1. My first post - The bubble begins

It starts as a bubble. Small, delicate yet full of energy that can disperse in many different directions at any given moment. An entrapment of some life force magically created by nature that has a job of growing and rising within. This energy was created within me many years ago on the subject of forestry and has been building ever since. Since leaving my family and home to live abroad, I found solace and peace within the Parisian forests where I made new connections with some of the most profound species on this planet. For anyone that has studied the ecology of plants, they understand the extreme complexity the subject encounters; arguably more complex than space science itself. However if even just a part of this puzzle can be snapped up into smaller pieces and understood, then a whole new world starts to emerge. A world where underground messengers reveal themselves and their allies. A world where giants guard the lodgers below at a pace humans only wished they understood. A world in which the true meaning of “living in balance” can be really understood. Its a world of great mystery but lifelong lessons that can only really be obtained from the forest itself.

I remember one day taking a walk to my local forest, La Foret de Senart, and I sat underneath some very young Oaks and I listened. A small tap tap tap from a local woodpecker, a rustle in the leaves from the soil below yet a strenghthening silence that seemed like one of the most dominant sounds came from all around me as I continue to sit. Trying to describe what this silence felt like takes particular words I cannot express but all I can say was the silence felt so strong. It was as if it was applying a firm but soft hand all across my body encouraging me to stay a while longer and welcoming me to its home. Trust me, a silence such as this is more or less impossible to find in a town, city or village but its so relaxing, nourishing, calming. I continued to sit there underneath the canopy bathing in pure silence until my body told me it was time to leave. It’s funny how society teaches us we need so much but yet in that moment in the forest, I learnt about life’s simplicity and the value of it. As I walked back home, I made an executive decision I was going to change direction and follow my heart’s desires to find the secrets of our forests. 

Now I want to take you on a journey to this mysterious place where myth becomes reality backed up by some incredibly interesting science. As you place your feet on the wet soft soil and take one foot forward, something new develops inside you. I can’t explain it. I really can’t and I can’t promise this feeling will come straight away. We are all humans at the end of the day. However I can promise you that once that feeling hits, it will enliven something deep within you. A spark of curiosity never felt before. A part of our own primitive nature that has found a key back home. You can either stop here or you can keep walking down the path. The choice is yours. A bubble of energy can’t set seed or grow without being fed and given the environment in which to do so. What I give to you here is the environment in which to engage your curiosity in the natural world and swim in its teachings. I really hope you join me as I continue to take you on more adventures.