Remembering

…beautiful leaves

we ar a leef

and we do not

want tow bea harmd

looke after nacha

we are nature

and we have feelnig

    [we] have love

and kindness

you too you

will have it

forever

this is how [we]

hug a tree

we are hugging a tree

it feels normal

on the ground

there is dirt

we are dirt

brown big small

here every day

for nature and hauman

because dirt

and because dirt is

next to city sounds

we are city sounds

in nature

    we exist

next to each other

even though we are

opposites

    do we hear the same things

as a red beetle?

we ar seen a 2% red dettels

and sun

we are sun

nice and bight sky and

we will never stop

forever

we allway make

fair circle

we are the fire circle

   we are logs around a fire pit

   for humans to sit on

   and for bugs to live in

   around us are y trees

we are the y tree

     we have curved branches

     that arch up towards the sky

     our leaves are delicate

     and shaped like hearts

     - hearts the size of a fist

     beautiful leaves

we ar a leef…

Authors

A collaborative place-based story from Gateshead Riverside Park, transcribed here as crafted and captured in place at Eslington Primary School Forest School, Rose Street, Gateshead NE8 2LS, on Friday 12 July 2024, between 10:30 and 11:30 BST, by Adrian, Brandan, Bryan, Dominic, Jake, Kirsty Recchia, Lotte Dijkstra, Ryan, Thea Heskett and the more-than-human beings and vibrant matterings present.

•

WE ARE LEAVES

•

WE ARE NATURE

•

WE ARE HUGGING A TREE

•

WE ARE DIRT

•

WE ARE CITY SOUNDS

•

WE ARE A RED BEETLE

•

WE ARE SUN

•

WE ARE THE FIRE CIRCLE

•

WE ARE THE Y TREE

• WE ARE LEAVES • WE ARE NATURE • WE ARE HUGGING A TREE • WE ARE DIRT • WE ARE CITY SOUNDS • WE ARE A RED BEETLE • WE ARE SUN • WE ARE THE FIRE CIRCLE • WE ARE THE Y TREE

For a moment, we allowed ourselves to experience an interconnected moment in this urban forest place. We investigated the more-than-human connections in and with Gateshead Riverside Park, using our bodies, personal stories, and collaborative place-based explorations. During and after each prompt, we record our responses. This is the urban forest story we uncovered.

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