Well, summer flew past here at Rewylding. We have a lot to update you on. The community garden got a new title of ‘The Medicine Garden’ and really came into it’s own with this being the first year of growing flora other than nettles and bramble. It is an ongoing job to stop it from returning to it’s previous state. We were able to host some stunning community days of shared work and connection.
With generous donations from our local B&Q (shout out to Tim) and South Hams District Councils locality fund, we were able to plant up some more medicinal and decorative plants. We also were enjoying experimenting with some vegetables. However, we were not able to share the labours of our harvest as a very large, wily (now very well fed) rat beat us to it.
This brings an entirely new level of management into play. The conversation of pest control through natural means. There is a cat on site and though she is a good ratter, this one seems to beyond her scope thus far. We also have a new prickly resident who has set up home in the medicine garden having spent their infancy living in the woodstore.
One of our aims at Rewylding is to build our food production and share skills with our community to do the same, working towards food sovereignty feels increasingly important. Currently it is not us vs rat in terms of survival but how are we going to traverse this as things develop? We love and value sharing space with ‘Basil’ the hedgehog but not so much ‘ratzilla’ but both are equally wild and part of nature. Some food for thought continues to be nibbled our end. Maybe now there is nothing left for Ratzilla to eat it will move on?! Exciting side note between me and yourselves. It is possible we may also have a stoat living in there, which may remedy the rat issue on it’s own. Having kept ferrets for years, personally I am very excited by this. It was too fast for me to see it clearly, but I am maybe 50% sure it was a stoat.
Our work towards a shelter and compost loo is still pending as we await positive funding outcomes. The landscape for funding is increasingly challenging but we remain hopeful and optimistic (and Ivy very busy).
With the very dry summer we experienced it was a delight to hold our Women’s and Men’s groups in the Medicine Garden. It brought a feeling of closer connection and community than we have found when using the Orchard on this site. Perhaps because it was co-created by the Rewylding community or because it is smaller and wilder.
Behind the scenes we have been working at some of the more mundane but necessary tasks, updating training etc. and throwing around ideas for more programmes, workshops and groups we think will be beneficial to our community as well as new funding streams to increase what we are able to offer concessionally and at a low cost to those in need. Once we have some dates pinned down we will be bringing those to you. You can follow our Dandelion Events page to get them as soon as they land.
As we tip from autumn to winter, I am optimistic that we can still gather on the land in community and reciprocity. How the weather and advancement of our shelter plan goes will play a big part. If you are keen to get involved, join one of our circles, have an offering for the community or want to make a donation please do drop us a line.
If you would like to work with us in the building of a shelter with donations of materials, labour or funds, it would carry us a long way through winter as even the short walk to the Orchard in the weather we had last winter was too much for many. A shelter in the medicine garden would enable us to support our community through the dark parts of the year.
In the meantime, stay wyld!
Much Love
Kate Goth
Founder and Director
Rewylding CIC
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