nature workshopsthe best classroom is roofed only by the sky

Show how much you love playing by clicking here! Ya know ya wanna!

For those of you who like us are serious about outdoor play in nature the Play England Charter for Children spells out what it is all about. Is it just me though or are we heading back to Victorian Britain if we have to defend our children rights to play?

It gets worse as some headteahcers decide to ban best friends in the play ground, and hide and seek! Read on

See also a previous blog on a similar theme here.

This spring we have teamed up with Cornwall College to offer a series of short one day courses to start you on your personal learning journey into this fascinating subject. Run by our very own ethnobotanist with over 20 years experience find out the basics of these ancient traditions and how they may impact on the health and well being of your family.

All these sessions will be run from the Cornwall College Pool site. Please book by phoning Helen Lewarne on 01209 616312. For details on course content or if you would like to book a session of your own for you and friends or family please call Jane on 01209 832075.

Plants for Beauty and hair products 10-3.30pm 3rd March or 26th May

Learn how to make your own hair and beauty products using natures finest ingredients

Herbs for Arthritis and Joints Workshop 10th March 10-3.30pm

Learn about how our joints work, what can go wrong and what you can do at home to reduce pain and swelling

10 herbs for the home 19th May 10-3.30

Find out about the plants around us which can be used for basic family healthcare needs including fresh materials from the outdoors

If you are clear about the diagnosis you may be able to alleviate symptoms of a range of acute and chronic conditions. Gentle herbal remedies rarely have counter indications with prescribed medicines but if in doubt always seek the advice of your doctor.

Seaweed at Kiln Quay overlooking Falmouth. But what is it? We have a spot prize to give away for the first correct answer. Answers below please and don’t forget to give us your e mail address.

I love the muted red standing out against the gray day. Red seaweeds are often to be found lower down the beach where, when the tide is in there is less sunlight getting through for photsynthesis. The plants have adapted with a red pigment called phycobilin which hides the chlorophyll found in all plants and which allows photosynthesis to take place at lower light levels.

Marigolds soaked in oil in August last year and sieved now on a cold winters day to make a hand cream for sore and chapped winter hands for my lovely dad. As it was squeezed from the petals it looks like liquid sunshine. In a way of course this is exactly what it is! The plants leaves caught the sun to make the energy to create the healing ingrediants secretly locked up in the plants DNA. Call us if you want us to come to your home and garden for your very own session for you and your family to learn more about how to use plants for medicines for your aches, minor and chronic illnesses. Please click here for more details.

We’re working on how we can measure this level of resilience in what we do with children, young people and adults.

Let us provide you with your very own romantic day or evening in the most beautiful surroundings. We could find a beach or some woods near you or even your home and garden. We could help you learn skills such as firemaking (without matches) and cook a lovely meal over the open fire, using tools to make love spoons, provide a beautiful bell tent or tipi, learn about the uses of wild plants.We could meet every pocket so just give us a call and we’ll chat through the options.

Had a day long meeting with lovely Alice from Good from Woods (@GoodfromWoods)  Plymouth University on Friday. Plans are now underway for the research project we are part of to show how we can learn and get healthy by using woodlands.

Please see http://www.silvanustrust.org.uk/index.php?page=good-from-woods for more details.

Fingers crossed for Malina and her family. Find out more about this campaign at http://missoestrogenpositive.blogspot.com/2012/02/malinaday.html