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The benefits of risk taking on child development By Harriet Leedham | 1st December 2025 A rickety old bridge over a forest stream | Taken by Harriet Leedham, Churnet Valley, UK From the moment you entered into this world you were taking risks. Your first breath, your first steps, your first social interactions. Risk-taking is an integral part of human nature, fundamental to our survival and the enhancement of our life experience, and it is to this one key ingredient to which

Exploring how nature holds the key to optimal rest By Harriet Leedham | 18th October 2025 Autumnal forest colours | Taken by Harriet Leedham, Churnet Valley, UK Autumn is here, its auburns, golds, and reds setting fire to the landscape. The last of the apples, chestnuts, and hawthorn berries adorn branches, and woodland creatures are out and about foraging, snacking, storing, and getting ready for the slow, sleepy winter. Now is the time for brightly coloured Wellington boots

Finding flow in nature and music By Harriet Leedham | 30th September 2025 A scots pine reaching to the sky | Taken by Harriet Leedham, Churnet Valley, UK As a passionate musician I am no stranger to the state of mind which psychologist Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi calls ‘flow’. You might be familiar with the flow state if you have ever found yourself so absorbed in an activity or conversation that you completely lost track of time. I experience this the most often during piano pra

Exploring nature’s role in the learning process By Harriet Leedham | 15th September 2025 A leafy summer canopy | Taken by Harriet Leedham, Bucharest, Romania Over the past few months I have been studying for my Forest School Leader qualification, a pursuit that has ignited my already deep connection with the natural world around me. I have always been in awe of how intricately connected every aspect of the environment is, and the more I learn, the more I seem to get lost down