Welcome!
Welcome back to the PGP blog. In this blogpost you will find some suggestions for some tiny signs of Summer you may spot when out in nature this August, the best places to find them and some playful suggestions for free activities to help you and the little people in your life feel closer to the green spaces around you.
What might you spot in August?
As we reach the peak of Summer, the tree canopy is at its fullest, providing some much-needed cooling shelter from the hot weather we have had recently! Whilst some wildflowers and plants are already turning to seed, others such as Butterfly favourite, Creeping Thistle (Cirsium Arvense), and delicate blue Harebells (Campanula Rotundifolia), are currently in full bloom. You might also be able to spot some ripe Blackberries on the bramble bushes commonly found in woodlands and parks. Why not collect some to take home and make a delicious Blackberry and Apple crumble? Yum!
Ragwort and Cinnabars
An often-misunderstood plant, Common Ragwort (Senecio Jacobaea) is a tall wildflower with clusters of yellow, daisy like flowers. The flowers can usually be found in many different habitats including meadows, roadsides, wasteland and grassland. Whilst Common Ragwort has earned something of a reputation due to the risks it can pose to grazing cattle and horses, it is also an environmentally significant plant, with a huge variety of insect species dependent on it for food and shelter. Read more about the myths and truth about this plant in this blog from Friends of the Earth: Is ragwort poisonous? A ragwort mythbuster.
Common Ragwort is the main food source for the Cinnabar Moth’s caterpillars. Look closely at one of these plants at this time of the year and you are likely to find at least one of these striking creatures munching away. With their bright gold and black stripes, these caterpillars are very easy to identify, and children love looking at them in a clean jar or bug catcher. Once hatched from their cocoon in Spring this small Moth puts on a beautiful display with it’s bright red and black wings. Sadly, due to the eradication of Common Ragwort, this species is in severe decline, making it even more important that we celebrate and protect these plants and insects!
August’s nature connection activity – Forest Bathing
For this activity you will need:
- Picnic blanket or yoga mat
Instructions:
Go outside: Find a quiet spot outside that makes you feel safe and relaxed. This doesn’t have to be in a Forest! You can do this in any green space.
Get comfy: Sit or lie down on your blanket or mat. Take some deep breaths and begin to observe what you see around you.
Use your senses: What can you feel? What can you smell? Are there any sounds that stand out to you? The more you sit very still, the more animals and creatures you are likely to see!
Stay in the present: When you feel your mind start to wander, breathe deeply through your nose and out through your mouth and bring your awareness back to what you see and feel around you. One way to deepen your breathing is to pretend you are blowing out the candles on the birthday cake of a very old tortoise!
Say thank you: Evidence suggests that practicing gratitude can benefit children’s mental health and wellbeing (Hall et al., 2024). The calming effects of time spent in nature make forest bathing an ideal time to practice gratitude. Spend some time at the end of your bathing session appreciating the beauty you can see around you.
PGP Hull Diary: What’s happening next?
Green Fingered Tots: We are pleased to announce we will be hosting some sessions with Green Fingered Tots at the Botanic Gardens on the 7th and 15th of August. To find out more please visit the following link: Green Fingered Tots – Hull and East Riding Mumbler
References:
Hall, A.H., Bache-Wiig, G. & White, K.M. Exploring the Impact of Gratitude Practice as a Protective Factor for Young Children. Early Childhood Educ J 53, 759–767 (2025). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10643-023-01623-3
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