I only went out for a walk, and finally concluded to stay out till sundown, for going out, I found, was really going in.
John Muir
Today is John Muir Day, marking Muir’s 184th birthday and commemorating his life and the Trust and Award set up in his name. Muir is known as the ‘father of national parks’ and is famous for his explorations of the American wilderness, having moved to America with his family at the age of 11 and spent most of the rest of his life exploring and writing about it. The story of Muir’s life is inspirational and his writings still carry a freshness about them, vivid descriptions that still have the power to pull you into the landscape. There is a lot of excellent writing about Muir’s life, not least in the hundreds or articles and books he produced in his life, so in this post I will talk about the John Muir Award and how Taleblazers are involved.
The John Muir Award is an open award that anyone can take part in, centred around discovering, protecting and celebrating wild places. It has three levels – Discovery, Explorer and Conserver – each of which requires a greater depth of commitment and immersion in the natural environment. To achieve the award, you have to work towards four challenges: Discover, Explore, Conserve and Share. The award is quite open and can be adapted easily to fit individual needs, so it fits our 1-1 programmes really well. It gives a reason to be out and about in wild places and provides a context for the activities we do.
Kev and I ran our first John Muir Award many years ago, working with Bovey Tracey Guides at Broadhempston to complete the Discovery Award. We had a lot of fun running it and when we started Taleblazers one of the first things we did was to put together a John Muir programme to offer to individuals and schools. It suits our blend of environmental education and storytelling incredibly well, and as adaptable leaders we have a lot of fun delivering it.
I love the John Muir Award so much that I decided to work towards the Conserver level myself. There are a lot of places I love, but I decided to focus my award at Hembury Woods just outside Buckfast. The area has a fascinating history, with a Norman castle sitting on top of the earthworks of a hillfort, and a silver mine in the valley below. But it’s the natural beauty of the woods, sitting on the western wide of a twist of the river Dart, that I get most excited about. The wood is managed so there are areas of new growth and there is often some thinning taking place, but down by the river the woods are wonderful. Old oak and beech trees sit side by side on the river bank, watching the water tumble over short rapids and fan into quiet swimming spots. Birdsong is everywhere, wood ants busy themselves as only ant colonies can, and underfoot there are bluebells and bilberries.
I realised early on that there is so much I don’t know, so as part of my award I’ve been working on my wood lore. With the help of Steve from Basic Bushcraft I’ve been working on my tree identification, and although I’m no expert yet I can at least spot hazel, alder, larch, western hemlock and others. On each visit I spot a new mushroom or flower that I rush home to identify. It’s a fascinating and immersive process, knowledge gained by exploration and experience gradually getting to know every part of the wood. Every day brings new questions, and excitement in the search for answers.
However, my journey hasn’t just been one of learning. Influenced by the young people I have been working with as well as the environment, I have discovered an enjoyment of more creative activities: photography, sketching, writing, painting. I have sat quietly by the river with my students or by myself and just allowed time to pass. The benefits to my own mental health have been profound. Doing the John Muir Award has reminded me to take time out in nature myself, to open up to creativity and sometimes to just let the world go by.
I still have more to do before I finish. I haven’t visited the wood at dusk or dawn yet, looked for bats and kingfishers. I’d like to set up some NPMS squares to find out what plants live in different areas of the site and to track their abundance over the coming months and years. And I feel ready to start the Share phase of my award in greater earnest. This blog has been part of that process but, as a reward for getting to the end of it, I’d like to invite you to share it with me. On Saturday 30th April I will be leading an early morning walk at Hembury Woods. I’d like to show you around the woods and tell you the story of the hillfort and mine, introduce you to the river and some of the species that live on its banks. There is no charge, but I would appreciate donations to the John Muir Trust if you feel able to do so.
If you would like to come, booking is essential – please check the Eventbrite page for ticket availability.
