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We all loved participating and working as a group with ideas, questions and answers springing up throughout the course of the day. Learning in this real life environment really reinforces our learning as we worked to complete the tasks set out before us. One thing that I didn't expect was the boost to our mental health and self esteem! Yes we all expected to help the environment and by completing our task help the local wild life by cleaning up dangers and obstacles that could impact the animals who call the park home. But it was everything else we created that mattered every bit as much! #GKWILDLEARNERS

It's great getting involved in this was a comment by one of the learners as we made our way through the trees picking and bagging litter as we went. Some of our discoveries and raised questions among the group such as why do people throw all of these things away? Why do we need to use so much plastic? And why oh why do people pick up dog poo only to then throw the bags in the woodland???

Today would see us playing our part in the battle against LITTER as we worked together at the Riverside area in Pollok. Sometimes its easy to think that its someone elses rubbiish so why should we pick it up, today we found many different reasons for taking part in this activity and not just the fact that it helps get our Green Spaces back to looking the way they should. Working with Countryside Ranger Fiona we learned about the benefits of working as a team with evidence of this the huge bag of litter we each contributed towards collecting. We learned about the environment as we worked listening to Fiona and telling our own experiences at the same time. See Part II

On Wednesday evening I presented at the Paths for All ‘Walking with Nature’ webinar. I had been invited to speak about Citizen Science surveys that people could do on their local paths and it was a really nice opportunity to tell others about the recording schemes we have supported volunteers to take part in on the National Cycle Network over the years at Sustrans – Birdwatch, BeeWalk, Big Butterfly Count, UK Butterfly Monitoring Scheme, iRecord and Nature’s Calendar. The presenter before me had mentioned that she had had yellowhammers in her garden, so I also said I had recently seen my ‘first yellowhammer of the season’. As I heard a yellowhammer call while I cycled down route 754 today, I thought I would learn more about them this afternoon – the first thing I learnt was that they are NOT Spring visitors to the UK. For some reason I had it in my head that they were – I hope no one was too misled by my mistake in the webinar! I’m always learning with this Award. I included in my talk that people might want to consider doing their John Muir Award while exploring a place for Citizen Science surveys – at two-and-a-quarter years in to my Explorer level I’m maybe not the best advert, but little by little, hour by hour, I really enjoy learning and noticing more.

It’s only been in recent years that I’ve come to know ravens, and for no good reason, their size and croaking call gives me the heebie-jeebies. When I solo-walked the West Island Way in 2020, I very nearly lost my bottle when ravens flew over calling just as I was about to plunge into the dark opening of a thick isolated conifer forest. So, when I encountered a couple of ravens on route 78 in Argyll last week, I thought it was about time I learnt something more positive about them for my Award. But, reading up on them, much of the folklore connected with them is of death and darkness and the underworld. The collective noun is an ‘unkindness’. The Edgar Allan Poe poem ‘The Raven’ which always pops into my head when I see them, is all about grief and madness and hopelessness. My favourite bird book describes them as ‘angular and domineering’. This isn’t helping. Luckily the internet is awash with other examples of ravens showing their intelligence and creativity, solving puzzles, speaking, singing, being playful. It reminds me that I’ve seen them tuck their wings and spin upside down while flying too, and is also a nudge to read a book that I have been meaning to for years – Corvus: A Life with Birds by Esther Woolfson. Edgar Allan Poe noted “this ebony bird [is] beguiling my sad fancy into smiling” – it’s probably time for me to let it do the same. Image: John Tenniel, 1858 (https://www.oldbookillustrations.com/)

The Elderbank Explorers had a successful litter picking session and discussion about caring for the environment. Big THANK YOU goes out to Jean from the Irvine Clean Up Crew who inspired the young people to gather 14 bags of rubbish and interesting facts were learned about waste management. The Young people are currently learning about the environment with the Family Learning Team during the Family John Muir Award sessions at Elderbank Primary and then doing home tasks with their own family to achieve the Discovery Award. GO EXPLORERS!!!

Discovering - Corfe Castle, Holton Lee Nature Reserve and Old Harry Rocks.

Discovering - Agglestone Rock, Chapmans Pool and St Aldhelms Head, Durdel Door and Knoll Beach.