Nigel mans our stand at TEDx Brighton, with a question: What kind of leader are you?
#schoolofthewild #leadership #whatkindofleader
#schoolofthewild #leadership #whatkindofleader
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Biophilic design is the new trend for bringing nature into the design of your home and workspaces. These 3 plants are the best for your office, says interior designer Chloe Bullock   l first learnt about biophilia whilst watching Biophilic Design – the Architecture of Life. It’s a film about the overwhelming benefits of buildings that connect people and nature: hospitals where patients heal faster, schools where children’s test scores are higher, offices where workers are more productive, and communities where people know more of their neighbours, and where families thrive.
I loved it. It all made so much sense. There’s lots of research that shows we need nature at a deep and fundamental level, but our cities and buildings are often designed in ways that diminish the environment, and alienate us from the natural world. Biophilic design, in contrast, shows the way toward creating healthy and productive habitats in a modern way. Biophilia itself means the human need for connection to nature - the idea that we possess an innate tendency to seek connections with nature and other forms of life.  We almost cancelled this Coastal Foraging Class - really glad we didn't as the weather was great despite the gloomy forecast! Thanks to @forage_brighton for a great walk and tasty wild snacks.
#schoolofthewild #wildfood #wildgut  There's a reason they say it's lonely at the top.
For the leader of any organisation, you may have lots of people working for you, but with the challenge of a changing and diverse workforce, a never ending conveyor belt of meetings, reports, and decisions, with uncertain outcomes and the pressure to deliver, you can end up feeling pretty isolated and wondering how best to lead effectively. You’re not alone: 60% of leaders say feeling isolated affects their performance, and instead they get caught up in the small details and push aside the decisions that really matter. [†] Good session with a group of green business leaders working on #leadership and #innovation29/9/2018
 Great session around the fire with eight leaders of organisations, working on leadership and innovation in the green economy. An event we ran for Brighton University's Green Growth Platform.
#aroundthefire #natureinspires #schoolofthewild #sustainability #sustainabilitymatters #connection #weareallhuman #whatsneeded  Guelder Rose berries taste and smell like old socks. Makes good jelly though says Mike. The rain doesn't dampen spirits on our Wild Wine and #Foraging morning with Brighton Wine Company.
#schoolofthewild #foodforfree #wildfood "From de-stressing to being more creative, my work has benefitted from spending time around a fire with other business people," says Amy Lishman of Brighton Chamber. "Here's how it helped me..."   I’m lucky that in my job I’m not constantly stuck in front of a screen for 8 hours a day. I get out and about and meet people across Brighton and attend networking events in venues across the city.
Most of these events and meetings are indoors though - in offices, coffee shops and co-working spaces like Platfr9m and Freedom Works. So when I was invited to attend Mentors Go Wild, a session run as part of the NatWest Business Accelerator programme and facilitated by School of the Wild, a morning of conversation, teamwork and communication – all outdoors in the beautiful Stanmer Park – I literally jumped at the chance. We did a number of exercises throughout the morning led by Nigel and the School of the Wild team. All designed to help the group get to know each other, discuss challenges and opportunities, and bring a group of seemingly disparate individuals together. I’m not going to spoil the surprise of the innovative exercises we did, but instead I offer three things I learnt from working outside for the morning.  Delicious wild cocktails, easy to make when you know how! Another fantastic class by Caroline and Jessie.
With few wild plants surviving the UK’s recent dry weather, we’ve been forced to cancel our latest foraging class - it’s a worrying sign for all of us  Today this South Downs meadow is full of dry grasses (pic 2018)  Last summer the same meadow was full of wild herbal plants like Yarrow, Wild Carrot, Knapweed, Agrimony, Eyebright, and much more (pic 2017) We’ve just cancelled a Foraging and Health class.
Six weeks of no rain have left the South Downs parched, with very few wild herbal plants to be found on the chalk grasslands where we planned to be walking. I’ve spent the day on the phone to herbalist Lucinda Warner trying to decide what to do. We talk about options but the land is just too dry to forage. “There’s a few small examples of Plantain and Yarrow up there,” she tells me, but, “no St John’s Wort, no Agrimony, no Mugwort, no Eyebright…” Nothing like the abundance of wild flowers we’ve found over the past few summers.  Staff from Matchbox Mobile show how it's done, aceing the team fire lighting challenge, one task at a time.
 Great feedback from our foraging and wild food session for Brighton & Hove Chamber of Commerce this eve. Thanks to @forage_brighton for yummy wild canapés.
 . #schoolofthewild #teambuilding #awaydays
Take advantage of the warm weather to hold your team away day in the Great Outdoors. Taking your team into nature has lots of benefits.  An away day in the wild builds camaraderie and team spirit A few weeks ago we ran an away day for the UK Green Building Council, a passionate and busy organisation who advocate for a better built environment. We got their team of twenty to connect around the fire, take an inspiring tour of the Brighton Earthship, and do some whittling and foraging. Usually based in an office in London, the activities and time together in nature really worked - Julie Hirigoyen their CEO wrote that the day gave them a “palpable sense of calm and togetherness which is still with us a week later.” The Academy of Medical Sciences delve into the future of medical research at an innovation away day workshop around the fire
All pictures: Academy of Medical Sciences
Who are they?
The Academy of Medical Sciences is a fellowship of 1,200 of the UK’s best medical science researchers working at universities and hospitals across the UK, with a mission to improve health through research.
Looking at the future of medicine
It’s March 2018, and the Academy are running a series of Horizon Scanning workshops across the UK to look at the future of medicine over the next 30 years. The workshops are bringing the Academy’s fellows and grant awardees together with curious creatives from various research disciplines, to explore what areas of medical research and innovation will have the greatest impact on society by 2048 (when the Academy turns 50). The Academy have asked School of the Wild to host the Brighton workshop - the idea is to hold it away from the usual world of universities and hospitals, in an environment not normally connected to research, to inspire attendees to think more broadly about the future. Futures consultant Oliver Grant is leading the sessions with support from Academy of Medical Science (AMS) staff, and writers and graphic visualisers who record the conversations.  #schoolofthewild #foragedfashion
A very enjoyable day, Making Sense of Place with land care specialist Charlie Brennan. Hearing everyone's stories about what place means to them is inspiring, and makes you realise we're all migrants.
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Author & CuratorNigel Berman is the founder of School of the Wild. |
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