Summer Outreach Work
by Deb Millar - August 24th, 2010.Filed under: Monthly Review.
Members of the team have been busy this summer with outreach stalls at a variety of fetes and open days. We started off helping Simon Beard and Simon Clarke at Shapwick Heath on their Avalon Marshes Open Day in May. Thanks to Jane for getting together our youth groups exhibition in time for this event. We have a long history of co-operation with wildlife groups and we enjoyed meeting lots of people. We had decided to take a break from attending the Bath and West Show – because it is four intensive days it is hard for such a small group to cover it and I was busy with forest school at the Sunrise Festival. Perhaps next year we will have more willing helpers and be able to do both.
In June Jane, Martyn and myself supported Hannah with a CSOLP stall at the Green and Scything Fair – a wonderful sustainable event which grows every year.
During July Martyn had a well attended stall at Priddy Folk Fair and also later that month at the Barton Carnival – helped by Henry. I was unable to help as I was helping at Paddington Farm Open Day.
Martyn cobbled together a superb rustic stall shelter using hazel poles and the off cuts from our main tarpaulin in time for the Charlton’s Village Day on 24th July. We had a great day toasting marshmallows (worth the 3 page risk assessment!) and were very encouraged by the interest from local people, many of whom signed our petition.
We were also invited to Farm Fest at Gilcombe Farm.
Our main summer effort was attending the Wilderness Gathering at the Bison Farm in Wiltshire from 19th August. This is a 3 day extravaganza of bushcraft enthusiasts. Hannah and Lynda offered a tranquil antidote to all the khaki and knives with their peg loom weaving and spinning, whilst Martyn and I housed the main group display and his wonderful collection of bows and spoons. We all came back inspired and I bought lots of kit for Paddington Farm so that their forest school activities can be more easily facilitated.
The last event of the summer is the Open Day at Hallr Wood on 12th September which we hope lots of local people will support.