Earth Pathways Showcase

Foraging is a treasure hunt that never grows old, seeking through the woods and in the hedges for a blackberry gemstone or a jewelled mushroom. The lure of free food, the connection with nature and the unbridled joy of a pantry bursting with dried fungi, herbs and sloe gin. Discovering a fairy ring of beautiful fly agarics and knowing that the mycelium lives and breathes beneath us - and will likely outlast us all - brings an awesome sense of perspective.

Something ancestral stirs deep in me each time I harvest a bolete or discover a new and incredible plant to photograph. The joy in the eyes of the children who make these discoveries with me is reflected in my own excitement and the sense of satisfaction that comes with a good haul. This is a feeling that shopping online and plugging into a console can’t compete with and I wonder, not for the first time, whether the world would be a happier, less troubled place if more people in our money-driven society were to re-discover the pure fulfilment that comes from finding ingredients in nature. Perhaps we can heal the world through slow cooked garlic mushrooms and bilberry crumble…

Foraging © Claire Arnold

We are tired, the Earth and I. She drops her leaves and welcomes the approaching winter as I roll myself in her embrace and try to slow my breath. Wrapped in the soft green of her hills, snug underneath the cape of her velvet sky, I dream of a future that is easier, with space to rest and breathe. I press my ear to the trees she nurtures and hear her pulse driving through them. I hear her sigh in the wind, and in my own voice. Her tales of a time before us and her whispered dreams of a world to come are encased in the rustle of the leaves, the songs of birds and the blades of grass we walk upon. The early morning mist hangs low over her fields and the fresh chill shivers through me. I bathe in the sea that is her lifeblood and feel her heartbeat rolling through me; I feel myself dissolving into her and we are one.

This is our autumn, our future’s uncertain, fatigue slows me down and human impact is choking her slowly, sending her into a spin. Her endurance is tested but she is a survivor. The sirens sound for change and she will endure.

Sometimes it seems we are the same, but the grass will grow over me and she will go on.

Autumn © Claire Arnold 2021

The land is warm with the echoes of voices,
The voices of the midwives, the healers, the wise.
The women who lived their connection to the landscape,
Shared it as a gift and passed their knowledge down.
The voices of their neighbours, who thanked them for their service,
Who brought them gifts of food and sought protection there.
The same voices denounced them, when fear was stirred against them,
The burnings and the hangings and the drownings came then.

The land cries out for healers, for the hands of the wise women,
And we must heed our ancestors and learn their craft again.
We must embrace our passion and look beyond our fears,
Our burning time is over but the world is burning now.
Take the water no-one carried to quench the flames that licked us,
And soothe the world and heal it; we will rise again.
Bring back the wild dancing, hear the moonlight singing,
Build the bridge to wildness and let our voices ring.

Voices © Claire Arnold 2020

My roots are in this land.
I dig and plant and weed and breathe.
The energy of the earth flows through me.
I hear those who came before me,
The wise women who walked this path,
Gathering herbs, mixing berries.
I learn about the medicines and feasts the land provides.
I know the land I live on and I know myself.
Coming home to this place in the universe,
I am part of the unfolding of the earth.
I plant seeds with my children, teach them to water and weed.
Their roots are in this land.

Roots © Claire Arnold 2018

It feels vital to me to live our homeschooling life in harmony with the Earth, moving with the seasons and learning from the land. We are privileged in belonging to a weekly Natural Learning group at Embercombe, a local sustainable community rooted in a desire to inspire social and environmental change. The Natural Learning Group creates a space for parents to breathe together and share the support of others following similar paths as the children grow and learn in Nature. What may look like play is, in reality, the developing of socially skilled, diverse young minds. Knowledge of biodynamic gardening is passed on as we plant, harvest and eat the organic produce the community thrives on, and lifelong skills are developed as we explore green woodworking, sustainable forestry and fire cooking.

As a mother, I am humbled to see my children delight in feeling the sun on their faces, eating hedgerow fruit and laughing in the rain. Freedom comes in many forms within our society, but the chance to live in respectful harmony with the world around us is the epitome of freedom itself. I am honoured to witness the gifts and knowledge freely given by the staff at Embercombe, enabling our children on their journey to become a new generation of empowered and enlightened adults. As we learn on and from the land, we build connections that enrich our daily lives and nourish our souls. My heart sings.

Natural Learning © Claire Arnold 2014