Summary
Somer Valley September! A month of free activities celebrating the nature and creative health movement in the Somer Valley.
Join us for Somer Valley September!
We are so pleased to announce Somer Valley September! A month of free activities celebrating the nature and creative health movement in the Somer Valley.
EcoWild have developed this wonderful programme in collaboration with local practitioners, to offer a range of nature-based activities at various locations across the Somer Valley. We will be spending lots of time outdoors, engaging with the natural world and one another whilst supporting our wellbeing.
Painting & Drawing in the Garden
Wednesday 2nd September
2:00pm – 4:30pm
Meeting at the Ammerdown Allotment
Join Georgia & Milly from Bath Mind and Phoebe from Somer Valley Rediscovered for a ‘Painting and Drawing Workshop in the Garden’ as part of Somer Valley September, a festival of nature and creative health activities and events!
This activity includes a gentle guided walk around the garden.
Please note due to the location of the allotment, public transport is unavailable. There will be a free transport option available to those who do not have access to their own vehicle. Details of this will be shared nearer to the time of the session.
If you have not been to Ammerdown Allotment before, you may find the following information useful: Type into google maps ‘Ammerdown Conference Centre’ BA3 5SW, it will lead you straight here. Here is a short video to help visualise the way to Ammerdown: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F_hLohVxLe0
Voices from the Land – Birdsong & Singing for Wellbeing
Saturday 5th September
11:00am – 1:00pm
Meeting at the SWALLOW Community Cafe, Radstock, Radstock, BA3 3QG
Join Nick & China for ‘Voices from the Land – Birdsong & Singing for Wellbeing’ as part of Somer Valley September, a festival of nature and creative health activities and events!
This session focuses on the gift of birdsong and how we can connect and reciprocate using our own gifts of song.
After gathering as a group there will be a short meditation/grounding, followed by a mindful walk where we notice birdsong, learn and share.
We will then spend some time doing physical and vocal warm ups before exploring bird mimicry/call and response, learning and creating songs together.
Through the Lens of Nature: Movement, Mindfulness & Photography
Thursday 10th September
11:00am – 1:00pm
Meeting at the SWALLOW Community Cafe, Radstock, Radstock, BA3 3QG
Join Sarah Poppy & Philippa for ‘Through the Lens of Nature: Movement, Mindfulness & Photography’ as part of Somer Valley September, a festival of nature and creative health activities and events!
Are you feeling overwhelmed by the pressures of daily life? This is a gentle invitation to step outside, slow down, and reconnect. Together, we’ll explore nature through movement, creativity and photography. You’ll be guided to awaken your senses, move your body and engage your imagination – becoming a little wilder as you connect with the natural world around you.
Through mindful awareness, playful movement and creative practices -including photography or cyanotype (weather dependent), one of the earliest photographic processes – you’ll discover new perspectives and deepen your connection to both nature and yourself.
Song, Ceremony and Art
Saturday 12th September
11:00am – 1:00pm
Join Elpha & Emily for ‘Song, Ceremony and Art’ at Hillside Farm as part of Somer Valley September (SVS), a festival of nature and creative health activities and events!
As Summer slowly turns to Autumn, join us as we gather together in Song, Ceremony and Creative Celebration. We will come together on a much loved plot of land to learn simple seasonal songs and take time to tune into what is stirring within and around us. Then, using the most spectacular art materials of all time (the things we find in nature) we will co-create a piece of Ephemeral Art.
You are welcome to bring a picnic and stay on site afterwards until 2pm.
This session is funded by the Creativity Works Legacy Fund through Bath Spa Studio and delivered in collaboration with practitioners and organisations who contribute to the wonderful movement of Nature and Creative Health in our local area.
LOCATION DETAILS:
We are a small holding located on a hill opposite the Hillside View terraced houses in Peasedown St John at the exact point where Firgrove Lane meets Keels Hill, BA2 8ES.
If arriving coming down Keels Hill we are on your right, if you are approaching the hill from Firegrove Lane we are on your left.
You will see a gravel entrance way with a large maroon Luton Van parked up, with newly planted trees either side of the entrance way. We are on the opposite side of the road to the footpath and red Pox Box
This is the lands link from Google map pinned location: https://maps.app.goo.gl/MovZ9YJNJJrnrWep7
Forest Bathing
Saturday 19th September
11:00am – 1:30pm
Meeting outside the entrance to the Cricket Club in Midsomer Norton
Join Maxine for ‘Forest Bathing’ as part of Somer Valley September (SVS), a festival of nature and creative health activities and events!
Forest Bathing, also known as shinrin-yoku meaning “forest bath”, is a Japanese practice that invites you to slow down and immerse yourself in nature. By mindfully engaging all five senses, it promotes deep relaxation, healing, and overall well-being. Spending time in nature in this way can help reduce stress, improve mood, lower blood pressure, and support the immune system. It also nurtures a sense of curiosity and playfulness, allowing feelings of love, gratitude, and inner peace to gently rise to the surface.
During the session, you will be guided through a series of sensory invitations, including gentle movement, breathing exercises, and mindfulness techniques designed to help you reconnect with yourself and the natural world.
Give yourself the gift of self-care, step away from the busyness of everyday life and invite relaxation, balance, and empowerment into your mind, body, and heart – while being held in the quiet wisdom of the trees.
Wednesday 23rd September
10:15am – 1:15pm
Meeting at Haydon Que Club, Kilmersdon Road, Haydon, Radstock, BA3 3QR
Join Jess for a ‘Women’s Wild Walk’ as part of Somer Valley September (SVS), a festival of nature and creative health activities and events!
Wild Walks are seasonal wellbeing adventures for women, all about connecting with nature, the seasons and with each other.
We’ll begin with a gentle wander into the batch, pausing at the stone circle for a short meditation. This is a chance to slow down, tune into our senses, and really arrive in the landscape. If you’d like, walk leader Jess can also draw a nature-inspired oracle card for you.
From here, we’ll enjoy a varied route over the batch and through wooded areas, before descending into the peaceful Waterside Valley and continuing on towards Radstock. We’ll stop at Swallow Community Café, where there’s the option to treat yourself to light refreshments such as coffee and cake.
Our return follows the river back through the valley, with plenty of green space, riverside views and glimpses of local heritage along the way. Expect gentle terrain, a relaxed but steady pace and lots of opportunities to spot wildlife. A reasonable level of fitness will help you enjoy the walk comfortably.
Friday 25th September
1:00pm – 4:00pm
Meeting at Greyfield Wood, High Littleton BS39 6YE
Join Tom and Bruce for an afternoon of cultivating our mind’s capacity to be present and aware through mindfulness, then taking this further into embodied awareness through gentle movement practices.
No experience needed, just bring your curiosity.
These sessions is funded by the Creativity Works Legacy Fund through Bath Spa Studio and delivered in collaboration with practitioners and organisations who contribute to the wonderful movement of Nature and Creative Health in our local Somer Valley area.
