A treasure hunt for lost words
Laura Ross, Communications Officer
This summer, families can take part in a treasure hunt to discover Rye Harbour Nature Reserve and be in with the chance of winning a beautiful book. Visitors will be sent on a hunt around our short circular route, accessible to buggies and scooters, looking for some of the ‘lost words’.
The Lost Words is a collection of paintings and poems created in response to some children’s dictionaries removing certain wildlife words. Dandelion, Acorn, Bramble, Starling and Magpie are just some of the words that have disappeared from dictionaries as they were considered no longer relevant to children.
Jackie Morris and Robert Macfarlane’s book hopes to re-engage children and adults with the natural world. Macfarlane described his poems as “spells” to enchant the reader, while Morris’ paintings are gilded to recall the significance of religious icons.
Visitors can collect a trail sheet and entry form from the Discovery Centre from 18th July - 3rd September. Good luck!
Comments
What a superb idea. Hopefully it will be well supported. However, it begs the question: How & why did these words disappear from children’ vocabulary? I suspect that with the increase in electronic devices and the fact that busy parents have less & less time to take their children out into the countryside. Such a shame but, unfortunately, a fact of life in these “enlightened times.
03 Aug 2023 08:07:00