Nature Connection, Nightingales, and The Nest Collective (with Sam Lee)

Spring’s here so I’m here to bring you some Spring-cheer. For the fifth episode of Into the Stream I’m joined by Sam Lee, Mercury Award Shortlisted folk-singer, passionate conservationist, renowned song collector, and successful creator of live events. He's been on the BBC more times than I can count, including the likes of Jools Holland, Jeremy Paxman’s soon to be released podcast, BBC Radio 4 (and 3 and 6), BBC news, the list goes on forever...

Sam is a bundle of joy, enthusiasm, charm, and also happens to be rather deep in the nature connection world (having learnt from the famous survivalist Ray Mears, spent masses of time in the natural landscape, and has become renowned for his commitment to collecting fragments of land-based folk song from those that have passed it down for centuries.

Sam is also the founder of The Nest Collective, an organisation that runs an array of enchanting nature-based and community-cheer events that aim to bring people together to experience extraordinary music in unforgettable places, rekindling connections with nature, tradition and community. Their events include Campfire Club, Fire Choirs, Singing with Nightingale Immersions, Bird-inspired Pilgrimages.

This episode is a lovely one. We talk about nature connection for those that feel disconnected to it (often myself), Sam’s childhood, Judaism, the richness of his events at Nest Collective, take some hits on current ways of teaching kids about nature (Duke of Edinburgh award we’re looking at you) and explore his recently released (last week) debut novel: The Nightingale: Notes on a Songbird.

I hope you enjoy the episode as a way to kickstart the Spring and use it as an impetus to spend some more time with your hands in the mud with friends and folk.

Some Resources
The song I first heard by Sam sung around a New Years Campfire.
Courses in the UK by Wildwise
Jon Young's, The Art of Mentoring and his Coyote's Guide to Connecting with Nature
Sam's Book, The Nightingale: Notes on a Songbird

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The theme music for Into the Stream is 'Good Morning' by Bonaparte and Acid Pauli, who kindly gave their permission for use.