25/09/2023
Westonbirt guarantees to add colour to your life
Now that summer is over, are you feeling little off-colour? Help is at hand!
Colour can influence our moods and emotions in profound ways. Warm colours are great for creating a cosy or comfortable feeling. Cooler colours create a sense of calm, whilst bright, bold colours can stimulate our creativity.
Westonbirt, The National Arboretum is encouraging all visitors, young and old, to feel creative have a go at creating natural art in the arboretum this autumn. As you explore, how about picking up fallen leaves and twigs and creating a pattern on the ground for other visitors to admire. Don’t forget to take a picture of your masterpiece and tag Westonbirt on social media!
Not forgetting all the visiting photographers; Westonbirt would also love to see you share your stunning photos of autumn at its best.
This autumn, experience nature’s very own wondrously creative colour display at Westonbirt with a dazzling riot of gold, red, yellow, orange and pink interspersed with cool green. From the arboretum’s spectacular National Collection of maples in Maple Loop and Acer Glade, to the golden hues of more familiar chestnut, oak and beech trees, be prepared to be up-lifted by mood-enhancing colours, scents and sounds.
Imagination fuels our creativity. Bring the children and meet Birtha, Westonbirt’s woodland spirit, who needs help to restore her colour as she takes a journey through the brand-new autumn family trail, ‘The Ballad of Birtha’.
This wonderful trail was created for Westonbirt by children’s author and illustrator Duncan Beedie, who says: “as an illustrator, autumn is uniquely inspirational to me. I've never quite been able to put my finger on it, but I'm obsessed with autumnal colours and my picture books are testament to this. Ironically, it's the season that is associated with dwindling and decay in the natural world, but that brings about a vibrancy that tends to spark my imagination - whether it be the explosion of reds, oranges and yellows on the trees; the morning mist in the air; the lustre of a freshly dropped chestnut; or the first whiff of a bonfire. Hopefully everyone exploring the trail will also find a sense of inspiration too.”
During autumn half-term, 23 to 27 October, Duncan is also hosting family activities in the Great Oak Hall. Families will work with Duncan to create their own woodland characters that they would like to see in nature and will get the chance to hear about the inspiration behind the Ballad of Birtha trail.
In Silk Wood take some time for you. Pick up a free copy of Forestry England’s ‘My forest wellbeing journal’ and explore the new Wellbeing trail to find inspiring ways to relax and connect with the landscape around you. Simply spending time among trees boosts our mental and physical health.
For those that fancy a gentle stroll through the array of autumn colours, the hugely popular daily guided walks in the arboretum will reveal seasonal secrets.
Being surrounded by nature’s wonderful autumn colours is guaranteed to improve your sense of wellbeing. Set your creative spirit free!
To guarantee entry, pre-booking your tickets is essential to guarantee admission during the peak autumn period: 30 September - 12 November. For full details, see Forestryengland.uk/westonbirt/autumn
(Photo credit; Johnny Hathaway)
