Alright, confession time: for the past three years my parents have lived next to an expansive recreation park aaaand... I only stepped foot in there a few months ago. 

hang. head. shame. 

The too-hard basket is overflowing with potential reasons slash excuses: a[nother] sick pregnancy, an unwell infant, the mombie haze, and a tendency for our reli-bashes* to occur within a ten metre radius of the dining room table. Hmm. It still doesn't quite add up, but oh well - this one will just have to be put down to a case of c'est la vie.

The good news is visits to Grandma and Pops' place have taken on an extra dimension since realising the park lies before us. Walks now feature as a key agenda item: the gumboots are gleefully put on, spare clothes packed, the dog runs in wild circles of anticipation, and off we venture. We descend down a dirt track and then find ourselves able to select from numerous walking trails, any of which will have us follow and traverse small creeklines lined with towering River Red Gums and South Australian Blue Gums. 

Project Wild Thing - now only a keyboard away!

A quick heads up! Project Wild Thing is a brilliant, funny and truly inspirational film created by British filmmaker David Bond - and as of today it's available for viewing worldwide via this link! 

So what's the deal?

Project Wild Thing is a film led movement to get more kids (and their folks!) outside and reconnecting with nature. The film is an ambitious, feature-length documentary that takes a funny and revealing look at a complex issue, the increasingly disparate connection between children and nature.

a family farm and woodland wanders

"Why get families outdoors? Quite simply, nature is good for us... Family ties are strengthened, a sense of community is nourished, and a sense of place is cultivated. All in all, nature is good for children and their friends and family, too!"

Nature Clubs for Families Tool Kit, Children and Nature Network

Like many Aussies, I made the most of a spate of mid-autumn public holidays by taking three days annual leave and getting a block of ten days off in return - high fives all round! The break coincided with school holidays and some extended leave for my husband so we took up a couple of opportunities for low-cost family adventures in regional South Oz. First up was our trip to the river, closely followed by a visit to a family farm in the state's South East.

The SE's Limestone Coast is one of my favourite parts of the state to visit in cooler months with its crisp air, rugged coastlines, pockets of diverse scrubland, expansive agricultural lands and world-class wineries. This affection for the region is also steeped in nostalgia: my father's side of the family descends from the SE town of Naracoorte and there's been plenty of [infamous] road trips over the years to the coastal village of Robe and surrounds with uni, friends and work.  

word up

hello! I've had a short hiatus from the blog courtesy of a smashed iPhone. Bill for a new phone aside [let's not go there], I really enjoyed being unplugged for a while. The urge to check the phone quickly diminished and I made my way through a couple of books. A tech detox every now and then is definitely a good thing, and is all the impetus I need to start day dreaming about somewhere out of range I could take the kids in the July holidays... A few days in Deep Creek Conservation Park with a wood fire, beanies and kangaroos is currently winning... keep you posted!

This week's word up comes via Richard Louv and his book Last Child in the Woods. In the chapter "Cities Gone Wild" Louv explores the assumption that cities don't have room for wildlife. Zoopolis is a word Jennifer Wolch [director of Sustainable Cities Project] uses to imagine cities transformed into habitats through land-planning, architectural design and public education. It gets a double-thumbs up from nature // street - let's dream big! 

4th of May: a day to play [outdoors!]

"Many of us don’t get out into nature much. We’re too busy, plugged in to screens and rushing through our busy lives. But nature is crucial to our health and wellbeing — and to the health of our planet. Let’s reclaim nature and grow our connection with each other and the places we love!"

Australian Conservation Foundation

Today was "Play Outside Day", an initiative coordinated here in Australia by the Australian Conservation Foundation. The Day is a great example of the global movement recognising the importance of nature and unstructured outdoor play for the health and development of children [and adults!].

dream / inspire / do

enchanting visual stories celebrating all things nature, simplicity and play

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"To plant a garden is to believe in tomorrow"

Audrey Hepburn

The poor vegie patches are in need of some serious love. It's time to prep for the new season + what better way to get inspired than pulling + cooking up the last of the crops, pouring over much-loved garden books, + discovering a multitude of creative ways to grow seedlings. Let your imagination sow wild! [too cheesy? #sorrynotsorry]. Happy planting!   

Sources: Craft Gawker, Trendenser, Country Living, via Dishfunctional Designs, Fine Gardening, Elle Decoration, via Abundance, Tuinieren.nl Country Living, Thrifty Fun

starry nights and toasted marshmallows

"And a softness came from the starlight and filled me full to the bone."

W.B. Yeats

Easter is one of those holiday periods that triggers fond memories of my own childhood and I love seeing the sparkle in my children's eyes as their own Easter experiences are lived, their own memories made. With two young kids aged two and almost six, it's exciting to have the opportunity to create our own family traditions and foster the next generation of Easter escapades. Family, friends, simplicity and adventures - at home or away - all feature as key emerging themes.

This year all of the above themes were central to the four day weekend, which included our first family Easter getaway - a somewhat impromptu trip to a friend's shack on the river Murray, an hour from Adelaide. A late decision to stay for a few nights rather than doing a day-trip made for a stressful but anticipatory city exit as we scrambled to pack, off-load the dog and join in the anarchy otherwise known as pre-public holiday food shopping.

On the 'gram!

Did you know that nature // street is on Instagram? Come visit + follow @nature_street to keep up-to-date with blog happenings and share in a solid dose of inspiration. The page offers a positive + playful take on nature, simplicity and play and profiles some creative, boundary-pushing blends of nature in modern living. Hope to see you on the 'gram soon! 

Take it easy, Claire 

  

Mombie tonic

"Today, the long-held belief that nature has a direct positive impact on human health is making the transition from theory to evidence to action... And many of us, without having a name for it, are using the nature tonic. We are, in essence, self-medicating with an inexpensive and unusually convenient drug substitute. Let's call it vitamin N - for Nature"

Richard Louv, in the Nature Principle

Blogging has taken a backseat over the past few weeks while I've been a "mombie":  a hybrid mom [mum] / zombie creature characterised by dark circles under the eyes, aimless wandering, grunting responses and relentless caffeine hunting [oh no wait - the last part's normal]. 

This semi-catatonic state can primarily be attributed to our toddler's recent grommet/adenoid surgery and recovery, immediately followed by his third bout of bronchiolitis this year alone. Combine serious sleep loss with über busy days at work and - voilà - you've got yourself a[nother] mombie on the loose. 

nature // street vision

"Always keep your eyes open. Keep watching. Because whatever you see can inspire you"

Grace Coddington, Vogue Creative Director

This week's nature // street vision celebrates nature in the midst of  cityscapes: intriguing unions of man-made materials and the natural world. Inspiration abounds.

  

  

 

  

   

Source: Santoriniblog (via v-o-g-u-e-i-s-a-r-t), Blood and Champagne, Unknown (via Pinterest), 

Nicole Franzen Photography, chickalookate, Dwell; Guen-K; Erwan Fichou (via Kawaiigirl79), 

A Well Travelled Woman, unknown (via Pinterest)