, what we support.  She also examines waste, erosion, weathering and what we leave behind.

Lydia is the Lead Artist and Curator of the ongoing collaborative creative project called ‘FIFTY BEES: The Interconnectedness of All Things,’ which we discuss in this episode.

In this episode we discuss:

All links to the exhibition, pieces mentioned in the episode and to Lydia’s social media, website and Folksy shop are in the show notes, so do go and have a look at those.  Lydia’s website is also a haven of art and inspiration, showcasing her work.  Please have a look over there and marvel at her incredible needle felt bee creations - they are amazing!

Remember to have a listen to the creative prompt that follows this episode, which will go out on Tuesday and which will shed a light on a couple of the artists involved in the exhibition.

Pieces mentioned (all pieces can be found on the Ace Arts Fifty Bees website www.acearts.co.uk):

Dandelion (What the Bee Saw) - Sue Spence

Weeds? (Stained glass graffiti) - Sarah Roberts

The Perfect Imperfect Lawn - Miriam Sheppard

Andrena Lepida - Beca Beeby

Lydia's Links:

Instagram:  @fifty_bees and @lydianeedle

www.lydianeedle.com

www.fiftybees.uk

https://folksy.com/shops/LydiaNeedle

As always you can find me on www.promptedbynature.co.uk where you can find links to my Substack newsletter and buy me a coffee page, and I’m on Instagram @prompted.by.nature

Enjoy the conversation and remember to have a listen to the creative prompt that will follow and let me know how you get on if you try it.

Sending you lots of love,

Helen x

In this writing prompt, I invite you to explore your local area for plants that you can forage.  Go for a walk and look for plants like dandelion, nettle, cleavers, cow parsley, wild garlic - whatever is in season - and use these to create something you can eat or use in some way, such as healing balms, tinctures, infusions, soups, salads, teas...the list goes on...and then write about your experience of doing this.

I also give a couple of book recommendations:  

'Hedgerow Medicine: Harvest and make your own herbal remedies' by Julie Bruton-Seal and Mathew Seal

'Weeds in the Heart' by Nathaniel Hughes and Fiona Owen, who I interviewed in episode 1.3a

'Food You Can Forage' by Tiffany Francis-Baker, interviewed in episode 1.6a (not mentioned in this episode but definitely worth reading!)

A note on responsible foraging:

I'll also be posting prompt as one of my bullet journal prompts on my Instagram page @prompted.by.nature and on the website www.promptedbynature.co.uk

Happy (responsible) foraging and happy creating!

My guest today is the wonderful Ebony Gheorghe. Ebony is a trained Geoscientist, currently working also as a Lab technician. She is the owner of Nettles and Bees, a small business focused on wildcrafting. plants/herbalism, reconnecting with nature and foraging. Ebony’s aim and passion is to bring those forward and merge them together through different products and projects. Ebony’s studio makes and creates foraging products and herbal products as well as working on different projects and workshops with other initiatives.

Ebony’s passion for Herbalism and for sharing this practice with others, especially those who may not have come across it before really comes through in this episode and I can’t wait for you to listen and get as enthused about it as she is.

In this episode, we discuss:

You can find Ebony’s offerings in her Etsy shop https://www.etsy.com/uk/shop/NettlesandBees and she showcasing her products and shares her wisdom on her Instagram page @nettleandbees and on Facebook www.facebook.com/nettles-and-bees

Please do share a review of the podcast if you’re enjoying it and pop over to my website where you can find my own writing, offerings, and all the links to my buy me a coffee page and subscribe to my substack newsletter.  My website is www.promptedbynature.co.uk and you can find me on Instagram @prompted.by.nature

Happy listening!

Helen x

In this writing prompt, Rebecca kindly reads from an extract of her novel 'Earthed.'  Once you have listened to the extract, practise weaving two places together seamlessly.  Much of what Earthed teaches me personally is the intertwining of stories and how, though a place may not be the one in which I am rooted, it is one in which I can find myself through my imagination and which can enrich my own experiences, shedding light on my own connection to the land.

Rebecca reads from the section entitled 'August,' beginning with the line, 'I give into the thought that this oak of mine...' and ending with, '...giving death stares to the howler monkeys.' (Probably my favourite closing line!!)

Please do share your words with me either by emailing me [email protected] or messaging my on instagram @prompted.by.nature

Happy writing!

Helen x

Action suggestion for this week:  follow Stop Cambo.  Go to www.stopcambo.org.uk to find out what they do or you can follow them on @stopcambo on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.

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Rebecca Schiller is a writer, journalist and the author of Your No Guilt Pregnancy Plan and Why Human Rights in Childbirth Matter. She is co-founder and trustee of the human rights charity Birthrights and a regular contributor to the Guardian. Rebecca and her family raise a motley crew of goats, geese, ducks and chickens. They work their small plot to grow vegetables, fruit and flowers and restore wildlife to the land.

Rebecca's most recent book, Earthed, is out now in paperback.  Rebecca’s new book ‘1000 ways to pay attention’ - the US version of Earthed - is also out now.

In this conversation, we discuss:

Remember to rate and review if you like this or any of the episodes and follow me over on Instagram @prompted.by.nature or you can find me on my website www.promptedbynature.co.uk  And if you’d like to buy me a coffee, you can visit my page www.buymeacoffee.com/promptedbynature Enjoy the conversation!

The first episode of series four and I’m back after almost a year away!  Really excited to be here again and getting reacquainted with you all.  I have missed the podcast so much but was in dire need of some creative respite.

I hope you enjoy this short bridging episode in which I get you all caught up on what I’ve been doing over the past 11 months and let you in on what’s to come in series four.

Here’s the website I mentioned for the amazing newsletter:  www.seedlings.media - Enjoy!

Happy writing, lovely ones!  Helen x

Hello! Welcome to Prompted by Nature series three episode seven. How have you been? I hope things are going well for you right now.

This week I’m speaking with the wonderful Chloe Valeria Harmsworth, a nature writer and illustrator from St. Albans, Hertfordshire. Chloe uses her work to encourage others to engage in the natural world in a variety of ways and has been published in print magazines such as Breathe, Bloom, Be Kind and Oh magazine, and on websites and blogs such as Bloom in Doom, Creature Candy and Sustainable St Albans. Her work and art covers various environmental and conservation issues and explores how nature aids mental well-being.

She was the Creative Manager and Editor of the latest issue (Volume 3) of Bloom in Doom Magazine, which is on the theme of 'Forests'. In this role she called upon her passion for nature and her experience as an educational publishing editor to commission articles, interview people such as Darren Moorcroft (CEO of The Woodland Trust) and me! You can buy the wonderful and fascinating issue by going to https://www.bloomindoom.com/shop

In this conversation, we discuss:

Valerie is currently writing a book about woodlands, which will describe the wonders you can see throughout each season in this magical environment and is due for publication in 2022. To find out more about this, her previous projects and articles, and to see her nature photography and art, visit https://www.instagram.com/chloevalerienatureart/ Many of her articles can also be seen at https://chloevalerienatureart.wordpress.com/writing/

Just a little note that for some reason the sound quality of this episode wasn’t great. I’ve worked some magic in the editing process to help it and it doesn’t get in the way of Chloe’s words but I wanted to mention it before we got into it.

As always I’m over on www.promptedbynature.co.uk where you can find all of my writing prompts and blog post as well as news about my upcoming events such as a writing residential with the Field Studies Council. If you’re an Instagram user, I’m @prompted.by.nature and if you’d like to sponsor me for my 100k charity run in aid of the Sussex Wildlife Trust please go to my justgiving page www.justgiving.com/helen-forester123 I’m currently 26% towards my target and I’d love to have your support if you are able to spare a little money.

If you enjoy this episode or any of the others, please rate and review it on whichever platform you’re listening on.

As I mentioned I’m currently taking some time out from the meditation and writing prompts but rest assured that this will follow in the coming weeks.

Happy listening and I’ll speak to you after!