In a nutshell, I’d like to be able to open the door for you to be able to visit the wonderful countryside that I am so fortunate to live in. Of course, the countryside offers a vast range of opportunities – you may want to ramble or hike, visit a beauty spot or celebrate a countryside event or festival! I’ll do my best to meet your needs and if you should have any wishes to fulfil in the great outdoors do challenge me to make them come true!
![national-trust-green-horizontal-logo-resize1[1]](https://jonnietaylor.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/national-trust-green-horizontal-logo-resize11.jpg){kind=logo}
As well as the usual birdsong and wildlife walks, bushcraft and foraging sessions, I have some “green retreats” planned: these will be run by myself and my foraging buddy, Paulo, who many of you may have met by now.
As I write this there are subzero temperatures outside and, inside, the news is all about weather alerts and there is a general fear about introducing us to WINTER!!! This, for me, is a clear example of how detached we have become from nature. It’s almost as if we have become afraid of such things as the tide coming in, or night enveloping the day. Part of my traditional fight against the “winter blues” is to focus positive energies towards the natural and the inevitable.
22/07 UPDATE: The following was written last week but the op is now done and recovery is in progress!
Happy Summer Solstice to one and all! The longest day and a time when nature is at its most abundant: the trees are all lush; the flowers abundant; insects plentiful by day and by night; lots of youngsters afoot: roe fawns, badger and fox cubs, stoat and weasel kits, bunnies; not to mention the myriad of fledgling birds about.
Hello Friends,
I hope that Spring has sprung with you all and that you have accessed the great outdoors to celebrate!
I was very happy to be featured in the local VantagePoint magazine last month – the pages are reproduced here for your interest.
Dear Friends,
March on the Weald clay can seem a long month – the soil remains wet and cold and correspondingly some of the spring growth (especially in the vegetable garden!) is a little behind our neighbours on the higher, drier and warmer Greensand.
Nonetheless, nature marches on, driven by the increased length of daylight and the birds are well into forming breeding pairs.
Firstly a big welcome to 2022 and a big thank you for following Jonnie Taylor Walks and/or the Father Nature hq Podcast! I genuinely feel so lucky to be able to share my passion for the natural world and sustainable solutions with you all.
Our last foraging trip was a great success and really enjoyable experience – it was good to
note how many forageables are starting to ripen up for our preserves and pickles! Paulo will
again be joining me for our next Foraging Foray which will be on October 16th. For this we will
leave the Weald Clay and venture up to the drier Greensand of Blackdown where, hopefully,
we will manage to do some more Fungi identification! I really hope you can join us!
I’m happy to announce the date of our next foraging foray and even more so that we will once again be joined by my Mushroom Mentor Paulo! It has been a curious start to Autumn with quite cold temperatures and I have struggled to find much in the way of Fungi but there are a lot berries, seeds and nuts that will be in abundance for a while yet!
Dear Friends, I am delighted to tell you that my good friend Martyn, aka “Batman“, is once again happy to be assisting with walks and