Time is a funny thing out in the woods, seeming to stand still and yet be constantly shifting, an ode to the ever turning wheel of the year and the ebb and flow of the seasons.

For the most part, such stories gave parents a bogeyman they could use to scare their young away from the dangers of deep water, for like fire, there is something alluring about water. There’s also a part of me, perhaps a more cynical part, that sees these stories as something else; our loss of connection to these wild spaces.

A good meal can bring families together and forge bonds, there’s a reason why the kitchen is often called the heart of the home. Foraging for food is an almost forgotten skill and is a great way to begin to connect with the natural world or deepen the connection you already have.