Help Us Build A Network Of Forest Friends

As many of you know, I co-ordinate and host Bards In The Woods.



Ways can you help us?

Bards In The Woods is an invitation to use forests and woodlands to relax, be away from stress for awhile, have fun



and enjoy a shared picnic,


If there is an intent, I believe that is to encourage mindfulness and synthesis of our senses so we can experience 'presence'.


Presence triggers intuition into inspiration, and we may express that through composing and expressing poetry, stories and maybe a song or two.


Or at least share your favourite words written by others.


The other side of this is the 'listening audience'.


C'mon poets, this is your gig !!!


To discuss, join and promote forest activities in Ireland
and be part of a Network Of Forest Friends


Of course, I am not the only person 
encouraging people into the forest

Native Woodland Trust have been doing this for 14 years now and during the past 2 years have become very popular and focused with stunning walks and support on themes such as herb walks, forage walks and tree planting volunteering.


The Woodland League are not just a government lobby group on forestry policy. Their people are not permanently glued to protest placards as these people provide very interesting and educational walks on subjects like woodland crafts, coppicing, woodland care, plant identification walks and so forth.


With Bards In The Woods I wish to serve a portal for all of the Woodland and Forest Activities in Public Forests around Ireland. Activities in Trustee managed Private Forests are considered too.


There are many devoted individuals who serve hikes and events in woodlands as guides, teachers and facilitators.


Most of these activities are also themed on plant identification, herb identification and preparation and sometimes basic bushcraft skills.


Through autumn, winter and spring some of these people lead Tree Planting events


You may know of these people who work this near you?

Please send me links to their work so we can network what they do.

Also some holistic arts practitioners are, at last, getting out of their controlled indoor environments and guiding their people into the forests.

There is a slow increase in yoga, meditation and mindfulness teachers taking their people into the woods and forests. There are many of these teachers who would love to do this but are nervous of doing so.


Please also let me know of such people so we can network them together, 
promote what they do and increase their forest based events, 
or help them get started with them.

My own passion is to encourage more people to visit and enjoy more woodlands around Ireland more often. Through this I hope people can be inspired to rebuild their connection to woodlands.


I hope this may be a seeding that inspires people to allow woods to become part of their personal culture again. Woodlands are not only for leisure, relaxation and play but also providers of craft and construction material, food, fuel, protection of health, and medicine when needed.

All of this does not need to be corporate owned by people who never see the forests and land they invest in. It can be more local again and more cared for.


Bards In The Woods, when we are in the woods 
demonstrating them as places of intuition and inspiration, 
are only serving one expression of woodland use.

Lets's share others too ...


Please help to build a Network of Forest Friends 
through Ireland ... and return to its Forest Culture

To discuss, join and promote forest activities in Ireland
and be part of a Network Of Forest Friends

Let us link people who share and express their passion for woodlands
in different ways, through walks, teaching, meditations, crafts, cultivation, food
and ways I have not mentioned.

Please leave your comments, suggestions and referrals to these 
Forestry and Woodland Activity people below in the Comments below

... or post your info in the Facebook and other media sites
    that link to this Bards In The Woods blog.

Many thanks for your contribution to this so that we may expand enthusiasm for activities in the Forests.



P.S. I have had comments such as 
"why disturb the forests, 
why not leave them alone"?

Well, yes, that is a wonderful ideal but, sadly, ALL land is now currency.

If we do not use the Public Forests the cash hungry Government and Corporations
certainly know people who will.

Examples today, that could take away our forests, if not used, are
the Frackers, Wind Energy companies, Beef farmers,
and I suspect the Warehouse developers will be back again soon.


Then there is the new trend of Data Storage and Processing facilities 
as just about all data is going into the "Cloud" 
that demands more and more space area for storage 
and more and more space for energy systems to power them.

The more people that are in Public Forests
the more voting currency we have to trade
with elected representatives .

If nobody is in the Public Forests then they are seen as empty vessels,
despite a native forest's uncalculated abundance from biodiversity
and its stabilisation of our life support systems


I would not like to see Forest Activities as a political statement though,

... but as a culture change, doing it for ourselves,
rather than demand the government to do it for us.

To discuss, join and promote forest activities in Ireland
and be part of a Network Of Forest Friends


Please post comment and ideas 
and links to Forest People and Activities below.

Is there something you can start up?

Is there something you do that could transfer to the forests sometimes?

Let us know below, many thanks


Comments

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