Finger-print millipedes

a ripple of finger-print millipede

 

Drawing, printing, scribbling and writing

~ a day at Buxton Country Park, May 2022

Finger-print millipedes run through the beech woods of Buxton. Rainbow unicorns step through the dappled shade of ash trees. There are wonders hidden here, waiting for the explorers, the magicians, the storytellers….waiting for anyone to come and find them.

 

precision in leaf rubbing

We gathered words, phrases about the woods of our town. We built books and spun stories…The Stronger Roots project is back for another year of activities drawing people into deeper, more creative and more unexpected relationships with the woods of Buxton

 

GRINLOW WOODS 2022

A poem composed from contributions from members of the public during an event at Buxton Country Park on Sunday 29^th May 2022

 

A path to follow,

A hill to climb,

Tripping over logs but hearing the birds.

 

A walk, a stroll, a scramble through leaf-mould,

Dirty fingers,

Moss in my hair,

And lichen in my toes.

 

Pinecones will start a fire

A twist of grass will kindle it,

Twigs will feed it

And a branch will help it grow.

Leaves and needles will brew a tea

While wild strawberries taste sweet.

 

Under the trees,

Dappled light,

Sounds slip away into the distance

And birdsong fills the space under the trees.

There is a tranquillity here,

A kindness.

Beauty.

 

Beyond the trees,

The hilltop opens out, 

The sky fills the world

And my lungs fill with air.

The touch of the wind,

Of the sun.

You can see down the hill,

Trees, roads, houses,

The Crescent is tiny.

A buzzard screams.

 

I walk these woods

As seasons change,

Feeling life and renewal.

A moment of calm

Under rustling leaves,

Sanity rooted in the green.

 

The first bronze axe cast here in three thousand years

Drips fire and gold ,

Onto stone.

Into wonder.

 

At the foot of the hill,

Coffee, cake, lunch...

And a car full of spiders.

There is a new programme of special events and weekly activities starting now and unfolding in the woods managed by the Buxton Civic Association. Find out more by following BCA or Stronger Roots on social media. Our events will be listed on the Creeping Toad facebook page (@creepingtoad) and on twitter (@creepingtoad) and instagram (creepingtoad)