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We headed to Pollok Park today to meet Senior Countryside Ranger Allison Greig. The group were more than excited as we made our way to Glasgow's largest park - Pollok Country Park!! Arriving at our meeting point close to Pollok House we were warmly greeted by Allison and her Intern Aoibhe we set off into the lush green woodland, the canopy above us punctured by rays of sun light and the chatter of our excited group! Ranger Greig had created a Sensory Activity asking the group to wear blindfolds and focus on hearing, touch and smell, at least for a little while......

We sat in a clearing in the woods and listened to sounds that had until now not existed, or so we thought. Amongst the chattering of the birds and rustling of wind touched branches over head we could also hear the rumbling of well we didn't quite know. Ranger Greif was however on hand to tell us the story of the nearby motorway and how in years gone by it had dug a deep path through the green park. The rumbling sounds were that of cars, lorries and buses as they trundled along on the outskirts of the park and our hearing. This made us think of one of our other topics, the environment! So with our ideas and questions and the knowledge of Ranger Grieg we set off once again so a different green space and different thoughts, ideas and answers.....To be Continued.....

We made our way the short distance into a clearing as the second part of our journey took us on a nature walk looking at shapes, textures and colours as we walked. We looked at the jagged shapes of the Holly Tree and our Support Staff learned about the trees in their garden and the mistakes they perhaps had been making! The beauty of this group lies in the fact that we learn together, being active and offering ideas and opinions! We asked Ranger Greig questions about Wild Flowers and Trees, about why trees consumed with age and rot were allowed to grow and learned that such trees can become habitats for a whole range of forest creatures before finally lying down to provide nourish for plants as they go to sleep on the woodland carpet.

With the afternoon before us we took the opportunity to continue our investigation into Horticulture and with the resource that is Pollok Country Park Gardens we counted ourselves fortunate indeed. This was hugely different from the wild woodland spaces we had just been. Butterfly laden plants lay all around us and we were challenged to pick our favourite color and flower. Stems drooped heavily under the weight of literally hundreds of Bees, and bees of many different kinds buzzed happily around us. We sat on freshly cut grass and made plans and shared ideas before moving on into the far garden and green spaces.....

Our next step took us through the dipping archway and from Ornamental Flowers to small plots and raised beds packed with vegetables. There were green houses filled with plants and tall towers of green to either side of us. We went in search of and found lettuce, onions and even a curry plant that actually smelled of curry! We were independently asking questions about shapes and textures and commented on the different colours (shades) of green that was all around us! We were able to touch and feel the vegetables as we made our way through the garden and with all Active Learning Experiences this made a positive difference. Learners commented on how it was 'cool' to be able to see the difference between the two gardens and pick their favorite's!!!

This was to be our first day of our Nature Project with the excellent Glasgow Countryside Ranger Service. Today would see us working from within Pollok Park as we began our exploration into Nature and how is can impact our Health and Wellbeing. As a group we decided that we would link Nature and the Outdoors into our Physical, Social, Emotional and Mental Health, so with this in mind we set out with our new friends Glasgow Countryside Rangers Linzi and Fiona.....our exploration adventure had begun...

Today was a chance to get to know our surroundings as well as Linzi and Fiona. It was a chance to think, talk and plan the year ahead and we were excited to do so. Meeting at the Knowe Lodge in Pollok Park directly adjacent to the world acclaimed Burrell Collection we made our way only a short distance into the woodland where we later planned to have a campfire cookout and forest skills day. We looked at industrious green ivy as it steadily marched its way up and along unsuspecting tree branches while our Countryside Ranger Friends told us stories of nature and why they both took so much positivity from it. Our day was short and there was much more to do, however this would have to wait until next time. 'The World is Big and I want to have a good look at it before it gets dark'. JM

To learn a bit more about John Muir’s life in Scotland and his emigration to America, I’ve been reading ‘The Story of My Boyhood and Youth’ which he wrote later in his life and which was published in 1913. I started reading it really to find out about the journey he made from Dunbar to Helensburgh to set sail west – the same journey I’m about to walk. I had in my mind pages of descriptive writing of step after step across the country, that I would be following. I could see the horse-drawn carriage laden with wordly goods, and expected the journey would throw up Grapes-of-Wrath style challenges to read about. Perhaps I was confusing my John Steinbeck with my John Muir because his journey is summed up with one line on page 27 – “Next morning we went by rail to Glasgow and thence joyfully sailed away from beloved Scotland, flying to our fortunes on the wings of the winds, carefree as thistle seeds.” And that’s it. Hmmm. Can’t say I’m not disappointed. One review of this book by Peter Browning says “It has the distinctive tone and content that mark the retrospective autobiographical view. His perceptions of early life inevitably were colored and slanted by the experiences of a lifetime. It was not a false view of his life, but it most certainly was not what he would have written – assuming the ability – at age fifteen or twenty.” And, yes, Muir is definitely writing with regret at some of the things he got up to as a boy, particularly things like nest-raiding or throwing stones at cats, but he also describes experiences in nature that could be – I’m sure still are - had by children today. One of my favourites is this passage about the skylark – I’ll think of it if I hear any on my walk. “To test our eyes we often watched a lark until he seemed a faint speck in the sky and finally passed beyond the keenest sighted of us all. ‘I see him yet’ we would cry, ‘I see him yet!’ ‘I see him yet!’ ‘I see him yet!’ as he soared. And finally only one of us would be left to claim that he still saw him. At last he, too, would have to admit that the singer had soared beyond his sight, and still the music came pouring down to us in glorious profusion, from a height far above our vision, requiring marvelous power of voice, for that rich, delicious, soft, and yet clear music was distinctly heard long after the bird was out of sight.”