traditional dancers

Features from Wildlife magazine Wildlife articles 2008 -- Spring 2008 -- ::Severn Barrage ::The Variety of life ::A year at Willsbridge ::Willsbridge comes of age ::Reaching out - Willsbridge ::Round the reserves Wildlife articles 2007 -- Autumn 2007 -- ::Thinking BIG ::Watery webs:the pond network ::Wildlife in the landscape ::Variety of life ::How to be a climate friend ::Seasonal stroll - Walborough ::Round the reserves -- Summer 2007 -- ::The Folly Farm appeal ::Weston Big Wood-biodiversity at its best ::The variety of life ::How to capture a butterfly ::How to get to know an orchid ::Seasonal stroll - WestonBigWood ::Reserves update -- Spring 2007 -- ::Folly Farm - a very special place ::Making a difference at Folly Farm ::How find the magic at Folly Farm ::Seasonal stroll at Folly Farm ::Magic spots at Folly Farm ::Batscapes ::Climate challenge ::Variety of Life - the Ponways project ::Round the reserves Wildlife articles 2006 -- Autumn 2006 -- ::The Severn Estuary ::Bird Watch results ::How to identify garden birds ::Making space for wildlife ::How does your garden grow? ::Round the reserves -- Summer 2006 -- ::Going for green ::Stand up and be counted ::Happy birthday NSLMP ::Holi day - a riot of spring colour ::Avon's species-rich grassland ::How to photograph dragonflies ::The Big Switch ::Round the reserves -- Spring 2006 -- ::How to identify winter water birds ::Make 2006 the year you... ::Invasive invasion ::Sowing the seeds: Willsbridge Mill ::Round the reserves Wildlife articles 2005 -- Autumn 2005 -- ::Indentify common funghi ::Build a hedgehog hideaway ::Big Bird Watch ::Champions for wildlife ::Round the reserves ::Seeds of the futre: Willsbridge Mill -- Summer 2005 -- ::Restoring Folly Farm ::How to become bee-friendly ::How to identify the butterflies of spring ::Save our seas ::The variety of life: hedgerows ::Round the reserves ::25 Ways to make a difference -- Spring 2005 -- ::The variety of life: water voles ::The Avon Biodiversity Action Plan ::How to take really good wildlife photos ::How to help your garden grow ::Round the reserves ::Seasonal strolls: Browns Folly ::Sowing the seeds: for wildlife for people ::Sowing the seeds: looking back

Holi-day, a riot of spring colour

Holi, the Hindi festival to welcome spring provided the perfect theme for an innovative environmental arts project that we undertook recently at Golden Valley Nature Reserve, Bristol.

Holi, the Hindi festival to welcome spring provided the perfect theme for an innovative environmental arts project that we undertook recently at Golden Valley Local Nature Reserve, Kingswood. Holi traditionally involves the throwing of brightly coloured paint and powder to celebrate the wonderful vibrant colours that spring brings to the world after winter.

The Holi project celebrated the many wildlife aspects associated with the coming of the season and also celebrated the site's industrial heritage. Mining for ochre took place here up until the late 60s, a very appropriate link for the project as the ochre was mined for its pigment qualities. Its vivid red can be seen today in the red surfacing of the Mall in London.

The Trust worked with the community including Wick Primary School and local day centres as well as the South Gloucestershire Asian Project (SGAP) to put on a spectacular display to celebrate the variety of colours emerging at spring.

The project began with 'Splash of Colour' wildlife discovery walks with classes from Wick Primary school which inspired art workshops where children created giant 'seed packet' style banners. The children had enormous fun flicking and splattering paint over wildflower templates on large banners which created stunning artworks of bluebells, red campion, celandines, dog violet, and primroses.
SGAP brought the Holi tradition to life with dance and Rangoli art workshops at the school. Kamlesh Vyas, a visual artist and priest at the Hindu temple in St George, told tales of the Holi tradition before running Rangoli art workshops.

Patterns using geometry and lines of symmetry are marked out in chalk and take their inspiration from natural forms. Rice and other cereals coloured by natural dyes are used to define the patterns. Ash and hazel sticks were decorated by an older class to accompany a dance workshop with 'Anju and Jaya', from SGAP for a special assembly devoted to the Holi project. The dance was Dhandia Rass, a traditional Indian dance
from Gujarati.

Groups of adults with learning difficulties from local day centres also enjoyed guided walks around the site before decorating giant ash leave sculptures with found natural objects. All these splendid artworks were then displayed at the a nature reserve on the final event day to mark Holi which takes place a day after the full moon in early March each year.

Paul Collett, a new member went along with his young family.

“A golden day in Golden Valley, Wick. The sun was shining brightly as my daughters (aged five and two) joined the other children entranced by the story-telling in the magical wood. Then an army of friendly volunteers helped them to create brilliant fox and wolf masks and a butterfly kite. Afterwards, we climbed the steep path to the top of the valley and were rewarded with stunning views through our telescope of a peregrine falcon and a jay. A perfect way to welcome spring.”

The project was kindly funded by the Countryside Agency through the Aggregates Levy Sustainability Fund and South Gloucestershire Council.