Jen Stuart-Smith

I first learnt willow-weaving at the Centre for Alternative Technology (CAT) in Machynlleth, Wales. I spent a happy 9 months there in 1998 as a site maintenance volunteer which suited my ‘Jack-of-all-trades’ character. My role involved doing anything from maintaining the reed beds which treated the sewage, putting up signs on the visitor circuit, to […]

Did you know that this week is Insect Week 2022? (June 20th-26th) Recently we were lucky enough to interview Dr Erica McAlister, senior curator at the Natural History Museum, and also a very old friend of Bek’s. An initially reluctant group of children were given the task of grilling her and started with the slightly

It’s in March that we welcome back our volunteers with open arms… and the atmosphere here on the flower plot takes on a bit of a special buzz. Bek has her team of horticultural volunteers here on a Wednesday, whereas floristry volunteers – often those needing work experience – tend to come on a Friday.

A fresh and effective approach There’s been lots of talk about ‘mindfulness’ in recent years, in relation to our mental health, and it’s a subject that’s far too expansive and interesting for just one blog post. But, at this time of year, when many people struggle with short days and long nights, we thought it

We hope you have had a restful and restorative Christmas and New Year and haven’t missed us too much on social media. We decided to have a ‘proper’ break, so on went the out-of-office and Instagram and Facebook took a back seat for a while. But, as promised, we’re back… and we have some exciting