Over the past few years I have been on something of a spiritual journey. Although I have had a life long interest in plants, I only got ‘seriously’ interested in wild plants after following an online course run by the Botanical Society for Britain and Ireland (BSBI): Identiplant – https://identiplant.bsbi.org/. Of course, I was using plants in my gardening work, but wild plants seemed somehow fuzzier and harder to understand. And I was mainly seeing them in the context of people’s gardens, where they were often unwanted, and considered as weeds. I had got wild flower books and attended some local nature walks, but the real conversion came with following the identiplant course, with the support of an inspiring tutor, Debbie Wallace.
There is much talk about people not being connected with nature, and what should be done about it. And so my own experience of seeking plant knowledge has made me pay attention to the more elemental aspects of learning and connecting with nature around me.
The scientist and nature writer, Robin Wall Kimmerer, says: ‘I’m trying to imagine what it would be like going through life not knowing the names of the plants and animals around you. Given who I am and what I do, I can’t know what that’s like, but I think it would be a little scary and disorienting, like being lost in a foreign city where you can’t read the street signs.’ The reality is that many people, through no fault of their own, can’t read the signs, and may not notice the signs around them in the first place either. We all need a chance to be shown the world, and this takes another person, whether parent, friend or teacher. I feel privileged that I was able to start my natural learning journey in childhood, with time spent in nature and with the guidance of adults. Even though teenage and young adulthood meant other interests crowded my head, the seeds had been irremediably sown. I was then lucky enough to cross paths with some saints and scholars of botany, as well as lay-persons with a keen eye for natural observation. All took the time to bring my attention to plants and share their knowledge. I have vivid memories of a nature walk in Philips Park in Prestwich, looking at trees in Winter. I have forgotten the name of the person who led the walk, but I still remember feeling like a new born opening my eyes for the first time to a whole new reality.
A key learning point has been the need for patience and stillness. These two characteristics are notably undervalued in our society. Immediate access and constant movement are usually the more sought after characteristics. I have joined a group of bryologists on a ‘walk’, during which our rather sedate pace got me worried we would never make it out of the car park, as we observe mosses and liverworts growing on the tarmac. I have felt disappointed at times at my own pace of learning, but if I can ease into this frustration there are greater rewards awaiting. A complete focus on a patch of grass, some decaying log or the twigs of a tree heighten the senses. In this state, I enjoy the stillness, I feel fully absorbed in what is immediately next to me and find surprises in places which I could have easily overlook as familiar. What might have first appeared as a blurry green backdrop is being revealed in all its details and glory.
Familiarisation with plants comes through repetition, another key learning ingredient. So, as a newly converted botanist, I find it important to develop my own rituals: noticing unknown plants, using reference books to identify them and memorising their names. Scientific names can sound like a latin grand mass, while common names have the charm of pagan folklore. Regular sightings of a plant creates a sense of belonging, me and the plant sharing the same space. Familiarisation also comes through attending days of obligation throughout the year, such as BSBI’s New Year Plant Hunt https://bsbi.org/new-year-plant-hunt or Liverpool Botanical Society’s field trips https://www.livbotsoc.org/, where fellow plant worshippers are very generous with their knowledge.
Finally, on my road to becoming a born-again botanist, I was moved to go and pay my respects to the Victorian Artisan Naturalists of Prestwich: James Percival (Senior and Junior), Richard Buxton and John Horsefield. Without the privilege of class, they studied plants and shared their knowledge of botany. Their moving life stories are true inspiration for self-study and the observation of the natural world. You can find out more about them at: https://prestwich.org.uk/history/people/naturalists.html (unfortunately this link doesn’t open automatically, but you can copy and paste it into your browser).
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All photos and artwork are my own.
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