Throughout October, our fantastic VI-guides have been running two Sensing Nature guided walks a week at the lovely Westonbirt Arboretum as part of our Re-Storying Landscapes ‘Westonbirt Unseen’ project activities.
The walks have received really positive feedback. For example, one walk participant wrote:
“At this time of year, we go to the Arboretum to enjoy the rich autumn colour of leaves and fruits. But what if you can’t see the trees?
New Sensing Nature guided walks at Westonbirt offer a different way of experiencing autumn. Led by visually impaired guides and their lovely dogs, these walks encourage you to stop, feel, listen, smell and think.
You might become aware of the earth and roots beneath your feet and the wind against your face, the rustle of the canopy or the chatter of children, the sharp citrusy smell of a leaf rubbed between your fingers, the knotty toughness of a branch.
You might appreciate the astonishing dimensions of trees and develop a new sense of their form and structure. You might find words to record and retain your experience.
All of this equals and enhances the conventional visual pleasure that most of us get from autumn at Westonbirt.”
One of the fantastic Westonbirt guides, Malcolm Potter, who has been integral in supporting this new initiative, was inspired to write the following piece after volunteering as a sighted assistant during one of the early walks. In Malcolm’s words…
Reflections on a special autumn walk
Somewhere in the air a bird is calling.
We close our eyes and slowly start to see more clearly;
Standing, turning, listening we discover a new and richer world.
Then, entering the cool shade of the Ironwood’s tangled dome
our enquiring fingers trace its branches. Rough, smooth and very hard.
The heavy scent of toffee masks the taste of Incense Cedar as we pass
until we step back in time under the shadow of some ancient yews.
There, the breeze brushes our faces and brings fresh sounds
of rustling leaves and distant voices, some from a past long gone.
Moving along the path we pause to catch a handful of autumn’s words.
They float down around us casting vivid shadows on the ground.
On again and treading lightly the soft turf suddenly turns to stone.
Our feet encounter the Spruces’ earthy radiating skeleton
This gently leads us toward its drooping but endangered limbs.
A little further on we hear the counting of the pace’s distance measure
Until at last it fades into silence.
Then balancing loosely in the pineappled embrace of the Western Red Cedar
We recover our equilibrium and rebuild our confidence.
Finally, in the open once more, sounds are muted, the breeze is stronger
And we slowly return to another life.
We’re really looking forward to developing these walks further in the new year, and would like to thank everyone – our brilliant new guides – Barbara, Mike, Mark and Louise, Westonbirt’s existing volunteer guide team – with a special shout out to Liz who has been leading a lot of this, to Westonbirt staff and Andy – who have put so much thought, energy and care into making them all happen. So thank you!
