Photo by Laura Ohlman on Unsplash
What’s happening this month with THL?
We are heading back into the woods for our final half term of the academic year and would love to have you along…
Tuesdays you can find our home ed group in the woods in Crane Park from 10:30am - 2:30pm
Wednesdays you can find our other home ed group in the Ham Common Woods from 10:00am - 3:00pm
If you are busy during term time, do not fret, we have a full summer of sessions planned. We have single day, 2 day and 3 day sessions planned and you can book multiple sessions to build a full week in the woods!
If any of these sessions interest you please do head over to the booking page of our website and register. We would love to see you in the woods. A reminder that we are still using our temporary website so you will need to visit www.treehouselearning.co.uk rather than our previous booking page.
What we are reading this month
Above and Below by Patricia Hegarty, illustrated by Hanako Clulow
Lift the lid on eight animal habitats to see the extraordinary natural stories that happen above and below the surface. From the rainforest to the ocean and the macro to the micro, lift the flap to explore the fascinating relationships occurring in each of the world’s ecosystems.
You can buy it here.
What we are foraging for this month
Dog Rose (Rosa canina)
Photo by Jenny Thalheim on Unsplash
Throughout late spring and early summer, Dog Rose flowers bring splashes of pale pink and white to our hedgerows. These delicate wild roses are not only beautiful, but their petals are edible too. The lightly scented petals can be scattered into salads, infused into syrups, added to cakes and desserts, or used to make fragrant rose tea. When foraging, choose flowers from clean areas away from roads, only take a few petals from each plant, and leave plenty behind for pollinators who rely on these nectar-rich blooms.
A wonderful activity for children is to compare the scent of different wild roses and discover how each flower smells slightly different. "Can you find a wild Dog Rose and gently smell the flower? Some roses have a light apple scent, some are almost spicy, and others smell sweet like honey. Which scent can you discover?" 🌹
The forager, Rachel Lamber, has some interesting information about wild roses for you.
The forager, Monica Wilde, has a lovely recipe for wild Dog Rose syrup for you!
Keep note of where you find the wild rose bushes and visit them again in the autumn to harvest rose hips!
What we are making this month
Elder Flower Cordial
June is elderflower season, and we'll be making one of our favourite summer treats – elderflower cordial. The creamy-white flower heads of the elder tree have a wonderfully sweet, floral scent and have been used in traditional herbal medicine for centuries. Elderflower is thought to help support the immune system and has traditionally been used to soothe the symptoms of colds, hay fever and fevers.
Nature Note: Elder trees have long been surrounded by folklore. In Britain, they were often known as the "medicine chest of the countryside" because so many parts of the tree were traditionally used for food and herbal remedies.
Making cordial is surprisingly simple. We gently warm water and sugar over the campfire (or on a stove at home) until the sugar dissolves, then add freshly picked elderflower heads and slices of lemon. After leaving the mixture to infuse for a day or two, it is strained and bottled, ready to be diluted with water for a refreshing summer drink.
If you're foraging your own elderflowers, remember to pick on a dry, sunny day when the flowers are freshly opened and buzzing with their sweet fragrance. Leave plenty behind for insects and for the elderberries that wildlife will enjoy later in the year.
If you give this one a go we would love to see the results!
Can you spot me this month?
Six-spot Burnet Moth (Zygaena filipendulau)
Photo by Kevin Grieve on Unsplash
I may be a moth, but I don't only come out at night! On warm, sunny days in June and July, you can find me fluttering through meadows, grasslands and woodland edges.
My shiny black wings are decorated with six bright red spots, making me one of the easiest insects to identify. Those bright colours are nature's way of saying, "I don't taste very nice!" which helps keep hungry birds away.
Can you spot me?
☀️ Look on sunny days.
🌼 Search around wildflowers, especially knapweed, clover and scabious.
👀 See if you can count all six red spots!
Did you know? Unlike most moths, I fly during the daytime and often visit flowers for nectar, just like a butterfly.
For more information about me check out The Wildlife Trusts’ page all about me!
As always, if you spot this one we would love to see your pictures or to hear all about where and when you spotted one.