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The first part of this activity would see our learners working indpendently on a task created by Countryside Rangers Linzi and Fiona. This was really challenging experience where learners had to decide upon the tools they would use, the materials they would have to select and also the jobs they would each take on. Some fantastic team work and collaborative learning taking place during our visit to Pollok on this day. Linzi and Fiona were never far away but gave the learners time to learn and grow at their own pace as they completed their afternoons work! 'In every walk with nature one recieves far more than he/ she seeks'....

This has been an exciting day for The 'Kelvinsiders Wild Flower Group'! We spent the afternoon with Allison Greig and her Rangers Fiona and Linzi planting Blackthorn and Dogrose at the entrance to the World Famous Glasgow Burrell Collection. We are hoping that this 'Thorny Hedge' will last through generations, providing homes for wild life and enjoyment for people from all over the world who visit The Burrell.

“When one tugs at a single thing in nature, he finds it attached to the rest of the world.” Wild Flowers and Thorny Hedges don't seem to be the only things that grows within our John Muir Adventure!! Throughout our time spent with the Flower Power Programme we have made great friends and improved our wellbeing in a variety of ways! Outdoor classrooms with learning planted firmly in working with others has seen us create our very own little piece of history within Pollock Park - Our Park!!

The group organised their camp from what to take with them to what they'd need to leave behind to make room for rubbish from the beach clean at Sandaig!

Fantastic to get out today and appreciate the landscape in midwinter with stunning views of Loch Lomond as we walked a section of the John Muir Way. We made pine cone bird feeders and walked to a living 'Christmas' tree that others have in the past hung plastic decorations on. We added our natural and biodegradable bird feeders on the tree and picked up some of the broken and fallen plastic baubles. On the way back we were rewarded with a lovely rainbow, reminding us all to take a moment to get out in nature and enjoy the small things. What a lovely way to cap our walk off, and the last of the team John Muir Award days in 2019.

I had a lovely opportunity to support a great crowd-funding campaign Spot-a-bee Citizen Science app that is hoping to become national in focus. I gave a small donation and tweeted about it, and it was seen over 2,500 times on Twitter! It just goes to show how a little bit of support can spread a long way, and our bees need all the support they can get. I am really looking forward to observing, recording and learning more about the bees and other pollinators that visit my garden as part of my personal project for my conserver. I have started to plan for this already by sowing seeds for a wild flower mini meadow (under my whirly-gig!) in my back garden. If this app is developed further I can then use it to record all the bees that come to visit!

After a stormy day yesterday, what a beautiful day it was today for our John Muir Award Walk along the John Muir Way. Before we left we made some sustainable Christmas decorations to put on the Christmas tree at the top of the hill. The sun was out but a definite chill in the air! The first part of the route feels like walking a route taken by many people before us. It is fitting therefore that this is now part of the John Muir Way and the route continues to be enjoyed by many. You could almost hear the sounds of the cattle which must have walked this route in the past. The path follows a beautiful old beech hedge on one side and a hawthorn hedge on the other, indicating a designed landscape. The trees are covered in lichens and mosses and the gnarled branches an indication of the age of the trees and the history they have seen. We weren't the only people making the most of the beautiful day. We passed dog walkers and cyclists, all making the most of the sunshine. When we reached the viepoint, we weren't disappointed, the views across Loch Lomond were stunning! Lots of snow capped mountains in the distance reflecting in the clear blue water of the Loch. Lori and I hung our tree on an old single hawthorn and then slowly started to walk back down the hill while the rest of the team walked on to the top and to put out the rest of the feeders. We listened to the water making its way down the hill, and watched a huge flock of chaffinches eating the beech nuts on the path. The sun was already going down and finally disappeared under the hill to the west. It is a short day at this time of year, but what a great way to make the most of it!