72 Seasons
27 November – 1 December: The North Wind Brushes the Leaves
Rustling. The sound of the leaves in the wind. Watching them dance. Working out which way is North – during the day or night. How can you ‘feel’ this season? All of the above maybe!
Here are a list of wonderful ways to find North:
- Look for moss; it usually grows on the north (i.e., least sunny) side of trees, walls and rocks—or at least, grows most plentifully there.
- Look for spider webs, which tend to appear on the south sides of trees.
- Put a stick in the ground vertically, and note where the end of its shadow is. Wait a little while, and mark where the end is now. The line going between those two points should run approximately east–west; you can then tell by the direction of the sun’s movement which way is north.
- In the northern hemisphere, if it’s night and the sky is clear, you can usually pick out the north star (Polaris) as the brightest one in the handle of the Little Dipper. If you’re facing that star, you’re pointing north.
72 Seasons is a creative project, which can encourage a deeper connection to nature and improve wellbeing at the same time.
In addition to the seasons profiled each month in Parish News, you can find out more about the project in detail at www.72seasons.co.uk, or follow along on social media and explore the rest of the 72 Seasons: Facebook, Twitter or Instagram.