Nature Spot Nature Spot Podcast

Desperate to head out after an extended spell of rain and grey skies, I ventured out on my bike. Slightly injured- I didn’t make it to the place I set my heart on. So I forced to sit, and take notice of where I got to. And it was beautiful, and just what I needed.

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I love food - and I love seasonal food - for lots o reasons.

The recent purchase of a butternut squash inspired the cooking of butternut squash risotto, and got me thinking again about all the other things I can make from this vast vegetable, the joy and importance of eating seasonally.

Eating seasonally can help us connect with nature’s seasons, use up what we have grown on our allotment on veg patch or in our balcony pots.

It can reduce emissions from the food we eat and the other environmental impacts of that food.

The link to the website I mentioned is below.

Eat the Seasons - http://eattheseasons.co.uk/why.php

Seasonal right now - http://eattheseasons.co.uk

It’s a short episode today, but I hope you find it interesting.

It’s a short episode today, but I hope you find it interesting - and I would love to hear what you cook, or grow. What you think about eating seasonally, and if you’ve ever considered eating or cooking as a form of nature connection. So please get in touch via the voicemail on anchor.fm/naturespot or via Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/naturespotpodcast/

Please like, share and subscribe on whichever platform you are hearing this, and as ever - thanks for listening. 


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After a short absence from the podcast, I took a walk with Wendy and her dog Bailey in a nearby park and woodland.
We had a great time exploring the park, watching Bailey find interesting smells and noticing the leaves, trees, and connecting with the joy of autumn. 
If you’d like to find out more about Wendy you can find her on LinkedIn (I’ll put a link to that in the episode notes)- https://www.linkedin.com/in/wendy-nicholls-leadership-coach/
Check out the hashtags #HopefulOctober and #NewThingsNovember - and the action for happiness website for November prompts or their other monthly wellbeing calendars https://www.actionforhappiness.org/new-ways-november
I was so intrigued by the early autumn-shedding tree with feathery leaves that Wendy mentioned, but could not figure out what it was. If you have an idea - do let me know.
If you enjoyed this episode, please like, share, rate and subscribe on whichever platform you are hearing this, and get in touch via the voicemail on Anchor - anchor.fm/naturespot or the @NatureSpotPodcast Instagram account if you want to comment on this episode or would like to be a guest on a future one.
And as always - thanks for listening!
https://www.instagram.com/naturespotpodcast/

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I woke up this morning with that feeling of ickiness that I feel when it’s grey, cold and wet outside. 

Feeling somewhat 'self-judgy' at not wanting to venture out into the drizzle, I headed to my new 'illustrated journal' for solace. 

Today's diminutive episode is about me surprising myself at the quality of my nature connection through this new daily journal - and I wanted to share it with you, because sometimes - when you really don't want to go out but still want to connect with nature - you might find that this really does the trick!

I have a few prompts below to start you off if you would like to try it.  All you need is pen and paper - no expensive art supplies required. Add colour if you want to - use what you have and see how you feel.

7 days of Prompts

* birds I see from my window

* different leaves I have seen today while out and about

* interesting seeds and seed heads

* how many kinds of wild berries spotted recently

* things I like to make with foraged fruit

* different types of tree bark (can you spot at least 3 different barks)

* the spiders in your kitchen (or wherever they congregate ;-))

Let me know what you think, do you journal? Will you give it a go now?

If you enjoyed this episode, please like, share, rate and subscribe on whichever platform you are hearing this, and get in touch via the voicemail on Anchor - anchor.fm/naturespot or at https://www.instagram.com/naturespotpodcast/ if you want to comment on this episode or would like to be a guest on a future one.

And as always - thanks for listening!


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Today’s episode is a bit of a ramble - you will see why and I challenge you to count how many times I said ‘apple’ in the main part of the recording.

I hope you enjoy this episode - and would love your thoughts on apples, local food, local food, food systems, accessibility, or indeed anything else nature related.

If you want to find out more about World Food Day - visit http://www.fao.org/world-food-day/take-action/en/

Visit https://lovefoodhatewaste.com for lots of great tips on reducing food waste by getting creative with your leftovers, storing and freezing your food, and more besides. You can also follow the #lovefoodhatewaste hashtag the https://www.instagram.com/lfhw_uk/ account on on Instagram.

And check out the https://www.instagram.com/empowerment_collective/ instagram account to find out about the work of the extraordinary young woman I mentioned at the start of the pod.

If you enjoyed this episode, please like, share, rate and subscribe on whichever platform you are hearing this, and get in touch via the voicemail on Anchor - anchor.fm/naturespot or the @NatureSpotPodcast Instagram account if you want to comment on this episode or would like to be a guest on a future one.

And as always - thanks for listening!

https://www.instagram.com/naturespotpodcast/


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Today, I’m talking to Kathryn Reynolds, whom I first met virtually through a mutual friend when we formed a running group for the RunAroundTheWorld challenge -

As you know, the Nature Spot podcast aims to bring the outside in and help people to connect with nature so that they feel it’s wellbeing benefits and hopefully love it more.

Kathryn is a wonderful example of someone who connects with nature daily (unless the weather is really very unfriendly), and does so in a dynamic way - through cycling. She shares beautiful photos on her Instagram account every day, and she agreed to talk to me about how she connects with nature, what she gets from that, and what keeps her heading outdoors, even as the mornings grow colder and darker.

If you would like to follow Kathryn’s daily adventures - you can check her out on https://www.instagram.com/kathrynjreynolds/

To find out more about World Mental Health day- how to access help or to lend a hand, check out the hashtag on Instagram or visit:

World Federation for Mental Health - https://wfmh.global/world-mental-health-day-2020/

The W.H.O. - https://www.who.int/campaigns/world-mental-health-day/world-mental-health-day-2020 - you might be interested in the Global Advocacy Event which kicks off at 19.30 UK time on 10th October (today).

Time to Change - https://www.time-to-change.org.uk/get-involved/world-mental-health-day

Mind - https://www.mind.org.uk/need-urgent-help/what-can-i-do-to-help-myself-cope/relaxing-and-calming-exercises/

If you enjoyed this episode please like, share, rate and subscribe on whichever platform you listen, and get in touch via the voicemail on Anchor or the @NatureSpotPodcast Instagram account to comment on this episode or to be a guest on a future one.

I wish you a safe and happy Saturday, this World Mental Health Day, and as always - thank you for listening!

https://www.instagram.com/naturespotpodcast/


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