Himalayan Balsam - the scourge of our rivers!

Every year in May we get a little obsessive about Himalayan balsam. For those who don’t know it, this is a highly invasive plant which has taken over river banks, becks and ditches across the country. Whether it’s the Ouse, the Foss or local becks like Tang Hall and Osbaldwick, you don’t have to go […]

This blog is part of a series based on the infographic by Decorative Aggregates. Catch up on part one, two. and three here. In this month’s article we are going to be looking at how focusing on the present moment can help to alleviate stress and anxiety caused by worrying or thinking about the past […]

The scything season is now in full swing and we’ve been cutting grassland areas at St Nicks, Millennium Fields and Heworth Holme (you can read our volunteer Tessa’s beautiful love letter to find out more about this special site). We use Austrian scythes to cut grass because it is more sympathetic to the wildlife than […]

Only around 36% of York homes are classed as well-insulated, according to research by Friends of the Earth. This means that most of us in York (and across the UK) live in houses that are expensive to heat, generate unnecessary carbon emissions and are potentially bad for our health. The recent government’s recent announcement of […]

This blog is part of a series based on the infographic by Decorative Aggregates. Catch up on part one and two. In this month’s blog we are going to be looking at how being in a garden or out in nature helps to bring a sense of control when the rest of life can feel […]

I hate to admit that when I first heard the term, I was confused. Carbon is the main building block of life so how could you go to zero? However, I quickly learned that it’s a shorthand for net zero carbon emissions. That may sound straightforward enough but how do you get to zero when […]

In this blog Ecotherapy Assistant Hannah Kenter will explore some of the latest research and debates in the field of Ecotherapy along with nature inspired tips for how you can put the research into practice. Hannah will also be joined by guest contributors including participants from our Ecotherapy at St Nicks programme. Check back regularly […]

We have so enjoyed working with Ana Ilse Benavides Lahnstein, St Nicks Volunteer Environmental Education Assistant. Here she shares a bit about herself, her time at St Nicks, and her exciting new role at the Natural History Museum. Q: Tell us a bit about yourself. A: My name is Ana Ilse. Like most humans, I […]

In times of stress Nature Art can bring us closer to nature with all the associated benefits of feeling more connected and relaxed. Collecting materials from nature such as petals, stones, leaves and seed cones can be a mindfulness practice of its own and we can use these materials to make and create. Here Ecotherapy […]

The key factor to bear in mind when sorting your waste is to check locally what you are able to put into your recycling bin. Many people assume the system is obvious, or the same as their previous address. Sometimes what you can recycle at the kerbside does change, hopefully your local authority will inform […]