The SHEROES, a group of Muslim girls aged 8-14 from inner city Newcastle first came involved with identity on tyne with our Otherness project which explored the involvement of soldiers from the Indian Subcontinent in the First World War. Now the SHEROES have been enjoying taking part in our Wayfinding project through a series of practical and creative workshops with Durham Wildlife Trust.
Visiting their Rainton Meadows Nature Reserve in County Durham, the group of girls working with a site Rangers Mandy and Dorinda, have been introduced to bees, butterflies, moths, dragonflies and damselflies identification methods. And through the process a growing appreciation for meadows with their wildflowers as well as this is where all this wildlife survives and thrives.
Walking around the Reserve, covering 60 hectares, including Joe’s Pond Site of Special Scientific Interest, the group has enjoyed catching honey bees and identify them by their strips and coloured bottoms, pond ducking for nymphs and listening out for the call of the chiffchaff. As part of a contribution to the whole project as a while, the girls have also been collecting imagery of their visits and adventures as they work towards curating and exhibiting an exhibition sharing how they see themselves in nature.
It has been such an honour and learning experience to watch these young girls explore the outdoors in a safe space and really soak up the new information. It’s rather satisfying to witness these girls use their new growing knowledge about wildlife and wildflowers immediately in real life as we traversed the meadows and grasslands observing and monitoring presence and activity.
We’ve finished for the summer holidays now but look forward to return to Reserve in Autumn to start identifying trees.
Feedback from Mahfuzah included;
“Me and Mya had a good time! I liked making the bees and seeing different things on our walk. 🐝”
Feedback from Tubaa included;
“Me and my sisters really enjoyed catching the bees and learning how to identify them. Thank you.”