Wonders for a nature-loving brain

BV readers have long been fans of our wildife writer Jane Adams, and the power of her words. Her column is a favourite of many as she gently shows us the secrets, beauty (and humour) held within the Dorset landscape, always encouraging us to see something new in its wild inhabitants. This month sees the launch of her first book, published in association with the National Trust. As if taking us with her on one of her walks, Jane wanders gently through the year, her evocative writing sitting alongside her beautiful photography. No sooner are you trying to recall what an oak apple gall* looks like than, there is a handy picture. *... used in the production of iron gall ink. This water-resistant and permanent ink was used by Leonardo da Vinci and the scholars of the Dead Sea scrolls.

A small problem

I’ll be honest, there is one issue with this book. It is impossible just to flick through it. I expected a rather obvious walk through the seasons (“spring wanders from south to north at a leisurely pace of one to two kilometres an hour”), filled with things that I, as a keen walker and nature lover, already knew. Instead I’m still here, half an hour later, enjoying cockchafer names (kittywitch, billywitch, mitchamador, snartlegog, humbur, bummer...) and the fact that “in 1320, exasperated with the damage cockchafers were causing, a court ordered the insects to be exiled to an area of cordoned-off woodland. Unsurprisingly, the beetles didn’t comply.”

Jane’s book is so much more than seasonal saunters. It’s a reminder to pay attention to the very smallest of details. In an always-busy modern world, it is a pause, a way to feel those ever- more important connections to nature, no matter where we are, no matter how small they may be “... experiencing them reminds us nature isn’t something separate or out of reach. It’s here, now, entwined throughout our lives. Sometimes, though, we forget ... we can become engrossed in, and exhausted by, the modern world and the pressures that come with it. We forget to go in search of shooting stars in the winter skies, or listen for the garden robin’s serenade whilst putting out the bins.”

After one read, this book is a firm favourite I will return to again and again. I will give it to others. It’s such a wonderful celebration of so many small, apparently insignificant facets of our English countryside, and it is packed with constant nuggets of delight.

“In October and November, jays begin to hide acorns. Not just a few beakfuls, but thousands upon thousands –each jay stuffing as many as 5,000 acorns into holes they have dug in the ground.”

They constantly make me want to go and tell someone.

So here I am.

Nature’s Wonders (£15) is available locally at Winstone’s in Sherborne, Folde in Shaftesbury, Gullivers in Wimborne, Little Toller in Beaminster, plus all good online bookshops.

Bongos and cow bells at Whitesheet Primary

On Thursdays we are very lucky to have Mr Morgan, a specialist music teacher, come and visit us here at Whitesheet Primary for enrichment. On the first Thursday, we learnt about different types of beats and counts. We decided whether we wanted to stamp, clap, click our fingers or whistle to the beat. After a lot of practice trying to hit the right beat, we created a rhythm with all of us playing something. We accompanied the chorus of Bad Habits by Ed Sheeran (most of us enjoyed the song but we all enjoyed our percussion section!). On his next visit, Mr Morgan introduced instruments like bongos, shakers, tambourines and cow bells. We really enjoyed playing the different instruments even though it sometimes became very noisy! We were taught about different musical notes and we read the music to play the rhythms together. We are looking forward to what we will learn next.

By Hollie and Rene aged 10

Local children compete in Sherborne cross-country

In February more than a hundred children from seven local schools – Thornford, St Andrew’s Yetminster, Sherborne Primary, Sherborne Abbey Primary, Buckland Newton, All Saints, and Trent Young’s – competed in the Sherborne area cross-country competition.

Hosted by The Gryphon School, high school student sport leaders supported the primary pupils and ensured the highly competitive event ran smoothly. The results were:

Girls Team:

1st: Sherborne Abbey Primary

2nd: Joint - Thornford Primary and All Saints

Primary

3rd: Buckland Newton Primary

Girls Individual:

1st: Phoebe (Sherborne Abbey)

2nd: Lydia (Trent Young’s)

3rd: Tilly (Sherborne Primary)

Boys Team:

1st: Sherborne Primary

2nd: Trent Young’s

3rd: Thornford Primary

Boys Individual:

1st: Lenny (Thornford)

2nd: Archie (Buckland Newton)

3rd: William (Sherborne Primary)

Neela Brooking, Headteacher of Thornford Primary School, who organised the event said ‘Congratulations to all the children who took part and a big thank you to The Gryphon PE department and the student helpers for supporting the event. The children are already looking forward to the next competition!’