May Day Nature Celebration

Join Forest Therapy Practitioner Poppy Wildman on May bank holiday in private woodlands at Rushcliffe Country Park for an immersive afternoon celebrating May Day in nature, with opportunities for forest bathing, weaving our own willow ‘May Day flower crowns’ and enjoying some seasonal journaling and reflection.

May Day, or Beltane, is one of four cross-quarter days in the Celtic calendar, falling in between the Spring Equinox and Summer Solstice, and marks an important times in the natural calendar for celebration and reflection.

Celebrated across the country with our 'May Day Bank Holiday', this ancient celebration reflects themes of natural abundance, fire and fertility. It is a time to celebrate love and joy, a time for feasting and fire, and a time for creativity and enjoying the warmth of the early summer sun and the flowers she brings with her! It also a time for easefulness and relaxation, as we celebrate the true end of the long winter period - a time that our ancestors would have associated with relative hardship and scarity - and enjoy the fruition of the seeds planted earlier in the spring.

We will celebrate all these themes through out of time together, through a relaxed and nourishing schedule:

• Forest Bathing* - a wonderful chance to enjoy the sensory experience of the natural world blossoming all around us, and enjoy gentle relaxation in the warmth of the early summer air. We will also enjoy a cup of freshly foraged spring tea during this part.
• 'May Day Flower Crowns' - a traditional May Day activity, I will guide you in using sustainably and gently sourced willow to craft your own crown bases. We will then decorate with a range of flowers and other flora in abundance in our woodlands and park area - a wonderful way of connecting to the natural world through gentle creativity!
• Seasonal journaling and reflection - as the seasons turn, it can feel deeply nourishing to tune into ourselves and spend some time gently reflecting on the themes of the time of year. I will guide you through some prompts - handpicked and crafted by me - relating to our May Day themes.
• 'Fire and Feast' cake and campfire - we will finish by lighting our campfire (weather permitting) and enjoying some time reflecting whilst enjoying some homemade cake (made from seasonal and foraged ingredients)

*What is Forest Bathing?

Forest Bathing, or ‘shinrin yoku’ in Japanese, is the wonderfully restorative, mindfulness-based practice of immersing oneself in the forest, woodland or any green space, using your senses to connect to the natural world around you.

The event will be guided by a qualified Forest Therapy Practitioner. Additional information will be sent out to all attendees 2 days before the event by email - if you have not received it by then, please check your spam then message me at [email protected].

Please see FAQs below for information on accessibility, parking and other info. Any other questions, do not hesitate to get in touch.

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Where to meet?

Outside the 'cake by the lake' café, by the visitor centre and car park. Full details will be sent to attendees nearer the time.

What to bring:

For your comfort, please bring: something comfy to sit on (yoga mat or camping chair is ideal); a blanket / warm layers; and a mug. Limited spares may be available.

Accessibility:

If you have any specific accessibility requirements, please get in touch and I will do my best to inform, advise and accommodate appropriately. The site is accessed via flat, soft and sometimes uneven ground, a 5 minute walk from our meeting point. Disabled parking and toilets are available.

Parking:

Parking, including disabled, is available in the main car park by the meeting point (charges apply). If full, there is usually space to park along Mere Way, just behind the car park, too. Please be advised that parking can get busy on sunny days.

Facilities:

There are toilets, including disabled, by the meeting point behind the ‘cake by the lake’ café. These are a 5 minute walk from the location we will be based at.

Concession:

Concession tickets are available for those who feel this term applies to them and for whom cost would otherwise be a barrier to participation. This may include - but is not necessarily limited to - pensioners, students, disabled people or those on low/no income.

Refunds and cancellations:

Cancellations made more than 7 days before the event will receive a full refund, minus the non-refundable Eventbrite fee. Due to the level of planning and preparation that goes into these events, unfortunately I cannot refund or transfer tickets after this date.

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