Centre for nature and green living
What is your role at St Nicks and what training, employment and interests led you to this role? I run Words From the Wild with Emma. We used to run Book Club and Creative Writing separately, but now they’re combined, which is great! While I was studying at the Centre for Writing at York St […]
This blog is part of a series based on the infographic by Decorative Aggregates. Read the previous posts here. In this month’s blog we’ll be looking at how being in a garden or out in nature can help us to relax. There are many daily stressors in life but one of the best ways to […]
This is the first in a series of blogs about Ecotherapy – a method of promoting good mental health and physical wellbeing through outdoor activity in the natural environment. With the current situation in the world, many people have been seeing and feeling the benefits of being in nature and rediscovering or fully appreciating their […]
Wildlife at St Nicks has been flourishing this spring. Wildwatch volunteers would normally be meeting every week to record – and enjoy – this. Alas, this is impossible right now. However, several Wildwatchers have been able to visit individually and share their sightings with us all. And of course staff members continue to do essential […]
By St Nicks Volunteer, Tessa McClary Look under a leaf, and you’ll spot a bright red ladybug. Dig under the carpet of grass, and you’ll see a worm inching its way through the mud. Watch the puddle next to the bund, until a golden frog lopes his way down to the water. If you […]
For our final volunteer insight blog, I spoke to Jacob who has been volunteering since September 2017 as part of his studies. Currently at sixth form at Archbishop Holgates, Jacob volunteers to get experience away from the classroom. As a young student still in school education, I thought it would be great to see what […]
Now on day three of our volunteer blogs, I caught up with Support Volunteers, Emma and Eleanor, who help to supervise the Student Action Volunteers of a Wednesday afternoon, to find out how they feel about volunteering at St Nicks. What is your role at St Nicks and what does that involve? Emma: I am a […]
Nature Reserve Manager Jonathan Dent tells us why we should care more about what happens to rubbish washing away down the river. Have you ever noticed the litter that is piling up in your local river or stream? Perhaps not: the following week, it has often disappeared. It’s more than likely that, rather than being […]
Absorbing and relaxing, helpful, welcoming and friendly, and giving people the chance to learn new things about nature are just some of the ways people describe the Ecotherapy programme at St Nicks. In this blog, three of our participants share their personal stories about their Ecotherapy journey, showing that we really do help people in recovery from […]
Most of us go up and down steps and slopes without stopping to think about it, unless an injury or advancing age turns it into a conscious effort. Some of us enjoy the physical challenges and rewards of hill walking. A few serious mountaineers get kicks out of trying to get up sheer rock faces. […]