Letters from the Allotment
This blog started as a partnership project between Converge and St Nicks In the beautiful city of York during the 2020 COVID pandemic. The idea was to Connect people to nature through creative writing by sharing a weekly creative writing class online that inspired interaction and observation with nature, which people could then write about and share via this blog (hence Letters from the Allotment).
The idea was born from a class that had already been running for five years at St Nicks in York, called Connect to Nature Creative Writing and is run by Emma McKenzie (BHSc (Hons) OT, MA Creative Writing). Each week Emma usually meets a group of eco therapy participants at St Nicks nature reserve for two hours of creative writing and group work. We felt we might be able to reach out to our participants via this blog and also other people in the world who would enjoy sending us writing and art about their own green spaces as a work of solace during the pandemic.
Update: As of October 2020 we have been able to welcome a small number of our original class back on to the nature reserve in York. Emma has decided to keep this blog going to continue to keep in touch with those who are not yet able to reach us in person and also to continue building a green network of friends from other areas around the world! Emma spends a lot of time out in nature and on her family allotment plot in York where she has a little writing shed, so be prepared for a range of nature based creative writing and art activities!
The aim of Letters from the Allotment is to connect people to nature through words, ideas and imagery as part of a wider eco-therapy project at St Nicks.
Join me, Emma, every Wednesday via my blog pages for a nature themed creative writing ideas and inspirations! These pages are open to anyone to read and enjoy. Please feel free to share your own creative writing and images with me at the following address: creativewritnganddrawing@stnicks.org.uk
All work © the authors, educational materials © Emma McKenzie Converge and St Nicks. 2020
Recent Blog Posts:
An update from St Nicks…
For those who weren’t able to attend the class in person today, here are some pictures of the site…spot the crow about to grab something from the pond! We had fun on our walk identifying different types of nettles and enjoyed looking at the apple blossom. During the writing tasks we thought about Swift’s andContinue reading “An update from St Nicks…”
Beautiful day at St Nicks!
Dear Readers, Today we resumed our St Nicks class on site. Everyone on our email list received tasks, the online blog is now under review. While we are deciding what to do here are some lovely pictures of St Nicks. The most exciting part of the class today was using a Kelly Kettle!! Hope youContinue reading “Beautiful day at St Nicks!”
Today’s finds… I can’t get enough of the York City Wall Daffodils.
The daffodils give me so much joy every year, they are always so beautiful and hopeful. I also saw a beautiful mistle thrush amongst them but wasn’t quick enough to get a photo. Hope you all have a lovely Easter. Best wishes, Emma
- Find a place where you can observe nature.
- Pick up a pen and write what you see.
- It’s a bit like sketching with words!
- Make it a daily habit.
- Enjoy!
Get In Touch
- creativewritinganddrawing@stnicks.org.uk
- ecotherapy@stnicks.org.uk
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