Autumn Equinox Gathering with Amanda Randell Cox

The Autumn Equinox is that beautiful moment when day and night are held in perfect balance before the landscape begins its gentle transition into winter. Rather than celebrating abundance, it celebrates noticing, seed heads instead of flowers, texture instead of colour, habitats instead of displays. 

To celebrate this Autumn Equinox we invite you to join Amanda Randell Cox, a local artist specialising in landscape-led botanical design, at Heal Somerset for a morning of exploration, creation and delicious food. We will start the day with tea, coffee, fruit and pastries followed by a guided walk around our beautiful rewilding site.  We will then return to the community nature cabin for a creative botanical session inspired by everything we've just seen together during the morning walk.

Working together in small groups, guests will create a relaxed autumn table meadow using seasonal grasses and seed heads gathered in advance, before making their own delicate wire insect to take home.

Finally, we will enjoy a seasonal vegetarian brunch surrounded by the botanical table meadows created together, with time to reflect on the changing season and everything discovered during the morning.

Timings

7.30am Meet at the Community Nature Cabin for tea, coffee, fruit and pastries

7.45am Welcome and introduction to the Autumn Equinox, followed by a guided walk through Heal's beautiful rewilding landscape

9.00am Return to the Community Nature Cabin for a creative botanical session 

10.15am Seasonal vegetarian brunch 

11.00am Event ends

About your guide, Amanda Randell Cox

Amanda Randell Cox is a botanical artist, creative project manager and RHS Chelsea Gold medallist whose work explores the relationship between people, plants and place.

After more than twenty years creating floral installations, teaching professional floristry and working closely with historic gardens and landscapes, her practice has evolved towards landscape-led botanical design, inspired by the textures, seed heads and quiet beauty of rewilding landscapes as the seasons change.

Amanda's work is rooted in the belief that creativity begins with noticing, slowing down to observe the rhythms of the landscape, understanding how habitats support wildlife, and discovering beauty in the often-overlooked details of nature.

She is delighted to be sharing this special Autumn Equinox Gathering at Heal Somerset, inviting guests to slow down, observe and create together in celebration of the changing season, and an invitation to keep noticing long after the morning ends.

LOCATION

Heal Somerset is in a very rural location, a few miles from Bruton, Frome, the A303 and the Wiltshire border, at Lower West Barn Farm, Bindon Lane, Witham Friary, BA11 5HH. Directions will be sent in a confirmation email.

CLOTHING AND OTHER CONSIDERATIONS

We recommend you bring binoculars if you have them for the walking part of this event

We recommend that you wear sturdy boots as thanks to our wild-living beavers, it may be wet underfoot. Bring sunscreen if it's sunny, antihistamines if you need them and ticks will be about so we suggest long trousers. We will advise on weather in run up to event.

ACCESSIBILITY

Our community nature barn is wheelchair-accessible and has an accessible toilet.  The site is not yet wheelchair-accessible, but we do have one all-terrain mobility scooter available and . If you would like to use this, please let us know ahead of the event.

If you use an assistance dog, your dog will be welcome.

If you have any additional questions about accessibility please email events@healrewilding.org.uk.

OTHER THINGS

Cancellation

We reserve the right to cancel this event and either refund you or book you into an alternative date. This would be due to a very poor weather forecast or illness and will be avoided unless absolutely necessary.

Please note, tickets are non-refundable unless the event is cancelled.

Children and babies

Children over 14 are welcome at this event as are babies in slings (the site is not pushchair-friendly in a lot of areas). Please contact events@healrewilding.org.uk for more information about bringing children.

Dogs

We welcome assistance dogs but you can't bring a pet dog or any other pets to the site.

Supporting Heal

Please note, all proceeds from your ticket price will go towards supporting the work of Heal.

You'll also have the chance to become a Friend of Heal and to donate to support our work.

Special ticketing

If you are unwaged, a student or living on a very low income and the cost of attending is prohibitive, please email events@healrewilding.org.uk as we may be able to support your attendance. Please note this may not always be possible.

Local accommodation

There are lots of places to stay in and around Frome and Bruton, you can find information for some of them here

Transport

The remote rural location means that travelling here by car is the most practical option and there will be car parking available for all tour participants.