Dialogues with Nature :: Autumn Newsletter
Dialogues with Nature
:: Autumn Newsletter
This is the first edition of newsletters I'm planning to send every two months or so to lift the curtain and offer you a glimpse of what's happening in our community behind the scenes and news about upcoming podcast episodes.
I hope you will find some lovely things in here that you will enjoy. You might want to put the kettle on and have a cup of hot drink as it's a long email with much to delve into.
Let's begin by sharing some inspiration from the conversations that took place in our Network this autumn:
- Gray Jordan, artist based in Norfolk in the UK introduced us to the 'regenerative concept' and shared with us an article she contributed to: Art in a Time of Climate Crisis
- I shared a link to an episode of The Mushroom Hour Podcast Ep. 35: Growing Regenerative Art with Crystals, Algae and Mushrooms.
- Marlana Stoddard Hayes, artist based in Oregon, US shared with us an insightful an article she wrote about working with mushroom inks. The image above she shared with us shows some of her inkmaking work.
- Amongst numerous blogposts and articles there was this book recommended by several of our members interested to explore natural dying and inkmaking with fungi by Miriam C. Rice, called Mushrooms for Dyes, Paper, Pigments & Myco-Stix
- An online magazine to read: The Planthunter that was recommended by Jenni Sutcliffe, a gardener, art and nature lover based in Lincolnshire, UK. This article Attention is the Beginning of Devotion is a good one.
- Another one of our members, Miss Polly who is a poet and herbalist based in Oregon, US shared this youtube video about The Doctrine of Signatures here.
- Eleanor Cheetham, based in Lincolnshire, UK writer and co-founder of the seasonal commmunity Folk+Field shared the recording of a workshop she ran on Cyclical Creativity here.
- Maija Liepins, Australian contemporary artist based in Andover UK shared some of her poems and also a recently published artist book 'Upon Reflection 2020' by Sarah Misselbrook that she wrote a foreword for.
- I shared this video tutorial to learn how to print images on plant leaves: Sustainable Photography at Home: The Chlorophyll Printing Process by Almudena Romero.
- Two podcast episodes by Emergence Magazine to listen to:
- What is Lost When a Language Disappears? + an audio interview with cultural philosopher David Abram: The Ecology of Perception,
- And this beautiful essay titled 'Chorus' by James Roberts about light.
- Lucy Pendrick, artist and storyteller, based in Somerset UK, shared with us a charming tale about 'The Blackberry Thieves' she also created felted sculptures for.
Other things we shared worth mentioning relating to the current state of the environment:
- Sir David Attenborough explores the loss of biodiversity, on this BBC broadcast Extinction: The Facts
- An article by Rebecca Solnit on California's orange skies, threatened biodiversity & climate catastrophe published in September
- A publication one of our members contributed to - Fire and Rain: Ecopoetry of California
:: Dialogues with Nature Network
Our first seasonal theme :: Collecting
Between August and October we have been focusing on the activity - collecting - that forms the basis of most of our creative endeavours. Each week, throughout this 3-months-period we've been sharing stories and asking questions to explore this theme from many different angles.
We had two virtual Conversations on Collecting where we explored our theme in a live conversation format that prompted many great points for further reflection.
A day in the life of our community:
Apart from our overarching seasonal theme we have topic tags for sharing content daily such as creative business, inspiration, foraging, seasonal, and nature adventures. These topics are searchable, similar to hashtags, but in a slower places less noisy environment than other social media platforms.
We host events weekly online, where we connect to each other live. We are a community of readers with a monthly book club. In August we began by Braiding Sweetgrass by Robin Wall Mimmerer, followed by The Field Guide to Getting Lost by Rebecca Solnit and in October we read The Wild Silence by Raynor Winn. We frequently share with each other book recommendations.
We are also building a Glossary where all members can contribute. It keeps growing with new entries added regularly from the conversations we have in our community. Our latest ones include the word Metamorphosis, the concept of ‘harvest high' that sheds light on our primal collecting instinct and the word ‘lost’ in English exploring its origins.
We compile a Weekly Highlights post and a Monthly Digest email for our members to summarise what we shared and where we are on a regular basis.
When we began to imagine the Network as a place for people to share practices, ideas, and experiences with nature, we thought it would be nice for members to meet each other in a foundation course of sorts, and engage nature with the same prompts, and we loved the Meadow as a metaphor and a place to explore & experience.
Membership in our Network gives access to our core course, The Meadow 3 times a year. Our first Summer Meadow was 6 weeks long, from July till August. Our next one is now open and will begin in November, running for 12 weeks, from 15 November through 7 February.
To see more impressions from our Meadow, read our members' testimonials and find out more about, please visit our website here.
Stardust Society | Rooted Adventure
Our members are also offered the opportunity to develop their own courses within our Network. The second course we have apart from The Meadow is currently run by Agnes Becker who is the founder of We Are Stardust UK. It's called Stardust Society - Rooted Adventure that is 3-week-exploration into the the world of fungi under the forest floor.
A glimpse of what we explore in this Adventure:
Learn about How trees talk to each other from ecologist, Suzanne Simard who was the first to research this and draw attention to the fascinating underground network benath out feet that allows trees to communicate.
:: Dialogues with Nature podcast
I released only one new episode in September with one of the Founding Members of our Network, Anna Laurent.
Listen to it here.
photo: Anna Laurent, Traveler's joy (Clematis vitalba), from Dispersal series
In this episode, we are talking about her work at the intersection of science and art, researching botanical art through history and photographing seeds. She is passionate about
Anna is an award-winning flora-focused writer, photographer, and artist. She traveled the world, researching the visual history of plant depiction, as well as collecting specimens for 'Dispersal', a series of photographs, portraits, exploring the form and function of seed dispersal.
In our conversation, we delve deeper into the world of seeds and her creative journey, exploring them through photography.
What else is coming this year?
You can look forward to new podcast episodes released throughout November and December. We've also been preparing to reopen our doors for new members joining the Network from now up until the 10th of November. Those who requested an invitation to join have already received an email prior to public announcements.
Throughout October one of our founding members, Naomi Evans has been taking over @dialogueswithnature instagram account. We take monthly turns with the founding members of the Network managing that account. In November, it will be me again. Please follow us there for daily updates.
Upcoming events & dates for your diary ::
- Today, Wed, 4 November
Art in Environmental Education | 4.30 - 6pm (GMT)
This event is suitable for artists, teachers, community, arts and environmental organisations, and anyone passionate about the role of art and artists, in promoting learning and wellbeing, at a time of climate and ecological crisis. One of our Founding Members Maija Liepins will be hosting this panel discussion.
More info and register here.
- Tue, 10 November | Dialogues with Nature Network closes for new members to join
- Sun, 15 November | Autumn/Winter Meadow Course begins. More info about here.
Thank you for your interest and welcoming news from us in your mailbox!
Until next time -
wishing you well!
Hanna
Dialogues with Nature
Dialogues with Nature:: Invitation to the Network and the Meadow This is a gentle reminder to say today is the last day for new members to join our Network and Meadow. Our doors will not reopen again before next March. If you are interested in joining, please see our website here to find out more. Our Network is now open to receive new members. If you are a curious person with an interest in nature who enjoys exchanging thoughts and inspirational ideas with others, our Network may be the...