So, here we are - a Summer of nature connection, the arts, fun and families, and the regular staples thrown in.......
The regular staples:
Dry Stone Walling -
Saturdays: July 13th, August 17th & September 21st - these sessions are run by volunteers for volunteers. We meet at 10.00 am in the farm kitchen (9.30 am for coffee) and run until around 2 pm. Fetch a packed lunch. Participants come to give back to the community, to learn heritage skills or just to get out of the office for some fresh air! It's free! And so is this event. #ThanksToLotteryPlayers - we are funded by Lottery Heritage Fund https://www.heritagefund.org.uk/ to develop our volunteer offer.
Follow this link to Eventbrite to book on, spaces are limited. https://www.eventbrite.com/e/volunteering-saturdays-programme-2024-dry-stone-walling-tickets-679294005657?aff=oddtdtcreator
Families & Fun - two activities:
Forest Family Fun
We've been checking out whether Forest School for Families is a thing here at the farm and we believe it is ! We've been meeting monthly on a Saturday for a half day, which regularly turns into an extra hour or two for some folk who just don't want to go home!
Over Summer Holidays, we have added a couple of extra days in so that you have lots of Forest Fun to entertain you through the long break: Aug 3rd, Aug 12th, Aug 19th & Aug 31st! There is a small cost to this event because it isn't sponsored, but we have tried to keep it as accessible as we can - grown ups are free, and you pay for the children with a 15% sibling discount too!!! - it shouldn't cost you more than a trip to the swimming baths or the cinema - Follow this link to Eventbrite to book in:https://www.eventbrite.com/e/forest-family-fun-tickets-860880345287?aff=oddtdtcreator
Allotment Family Days Out
So, this is a new initiative for families, it's free of charge, sponsored once again by Lottery Heritage Fund https://www.heritagefund.org.uk/ and will run over the Summer Holidays: July 24th & 31st; August 7th, 14th, 21st & 28th - follow this link to Eventbrite to book in: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/allotment-family-days-out-tickets-886717244147?aff=oddtdtcreator
Our allotment is overseen by the very creative and very wonderful Claire Coulton whose teaching skills are magically transferable to developing the most imaginative and playful allotment space in the world (I kid you not). Come and get your hands dirty and grow some stuff together (includes lots of water play and eating).
The arts......
July 20th, Saturday, 10.00 am until 2 pm sees our Wild Weaving Event with Matt (With optional camp out Friday 19th)
So the Wild Weaving Event will run normally from 10.00 am - 2 pm on Sat 20th July - but, because we want to big up the nature connection and nature immersion, we are inviting you to join us to Friday Night Camp Out In The Woodland 19th July from 5 pm too! We're going to camp out in the woodland overnight before the event, spend some quality time in nature, share a campfire meal, explore the woodland at night, grab some solo time or meet new people, whatever you are wanting to do, we will build space for that - adults only to the overnight. Don't worry if you don't fancy camping out, you may attend the Saturday Event as usual.
Follow this link to Eventbrite to book, there are only 12 spaces:https://www.eventbrite.com/e/wild-weaving-with-matt-sat-july-20th-1000-am-2-pm-tickets-912651133107?aff=oddtdtcreator
All of this is free of charge #ThanksToLotteryPlayers our wonderful funders: The National Lottery Heritage Fund @TNLHeritageFund have sponsored this event as part of our Heritage Project: Recovering With Trees - connecting us with our greatest heritage: Nature!!!
August 12th - Monday, 10.00 am until 2 pm sees our Nature In Paint Event with Joy Haigh & Claire Coulton
Joy, aided and abetted by Claire will walk you through a workshop aimed at painting the natural landscape and its inhabitants. This event is sponsored by Lottery Heritage Fund and part of our Arts as Nature Connection Series. There is a nominal fee for this event, to cover costs of materials - follow this link to Eventbrite to book in:https://www.eventbrite.com/e/nature-in-paint-with-joy-claire-tickets-936750043597?aff=oddtdtcreator
This event is open to everyone, however, it's worthy of note that there will be no focussed activity for children, so any younger budding artists attending must be able to concentrate and must be supervised by their attending adult. Oh, and bring a packed lunch too!!!
Last, but by no means least, we promised you a Summer of Nature Connection.......
First up.......
"Lamas", aka August 1st (Thursday,) 2pm - 6pm sees an Apothecary Salve Making event with Nat which is destined to be very interesting.
Nat of Lily & Tonks will be sharing her passion for herbs and plants and their therapeutic properties & uses too!
Nat also supports me here at Harwes with developing our administration & logistics processes.
We have been discussing some sort of herbal, hedgerow, making workshop for some time, and here it is at last! I asked Nat to get a date in the diary and I kid you not, she consulted the phases of the moon before checking her availability! Enough said! Follow this link in Eventbrite to book in: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/hedgerow-herb-series-apothecary-salve-making-with-nat-tickets-926163930247?aff=oddtdtcreator
Second up.......
The Lives of Insects in Kelbrook Wood with David Nelson - Sunday 18th August 10.00 am - 2 pm
David Nelson, hails from Nelson, and leads the Naturlaist Society there! He visits the farm and woodland regularly photographing and studying the flora and fauna that live here. His National Geographic standard reports will be fully available to view on our newlook website very soon, but for now, come and join the man himself and find out about the butterflies and moths.
The event runs from 10.00 am, however, I will be serving coffees in the farm kitchen from 09.30 am https://baabucks.com/
Fetch a packed lunch, some sturdy walking shoes, maybe a waterproof coat, we never know with our English weather!
We recommend a lower age limit of 16 to this event, and/or recommend that children attending already have an interest, or can focus for long periods of time. There won't be any child focussed activity at this event.
Follow this link to book on https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/the-lives-of-insects-in-kelbrook-wood-with-david-nelson-tickets-936980432697?aff=oddtdtcreator
Nature Connection continued.......drum roll please.........
SAVE THE DATE!!!!!!!!- September 27th - 29th 2024
Our very first Nature Connection Retreat with Phil, Matt, Tree, Sharon & Claire!!! This will be launching very soon so watch this space closely. This event is available as an all inclusive residential option; or, you may attend as day visitors! Watch this generic short film to whet your appetite - we will be offering all of this and more, right here on your doorstep !
Like us on our Facebook page and you will be notified the minute this comes out https://www.facebook.com/HarwesFarmCIC