Hello,

Happy Friday to you!

How’s your week been?

We’ve had a fun one – it was my niece’s birthday this week, and we went to Sussex Butterfly Gardens - she's got an amazing affinity with all creatures. At one point she had at least four butterflies resting on her hands and arms!

Last weekend we tapped into some of the cool stuff happening at Brighton Festival and the Fringe - read on to find out more.

Ooh, just a heads up that the Wildlife Trusts are holding a t-shirt design competition for kids at the moment. It closes over the weekend. And, you can sign up for heaps of ideas and activities for 30 Days Wild, which spans the whole of June here. Every day offers a challenge to help you get closer to nature!

The photograph this week is a nature mandala made by the brilliant arts educator, healer and mandala creator, Emma Tuzzio - check out more of her work here. And read on for lots of woodland play ideas - including making mandalas from natural treasures.

Here’s What We’ve Been Up To This Week: 

Loving Elderflowers

How lush are the frothy, cream-coloured elderflowers right now? Iris and I have been picking them straight from the plant and loving their delicate, floral taste. There are loads of easy ways that you can use them though. Here’s a recipe for Elderflower Shortbread. Or perhaps some Elderflower Turkish Delight?!

And for all the hayfever sufferers out there, here’s a quick, easy recipe to make your own hayfever tea. Note: you’ll need to plan a couple of days in advance as each of the herbs needs to dry out before use!

What you need (per cup):

1 tsp dried plantain leaves

1 tsp dried elderflower

1 tsp dried nettle         

How to make it:

Pick all the ingredients, in equal quantities - I tend to pick a bunch of each. Obvs take care when picking nettles – wear gloves! Hang everything upside down to dry out, or spread out on baking trays and place on a sunny windowsill. I often use the dashboard of the car for drying out herbs! Elderflowers are a known irritant for hayfever sufferers so take care and dry that away from the house if anyone is susceptible. The plants are ready to use when they crumble to the touch.

Add a teaspoon of each of your dried plants into a teapot. Pour over hot water, just off the boil, and leave to steep for 5-10 minutes. Drink 3 cups through the day.