A to Bee Ecology

08/06/2026

Something for the weekend? It's going to be a lot warmer.

On 14th June we’re heading out at Busses Farm, East Grinstead to see what’s growing right now.

10:30 start. Two hours. £20.

Expect fresh spring growth, edible greens, a few plants people walk past daily without realising they’re useful, and a bit of folklore and ecology woven through so

We’ll cover how to ID safely (no munching on a hunch), what’s worth taking, what’s not, and how to use what you find when you get home.

Booking here: https://ko-fi.com/s/5b35fe9fe8
(link’s also in bio)

07/06/2026

Thanks to the brave souls who braved the June Winter to attend the Woodland Skills session yesterday.

It was all about benches and spoons and a bit of camp maintenance (as in maintaining the camp not woodworking to YMCA).

Thanks to Victoria and Ben and for letting us use this lovely space.

05/06/2026

Home-ed families – I've got a new outdoor learning session coming up on Thursday 18th June at The Yoghurt Rooms near East Grinstead.

We'll be spending the morning exploring the landscape through ecology, foraging and folklore, learning how to notice what's happening around us rather than simply naming things.

Expect wild plants, seasonal stories, practical identification, a bit of foraging, plenty of questions, and the occasional fascinating tangent caused by something interesting in a hedge.

This isn't a classroom in the woods. It's slower than that. We'll follow curiosity, seasonal cues, and whatever the land decides to show us on the day.

Suitable for mixed ages (roughly primary to early teens), with younger children very welcome if they're happy wandering, exploring and getting distracted by sticks.

Wednesday 18th June, 10am
The Yoghurt Rooms, Busses Farm, Harwoods Lane, East Grinstead RH19 4NL

£10 per child
£5 siblings
Adults free (must stay throughout)

Spaces are limited to keep the group small and manageable.

Booking link in bio or click here https://ko-fi.com/s/cc4ef05017.

05/06/2026

Thursday 16th July 2026 at The Yoghurt Rooms, East Grinstead, Sussex

A full-day countryside retreat exploring nature, folklore, observation, and creative writing, with Charlie Bingham, celebrated author of The Life-Affirming Magic of Birds.

Charlie Bingham, known for her deeply attentive and quietly luminous writing about the natural world, will lead the afternoon nature writing workshop. Through gentle, guided prompts, she invites you to notice differently, to work with memory, weather, wildlife, and fleeting sensory detail, and to let the landscape shape what emerges on the page.

The morning will be led by ecologist and folk forager Ross Symonds, offering an immersive walk through folk ecology, seasonal plants, foraging traditions, and the layered stories held in the land. These encounters will feed directly into the afternoon writing session.

No writing experience needed , just curiosity and time to slow down.
Seasonal lunch and refreshments included.

Camping available directly with the venue.

Booking details in bio.
Or click here - ko-fi.com/s/004210714f

04/06/2026

A bit of a call-out to my network.

Over the last few years I've found myself gradually moving away from straightforward consultancy ecology and more towards education, events, workshops, walks, and helping people reconnect with the natural world. That's very much where my focus is heading.

I'm still happy to take on the occasional paid survey or report to keep my eye in, but these days I'd much rather be outside teaching people, managing habitats, running practical sessions, or poking around old hedgerows than sat behind a desk all week.

With that in mind, I'm looking to pick up one or two days a week of practical work. Habitat management, conservation projects, reserve or estate work, community engagement, outdoor education, traditional countryside skills, practical conservation, or similar.

I've got experience in ecology, conservation, public engagement, education, foraging, event delivery, and generally making nature accessible to people who don't spend their lives reading survey reports.

If you know of anything going, or know someone who might need a hand, I'd be grateful if you could point them my way.

Cheers,

Ross

02/06/2026

Yarrow, is it me you're looking for.

Yarrow is everywhere once you learn to spot it. Look for the feathery leaves and flat clusters of white flowers appearing through summer.

Known historically as a wound herb, yarrow has been used for centuries to help stop bleeding. Its scientific name, Achillea millefolium, comes from the legend that Achilles used it to treat injured soldiers.

Foragers use the leaves and flowers in teas, bitters, and wild seasoning blends. The flavour is aromatic and slightly bitter, so a little goes a long way.

In folklore, yarrow was carried for protection, courage, and even a bit of love divination. It's also excellent for wildlife, attracting a huge range of pollinators and beneficial insects.

A useful plant, a fascinating plant, and one worth getting to know.

As always: Never munch on a hunch.

02/06/2026

On 14th June we’re heading out at Busses Farm, East Grinstead to see what’s growing right now.

10:30 start. Two hours. £20.

Expect fresh spring growth, edible greens, a few plants people walk past daily without realising they’re useful, and a bit of folklore and ecology woven through so

We’ll cover how to ID safely (no munching on a hunch), what’s worth taking, what’s not, and how to use what you find when you get home.

Booking here: https://ko-fi.com/s/5b35fe9fe8
(link’s also in bio)

01/06/2026

It's time for our monthly Woodland Skills Day

Join us this Saturday for a practical day in the woods learning traditional woodland crafts and useful outdoor skills.

We'll spend the day making things, learning by doing, and developing your knowledge. Expect practical skills, natural materials, plenty of fresh air, and a chance to slow down and engage with the woodland in a more hands-on way.

No endless PowerPoints. No exams. No need to know your ash from your alder before you arrive.

Whether you're completely new to woodland skills or simply looking for an excuse to spend a day outdoors, you'll leave with new knowledge, greater confidence, and a few muddy fingerprints.

Suitable for beginners and anyone who enjoys getting their hands dirty.

Saturday 6th June | 10am - 2pm I A privare conservation farm near Hartfield (exact location provided on booking)
Booking link in bio. or click ko-fi.com/s/7e50bb465c

29/05/2026

Folklore Thursday (on a Friday): Sussex Pinch-Bum Day

Today, 29th May, is Pinch-Bum Day in Sussex.

In Sussex, anyone not wearing oak leaves risked getting their bum pinched, slapped with nettles, or pelted with eggs. This is a tradition I intend on reviving (consensually, obv), so watch out.

Also known as Oak Apple Day, it marks the restoration and birthday of Charles II in 1660 after the English Civil War. The king hid in an oak tree while escaping Cromwell’s troops. The day was also known locally as Shick-Shack Day, after an old Sussex word for oak.

A quick aside, oak apples are galls formed when a tiny gall wasp lays its eggs in oak buds, causing the tree to grow a protective little sphere around the developing larvae (see the pic).

28/05/2026

Most people walk through landscapes without actually seeing them.
They notice a few plants, maybe the weather, then fill in the gaps.

This day is about changing that. Not by learning endless species lists, but by learning how to read what’s actually in front of you — patterns, edges, soil, light, disturbance, and the way everything connects.

We’ll spend the day outside at Yoghurt Rooms, looking at how landscapes really work, with a proper lunch in the middle of it.

If you want to stop guessing outdoors and start understanding what you’re looking at, this is for you.

4th June 10am–5pm
Lunch included
Limited places
The Yoghurt Rooms, Busses Farm, East Grinstead

Booking in bio or ko-fi.com/s/53059aae3e
Use code SUMMER10 at checkout to get 10 percent off. Limited time offer only.