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The Autumn Update: Newsletter 12/09/24
- Ways of The Wild
- Sep 18, 2024
- 8 min read
Hello, hello! We hope that you all had a fab Summer <3
We were glued to the Conservation Area for about a month because of all of you wonderful wildlings and your even wilder offspring. We won't say much other than thank you as always to everyone that got involved and made this Summer one to remember.
This time of year hits people differently. Although the sun clings on longer and longer in September each year, the change in winds and earlier nights are, for some, exactly what they've been looking for following an active Summer. For others, the prospect of darker, shorter days can be daunting and months spent inside, hiding from the rain and cold can be a hard pill to swallow after the long, hazy nights of Summer.
We get it. Britain doesn't have much of a culture of enticing outdoor activities beyond September. Whilst other countries with even more dramatic Seasons, as in Scandinavia, have managed to figure it out, the UK works on a two season in-two season out cycle. Maybe it's the architecture, maybe it's the climate - who knows. One thing for certain is that you can change the game at any point by simply engaging with whatever the weather has got to throw at you.
We're talking going to the beach in the middle of Winter to battle the winds and watch the waves rise to tickle the seabirds' toes. Or embracing the longer nights and putting on every single thermal you own to watch the stars, looking out for the highlights of the Autumn and Winter skies: the Great Square of Pegasus, Pisces, Cassiopeia, Orion and many more (head to Zone 5 for some amazing hill-top spots!). Maybe Spooky Season could coax you into picking pumpkins on a farm in The Middle Of Nowhere. For those with kids obsessed with creepy crawlies this is Their Season & you should Totally Take Them To The Park & Let Them Make You Another Worm Mud Pie...
If you struggle to deal with this change, engaging in nature-based crafts and regularly going for walks in parks & woodlands can help you to adjust. Sitting inside and looking out at a grey sky might not. Seasonal Depression affects so many and is largely due to a culture of shying from the outdoors during Autumn & Winter. So, without further ado, here's what Ways of the Wild has got in store for you lovely folk to continue your adventures outside in the beautiful, wild & windy months of Autumn to come.
What's happening at Ways of the Wild in Autumn?
Madam Katie unfortunately had to take a trip to the hospital earlier in the week so was unable to kick off this Season's Stay & Play on the original intended day. Foooortunately, she's been on the recovery and looking forward to tomorrow's event!
The beauty of a Stay & Play is that, as you'll be bringing and staying with your little one, there's no limit as to how little the little one can be! So, if you want to bring your baba, you can, your toddler, you can, or your 4 year old, you can. We'll be providing activities suitable for young children, mainly focusing on sensory play. Older siblings are welcome too, but please be aware that there may not be any prepared activities suited to their needs. They will, however, have the opportunity to explore the space, read some books and get their imagination going. We will leave it up to you to decide whether they will enjoy coming or not.
Stay and Plays will be fixed to Thursdays for now. We're looking to offer Tuesdays again as soon as possible!
This month's Mud Kitchen will be on Saturday 21st September from 14:00-17:00. Come along for some FREE Forest School Fun. And remember, if the forecast says rain, then celebrate: these are the best days for the Muddiest of Mud Kitchens. Bring spare clothes, wellies, waterproofs - the whole shabang. Normally the only thing stopping children from getting messy is their adult associate. So, respectfully, don't be guy, bring spare clothes, a promise of hot chocolate at the cafe, and we'll all get home in one piece!
Times for future Mud Kitchens will be moving to the Mornings as the daylight hours get shorter and so we're not competing with any little one's nap time. See you there!
For anyone attending the FSA's Conference at the end of the month come say hey! We'll be running a workshop exploring the power of song and movement in the woods and we would love to see you there. We're looking forward to learning from so many talented people and bringing back everything we've learned with us to Ways of the Wild.
Ask and you shall receive, a warm and wild welcome to the return of our Sunday Club!
To get the ball rolling, there will be two sessions a month, one Saturday and one Sunday. By Spring, we intend to have a the Saturday and Sundays running on a fortnightly basis, so your child can get some much-needed outside time and nature education on the regular. Until then, our Season Passes cover 6 or 3 sessions, to accommodate those that can only commit to a Saturday or Sunday, or the full 6 sessions for those that can commit to both. Payment Plans are available and can be altered to fit your financial situation. Send us an email if you wish to set up a different Payment Plan to what is on offer. Sibling discounts are available upon request.
We won't be accepting any individual session bookings for our Forest School Club as we want to foster a regular group where we can build up trust and genuine connection. This allows us to follow projects through, pay more attention to individual and group interests and work towards offering some of the more risky elements of Forest School such as tool work (which you may notice we rarely offer on our regular programs). The one exception to this is if you would like to book a Taster Session, which is a no-strings-attached opportunity for your child to test the waters and see if they would like to join future sessions.
We had intended to begin on Saturday 14th September but we had so many technological difficulties in the lead up to it, that we had to postpone to Sunday 29th September. So, if you are interested in or have already booked a Season Pass, don't worry, any unredeemed sessions can be carried forward onto the following Season. Just make sure you book them within the four month period after your original purchase. The first of the Winter Season sessions starts on Saturday 14th December and will continue again in January.
If you have any questions, don't hesitate to contact us. We're super excited about this and can't wait for what's to come.
October is the last month of harvest and this is reflected in the Foraging Calendar too. Whilst some berries require the First Frost before harvesting, such as rosehips and sloes, there may still be some elderberries and blackberries clinging on for us to prepare medicines with, which will see us through the cold months to come.
Mushroom season is upon us and Katie is very honest about her lack of knowledge when it comes to identifying them. There are a gajillion species and even more attention is required in getting to know them. So, for future Foraging Walks, we have the option to take Katie's basic knowledge and learn about Mushrooms together or, if anyone knows a Mushroom Expert let us know and we can bring them onboard. Fungi are truly fascinating and we'd love to know more!
The first of our Halloween Special events is a collaboration between Ways of the Wild and the creative behind FLO CHÉ, Ella Shiraz. Super talented knitwear and crochet designer + WOTW nature enthusiasm = Spider. Weaving. Workshop.
Let's turn the woods into a webbed maze with yarn and natural materials. Learn about the life cycle of spiders and some of the folklore associated with one of nature's most effective predators. Participate in group or individual weaving projects, with the freedom to enjoy the now spooky space following the workshop. Take home your crocheted spiders or woven webs to decorate your home for Halloween!
The wet and wild cousin of our Summer Holiday Program arrives in Ravenscourt Park this October Half Term... Our October Wild Week!
Full Days are available for 5-11 year olds and Half Days for 3-5 year olds.
Packed full of Forest School-inspired activities and nature crafts, this is an opportunity to get your child outside after half a term inside, to challenge them to learn something new and meet some friends along the way. There's no glitz or glam about a Wild Week, just the freedom for them to explore the outdoors and follow their interests and curiosities. As facilitators, we will always be able to offer opportunities to get creative with some nature-based crafts, wild exploration or some practical skills development. Ultimately, we're here to empower your child in whatever area of learning they're into - everyone is different, and the same child may want to learn about insects one day and learn how to make a bow and arrow the next - there's space for change in a Wild Week and we're here to celebrate it all!
Woo! Ways of the Wild's Pumpkin Party for all the spooky folk in town arrives the day after the New Moon of Halloween. First of all, dressing up is absolutely essential. Pumpkin Carving & Apple Bobbing are both on the agenda and the rest shall remain a surprise... Family-friendly event, all ages are welcome!
The Halloween Special of our Mud Kitchen takes us to the abandoned lair of a powerful sorcerer, capable of crafting potent potions and poisons. What monsters can we create from what has been left behind? Who also possesses magical abilities and could turn parents into pondweed? Will there be any humans left after this Magical Monster Mud Kitchen? I guess there's only one way to find out...
Also on Sunday 3rd November is the last of our Halloween events: The Green Witch: A Foraging Walk Special.
Join Katie as we dive into the world of Plant Poison and Herbal Witchery. Whilst it's important to learn about what plants you can eat, it's even more important to learn about the plants that you can't. This workshop will focus on the Foxgloves and Yew Berries of our Apothecary. Featuring the history (or rather, herstory) of Plant Poison Knowledge as well as other plants, like Mugwort or Rowan, which have long been associated with magic. There won't be much practical foraging, instead an opportunity to sit down and learn something new.
The update on our drop-off session is that we are SUPER close to being able to offer them! We're just waiting on a few more pieces of the puzzle to align and then we can get it going. We're looking at offering a Wednesday or Friday session. Please let us know if you have a preference!
And that, our wonderful wild friends, is it.
We are on the search for Assistants (Forest School trained or in-training, creative background, nature knowledge etc etc.) as well as any Volunteers or Parent Helpers, so if that's you or someone you know please send us an email at hello@waysofthewilduk.com.
All of our Events, Clubs and Wild Weeks for Autumn will go live today. We've put a pause on Weave & Wine until we can figure out some outdoor lighting or an indoor site.
We are still accepting Party requests so do keep us in mind if you've got a birthday or celebration coming up.
If you have an idea for an event, or are interested in collaborating, get in contact and let's see what we can do!
Have a fab September - see you soon!
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