lifestyle
Feature Between The Trees
Between The Trees is a not-for-profit week- end-long festival which attempts to help at- tendees disconnect from their increasingly digital lives, and instead engage with and learn from the natural world. Now in its seventh year, the festival originally began as a dream held by two members of the education sector, Andrew Thomas and Dawn Wood, with the ambition of increasing public sympathy for nature.
This prospect has been well realised in its current venue, Candleston Wood, which is adjacent to Merthyr Mawr National Nature Reserve. The reasoning for its status as one of Wales’ Sites Of Special Scientific Interest is clear: it incorporates woodlands, sand dunes and a seafront while also being home to a range of wildlife, including rare insects such as the dune tiger beetle and the cuckoo bee.
Activities on offer for budding artists at Be- tween The Trees include watercolours, willow weaving, metalwork, and woodcarving. It also caters to those with an interest in science, as microscopes will be available to closely exam- ine plant and animal life. Scientists of varied backgrounds will give talks and hold debates about environmental issues – biodiversity, eco-activism and sustainability – and what we can do as individuals to help conserve Wales and the planet for future generations. This in- cludes representatives of the RSPB and The Wildlife Trust.
A favourite of the festival and an intensive care specialist, Dr. Matt Morgan, is returning to speak about his newest book, One Medicine: How Understanding Animals Can Save Our Lives. He tackles new theories on how aware- ness of the biology and behaviours of animals can aid in the treatment of human diseases. Another standout speaker is Dan Mitchell, a BBC Radio 4 writer who enjoys searching for links between classic Welsh folktales and modern-day Welsh lifestyles. He will assume the guise of a storyteller with Chasing A Pig: The Legend Of The Twrch Trwyth, a hunt for a mythical boar across Wales and Ireland. Will Millard, presenter of BBC One’s Hidden Wales, will also be on hand to discuss wilder- ness survival and his current investigations into hermit philosophy.
The festival is also staunchly child-friendly, as its organisers wish to reverse the steadying trend of children spending less time outdoors and reintroduce them to the social, educational, and artistic benefits of the natural world. For example, special dens and play areas are hid- den around the festival for visitors to locate. This year, the festival has its very own theme of ‘journey, pilgrimage, and migration’, and so talks at the Niche stage will focus on migration as a symbol of maturation into adulthood.
For adults, there are experiences accessible for improving personal wellbeing and mind- fulness, including massage, yoga and qigong, an historic Chinese form of meditative martial
arts. What’s more, a range of local food venues will be in attendance, with a particular empha- sis on meat-free products, as well as a real ale and cider bar boasting the handiwork of brew- ers from the local area.
Music-wise, the festival will play host to over 30 acts on three stages, chiefly in the genres of contemporary folk, Americana, and acoustic roots. For example, headlining the first night is Seth Lakeman, a Mercury Prize-nominated West Country musician whose repertoire ex- plores spirituality through folk. The following evening is reigned over by Roo Panes, a sing- er-songwriter with an environmentalist motif, as evident in his latest record The Summer Isles, which dedicates a song to Samalaman Bay in Scotland. On Sunday, festivalgoers will be able to attend an imitate show with BBC Radio 2 Folk Award winner Sam Kelly, joined by his band The Lost Boys for a selection of accessible Gaelic-tinged folk.
Between The Trees Festival is a worthwhile destination this August for those wishing to reinvigorate their relationship with the natural world, try their hand at crafts, and enjoy live music in a picturesque Welsh landscape.
Between The Trees Festival,
Candleston Campsite, Merthyr Mawr, Fri 25-Sun 27 Aug Tickets: £145. Info:
betweenthetrees.co.uk
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