How To Read Nature

Everything in nature is infused with meaning…

When we look out into the distant landscape, the trees, the hills, the clouds, or even the plants and mushrooms growing directly around us, we can deduce ecological clues hiding in plain sight. There was once a time when people walked the land and could see the interconnections around them to make accurate predictions about gathering food, predicting weather, and more. Nowadays the skill of reading nature has largely been lost because of our increasing disconnection, but we can relearn that. 

Here’s a taste of what we will explore:

- What are the names of the plants and mushrooms growing around us, and what secrets of the habitat can they share with us?

- What are the stories, traditions, myths and folklore that surround different species?

- What can we learn by looking at the shape of a tree?

- What can we read in the sky and what can it tell us about upcoming weather?

- What can caws of corvids or the clicks of squirrels tell us about their feelings and behaviour?

This walk will go beyond plant and mushroom identification, beyond names and labels and into the meanings and connections between the species around us and the elements we interact with. It will be a chance to learn how to read the language of nature in the majestic Epping Forest.

David Satori is a mycologist, conservationist, teacher, and an avid enthusiast of plants and fungi. He holds a master’s degree in Plant and Fungal Taxonomy, Diversity, for which he studied at the Royal Botanical Gardens, Kew. In 2018, he launched Myceliate - a radical conservation initiative dedicated to improving the state of fungal wildlife in the UK, whilst strengthening people’s connection to nature through sustainable mushroom foraging and cultivation. 

EVENT DETAILS:

- We will be meeting at 10:00 outside Chingford Station (London Overground)

- The walk will last until about 14:00, with an al-fresco lunch break at midday (bring food)

- Social distancing rules may change before the end of August, but this event will be limited to 15 people and we will take responsible measures to maintain distance

- This will not be a foraging walk - the Epping Forest is protected by byelaws the prohibit gathering plants and mushrooms, but we will learn about the edibility of what we do see

- Please bring suitable clothing for walking in all weather conditions (boots, waterproofs, etc.), camera, and a notebook

- Contact details to the facilitator will be sent out prior to the date

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