Live Wild's Nature Queers - Growing a Nature-Loving LGBTQ+ Community
Live Wild's weekly Nature Queers events take place at National Trust’s Hardcastle Crags, a beautiful wooded valley just outside Hebden Bridge. Whatever your level of outdoor experience, join us to connect to nature, self and community, and learn a range of practical outdoor skills in a playful and supportive environment.
Nature Queers is about creating spaces to meet and develop a nature-loving LGBTQ+ community. During the sessions, our guides Leonie & Rachael, and occasional guest facilitators including Ash Brachi of Hebden Herbs, share skills such as bushcraft, foraging, fire skills, natural crafting, whittling, survival skills, shelter building, and herbalism.
Each session also includes nature connection practices that encourage a sense of belonging, safety, and peace in the outdoors.
Both experienced outdoors-people, and people new to the outdoors, are equally welcome to join us as we create a relaxed and welcoming space where we can learn in nature, and in queer community.
Highlights so far...
During our FIRE session, we got to know the ways of fire: exploring natural tinders and materials, lighting a fire with confidence from only a spark, practising the use of hand tools such as knives, and gathering around our kindled flames as a community, connecting and enjoying the peace of the woodland as people have done since time immemorial. It was a joy to share the magic of creating fire together in a supportive and relaxed LGBTQ+ space.
Our FORAGING session was all about connecting to the land through the practice of seeking out and gathering wild foods. We discovered an array of edible delights around Hardcastle Crags, honing in on those abundant plants that are often labelled 'weeds', but which have an incredible amount of flavour, nutrients, and medicine to offer. On a walk through the sun-dappled woods, we spotted a new chicken of the woods mushroom emerging on a dead oak tree, which was a very exciting find! The groups also gathered nettles, beech leaves, bramble leaves, dandelions, and wild garlic flowers. Back at our camp we lit our fire together and then prepared some dandelion flower honey and garlic flower tempura for our wild picnic - delicious!
Nature Queers are running a special Pride event on the Thursday of our festival week, as well as joining us at the Big Day Out!
Week Session
Live Wild's Nature Queers session during Happy Valley Pride week will celebrate Joy and Connection in nature. Get to know other LGBTQ+ folk, make new queer friends, and have fun together in a beautiful natural setting - NT Hardcastle Crags. We'll be sharing a range of nature themed games and practices that are designed for joy, connection and relaxation in the great outdoors. Come join us to play in the woods!
Date: Thursday 24th July
Times: 10.30am- 2.30pm
Location: National Trust's Hardcastle Crags, Hebden Bridge
Information and Booking: https://www.livewild.org.uk/courses/nature-queers-hebden-bridge-yorkshire/