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Today our John Muir Group worked with Kev & Trina from The Shale Trail. We discovered Polbeth and West Calder Community Garden by using our senses. Walking blind folded, mirrors tricking our minds, making a cocktail of woodland smells and making an artist's palette of colours were just some of the things we got up to

This is the Hastings country park visitors centre, a new one is in the process of being built and this one will be knocked down probably within the next yrs or so, so this is good to get this centre looked at before that happens as this has been here for many, many years, the ranger was the person we shared our fact file with, she gave a very good review of our work.

This is out fact file that we made about Hastings Country Park, we thought this was the best way to showcase all of our research, photos and information that we have gathered together over the last six months.

We have been collecting items to make our own bird's nest and choosing appropriate places to build it. We discussed possible predators and why birds need to build their nests in the trees. We also sorted through possible materials and discussed what we would prefer a nest to be made of. We looked at a nest from last year and were amazed at how birds can weave things together just using their beaks and feet!

We have been out and about again in the Forest School area listening to different bird calls and trying to find them on our app. We often find ourselves hearing birds but not seeing them high in the trees.

A wild walk on a very blustery day. The wind roaring too much to hold a conversation, waves crashing over words. Hardly anyone about so we enjoyed the stretching sand and water, feeling like the only people for miles. As we made our way back, on the incoming tide we found full four pint bottles of milk washing ashore and a lot of very curious birds who took some persuading that they shouldn’t be allowed to peck through the plastic. Litter picking in the high tide line later, we found more. An inner storyteller was unleashed, imagining scenarios - where had the milk come from? Did someone even know it was gone? Was there a lighthouse keeper somewhere gloomily staring at a cup of black tea or an island milkman looking guilty? But the truth is, we produce and consume so much that we don’t need, that they probably have barely been missed. Written off and replaced in the blink of an eye. Every piece of litter has a past and a story of where it’s come from, how it reached our communities, but whilst walking I preferred to try and remember that we’ve got the power to make a difference here and now - to clean up what’s already polluting our environment and change our consumption and habits to shift the balance in favour of a brighter, healthier, happier relationship with our planet - milk bottles and all.