Guided Workshops

Walking these landscapes can be deeply personal. It can also be a richly collective experience. In the second half of this web site, we explore collaborative map–making as a way of encouraging walkers to engage more fully with the natural environment through sensory awareness, shared creative expression, and connection with others who love these places.

1. What Is Collaborative Map–Making?

Collaborative map–making is a group process in which individuals contribute their experiences, insights, and observations to create maps that reflect not only spatial layouts but also the qualities and meanings of places. Unlike conventional maps that prioritize topography or infrastructure, collaborative maps are experiential: they document how places feel, sound, smell, and change over time through the multi-sensual experiences of walkers.

These maps can be created using traditional materials (paper, pens, watercolours) or digital tools (apps, photos, GIS overlays). But the key is not the medium. It is the intentional sharing of sensory and emotional experiences in a collective representation of place.

Collaborative maps serve multiple purposes:

• Expressive: Participants articulate what they see, hear, or feel in ways that deepen their own awareness of themselves and their environments.
• Communal: The process builds connection among walkers, fostering shared identity and respect.
• Educational: By documenting seasonal changes, species encounters, and land features, maps become repositories of local ecological knowledge.
• Therapeutic: The act of observing, reflecting, and creating together has calming, grounding effects similar to those gained from walking itself.

2. Why Collaborative Maps Matter for Walkers

Although walking is a multi-sensory engagement, we often take our experiences for granted. Collaborative map–making asks: What did you notice? What inspired you? What changed over time? Such questions invite walkers to pay closer attention.

A collaborative map might include elements that conventional maps cannot capture:

• Sights: A favourite viewpoint at the Ferry End where the light hits the water at sunset; a cluster of wildflowers blooming in a hidden nook of Abbey Grove; an unusual pattern of marsh reeds in autumn.
• Sounds: The unique cadence of gulls at the estuary; the whisper of grasses in the wind; the sudden stillness after rain.
• Fragrances: The salty tang of sea air; the earthy scent of leaf mould in woodland; the sweet perfume of summer flowers.
• Touch experiences: The softness of grass underfoot; the rough texture of weathered wood at a bird hide; the cool mist on an early morning walk.
• Taste experiences: For those knowledgeable and careful about foraging, the sweet burst of blackberries in autumn or the subtle mushroom flavours encountered off the main paths. (Any foraging must be practiced with appropriate expertise and respect for local rules and safety.)

When walkers collectively map these experiences, the result is a vivid tapestry of place: one that reflects relationship rather than merely location. Such maps become living documents of how people relate to landscapes, seasons, and each other.

3. Examples of Collaborative Map Types

Collaborative maps take many forms. Below are a few models suited to communities of walkers in the Felixstowe area:

a. Sensory Maps

Here, map creators may wish to place icons or annotations on a base map to show where particular sensory experiences occur. For instance:

• A speaker icon at a point on the Deben Estuary where waves and wind create a distinctive soundscape.
• A scent symbol in Abbey Grove where wild garlic or damp moss is most pronounced.
• A colour patch where autumn leaves blaze brightest along a woodland trail.

b. Seasonal Change Maps

These maps represent how a single route transforms over the course of a year. Participants might contribute drawings, photos, or notes about the same location in each season:

• The same stretch of marsh would look different in spring versus winter.
• Migratory bird species may appear at certain times.
• Flowering plants bloom and fade.

Seasonal maps document the dynamic nature of the environment and help walkers anticipate and appreciate change.

c. Emotion and Memory Maps

These focus on what particular places mean to walkers: memories associated with a bend in the path, the feeling of calm after a rainstorm, or a moment of inspiration beside water. These maps therefore affirm that landscapes are also psychological and emotional spaces.

4. How to Create a Collaborative Map: Practical Steps

Creating collaborative maps can be a structured group activity or a loose, ongoing project. Here is a simple process:

i. Gather a Group

Invite walkers who are curious about their environment. This might be a local walking club, a citizen science group, a school cohort, or a community of nature lovers.

ii. Choose a Theme

Decide whether the map will focus on sensory experience, seasonal change, emotions, or another dimension (e.g., wildlife encounters).

iii. Collect Observations

Walk together or independently, and record observations with:

• Notes or journals
• Sketches
• Photographs
• Audio recordings
• GPS tracks

Encourage participants to notice small details—a bird call, a hint of salt in the air, the texture of tree bark.

iv. Share and Compile

Meet (physically or virtually) to share findings. Place contributions onto a base map:

• Each walker's sensory icons
• Descriptions and tags
• Photos and drawings

The base map might be a printed Ordnance Survey outline, a large paper mural, or a digital collaborative platform.

v. Reflect and Publish

Once assembled, discuss what the map reveals:

• Patterns in experience
• Differences between walkers' perceptions
• Seasonal rhythms

Maps can be published online, displayed in community spaces, or printed into booklets.

5. The Benefits of Collaborative Mapping

The benefits go beyond documentation:

a. Deeper Awareness and Mindfulness

The very act of paying attention cultivates presence. When walkers notice the smell of gorse in bloom or the distant honk of geese in Trimley Marshes, they anchor themselves in the present moment: reducing anxiety and enhancing appreciation.

b. Strengthened Community Bonds

Sharing observations creates dialogue and empathy. Walkers learn from each other's perspectives, deepening their connection to both place and people.  

c. Conservation and Stewardship

Collaborative maps often reveal ecological richness and vulnerability. They can inform conservation efforts, support citizen science, and cultivate care for habitats.

d. Intergenerational and Cross-Skill Participation

Beginners and experienced walkers alike can contribute. Children draw what fascinates them; seasoned naturalists note species; artists capture light and mood. The map becomes a mosaic of competencies.

6. Collaborative Map-Making and Seasonal Walkers' Practices

Walking in Felixstowe throughout the year aligns naturally with collaborative mapping. For example:

· In spring, walkers might map the appearance of new plant growth or the return of migratory birds to the Deben Estuary.

· In summer, sensory maps could highlight the intensification of colour, warmth of light, or abundance of insects and blossoms.

· In autumn, foragers might document berry locations (with safety guidance) and the positions of edible mushrooms identified by experienced guides.

· In winter, emotional maps might emerge, with walkers noting spaces of stillness, solitude, and reflection along marsh paths under grey skies.

Each season offers new material for both individual awareness and shared documentation.

7. Safety, Respect, and Ethical Considerations

Collaborative map-making in natural environments includes responsibilities:

• Respect private land and follow local guidelines for access.
• Practice safe foraging: only those trained and permitted should harvest plants or fungi. Misidentification can be dangerous.
• Tread lightly: stay on established paths to protect sensitive habitats, especially in marshes and dune grasslands.
• Share respectfully: maps should reflect diverse experiences without compromising ecological integrity.

A mindful walker is not only observant but also respectful of the living systems they document.

Conclusions

In the Felixstowe area, where water, woodland, estuary, and marsh converge, walking can be more than exercise. It can become a practice of wellbeing, connection, and purpose. From the soothing broad horizon of the Deben Estuary to the dappled coolness of Abbey Grove, from the wind-swept grasses at Landguard to the living tapestry of Trimley Marshes, each landscape invites us to move, breathe, notice, and respond.

The physical benefits of walking are well established: stronger heart, improved balance, better metabolism. But when we walk in nature, we receive gifts that are harder to measure but which are still deeply felt: calm, clarity, joy, empathy, and a sense of belonging to something larger than ourselves. Walking in Felixstowe's natural environment invites us into seasonal rhythms and sensory richness that sustain body and soul.

Collaborative map-making, as a community practice, extends this experience. It encourages walkers not just to observe, but to express what they find significant: the sound of wind in reeds, the scent of salt on air, the feeling of sun-warmed wood underfoot, the taste of autumn berries (when safely foraged), and the quiet emotion of a winter sky. Together, these maps become collective stories of place: a tapestry of voices that honours both landscape and lived experience.

Therapeutic walking and collaborative maps are, at their heart, about relationship-building: how we relate to our bodies, to one another, and to the natural world around us. In a time when many people feel disconnected from nature and each other, taking purposeful steps through Felixstowe's extraordinary natural environments, and mapping what we find to be meaningful, can be a simple, profound, and transformative practice.

Collaborative Sensory Map-Making Workshop

Engaging with Place Through Walking and the Five Senses

1. Workshop Overview

Purpose
To support participants in developing a deeper, more attentive relationship with local natural environments through walking, sensory awareness, and collaborative map-making.

Core Outcomes
By the end of the workshop, participants will:

• Have practised attentive walking using all five senses.
• Have contributed to one or more shared, sensory-rich maps.
• Understand mapping as an expressive, reflective, and communal activity rather than a purely technical one.
• Feel more connected to the landscape and to fellow walkers.

Target Audience

• Local walking groups
• Nature and conservation groups
• Mixed-age community groups
• Creative or wellbeing-focused projects

Ideal Group Size
8–20 participants (can be adapted for smaller or larger groups).

Duration
Half-day workshop (approximately 3.5–4 hours), or two shorter sessions.

2. Materials and Preparation

Materials

• Large base maps (printed or hand-drawn outlines of the walking area)
• Plain paper (A3 and A4)
• Coloured pens, pencils, markers
• Sticky notes in multiple colours
• Small symbol stickers (or hand-drawn icons)
• Clipboards or notebooks
• Optional: tablets or phones for photos/audio notes
• Natural materials collected responsibly (eg fallen leaves, feathers, shells) for inspiration only

Preparation by Facilitator

• Select a walking route with varied environments (eg estuary edge, woodland, marsh)
• Ensure accessibility and safety
• Prepare a simple legend template (eg icons for senses)
• Prepare clear guidance on ethical foraging (observation only unless participants are experienced and permitted)

3. Workshop Structure

Phase 1: Welcome and Framing (30 minutes)

Objectives

• Establish a relaxed, inclusive atmosphere
• Introduce the idea of sensory mapping
• Set expectations and boundaries

Activities

• Welcome Circle
• Brief introductions: name and favourite walking place
• What Is a Collaborative Sensory Map?
• Explain that this is not about accuracy or artistry
• Emphasize experience over expertise
• Setting Intentions
• Encourage curiosity, slowness, and respect
• Safety and Ethics Briefing
• Staying on paths
• Respecting wildlife
• Taste experiences are observational unless guided and safe

Phase 2: Sensory Awareness Warm-Up (20 minutes)

Objectives

• Shift attention from thinking to sensing
• Prepare participants for attentive walking

Activities

• Five-Minute Stillness Exercise
• Standing or seated outdoors
• One minute per sense:
• Sight: notice colour, movement, distance
• Sound: near and far sounds
• Smell: air, plants, damp earth
• Touch: wind on skin, ground under feet
• Taste: air, memory of recent flavours
• Group Reflection
• Short sharing: "What surprised you?"

Phase 3: Sensory Walking Exploration (60–90 minutes)

Participants walk the selected route slowly, with pauses.

Sensory Focus Stations

At several points, pause and focus on one sense at a time.

Sight

Prompts

• Where does the light fall?
• What colours dominate here?
• What changes with distance or elevation?

Mapping Notes

• Viewpoints
• Seasonal colour changes
• Framing (trees, reeds, open sky)

Sound

Prompts

• Natural vs human-made sounds
• Rhythms and patterns
• Silence and absence of sound

Mapping Notes

• Bird calls
• Water movement
• Wind through vegetation

Fragrance

Prompts

• Earthy, salty, floral, woody scents
• How smell changes after rain or sun

Mapping Notes

• Strong scent zones
• Seasonal plant smells
• Tidal or marine air

Touch

Prompts

• Ground texture underfoot
• Air temperature and movement
• Surfaces touched safely (grasses, bark)

Mapping Notes

• Soft vs hard terrain
• Sheltered vs exposed areas

Taste (Please only forage for food if you know what you're doing!)

Prompts

• Taste of air (salt, freshness)
• Memory-based tastes associated with place (eg memories of childhood picnics)
• Foraging observations only unless expert-led

Mapping Notes

• Blackberry areas (not harvested)
• Seasonal edible plants noted, not taken
• Emotional associations with taste

Participants record impressions using words, sketches, symbols, or photos.

4. Phase 4: Collaborative Map Creation (60 minutes)

Step 1: Establish a Shared Legend

Create simple symbols. Examples might look like these:

• 👁 Sight
• 👂 Sound
• 👃 Smell
• ✋ Touch
• 👅 Taste

(Or coloured dots / shapes if preferred.)

Step 2: Contribution Phase

Participants add their observations to the base map using:

• Sticky notes
• Drawings
• Written descriptions
• Icons and colour coding

Encourage overlapping and layering.

Step 3: Group Discussion

Guiding questions:

• Where did experiences cluster?
• Where did perceptions differ?
• Which senses were strongest in different places?

5. Phase 5: Reflection and Closing (30 minutes)

Activities

• Walk around the completed map
• Invite each participant to describe one contribution
• Discuss how sensory awareness changed the walk
• Reflect on seasonal repetition: "How might this map change in other seasons?"

6. Map Examples

Below are conceptual examples which you may wish adapt.

Example 1: Sensory Layer Map

Description
A base map with transparent overlays:

• Sight layer: colour washes, viewpoint arrows
• Sound layer: icons for birds, water, wind
• Smell layer: scent "clouds"
• Touch layer: texture notes
• Taste layer: symbols marking seasonal edibles

Use

• Ideal for repeat seasonal workshops
• Highlights how one place holds multiple experiences

Example 2: Seasonal Walking Map

Description
Four quadrants around the same route:

• Spring, Summer, Autumn and Winter
  Each quadrant might include:
• Dominant colours
• Typical sounds
• Emotional tone

Use

• Encourages return visits
• Builds long-term connection to place

Example 3: Emotional-Sensory Hybrid Map

Description
Participants mark:

• Calm zones
• Energising areas
• Reflective or restorative spots
  Each linked to sensory triggers (eg "quiet + water + open sky").

Use

• Particularly effective for wellbeing-focused groups

Example 4: Story Map

Description
A walking route annotated with short narratives:

• "Here the air smells of salt and mud at low tide"
• "This bench feels like it's part of a short story even in winter sun"
• "Blackberries remembered from childhood walks"

Use

• Ideal for intergenerational groups
• Supports oral history and memory sharing

7. Extensions and Adaptations

• Digital Mapping: Transfer content to an online collaborative map
• Exhibition: Display maps in a library or community centre
• Citizen Science Link: Add species observations alongside sensory notes
• Repeat Walks: Revisit the same route quarterly to layer new experiences

8. Concluding Note for Facilitators

Collaborative sensory mapping works best when:

• There is no pressure to conform to other people's expectations of what maps should be like
• Participants feel safe to express personal perceptions
• The landscape is treated as a partner, not a resource

When walking, sensing, and mapping are combined, participants often discover that they do not simply move through a place—they begin to feel that they belong to it.

Collaborative Sensory Map-Making at Trimley Marshes Nature Reserve

Walking, Attention, and Seasonal Change in a Wetland Landscape

1. Workshop Purpose and Place Context

Purpose

To enable walkers to engage deeply with the distinctive wetland environment of Trimley Marshes through:

• Slow, attentive walking
• Sensory awareness (sight, sound, fragrance, touch, taste)
• Collaborative map-making that records seasonal transformation

Why Trimley Marshes?

Trimley Marshes is especially well suited to therapeutic walking and sensory mapping because it offers:

• Open skies and long sightlines
• Subtle but powerful soundscapes
• Strong seasonal shifts in birdlife, vegetation, light, and water
• A sense of containment and safety created by defined paths and hides
• A landscape shaped by time, tides, and migration rather than human speed

This is a place where small changes matter—and collaborative mapping helps walkers learn to notice them.

2. Practical Overview

Group Size:
8–16 participants (ideal for hides and narrow paths)

Duration:
3.5–4 hours
OR
2 × 2-hour sessions (recommended for seasonal projects)

Route Focus:

• Main circular walking route
• Boardwalk sections
• Bird hides
• Open marsh edges and reed beds

Accessibility Considerations:

• Mostly level terrain
• Seating in hides
• Weather exposure (wind, sun)

3. Materials (Trimley-Specific Adaptations)

Base Maps

• Simple outline map of Trimley Marshes showing:
• Paths
• Hides
• Water channels
• Reed beds

Mapping Materials

• Tracing paper overlays (for seasons)
• Coloured dots or symbols for senses
• Pencils and pens
• Clipboards
• Optional binoculars (shared)

Seasonal Colour Coding (Examples might include the following)

• Spring: light green
• Summer: yellow
• Autumn: rust/orange
• Winter: blue/grey

4. Workshop Structure (Trimley-Adapted)

Phase 1: Arrival and Orientation (25–30 minutes)

Welcome and Framing

• Brief introduction to Trimley Marshes as a living system
• Emphasise:
• The marsh as a landscape for listening eg bird song, breeze
• Seasonal return and repetition
• Mapping change, not completeness

Key Idea Introduced

"This map will never be finished. It will grow as the marsh changes."

Phase 2: Sensory Grounding Exercise (15 minutes)

Conducted near the entrance or first open view.

Wetland-Specific Sensory Prompts

• Sight: horizon line, cloud movement, water reflections
• Sound: wind, birds, reeds, distant human noise
• Smell: dampness, mud, vegetation, tidal air
• Touch: wind on face, firmness of path, coolness
• Taste: air on tongue, memory of salt or freshness

Participants may wish to jot single words or sketch symbols—no full sentences yet.

Phase 3: Sensory Walk with periodic stops (90 minutes)

The route might be divided into four sensory stations, each revisited in future seasons.

Station 1: Open Marsh and Sky (Emphasis on visual experience)

Focus

• Light, distance, movement
• Scale and openness

Mapping Prompts

• Where does the eye rest?
• How does weather alter colour?
• What feels expansive or calming?

Seasonal Variation

• Spring: returning birds, fresh greens
• Summer: haze, strong contrasts
• Autumn: low sun, warm tones
• Winter: stark light, monochrome palette

Station 2: Reed Beds and Edges (Emphasis on listening)

Focus

• Wind through reeds
• Bird calls and silences

Mapping Prompts

• Constant vs intermittent sounds
• Directionality of sound
• Emotional response to quiet

Seasonal Variation

• Spring: breeding calls
• Summer: insect presence
• Autumn: migration sounds
• Winter: wind dominance, fewer voices

Station 3: Boardwalk and Pathway (Emphasis on touch experiences)

Focus

• Underfoot sensations
• Body awareness

Mapping Prompts

• Firmness or bounce
• Exposure vs shelter
• Temperature and wind

Seasonal Variation

• Summer warmth
• Autumn dampness
• Winter cold and stiffness
• Spring softening ground

Station 4: Bird Hide or Rest Point (Emphasis on environmental fragrances and tastes)

Focus

• Subtle scents
• Taste as memory and association

Mapping Prompts

• What does the air smell like here?
• Does the smell change after rain?
• What tastes does this place evoke?

Taste Framing

• No foraging at Trimley
• Taste is:
• Air
• Memory
• Association (e.g., "salt", "green", "metallic")

5. Phase 4: Collaborative Map-Making (60 minutes)

Step 1: Seasonal Layering

Participants place observations onto:

• The current season's overlay
• Or add to previous seasonal layers if revisiting

Each sense uses:

• A symbol
• A word or short phrase
• Optional sketches

Step 2: Shared Reading of the Map

Facilitated discussion:

• Where are experiences consistent across people?
• Where do they differ?
• Which senses dominate in which seasons?

6. Seasonal Evolution of the Map

Spring Map

• Focus: return, emergence, sound
• Dominant senses: sight and sound
• Map character: lively, hopeful, scattered points

Summer Map

• Focus: abundance, warmth, immersion
• Dominant senses: touch and fragrance
• Map character: dense, colourful, layered

Autumn Map

• Focus: transition, memory, texture
• Dominant senses: smell and sound
• Map character: reflective, annotated, narrative-rich

Winter Map

• Focus: stillness, clarity, space
• Dominant senses: sight and touch
• Map character: spare, minimal, emotionally resonant

Over time, participants may begin to anticipate change, not just observe it.

7. Example Map Types (Trimley-Specific)

Example 1: Seasonal Transparency Map

Four transparent overlays on one base map, revealing:

• Where experiences persist
• Where they shift dramatically

Example 2: Sensory Intensity Map

Areas marked by strength of sensation:

• "Very quiet"
• "Wind-exposed"
• "High bird activity"

Example 3: Emotional-Seasonal Map

Zones marked with emotional tone:

• Restorative
• Inspiring
• Melancholic
• Joyous

Can these emotions be linked to specific seasons and physical senses?

8. Reflection and Closing (30 minutes)

Guided Questions

• How did walking more slowly change your perception?
• Which sense surprised you most?
• How does Trimley feel different from other landscapes?

Initial Invitation

Participants are encouraged to:

• Return alone between sessions
• Bring new observations
• Notice what they expect to change next time

9. Concluding Perspective

At Trimley Marshes, collaborative map-making reveals that the landscape is not static but conversational. The marsh responds to season, weather, migration, and light. Walkers might respond to those changes. Over time, their maps can become a shared memory of attention, patience, and care.

By walking, sensing, and mapping together, participants do not simply record Trimley Marshes; they learn how to engage with it.

Season-Specific Sensory Mapping Worksheets

Trimley Marshes Nature Reserve

Each worksheet is designed to:

• Fit on 2–3 pages (A4)
• Be usable independently or as part of a series
• Encourage attention rather than expertise
• Feed directly into collaborative maps

All worksheets might share a common structure, so participants build familiarity and confidence over time.

Shared Worksheet Elements (All Seasons)

Header

• Date:
• Season:
• Weather conditions:
• Time of day:
• Route section (optional):

Core Instruction

"Move slowly. Pause often. Record what you notice, not what you think you should notice."

SPRING WORKSHEET

Emergence, Sound, Return

Some possible seasonal themes:
Renewal, movement, reappearance

1. Sight

Prompts:

• What new colours do you see today?
• What feels fresh or newly visible?
• Where does your eye keep returning?

Space for:

• Keywords
• Small sketches
• Colour swatches

2. Sound

(Spring is sound-rich at Trimley)

Prompts:

• Which sounds repeat?
• Which sounds are brief?
• Are sounds coming from above, ground level, or distance?

Tick boxes:

• Birdsong ☐ (Which birds can you hear? Try using the Merlin Bird ID app)
• Wind ☐
• Water ☐
• Silence ☐ (Complete silence is rare! Are you sure there is no sound?)

3. Fragrance

Prompts:

• Does the air smell damp, fresh, sharp, or clean?
• How does scent change near water or reeds?

4. Touch

Prompts:

• How does the ground feel underfoot?
• Is the air warming or still cool?

5. Taste

Prompts:

• If this place had a flavour today, what would it be?
  (eg "fresh", "metallic", "green")

Reflection

• One word for how you feel at the end of this walk:
• Something that surprised you:

SUMMER WORKSHEET

Abundance, Texture, Immersion

Some possible seasonal themes:
Fullness, warmth, intensity

1. Sight

Prompts:

• Where is colour strongest?
• Where does light shimmer or glare?
• What feels visually crowded or abundant?

2. Sound

Prompts:

• Are sounds layered or constant?
• Do insects or wind dominate?
• Where is it unexpectedly quiet?

3. Fragrance

Prompts:

• Warm vegetation?
• Stagnant or sweet smells?
• Differences between shade and sun?

4. Touch

Prompts:

• Heat on skin?
• Stickiness, dryness, softness?
• Contrast between exposed and sheltered areas?

5. Taste (Memory and Observation)

Prompts:

• Which summer tastes does this place remind you of?
• Are berries or seed heads visible? (Observe only)

Reflection

• Where did you want to linger?
• Where did you feel most comfortable?

AUTUMN WORKSHEET

Transition, Memory, Texture

Some possible seasonal themes:
Change, letting go, reflection

1. Sight

Prompts:

• Which colours are fading or deepening?
• What feels in transition?
• How does the light appear (eg lower or softer)?

2. Sound

Prompts:

• What sounds appear to be more distant?
• What feels quieter than before?
• Are there sudden movements or absences?

3. Fragrance

Prompts:

• Earthy or decaying smells?
• Dampness after rain?
• Differences between morning and afternoon?

4. Touch

Prompts:

• Crunch, softness, moisture?
• Temperature shifts?

5. Taste (Associative / Foraging Awareness)

Prompts:

• What autumn flavours come to mind?
• What edible plants are visible but untouched?

WINTER WORKSHEET

Stillness, Space, Clarity

Some possible seasonal themes:
Reduction, quiet, essence

1. Sight

Prompts:

• Which colours / shapes stand out most prominently?
• What feels stark or simple?
• How do sky and land interact today? (eg weather bringing new rain to the land)

2. Sound

Prompts:

• Where is 'quiet' most noticeable?
• How does wind shape sound?
• How far can you hear? (eg bird song from a distant woodland)

3. Fragrance

Prompts:

• Cold air smell?
• Clean, sharp, or absent scent?

4. Touch

Prompts:

• Cold, stiffness, alertness?
• How does movement change body warmth?

5. Taste

Prompts:

• What does the air taste like today?
• What memories does winter evoke?

Reflection

• What feels essential here?
• What did you appreciate more because there was less?

Part 2: Long-Term Citizen Science & Wellbeing Programme

Trimley Marshes: Walking, Noticing, Caring

Programme Overview

Duration:
Minimum 1 year (ideal: 3–5 years)

Core Aim:
To combine gentle citizen science, therapeutic walking, and collaborative sensory mapping into a sustainable community practice.

Programme Pillars

1. Wellbeing Through Walking

• Slow, accessible routes
• Emphasis on presence and pacing
• Social connection without pressure

2. Citizen Science Through Observation

• Non-extractive (eg please do not pick wild flowers or break off branches or twigs)
• Repeatable / sustainable
• Focused on noticing patterns, not collecting specimens

3. Creative Mapping as Integration

• Sensory, emotional, and ecological layers combined
• Individual observations become shared knowledge

Annual Cyclical Structure

Quarterly Seasonal Walks

• At least one guided walk per season
• Each walk uses the relevant seasonal worksheet
• Each walk adds a new layer to the collaborative map

Between-Season Individual Walks

Participants encouraged (not required) to:

• Walk independently
• Add notes or sketches
• Photograph changes

Citizen Science Components

Observational Data (Optional but Structured)

• Bird presence (seen/heard, not necessarily counted)
• Water levels (high/low/reflective)
• Vegetation stages / Plant successions (eg emerging, flowering, seeding)
• Human impact observations

These might be recorded simply as:

• Ticks
• Keywords
• Location markers

Phenology (ie the study of cyclical / recurring events in the natural world)

Over time, maps might show:

• When specific / favourite sounds return (eg bird song of migrants)
• When silence deepens
• When favourite colours return
• When stillness dominates

Wellbeing Monitoring (Optional & Ethical)

Participants may choose to note:

• Mood before and after walking
• Energy levels
• Sense of connection

No intrusive personal medical data should be collected.

Annual Outputs

1. Seasonal Composite Maps

One map per season showing:

• Dominant senses
• Emotional tones
• Ecological highlights

2. Year Map

Overlaying all four seasons:

• What persists
• What shifts
• What disappears

3. Community / group reflection session

End-of-year gathering:

• Sharing stories / memories
• Reading / explaining each map aloud
• Identifying conservation priorities (eg volunteering to help the Trimley Marshes Warden

Long-Term Benefits

For Participants

• Improved mood / identity / purpose
• Stronger sense of place
• Increased attentional skills (eg more observant, better at hearing individual bird song)
• Gentle routine and belonging

For Trimley Marsh Nature Reserve

• Informed advocacy / volunteering
• Deeper public care
• Non-intrusive ecological awareness

For the Community

• Shared language for landscape
• Intergenerational participation
• Creative commons of local knowledge

Closing Principle

This programme treats Trimley Marshes not as a site to be measured, but as a relationship to be developed and sustained. Through repeated walking, careful noticing, and collaborative mapping, participants become witnesses to change—and stewards of their environment.