Something to look out for at @thebaytrust.bsky.social in early 2026 :-) In case you are wondering, the #wildflowers in the photo are among a planter that is actually part of a building designed by #ChristopherWren - it’s been at #ThePinesGarden since the 1970s!

Nice article on the #RoofOfEnglandWalk here. Something to try in future. Also good to see the #UNESCO #Geopark mentioned; in my day job at @thebaytrust.bsky.social we have one of the Geosites in the “applicant” Trans-Manche/Cross-Channel Geopark. @northpennines.bsky.social

Did you know? The Pines Garden is owned and cared for by The Bay Trust, a local environmental education charity, and that so much of what we do is possible thanks to our wonderful volunteers! 💚 If you’d like to get your hands in the soil and join our friendly team, we’d love to hear from you! 🌱

Attended the London part of #Communicate2025, for @thebaytrust.bsky.social, today. Fascinating insight on research and/or in stories shared by @climateoutreach.bsky.social @greensolitaire.bsky.social @green-alliance.org.uk & @89up.org among the highlights. Time spent well.

At this @outdoor-learning.bsky.social conference for @thebaytrust.bsky.social today. Excellent session from @drpatmaher.bsky.social on outdoor learning research, including a nice nod to the work of @ltlnews.bsky.social.

Hugely helpful to chat with Rhys Furlong, from @uninorthampton.bsky.social, earlier today on his #allotments #research. It triggered a few ideas for possible future work by @thebaytrust.bsky.social that may just make it to our 2026-29 plans :-)

Really sad news that @mrmarchant.bsky.social has passed away. ‘Parallel Lines’ remains one of the most entertaining books I’ve ever read. I wrote to Ian, out of the blue, to say how good it was and had a tremendous reply about three days later. Rest in peace. #railwaybooksnotliterature IYKYK ;-)

Some promo! @danthompson33.bsky.social was in with us at @thebaytrust.bsky.social yesterday, working on our #PinesGardensIn30Objects project. He’ll be in #Margate on Thursday, hosting a conversation with @holsmith.bsky.social on her ‘Up In The Air’ book. You’d never guess I studied town planning…

November’s musical diversion is the @tansleyjames.bsky.social enabled #90sTop30. My choices will be in the thread 🧵 below. One song per artiste and, this time, in alphabetical order by composition. As with #80sTop30, feel free to comment…

Good praise for my gardening and #volunteer colleagues at @thebaytrust.bsky.social here. The dead hedge in our #GenerationRestoration area is coming along nicely, whilst the #PinesCalyx roof mowing reminds me I have a case study to send to @asbpuk.bsky.social soon! @unep.org

Possibly my first suggestion for a @richards7370.bsky.social poll (though I’ve voted on some past ones)… for #5DebutAlbums1014 here is ‘Total Strife Forever’ by East India Youth. Under his real name, William Doyle, he went on to make a record with #JonathanMeades.

Good praise for my gardening and #volunteer colleagues at @thebaytrust.bsky.social here. The dead hedge in our #GenerationRestoration area is coming along nicely, whilst the #PinesCalyx roof mowing reminds me I have a case study to send to @asbpuk.bsky.social soon! @unep.org

What a difference a day makes! Yesterday was perfect weather for mowing and tidying up the green roof of our eco venue, The Pines Calyx. Thankfully that's done and dusted, so we can make the most of today's wind and rain to get to work on some indoor jobs! 🌱

Fascinating project from @guyshrubsole.bsky.social. Certainly of day-job interest to me at @thebaytrust.bsky.social with our modest ecosystem restoration work, participation in the Transmanche (chalk) #Geopark bid & “cradle to cradle” designed #PinesCalyx built of rammed chalk.

Quite an ornate one for #FingerpostFriday this week. Outside @brunelmuseum.bsky.social in Rotherhithe, London.

Good PM at @asbpuk.bsky.social Reuse Summit. One highlight was the phrase “possibilism is your friend” from Will Arnold of @istructe.bsky.social as it brought to my mind ideas for celebrating @thebaytrust.bsky.social #PinesCalyx (itself made of reused materials) 21st anniversary in 2027!

Really nice exchange with @jonwoolcott.bsky.social last eve. I only knew of his upcoming #HillFigures book thanks to a @grindrod.bsky.social repost… his Monstrosities Mon Amour series features @danthompson33.bsky.social who was working with me at @thebaytrust.bsky.social today. Happy linkages :-)

Whilst I was in London yesterday, at a public spaces expo no less, it didn’t include a visit to the Cleary Garden - these shots were taken by a @thebaytrust.bsky.social #volunteer recently, and are great to see! #FloweringFred #CityOfLondon #ClearyGarden #ThePinesGarden.

Attended #Futurescape2025 for @thebaytrust.bsky.social at ExCel (London) today. A genuine highlight was the seminar from Marcellus Baz & @landscapepolymath.bsky.social on widening the pool of people who might work in landscape roles (and so much more besides.)

#FingerpostFriday. Quite a new looking sign at the junction of two lanes - seen a couple of weeks ago, just north of Grasmere. Features a Wainwright insignia too.

Into October at @thebaytrust.bsky.social now. This month includes some schools’ workshops, a wedding, announcement of the opening of some new accommodation and launch of a modest community initiative… I’ll be out and about, on the Trust’s behalf, in a few places too. #GenerationRestoration

A further musical diversion. Throughout October I will be taking part in the @tansleyjames.bsky.social enabled #80sTop30. My choices will appear in the thread below and listed in alphabetical order by artiste. Feel free to comment…

It’s been great to rediscover #fingerpostfriday here on #BlueSky. I used to post to it, on another platform, and will start again next Friday here. In the meantime here’s a post from today, by @lougulltull.bsky.social, featuring some bridges I’ve a few happy memories of.

Away (2): Great to see colleagues work at @thebaytrust.bsky.social depicted here - some of this is around the holiday cottage (yes, you can stay at #ThePinesGarden.) The grape 🍇 harvest looks lovely. We’re recruiting for a new cook too - see the Trust’s socials for more info :-)

Away (1): En route to @samreadbookseller.bsky.social this week(I did buy a book there!) I came across this, on a table at #TheYan. Had the joy of working with Geoff some years ago, albeit not on an #Herdwick agenda. A nice reminder. RIP.

There was a yoga class on the #Calyx terrace this AM, a wedding here last Saturday, chats on our next #biodiversity surveys & #permaculture training, customers aplenty in the tea room (including some from France today) etc. across this week. @thebaytrust.bsky.social #PinesGarden open as per below…

A few happy things from @thebaytrust.bsky.social as September starts.

Something uplifting from us at @thebaytrust.bsky.social #ThePinesGarden this week - our first kiwi fruit :-) 🥝

In case anyone “unbooked” was coming along, this event has been CANCELLED due to illness. Any news on rescheduling will be announced through the @thebaytrust.bsky.social feed here on BlueSky. #ThePinesGarden.

Looking forward to hosting this at #ThePinesGarden @thebaytrust.bsky.social tomorrow - particularly the section on the sounds of soil - it may be the first time it has run outside of #Devon (though I will check!) Anyway, meet-up is at 10.50am outside The Pines Tea Room…

Looking forward to welcoming everyone who is attending ‘The Wishing Tree’ with @bernadetterussell.bsky.social at #ThePinesGarden @thebaytrust.bsky.social today.

A new musical diversion; the @tansleyjames.bsky.social curated #00sTop30 starts tomorrow (1st August) and my suggestions will appear in the thread below. The ordering will be relatively random and I’ll be posting on a “one track per artiste” basis…

This event we’re hosting at @thebaytrust.bsky.social includes a section on the sound of soil - like a live “underground” version of a @radiolento.bsky.social podcast or field recording albums I enjoy (e.g. @david-soulscorch.bsky.social or @modernaviation.bsky.social ‘Look to Imber’ come to mind.)

I have to say the #PortOfDover staff #volunteering for us at @thebaytrust.bsky.social #ThePinesGarden did some fantastic work. New log seating installed, overgrowth clearances and creation of a log pile for our #GenerationRestoration gardens among it all! @unbiodiversity.bsky.social

Earlier this year @bernadetterussell.bsky.social published #ConversationsOnKindness (both @theguardian.com & #BBC covered it); next month she is running a storytelling event - ‘The Wishing Treee’ - for us at #ThePinesGarden @thebaytrust.bsky.social! Ticket info etc. is linked to in the post below.

It was great to host this at @thebaytrust.bsky.social yesterday. More than 300 folk came to the #PinesCalyx to see it. Pupils’ work had been part inspired by #Cezanne #ChrisOfili and ancient Egyptian sarcophagi, plus more besides. We’ll have some photos soon.

Fantastic to see the #CoatOfHopes visited @thebaytrust.bsky.social #PinesGarden last weekend. Made originally for a pilgrimage from Newhaven (Sussex) to #COP26 it’s not had too much #BlueSky coverage, though I noticed both @bradfordcathedral.org.uk & @myzerocarbon.org have posted on it recently :-)

I was really looking forward to attending this, but something landed on my desk today which means I’ll be elsewhere (actually in an eco-building - #PinesCalyx.) Hope it goes well for everyone at the @asbpuk.bsky.social @passivhaustrust.bsky.social Exemplar Sustainable Building Awards tomorrow.

Yurt shadows at the @thebaytrust.bsky.social #PinesGarden today. On Saturday morning this (and much else) was covered with chalk-infused mud from a flash-flood. I only aided with some shovel & wheelbarrow work that day; colleagues then & since have done a grand clean-up, so we can reopen tomorrow.

I know that #volunteersweek was a couple of weeks ago but it’s worth pointing out that the Chair of @thebaytrust.bsky.social is one of the people involved in the film below :-) Really appreciate the help of everyone in the post-flash flood clear-up.

It's #VolunteersWeek, and we want to give a massive shout out and THANK YOU to our volunteers. From our incredible Trustees, to the garden volunteer team, who just last week planted these french beans and salad leaves - thank you all! If you'd like to volunteer with us, get in touch 🌱☀

If you’re feeling inspired by #volunteersweek stories and have a happy passion for subjects like #outdoorlearning #environmentaleducation #regenerativegardening #permaculture #chalklandscape or #ecobuildings then perhaps applying to be one of two new @thebaytrust.bsky.social #trustees might appeal…

We @thebaytrust.bsky.social are seeking at least two new #Trustees! If you have a passion for environmental education & sustainability, might it be you? Further info here: baytrust.org.uk/wp-content/u... #GenerationRestoration #LowCarbonBuildings #OutdoorEducation #Wildflowers #PinesCalyx

🌿 Mindful Monday 🌿 Whether your weekend was a whirlwind, or your week ahead looks non-stop, or you simply need a moment of calm - this is your reminder to pause. Today, we’re sharing a short video and soundscape from The Pines Garden - a gentle pause for anyone who needs it today. #MindfulMonday

A good bit of CPD for me this AM thanks to the @asbpuk.bsky.social #LimeGroup webinar. Peter Rollinson, #MikeWye, gave an insightful & engaging intro to lime building products; one of his slides included a happenstance chalk landscape view including the @thebaytrust.bsky.social #PinesGarden too! :-)

We @thebaytrust.bsky.social are seeking at least two new #Trustees! If you have a passion for environmental education & sustainability, might it be you? Further info here: baytrust.org.uk/wp-content/u... #GenerationRestoration #LowCarbonBuildings #OutdoorEducation #Wildflowers #PinesCalyx

Useful day at @museumsandheritage.com #MandHShow. Sessions by National Lottery Heritage Fund (@alistairbrown.bsky.social / Beth Bryan) and #Hopetown (Darlington) particularly thought-provoking in terms of planning future @thebaytrust.bsky.social #PinesGarden work :-)

The #hugelkultur bed, treated with “no kit” #biochar by colleagues at @thebaytrust.bsky.social last month, today. The structure that looks like a squat #pylon (without any wires!) is actually an old wooden rose obelisk being put to new use :-)

Some images of a “no kit” approach to creating #biochar, by colleagues at @thebaytrust.bsky.social last month. The accompanying story will be in the Trust’s next e-news. I shall post an image of those #hugelkultur beds, as they are now, tomorrow :-)

It is now #NoMowMay and so here is a #ThrowbackThursday of a photo I took at #ThePinesGarden of @thebaytrust.bsky.social during last year’s. There’s also a bit of a #hugelkultur bed in view! I will endeavour to post a 2025 image or two in the coming weeks :-) @plantlifeuk.bsky.social