The Heritage Orchard Year: Animating Research
Animating Research
Discovery Walks were devised to find out what orchards or trees remained in the parish and how orchard sites had changed. These walks brought a sense of scale and visualisation to the 1895 OS map as comparisons could be made on the ground. Children particularly enjoyed the practical aspect of these walks and those as young as 4 were able to quickly get hold of the idea of comparing the map to the landscape. A discovery walk for adults along with a photo workshop was also held during blossom time.
This simple walk through the village in May revealed that walkers taking the same route in 1839 would have been immersed in the scent of apple blossom as the orchards surrounded houses and lined the lanes.
Planning a discovery walk
How to organise a walk
Plan a route through your parish using the 1895 OS maps taking in old orchard sites. High vantage points can give real insight into the scale of orchards. You will need copies of the route on the old map for each participant and a modern OS map to plot the route accurately for today's landscape. Children may like to customise their map with stickers or highlighter pens as they find interesting landmarks or areas of change. Let them take turns to lead.
Studying a map
You will need to plan the route some time beforehand and may find that you have to leave the footpath to find a site, so get permission from the landowners, or better still meet up with them you may learn even more about the land. A walk with young children may take over 3 hours so they will need to take a packed lunch and you will need to identify a good picnic site.
Examining a bug
Magnifying glass, binoculars and cameras are all useful tools to take along. Photographs wiil be especially useful if you want to start your orchard records.
Checklist
Plan the route and time it.
Get permission.
Assess the route for risks.
Dress for the weather.
In the leader's rucksack
First Aid kit
Water
Mobile phone
Compass
Sitting mats
Photographic credits:
Discovery walks © Keith Hatch and Kim Squirrell
Arty Apples © David Squirrell and Anita Bell
Blossom Poetry © Kim Squirrell
Children drawing apples and leaves in the yurt
Poetry Workshops
Children at 3 local schools enjoyed a day out in local orchards during May when the trees were in full blossom. Poet James Crowden worked with the schools, encouraging, and guiding the creation of class poems, which were later exhibited at Bridport Arts Centre and published in the Apple Press newsletter.
Children writing poetry in an orchard
Kim Squirrell worked at Symondsbury School finding visual and verbal images that sparked each other into life as oral poetry and blossom-time photographs that were entered into the photographic competition.
Oral poetry
Oral poetry is a great way to open up the world of words to younger children. In our session in Symondsbury close observation was encouraged through visual and sensory exercises. Card frames were used to focus on detail and vistas and then the task of finding titles enhanced the ‘pictures' and expanded our ideas of what makes a poem. We stood in a circle and became radio receivers taking in all the sounds then we broadcast what we could hear in as few words as possible. After lots of exploration, the children worked in pairs and created lines they could remember easily. In the orchard yurt we held our very own mini poetry festival with each pair of poets taking turns to perform.
Children writing poetry in an orchard
Class poems
Competent writers can write their words down and may produce several poems in one sitting. In the May sessions James Crowden gave the children lots of freedom to wander and work independently, offering little nudges here and there but essentially working with the lightest of touches. The beauty of an orchard at blossom-time is hard to resist, and James believes in allowing the orchard to do its work and that means that it is important to let go of rigid ideas about grammar or rhyme. By the end of the morning there was an abundance of words to shape and explore later. One or two lines from each poet contributed to a group poem that powerfully evokes their orchard experience. View 4 poems in PDF format
‘Old Man Tree' : a life size tree puppet made from a dead Bramley apple tree, representing the forgotten orchards of Dorset
Grandma Tree, the oldest inhabitant of the orchard Arty Apples
An apple tree planted a hundred years ago is a living link to all the people who harvested and cared for the trees through the generations, when we care for the trees, when we admire the blossom and when we taste the fruit we are sharing an experience that touches the past and shapes the future. Seasonal art days were held throughout Heritage Orchard Year and gave families and children the opportunity to explore the orchard through sensory exercises, creative writing, art and craft.
Spending time in the orchard and becoming familiar with the sights, smells and sounds gave a real sense of what life with acres of orchard around would have been like. Outdoor sessions started by building up a sensory note book: gathering objects with different textures, making up cocktails of smells and finding words to prompt images and sounds. Many of the ideas were inspired by Earth Education techniques, which are designed to facilitate the experience of Nature.
Each orchard session was followed up with an art or craft day where the notebooks, collections and drawings were translated in artwork using natural materials such as felt, batik, willow and paper. In the summer nine families attended a celebratory week of workshops in the orchard included singing, lantern making, clay work and puppetry using apple wood. On the final day friends and village children were invited to come along and enjoy a story walk devised during the week. Work from the Art Apples sessions went on show in September and October in The Art Garden Café at Bridport Arts Centre. We also held a photography competition open to adults and children. You can view the winning photographs by clicking the links on our News and Events page.
Autumn: A creative display of items found in an orchard
Winter: Girl making a felt picture
Spring: Making giant blossoms with willow and tissue paper
Summer: A summer art workshop in the yurt
Listening to stories at the orchard Sun fest