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Open Eye Gallery’s LOOK Climate Lab 2022 – Liverpool Food Growing Network

22 March 2022

  • Mindfulness with nature afternoon meditation session
  • Participants taking part in activities with Croxteth Community Garden
  • Separating supermarket herbs
  • Learning how to grow herbs
Project Support Officer, Rhianna Weston, from the Mersey Forest attended the LOOK Climate Lab 2022 event at the Open Eye Gallery in Liverpool with one of our Nature4Health project partners, Faiths4Change. The event was held over a number of weeks, with the week that Rhianna attended focusing on self-sufficient food growing. Rhianna shared her experience with us:

Crystal from Faiths4Change, a local environmental charity working with communities to co-create climate change and resilience projects, ran a taster-session of our Gardening4All activities on the day I attended the gallery; one in the morning and another in the afternoon. Each session began with a short group meditation to help everyone relax and reconnect with their own mind and self.

At both sessions, people really enjoyed the meditation, myself included. I, like many, had never tried any sort of meditation before, and I was surprised to find how peaceful it made me feel in such a short space of time.

Myself and Crystal asked others how it made them feel:
One participant said: "At least 50 people must have walked past, and yet I didn't feel disturbed or embarrassed. I kept my eyes closed and stayed relaxed".

Another told me they'd continue to use meditation in their everyday life as they enjoyed it so much. They could already feel how beneficial it was and how it allowed them to take back control.

Crystal often integrates this group meditation into the Nature4Health sessions held at St. Michael's in-the-City, located on Upper-Pitt Street in Liverpool. These take place every Tuesday afternoon between 1 – 3pm. Sessions are completely free and require no experience – they're a great way to meet new people from a range of backgrounds and learn new skills. Many participants have lived through some vulnerable and challenging situations, yet these sessions help them to gain back confidence, peace and reduce any loneliness.

All of our Nature4Health sessions run over a 12-week period, so if you'd like to join the next one or any of our other activities at a different location, please email Elizabeth or myself at Elizabeth.Mason@merseyforest.org.uk or Rhianna.Weston@merseyforest.org

Following the meditation, the group and I took part in planting some herbs. We chose between basil, coriander and parsley, each suitable to grow indoors on windowsills. Most of the people who joined in the session said they live in apartments or houses with only small patios, and really wanted  to learn about the types of fruits, vegetables and herbs they can grow in the limited amount of space they had.

Crystal and I then took part in the next activity which was led by Rachel, from Croxteth Community Garden. Rachel taught the group numerous tips and tricks, from growing your own pea shoots from dried peas, to separating shop-bought herbs to get more for your money!

Both Rachel's and Crystal's sessions showed the participants how to be more self-sufficient in an enjoyable, affordable, and sustainable way. Everyone really seemed to enjoy the day, with the event supporting individuals to become more connected with nature and themselves, with the most basic of materials.




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