Tales in the Trees

About

Join Ian from Boots on Adventures as we go foraging to explore the folklore and myths surrounding many of the trees and plants in Mote Park. Discover the many and varied uses of trees like the beech and elder, and the stories that surround them.

 

After the walk, we’ll head back to the Learning Space, where you’ll enjoy a tutored creative session with Sheilagh. Taking inspiration from your favourite tree/story, you’ll create a delightful little book using oak gall ink and rubbings of leaves, bark and other foraged items collected on the walk.

 

Pre-prepared oak gall ink will be available to use but you will also learn how to make your own and take a jar away with you (it takes a few weeks to mature).

 

All materials will be provided, but you’re welcome to bring your own sketching equipment if you have it.

 

About Ian

Ian is the founder of Boots on Adventures, leading guided walks and nature-based experiences that help people reconnect with the landscape around them. With a strong interest in tree folklore and traditional plant uses, he blends practical knowledge with the rich myths and stories rooted in the British countryside.

Ian has led a variety of educational walks and workshops for adults, creating welcoming, informative sessions that inspire curiosity and confidence in the natural world. His approach is relaxed, engaging and rooted in a genuine passion for sharing the hidden tales and uses of the trees and plants that surround us.

 

About Sheilagh

Sheilagh is a mixed media artist with a special interest in eco-dyeing and printing using natural and found materials, and a passion for recycling.

A compulsive treasure seeker with a grunge-loving fascination for time-worn linens, peeling paint and rust, she discovered botanical printing nearly a decade ago, and has been investigating and experimenting with natural colour on paper and fabric ever since.  It combines perfectly with her love of making softly textured books and junk journals, often capturing precious memories of place and time.

 

A ‘Blue Peter’ girl at heart, her mum taught her essential skills in sewing, knitting and dressmaking from a young age, and instilled a keen ‘make do and mend’ ethos, long before it became fashionable. 

 

Sheilagh’s interest in pursuing these artistic tendencies really began in earnest when she studied GCSE and A-level ‘Art & Photography’ as a mature student at Adult Education classes, driven by a need to find something of her own after becoming a mum herself.

 

She is a member of several exhibiting textile groups including Mid Kent Embroidery & Textile group (previously Maidstone Embroiderer’s Guild), and her work has been included in several publications by Batsford. Sheilagh has delivered talks and workshops about her creative passions, always keen to ‘pass on the baton’ of creativity.