The Symondsbury Apple Project: Tree wise

The Treewise project facilitates learning experiences of the natural world for children of all ages with an emphasis on woodlands and orchards.

The calendar of events kicks off in March with a Tree dressing in the orchard at Symondsbury and includes a blossom-time event in May an Easter Egg Hunt and a family Woodland Day in July. Each event is led by experienced leaders and takes place on orchard or woodland sites in the Bridport area.

All sessions will take place outdoors and help adults and children to enjoy and learn about the natural environment through seasonal tasks, celebration and play.

Treewise is supported by the Local Network Fund and European Social Fund (ESF).

The treewise project became a co-operative in 2006 and all Apple Project events and training are now delivered through Treewise.

Tree dressing was instigated as a national celebration in 1988. Pilot celebrations for that year took place in London and in Dorset. The environmental theatre group, Theatre of the Heart devised a performance around an 800 year old hollow oak tree in Beaminster. Since then there have been hundreds of tree dressings around the country, which usually take place in the first week in December.

The Treewise event borrowed ideas and gained inspiration from other treedressing celebrations and the tradition of candlemass, which heralds the light and warmth of Spring by making and lighting candles.

Ingredients for Tree biscuits
Fallen or pruned branch about 8-10cm diameter
Unsalted butter or lard
Wild bird seed ( no peanuts )
Garden twine
Bow saw
Hand drill or cordless drill
Plate or tray for seed
Butter knife
Fallen or pruned branch about 8-10cm diameter

Method
Cut some slices of wood from the branch, so that you have discs of wood about 1 cm thick. This is best done with a bow saw and it is a good idea to get an adult to help you.
Always be safe when using sharp tools.

Drill a hole in the disc of wood and thread some garden twine to hang the disc up by.
Butter your cookie with unsalted butter or animal fat on both sides.
Dip the buttered cookie into bird seed until it is well covered on both sides.
Hang in the tree and watch the birds acrobatic display to grab some seed!

Useful link
Common Ground instigated tree dressing.
www.commonground.org.uk

The Easter egg Hunt was inspired by the teaching of Gordon Macllelan who encourages play leaders and teachers to work closely with the site, local tradition, folklore and stories as well as personal responses to being out in the natural world

The first Egg Hunt was all about dragons since it was on St Georges Day and explained how the tiny apple Dragon hid in the old orchards of Dorset to escape the indiscriminate slaying of all flying mystical beasts, both benign and fierce. Nests of moss and twigs and leaves were discovered nestling on the orchard floor and all the children with senses sharp enough to see them were rewarded.

Subsequent egg hunts have taken place in a small copse, bejewelled with wood anemones, dogs mercury and bluebells. Here the Stone birds arrive each year to make their stick nests in the shady places. They leave their coloured eggs for the children to find and deliver safely to the care of the woodland's magical creatures.

Useful Link
Gordon MacLellan, 'Creeping Toad' creates celebrations with groups of people about the places where they live and work and play.
www.creepingtoad.org.uk