naturallybham

The Green Thread: The Hopscotch Test

I recently saw a short video that has stayed with me. Someone had drawn a simple hopscotch grid in chalk on a pavement. Nothing complicated. Just a few numbered squares. The camera then recorded the reactions of adults walking past. Many people didn’t notice it at all. Some were looking at their phones. Some steppedContinue reading “The Green Thread: The Hopscotch Test”

Reflections from the Bridge: A Valued City

The Green Pages are for exploring some of the deeper ideas, questions and connections sitting underneath Birmingham’s City of Nature journey. They are part storytelling, part systems thinking, these reflections wander through parks, waterways, communities, governance, memory, belonging and the living systems that quietly shape everyday life in the city. Some pieces begin with policy.Continue reading “Reflections from the Bridge: A Valued City”

Can adults ever really see “just mud” again?

Green Pages is a space for exploring some of the quieter reflections sitting underneath Birmingham’s City of Nature journey. Part nature writing, part systems thinking, these pieces often begin with ordinary moments:a walk,a conversation,a bridge,a memory,mud on a child’s hands. From there, they gently wander into bigger questions about belonging, wellbeing, nature connection, memory andContinue reading “Can adults ever really see “just mud” again?”

The Quiet Work of Rangers

Friday Feelings – End of Week reflections. As my conversations have moved beyond those who already work closely with nature, I have noticed people saying recently: “I didn’t know Birmingham had a Ranger Service.” And yet, once you know you begin noticing the work Rangers do, and you start seeing their presence across the city’sContinue reading “The Quiet Work of Rangers”

Burbury Park – Wild at Heart

Yesterday, I spent an hour and a half in Burbury Park. It was one of the warmest days of the year so far. As I entered the park, the sound of children playing carried across the space telling a story of laughter, movement and life already unfolding before I reached the activity. I spotted theContinue reading “Burbury Park – Wild at Heart”

Distributed Leadership

There is a particular kind of powerful leadership that doesn’t always announce itself. It doesn’t need to sit at the top of a structure.It doesn’t always come with a leadership title.And it rarely asks for permission. Across the City of Nature Alliance, I see it often. People who notice something – a gap, a need,Continue reading “Distributed Leadership”

The City That Gardens Itself

We often talk about designing cities. Planners draw maps, engineers build roads, and policies shape how neighbourhoods grow. In best case situations individuals with an interest in the area co-design the plans and are involved with the delivery and ongoing care. But if you look closely, another quieter process is always happening alongside these plans.Continue reading “The City That Gardens Itself”

The Old Tupperware Box

This morning I was looking in the freezer for my leftover cauliflower cheese for lunch. It needed to come out early to defrost. As I reached in, I picked up an old plastic container slightly worn now after years of use. And with it came a memory. The box was given to me about eightContinue reading “The Old Tupperware Box”

The moment of meeting a bee

It happens on the garden path, in that ordinary corridor between the back door and the day. You are not looking for anything in particular. The air still carries the coolness of morning, though the sun has begun its quiet work. Gravel shifts under your step. A blackbird is somewhere behind you, rehearsing. And thenContinue reading “The moment of meeting a bee”

Notes from a Slow Time Traveller

I recently realised something that felt both obvious and oddly liberating:we are all time travellers. I time travelled from 1964 to today. It just took me 62 years to get here. When people talk about time travel, they imagine machines, portals, or sudden leaps across centuries. But in reality, most of us are moving throughContinue reading “Notes from a Slow Time Traveller”