Sharing Nature with Children

By Christine Lines | Published: 03/09/2023

An Inspiring FHT Day Workshop

On Saturday the 26th of June, I had the wonderful opportunity of participating in the Sharing Nature with Children workshop led by Roy Simpson, a resident of the Park and fellow nature lover and caretaker.

Throughout the day’s workshop, Roy led our group through a series of games designed to educate children (or teens and adults alike) and help connect them to the nature surrounding them. The workshop was primarily aimed at other educators who can bring these games, activities and ideas to children or students. I myself am not an educator or teacher (though perhaps one day it is something I would be interested in), I’m just a young traveller who has fallen in love with the magic of Findhorn and enjoys getting involved in all the interesting things offered here. Educator or not, young or old, I think this workshop has something for everyone and I had such a lovely and inspiring time with Roy, the rest of the group and of course Mother Nature.

The various activities encourage a perspective that nature is an incredible life force worthy of our love, respect and attention. It is something we ourselves are very much a part of, and to protect it we must understand it. To understand it, we must take time and space to step out of ourselves and explore the wonderful world around us. Marvel at the jagged zig zagging tree bark, the soft cushioned beds of lime green moss, or the smooth and shining water worn stones, the whooshing and whistling wind, the deep and fragrant woody aroma of pine, a brilliant pink foxglove against a green, earthy Forest backdrop, the sweet scent of coconut on the air amongst golden gorse, a gentle echo of cooing pigeons and sweet melodic songs of blackbirds, the breathless beauty of an endless horizon and where the silvery sea meets a vast cloud strewn sky…


Each day after the workshop, I have felt the urge to spend more time with nature. Not just walking outside, but truly being with nature. Developing a relationship the same way you would a good friend. Doing nothing in particular. Just spending time with each other. Listening, watching, observing, admiring, learning, connecting…

So each time I get the gentle and spontaneous inclination to idly wander the hinterland, or to sit quietly in one of the gardens. I follow my curiosity and let nature do the talking. 

We all have so much to learn and so much to gain from reconnecting with the natural world around us. I am very thankful to Roy for holding the workshop, for inspiring me, and for sharing some wonderful ideas and ways to deepen my connection with the natural world. I hope in the sharing or my experience, I can inspire the same in you.

Emma Dowling

Young Traveller from Oz 

and new FHT Member 

June 2023

Stop press – Roy Simpson will be running this informative and inspiring workshop again on the Hinterland on Saturday the 16th September.  Please sign up and join us by following this link if you are interested.

 

Posted in News

The Rich Lichen Biodiversity of the Findhorn Dunes

By heather.paul | Published: 03/09/2023

The 2008 Findhorn Dunes Trust Lichen Survey by Brian and Sandy Coppins found 130 lichens and 15 lichenicolous fungus – these are tiny fungi growing on lichens- growing on the sand, on pebbles and on heather stems at Findhorn.  This number has now grown to over 200- all possible because I live locally and being a member of the Findhorn Hinterland Trust means I visit frequently and I enjoy adding to the knowledge we are building up about the land.

This also means that changes in the population can be seen. A beautiful little lichen, Placopsis, which is normally found in Highland and western Scotland on damp acid rocks was surprisingly found here, growing on 14 pebbles in a little group. Maybe a spore blew in and allowed the first one to grow, which then spread on to the other pebbles nearby. Now it has gone – the crusty lichen probably flaked off and blewaway.

Placopsis growing on a damp rock in the Highlands. This lichen is a partnership of 3 organisms- it is a fungus that partners with a green alga and a cyanobacterium which is inside the star-shaped structures. All together they form the lichen- a mini-eco-system. The “jam tarts” contain tiny fungal spores which will be ejected and need to find new partners to grow into a new lichen. Copyright Heather Paul.

Placopsis growing on a pebble at Findhorn. This lichen is usually difficult to remove but the lichens growing at Findhorn on pebbles were not so strongly attached. Copyright Heather Paul.

On the other hand Peltigera malacea, endangered and nationally rare, continues to grow well on the sand and some beautiful P malacea that was destroyed by a motorbike going up a bank about 6 years ago has now recovered. This lichen is greeny-blue when damp but brown and curled up when it is hot and dry.

Peltigera malacea, damp after rain, surrounded by tiny Cladonia “pixie cups”. Copyright Heather Paul

In July 2023 after 15 years of looking for it, I found a  small population of Cetraria islandica, a lichen that is more usually found on mountains but sometimes grows on coastal heathlands. Although not a moss, it is also called“Iceland Moss.”  This lichen is important as food for caribou and reindeer and is “soaked for a few days to remove bitter acids it contains, then boiled and eaten either as a broth or jelly.“ (Frank Dobson, Lichens) An incredibly versatile addition to food, it has also been used in making bread and ship’s biscuits to help them last longer, for throat pastilles, herbal sweets and herb tea.  It’s been added to luncheon meat and cream-filled pastries to reduce spoilage, and has also been used as a laxative and taken for coughs, tuberculosis and as an antibiotic!  (The Vanishing Lichens, David Richardson).

Brown Cetraria islandica (Iceland moss) growing on the coastal dune heathland at Findhorn. Copyright Heather Paul.

On the same day in July two lichenicolous fungi were found growing on Peltigera – Refractohilum peltigerae and Dacampia peltigericola. They were just microscopic black dots, difficult to see with the human eye and needed to be looked at through a microscope to see the internal structures. They were identified by Brian Coppins and are new to Great Britain and Ireland.  

The photo shows the asci (sacs) which contain brown spores (reproductive parts) of Dacampia peltigericola. When these are released they can grow into another tiny fungus living on a lichen.

Microscope image of Dacampia peltigericola, lichenicolous fungus, growing on Peltigera malacea at Findhorn. Copyright Heather Paul.

This is all part of the rich biodiversity of the Findhorn Hinterland and part of the unseen web of life.

Aren’t we fortunate to live with such riches on our doorstep?

Heather Paul

FHT Member and Lichen Enthusiast 

August 2023

Posted in News

Our Wonderful Woodland Garden

By Draeyk van der Horn | Published: 03/09/2023

The last few months have seen abundance in the garden, not just in harvest but in wildlife, be it the small beings in the pond to larger visitors; all sharing this bountiful space. In fact, so much so that we humans have had to take a beat and remember this is a shared edible landscape.

There have been numerous group visits from tours, arts programmes, permaculture organisations and many more, so the garden continues to inspire. Meanwhile the Outdoor Learning Space is increasingly being used for get-togethers, music, reading and writing and solo meditations. The new comfy bench has proved a real hit and the new glass window so wonderfully fitted by a volunteer is fantastic and provides a view onto the new wind and hanging plant garden to the rear. Thanks also to the removal of the sadly ineffective stove and burner we have more room in the space.

The new Outdoor Learning Space window

It has also been a challenging time too, with less helpers it takes more to keep the garden flourishing, so please if you say you are coming please let me know if you cannot make it. Saturdays at 9am remains the day and time I am usually there if you want to drop by on a more informal basis.

What’s on show at the moment you may ask? Well we have wild bergamot in perfusion, as well as a wonderful display of strawflowers, runner beans, sunflowers and coral fungus. So drop by soon or contact me if you wish to volunteer. I am particularly  looking for a committed volunteer who can be mentored into the practices of the garden, so please contact me if interested.

Draeyk van der Horn

FHT Woodland Garden Orchestrator

15th August 2023

 

Posted in News

Committed Long-Term Volunteer/Apprenticeship Opportunities

By Christine Lines | Published: 30/05/2023

Build It and They Will Come!

The story so far. The Shepherds Hut has been fundraised for, built, finished and moved into Wilkies Woodland – thank you to all who have been involved in the process.  A bell tent complete with a small wood stove was also  purchased and pitched  by FHT last spring to accommodate Irene Canalis, a keen young Spanish lady who lived in it connecting intimately with the land until she left in the autumn.  During her time as a long-term committed volunteer she had regular engagement with tasks on the land guided by Kajedo and myself, daily journaling about the experiences/insights and also frequent review sessions. She helped us start to think about how the Trust might develop this role further, possibly into a  future land management  apprentice programme?  We were all learning with Irene and it turned out to be a very valuable experience.

FHT’s future needs: FHT is committed to looking after the land it is custodian of for at least 100+ years ahead partly due to being the burial authority for the Wilkies Wood green burial ground which requires it to look after that piece of land for 100 years after the last burial and partly to do with our work with managing different habitats which require us to plan well into the future. Over the years many local volunteers have engaged with caring for this special backyard with this work underpinned and at least equaled by our part-time skilled and knowledgeable Land Manager Kajedo Wanderer who is essential to the smooth running of this part of the charity’s work.  Kajedo is dedicated to carrying on this good work but there will come a time when he may wish to take things easier which is why we need younger people learning the skills and knowledge required to eventually take up the challenge – FHT needs to be thinking about succession planning.  This is also important with Draeyk van der Horn’s excellent work as a very experienced gardener in the Woodland Garden, a small demonstration plot on the edge of the community.  Individuals are wonderful and essential but even more important is to have good organisational structures to take good ideas and work into the future. The long-term volunteer/apprenticeship programme we wish to establish should allow the possibility of smooth and planned transitions to take place.

What is on offer:  The land the FHT manages is a very special backyard in its own right with a fascinating mosaic of different habitats and some rare species living there.  It is also a vibrant part of what is now called The Park Ecovillage Findhorn, a community dedicated to co-creation with Nature and  known worldwide for its Nature and heart based spirituality.  For the right person it could be a very desirable place to be. Living on the land in the bell tent or Shepherd’s Hut and learning how to take care of the Earth in very practical ways from a knowledgeable team could provide an opportunity to step out of the ‘rat-race’ and give that person an extended period of simple living surrounded by trees and close to both the sea and the dynamic ecovillage community.    

Putting out the call.  FHT now has suitable accommodation for the right people to become committed apprentices. This could happen over the summer staying in our bell tent and working with Draeyk in the Woodland Garden and at least over a whole year to work with Kajedo and other members of the team using  the Shepherds Hut for accommodation.  Are you that person or do you know someone who would thrive given this possibility of developing a career or additional experience in these fields?  Further details would be discussed and worked out. If you are that person do get in touch by emailing [email protected] or by phoning 07825 212816.  We look forward to exploring this exciting possibility with you.

Jonathan Caddy

FHT Chair 

May 2023  

Posted in News

Annual Cycle of Events including Planned Work Parties May 2023 – Feb 2024 

By jonathan.caddy | Published: 27/05/2023

 

Date  Event
20 May Sacred Ways workshop
27 May Lichen Bed Work- 9.30 to noon – AW
27-28 May Nature and Therapy Workshop – Woodland Shelter use for weekend
29 May Spring/Summer Newsletter
17 June  Summer Solstice Celebration
22 June Forres Academy Biology Field Trip 
22 June AGM 7.30pm James Milne Institute
24 June Woodland Garden Summer Care- 9.30 to noon -DH
24 June Sharing Nature with Children workshop
8 July Biodiversity workshop
22-28 July Week-long retreat
29 July Gorse Clearance and Path Maintenance- 9.30 to noon – KW
17 Aug Trustees Meeting – 8am -10am 
26 Aug Pony Shelter Building- 9.30 to noon – JC+GP
28 Aug Summer/Autumn Newsletter
August – end Regular Bee Inspection cycle ends
23 Sept Sacred Ways workshop
30 Sept Lichen Bed Work- 9.30 to noon – JC or AW
28 Oct Woodland Garden Harvest and Bedding Down- 9.30 to noon
25 Nov  Northern Edge Tree Clearance- 9.30 to noon
27 Nov Autumn/Winter  Newsletter
2 Dec Christmas Tree Event 11am-2pm
24 Jan Gorse Clearance and Path Maintenance – 9.30 to noon
8 Feb Trustees Meeting – 8am -10am 

Note: The work party focus may change due to different priorities arising, the weather and the people who turn up. 

Newsletter distribution dates are indicative.

Regular bee inspections from April to August– all welcome with protective equipment provided. 

Jonathan Caddy

Updated 30th May 2023  

Posted in News

Celebrating What the Findhorn Hinterland Does

By jonathan.caddy | Published: 27/05/2023

Last Year’s Activities and Achievements

It is important to reflect from time to time on the many events and successes of the Trust and there is no better time than when the annual report needs to be written up for the charity regulator. You will most probably see the text again in the report that all members will receive but I wish to take the opportunity to share this with you now as I think it is rather impressive and may get overlooked when combined with all the figures. Apologies for the lack of photos in this article.

Much has been achieved on many fronts this year with activities and events that often simultaneously promote all four of the charity’s purposes. Some of the most prominent have been:

Conservation and Educational Events on or Related to the Land – This year there was a marked increase in educational events catering for a wide variety of individuals and groups within and beyond our local community.  These included: a day with over 60 secondary pupils from Forres Academy carrying out their biology fieldwork studies with the school hoping to make this a regular annual event; a Chivas Regal corporate event set up for 30 locally based employees that had them pay us to carry out some great conservation work; programmes set up by local charity Equal Adventure to help vulnerable young people that used our facilities and land as a regular base;  our woodland and Woodland Shelter facility were also used to help deliver a Forest Bathing training course put on by Nature and Therapy UK  which also looks to become an annual event; a Biodiversity photo exhibition of stunning natural history images taken by trustee Alan Watson Featherstone took place in the Universal Hall later in the year that was followed by an evening celebrating biodiversity with Alan delivering talks and slides followed by a well received time to socialise in the cafe and a Woodland Orchestra fundraising event in January put on by Henry Fosebrooke and his Woodland Orchestra.  These were all in addition to our regular events including well attended  monthly work parties that give the opportunity for local people to get together on the land to care for and learn about their local environment, the popular fledgling parent and toddler group gatherings every Friday morning connecting very young people and their carers to the land and the ever successful Christmas Tree event which is a social gathering around our Woodland Shelter which also raises funds by offering non-native trees for a donation.  Our 11 camping pads were well used by a steady stream of young volunteers who helped on many of the land based projects and general land maintenance this year – it is important to have this facility as it is a way young people can get involved in our work and learn from the land.  Our trial apprenticeship programme with Irene Canalis staying in our bell tent with woodstove from March to October went well with the trust gaining experience of how best to hold such a programme and Irene herself very appreciative of the learning opportunity.  One of the things we learnt was that the tent is not useful for year round use and is subject to getting mouldy erected in the woodland for so long.  A number of retreats and workshops were offered but the only one to book this year was a workshop on plant diversity put on as a day event with camping options by the former founder of the local educational charity Wild Things! Jennie Martin. Biodiversity surveys carried out by professionals in different fields continued this year with the completion of a spider survey happening in the autumn of 2022 and ongoing work identifying fungi being coordinated by trustee Alan Watson Featherstone.   More people joined our experienced team of beekeepers during our regular beehive inspections where they were introduced to the fascinating world of bees and with good results at the end of the year with a much appreciated honey harvest mostly sold at a local farmers market and an increase from 4 to 11 hives with 9 making it through the winter.

Buildings/ Projects – Using offcuts from milling work carried out last year, the beautifully designed and finished new compost loo was completed in time for the summer educational events.  The peeling of logs for the new community sanctuary was also completed earlier in the year by volunteers.   In addition, FHT provided volunteers and equipment over a couple of months in the winter to help with the clearing of the new sanctuary site in preparation for the build later in 2023.  This activity was seen by the trustees as appropriate to the charity in fulfilling its helping to  build local community purpose. Materials from dismantling three of the wooden offices from the site will be used to make a pony shelter next year and the whole structure of one has been recycled to create a Shepherds Hut using an old tractor trailer as a base and some of the sawn timber from our woodland for the flooring and covered outdoor space extension.  The Shepherds Hut received monetary donations from our Woodland Orchestra fundraiser mentioned earlier and was also gifted a wood stove as a result of that event which is now installed.  The hut will provide year round accommodation on the land for an apprentice Land Manager which is part of a long term FHT sustainability and resilience plan to ensure the charity’s good work on the land and with the local community carries on well into the future – as the burial authority for the green burial site it has an obligation to look after the land for a hundred years after the last burial and with its habitat work, looking at this long timescale is also appropriate. Another project completed in early summer was the erection of a new greenhouse that had been generously donated to the Woodland Garden.

Green Burial Activity – This was the first full year that the new four strong burial team has been operating with the previous one man coordinator Will Russell taking a back seat although still involved in the sale of lairs.  There have been some teething challenges but all seems to be working well during a busy year. 9 new burials took place including three large events involving long term community members Brian Nobbs, John Wragg and Katharina Brocke.  This brings the total number of burials to 53 with a further 64 lairs that have been reserved and approximately a further 112 lairs that could be sold.  This year there has been an increase in the lair digging fees from £150 to £200.

Woodland Garden – Draeyk van der Horn who coordinates this aspect of the trust’s work has done a sterling job this year of making this demonstration educational garden vibrant and productive alongside taking on the demanding position as Green local Moray Councillor.  He has involved regular volunteers on Saturday mornings and had the support of a couple of larger work parties at critical times of the year The new greenhouse has been a great additional asset and the Outdoor Learning Space structure has been enjoyed by the many that take time to visit the garden.

Membership and Publicising the Work of the Trust.   Our second full year of running the trust’s paid membership scheme was again successful with an increase of membership from 130 to over 160 bringing in a much needed regular income. Our quarterly newsletter produced by a small team of volunteers also went from strength to strength with trustee Jacqueline Buckingham now paid a small fee to ensure it is of a high standard and is produced on time. The Conservation Hub information boards have been extremely successful in informing people about the work of the charity with a large number of passersby stopping to read them and there are now attractive squirrel design promotion cards available next to the displays to encourage membership.  To help with marketing, local designer Birgit Carow has been employed for up to ten hours a month to produce high quality posters and promotional material that goes into the local paper, are spread on online platforms, is sent to the membership as well as made into attractive posters.

Personnel and Administrative Successes – This year there has been a very stable trustee group that has functioned well together and who were strengthened by our new Treasurer David Hammond who joined the trustees in January bringing much appreciated financial and charity working skills.   Our part time Land Manager Kajedo Wanderer continues to carry out sterling work on the land – work that  underpins much of what the FHT does.  In particular his chainsaw work creating clearings for regeneration and planting in the woodlands has been much noticed and appreciated.  Regular land management, finance, beekeeping, green burial and membership subgroup meetings have served the work of the trust well in giving time to discuss and make decisions on important operational details.    Although the Conservation Hub was completed in February 2022, it has taken considerable time to finalise and register the Hub occupancy agreement with the landowner the Findhorn Foundation which was finally concluded at the end of March 2023 giving the trust greeter security around this important asset.

Jonathan Caddy
FHT Chair
Taken as an extract from the 2022-2023 FHT Trustees Report and Financial Statements

Posted in News

The Bee Work Party Report – Spring 2023

By Christine Lines | Published: 27/05/2023

On the morning of the 29th April, approximately 15 members of the Findhorn Hinterland Trust Work Party met up at the Conservation Hub for our monthly morning get together. Every month we do something different and it is always a great surprise to find out what we are doing for the good of nature on each occasion.

Today was a trip over to the beehive area by the wind turbines to mend, clean out and replace the leaking roof of the FHT bee shed and also to clean, repair and to place some new frames into the nine nearby beehives. 

It was wonderful and fascinating to listen to the bee experts Martin Harker and John Willoner throughout the morning and so to learn about the life of bees and how they go about their day to day living. This is one of the many things I love about our monthly meets, we always learn something new! 

After completing the work on the beeshed and after a break for coffee, tea and biscuits, we dressed up in protective white suits and headgear.  These provided protection against bee stings and enabled us to get up close to the beehives to see inside them and to add some of the honey frames we had just cleaned.

Also during this morning some of us used the tractor to help move the dismantled kitchen office walls recycled from the cleared sanctuary site over to the nearby horse field, ready to be erected as a pony shelter.  This group also reroofed the temporary shelter where the prepared sanctuary columns and beams are being stored next to the field so they are in good condition when needed as the main structural timber for the sanctuary.

We meet up every last Saturday of the month to do this enjoyable and rewarding work. If you would like to join us, please do! It’s from 09:30am to 12:30pm and there’s free tea, coffee and biscuits! And as you can see from the smiles on our faces in the photos, we had a thoroughly great time!

Spencer Julian

Member and New Tea Person!

Posted in News

Chair’s Round Up – Spring 2023

By jonathan.caddy | Published: 27/05/2023

Spring is with us and although there are longer days of light and some sunshine, many days have been cooler than normal so far.  The bees in our apiary have been having a difficult time with this with the result that we have lost four out of the eleven hives due to starvation.  Let’s trust that there will be more warmth soon leading to a good honey harvest later in the year. It has been lovely to have some young people along to our regular bee sessions at 2pm on Wednesdays meeting at the Conservation Hub to learn about the amazing world of bees – all are always very welcome to join us by getting in touch on 07825212816.  

A couple of the main FHT happenings this season have included much work restoring the Shepherd’s Hut so that it can be used for accommodation for an apprentice for Kajedo our Land Manager.  Recycling the old office has taken time and skill but with the help of longtime volunteer George Paul and the return of visiting Spanish handyman Louis and his wife Tigga we managed to get it completed and moved onto a site sheltered in the firebreak up by the Green Burial ground with our tractor before the May Day celebration.  Part of the celebration involved a blessing of the hut with a surprise appearance in dressing gown and slippers +  violin of Sarah Perricone, our winner of the Woodland Orchestra evening raffle earlier in the year – she won the first three nights in the hut and it is now looking cosy and snug complete with wood stove for her. Do have a look at visiting academic Linde de Vroey’s article about the beltane blessing and maypole dancing part of the celebration written up elsewhere in this newsletter.

In February there was another storm with further damage to the woodland especially around the SW corner of Wilkies Wood near to the Woodside housing cluster.  Felling and clearance of blown trees was aided  by final year forestry student Cameron Henry offering his tree climbing and surgery experience.  New deciduous trees and shrubs have now been planted to bring more colour and biodiversity to the cleared area with East Whins resident Rodney Knights volunteering to take care of any watering  needed over the summer dry spell – thank you Cameron, Rodney and also Kajedo our Land Manager for all the work done in this area. We carry on with the tradition of turning what may seem like disasters to start with into creative opportunities to care for the land and bring people together to create a sense of community in the process.

The large redwood tree that stood outside Caledonia near the Phoenix Cafe was also felled before the storm and this wood and that of a couple of other sizeable trees were lifted by Greenleaf’s forklift machine on to the FHT’s tractor to be stored for milling and eventual use on the new sanctuary build.  Thank you Jason and Rhuaridh of Greenleaf for your help with this.  

Our regular work parties have been well attended with a Woodland Garden spring clean up event, led by FHT garden focaliser  Draeyk van der Horn, taking place in March and work up at our apiary at the end of April.  Part of the latter event involved fixing the roof of our bee shed using offcut pieces of roofing recycled from Greenleaf construction projects in North Whins – this was the fourth repair to the roof and we trust it will be the final one!  Thanks Spencer Julien for taking on the vital role of being our new work party tea provider at these events and for his write up and photos he provided for the bee work party article found elsewhere in this newsletter.  Thanks also goes to Louise Barnett who had the tea making role before Spencer for her valued contribution during her time living in the area – she has now left Moray but continues as a FHT member. Do remember that Draeyk welcomes people to join in the regular sessions from 9am on Saturdays In the Woodland Garden and likewise meeting Kajedo at the Hub 9am Wednesdays for sessions learning from and helping look after the land  

The repair of the bee shed also inspired George Paul, Frank van Beunigen and I to recycle some of the wood reclaimed from the sanctuary building demolishing with some further recycled metal roofing from Greenleaf to make a more permanent roof to the wood store at the back of the Conservation Hub.  We worked hard at this as well as having lots of fun in the process with great results.  One of the most satisfying parts of this project was delivering it on time and on budget, the budget being £0! – it feels great to be able to recycle and reuse materials to create useful and needed structures together. 

Planning for this summer’s events on the land has also been taking place with a number of workshops and educational offerings, celebrations and other happenings coming up – do check out the calendar of events posted elsewhere.  There will be celebration events including a Summer Solstice gathering again based in the large marquee on the green burial ground with the prospect of an outdoor ceilidh, fire and food. We have also decided to try something new in offering a number of educational day events including one on biodiversity that will be held by Alan Watson Featherstone and lichen enthusiast Heather Paul ( and another by Kajedo Wanderer (20 May and 22 September) titled Sacred Ways.  We are also delighted to have educational expert Roy Simpson delivering a day of training on Sharing Nature with Children (24th June) an approach developed by Joseph Cornell in the US that I have used very successfully as a parent and teacher for almost 50 years.  Kajedo is also putting on another opportunity to join in a week-long retreat (22-28 July) on the land-  do explore what is available and come along to these amazing offerings that are available on our doorstep.

On the personnel front, Vivienne Wylde has now permanently taken on the Membership Secretary role from Arun who will be staying on as a FHT Trustee.  Our only paid employee continues to be Kajedo Wanderer in his vital part time Land Manager role with others being paid for various services – Christopher Raymont as bookkeeper, Fiona McKenzie as Minutes Secretary, Birgit Carow who does a great job with producing posters and material for marketing and a small stipend to Jacqueline Buckingham for making sure this newsletter comes out regularly.  Behind these people there are all of you that contribute in so many voluntary ways to help look after the land and make this venture a success.  A huge thank you to all as the FHT goes from strength to strength.

Enjoy the summer on the land – I will as well as being off sailing again for the month of July visiting other amazing  places around the Scottish seas and coming back refreshed.

Blessings to All,

Jonathan Caddy

Posted in News

Findhorn Fledglings – May 2023

By Christine Lines | Published: 27/05/2023

It’s another Friday, 10am and all appears peaceful in the Findhorn Hinterland. Indeed, it is. Birdsong near and far. The subtle scurry of wildlife. Maybe the distant roar of a chainsaw too! Nevertheless something else pierces the forest sounds. Laughter. The pitta patta of tiny feet. Miniature work-men and work-women in self-led pre-training. The familiar cries of hide-and-seek we all know and love from days past. But what is this? The joyful blend of childlike utterings becoming closer and nearer as we move deeper and deeper into the forest…? Well, we eventually stumble upon the Findhorn Fledglings group. What a beautiful discovery! 

The Findhorn Fledglings are a loose mix of children and parents, many living in the Park or connected through the New Findhorn Association (NFA), that meet every Friday morning between 10am-12pm, come rain, shine, snow or storm. We have been meeting now for over 2 years in an informal ‘forest school’ format, as a way to bring children and parents together in connection and wholesome, nature-based activity. We gather at the firepit just beyond the Green Burial ground, always have a fire burning, and share stories, games, activities, play and conversation. 

The group size varies each week between, say, six children and parents in the depths of winter, to tens of us in the highest days of summer and school holidays. Children generally tend to be preschool age, between months old and 6/7 years. It’s beautiful to watch the children flourish in the natural environment of the wild forest, learning from each other, playing harmoniously (or perhaps not!), collecting firewood, listening intently to Peter Findley’s storytelling, and imaginatively interacting with the forest’s being.

The space is open for anyone to join, and for new parents especially the group acts as a natural segway into connecting with other community families in the Park and nearby. Parental socialising aside, the group also clearly acts as a way for the children to step into themselves as tiny budding beings, in a safe and supportive atmosphere that we are so very privileged to have on our doorstep. 

I can speak on behalf of all the parents and children when I say we deeply appreciate the Findhorn Hinterland Trust blessing our group to meet and wonder over the past years in this sacred corner of the forest they so dearly care for. Thank you. 

Contributed by Tom Feeney, proud parent, community member and Findhorn Fledging group member


Posted in News

May Day Celebration in the Findhorn Hinterland

By Christine Lines | Published: 27/05/2023

by Linde de Vroey

On the first of May, I had the chance to join the Findhorn community when they came together at the Ceremonial Burial Ground in Wilkies Wood to celebrate May Day. I was immediately struck by the brightness of all the colors: the beautiful yellow, white and pink flowers in the crowns, the dark green and gold embroidery of the ceremonial costume, the bright green color of the grass, and the May pole with shiny ribbons in every color of the rainbow. Though the weather wasn’t as bright as the flowers, the people who joined surely were, and there was a happy atmosphere in the air. After all, we were here to celebrate spring! 

We started the day by weaving crowns of willow, ivy, flowers and ribbons – a truly enjoyable and creative activity, and of course everyone needed to look their best for the actual celebration. When all the children (and lots of adults) had their crowns ready, we gathered together in a circle for the ceremony. Draeyk guided us all in a beautiful moment of reflection, to thank the land and wish for peace. And then it was time for the highlight of the day: the dance around the MayPole! I had never seen a May day dance before, and I was mesmerized by all those beautiful ribbons almost magically weaving a pattern together, just as a result of the dancing. As I stood there, singing and clapping and watching, I found it truly beautiful to see this age-old dance re-enacted; not as some old relic of the past, but as a very living moment – and  as a lot of fun too! It reminded me of something I read by the Potawatomi writer Robin Wall Kimmerer, about the importance of sustaining ceremony as a community: 

“Ceremony focuses attention so that attention becomes intention. If you stand together and profess a thing before your community, it holds you accountable. Ceremonies transcend the boundaries of the individual and resonate beyond the human realm. These acts of reverence are powerfully pragmatic. These are ceremonies that magnify life.”

On May Day in Findhorn, I could see these acts in action. By honoring tradition, we honor the history of a place, the people and beings who came before us and who cared for this land, so that we could now make a living here. By giving thanks to the land, we sustain our relationship to the land. By dancing together, we weave a community with the people and the place and all beings that live here. But the truly wonderful thing is that by celebrating together, caring together, dancing together, we don’t even have to think about it. We live it.

About the Author:
I am a philosopher and a PhD researcher at the University of Antwerp, Belgium. My research focuses on the intersection between ecological restoration, rewilding and cultural heritage. I am very interested in place-based and community-guided approaches to restoration; and in the role that cultural tradition, stories, language, ceremony and history can play in restoring the relationship between people and the natural landscape. I first came to the Park Ecovillage, Findhorn last April in light of my research project. There I encountered a unique place where the community has carried out pioneering and inspiring work, not only restoring the land, but also restoring and sustaining an intimate relationship between the community and the land. 

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Findhorn Hinterland Trust, Scottish Charitable Incorporated Organisation (SCIO) SC045806
228 Pineridge, Findhorn, Forres, Moray IV36 3TB