(no subject)
I disappeared off into the wilderness for most of last week for Hippy Tree-Planting Camp. It was fantastic. Look, there are even some pictures that one of the other people on the trip took (they're worth a look for the amazing scenery shots, but every picture I'm in makes me look like Gollum). We planted about 1500 trees in two days, dismantled over a mile of deer fencing, and cut down a few hundred trees of invasive species. Saw wildlife - including a beaver from a reintroduction programme! - and stars, learned more about tree identification, and I can now even safely identify at least one type of edible mushroom. I've come back utterly knackered though, and with the obligatory paranoia about the many diseases I've potentially been exposed to.
It was also a really good chance to talk about activism at great length without anyone getting offended. I've discovered all kinds of stuff about how totally corrupt the Cairngorms National Park Authority is, the benefits of lynx re-introduction, and the politics of occupational therapy. Evenings of communal cooking, communal eating, and large quantities of wine are good for that sort of thing.
Back in the real world, everything continues exactly as it did before, and it's taking a bit of getting used to because I'd forgotten exactly how weird it was in the first place.
It was also a really good chance to talk about activism at great length without anyone getting offended. I've discovered all kinds of stuff about how totally corrupt the Cairngorms National Park Authority is, the benefits of lynx re-introduction, and the politics of occupational therapy. Evenings of communal cooking, communal eating, and large quantities of wine are good for that sort of thing.
Back in the real world, everything continues exactly as it did before, and it's taking a bit of getting used to because I'd forgotten exactly how weird it was in the first place.