Nature & Wellbeing Activities

The Rowan Prince – Written and Told by Danny English This enchanting story begins in a beautiful English forest many years ago. From the heart of a majestic Rowan tree, a sweet baby boy is born and soon discovered by a loving Queen. She and the King raise the child as their own, with the Queen nurturing his deep connection to nature throughout his early years. However, as the boy grows older, the King insists he learn the ways of the kingdom. The young prince becomes a skilled hunter, woodsman, farmer, and eventually a soldier. One day, as he rides out to battle, he finds himself in a woodland that feels strangely familiar, drawing him back to his roots. https://youtu.be/V93JMgLEud8 Storytelling- The Rowan Prince After the story, consider these activities to help you connect with nature: 1. Find a Rowan tree and visit it in each season, observing how it changes throughout the year. 2. Try making Rowan jelly, a fun and rewarding activity in late summer. 3. Rowan trees are considered sacred and bring good luck when planted near a home. Plant your own Rowan tree to bring nature's blessings into your garden. Let the story of The Rowan Prince inspire you to deepen your connection with the natural world around you.

In this story from the Dominican Republic, a mighty king has everything he could ever desire—except one thing: he longs to touch the sky and reach the moon. Obsessed with his dream, he commands the royal carpenter to build a tower tall enough to reach the heavens so he can finally climb and touch the moon. But as the tower grows higher, the question remains: will it be tall enough? Will the king achieve his greatest wish? Storytelling: The King Who Wanted to Touch the Sky After the story, try these activities to connect with nature and enhance your wellbeing: 1. Go outside on the night of the full moon and celebrate with a song or story under the moonlight. 2. Learn about the phases of the moon and track its changes over time. 3. Visit a planetarium to explore the wonders of the universe beyond Earth. Let this tale inspire you to reach for the stars and deepen your connection with the natural world.

Too Much Sky - A Nigerian Folktale A long time ago, the people of the world didn’t need to hunt, farm, or buy their food. The sky came all the way down to the ground, and people would simply take what they needed to eat. Life was simple and plentiful. But over time, jealousy and greed crept into the hearts of the people. They began to take more sky than they needed and wasted much of it. The Sky, noticing this, gave them a warning: "If you continue to be wasteful, I will go away forever!" Yet, the people didn’t listen. They grew greedier and more wasteful. The Sky warned them once again, but could they change their ways in time, or would they lose the gift of the sky forever? Storytelling: Too Much Sky After the story, consider these reflections and activities: 1. Go outside and spend time cloud-watching, appreciating the beautiful colors and patterns in the sky. 2. Reflect on your own consumption. Do you waste food or buy things you don’t really need? Challenge yourself for one week to create no food waste and avoid unnecessary purchases. 3. Wake up early one day to watch the sunrise and witness how the sky transforms as new light fills the world. Let this story remind us of the importance of gratitude and mindful consumption in our everyday lives.