Welcome to series two of the Nature StoryTeller podcast. Come in and take a seat. It is another cool but bright spring evening, and we are all together to share another story from Nature Folklore.

This episode features local lore from the Lake District, a beautiful, scenic area northwest of England.

First, we introduce you to an elusive, mystical creature native to the Lakes and one of the many legends from those deep dark waters who shared its magic with us on the land. It is also said to have a taste for Ginger Biscuits!

Our main story comes from the Borderlands - which bridge the divide between the very north of England and the very south of Scotland.

I first heard it on a night like this when I was in the Lake District, gathered with friends to listen to a story passed on by generations of storytellers, and now it is my turn to share it with you.

So, if you are sitting comfortably, take a deep breath, relax and close your eyes as we share the fantastic tale of the Lad who herded Hares.

We hope you have enjoyed our tales. If you have a favourite story or a slice of local folklore you think we should be sharing, please get in touch with us.

Our email address is hello@naturestoryteller.org, or if you would like to hear more stories from nature folklore, visit our website www.naturestoryteller.org

Now it is time for me to return to the woodland, but Nature StoryTeller will return in May with more fascinating folk tales and stories from nature and folklore.

Hello, and welcome to the Nature StoryTeller podcast!

As we celebrate the Spring equinox, we also come to the end of our first series. We are grateful to all those who have listened to us since our launch at Samhain, and we hope you enjoyed the twenty-four nature-based tales we shared with you.

We are so excited to know we have a couple of hundred regular listeners and about the same number of you who tune in occasionally. We would appreciate it if you would subscribe to our podcast. It is free and helps us reach new people on podcast platforms.

The spring equinox is a time of new beginnings and harnessing nature’s energies. As we share two tales today, we hope you find their messages as relevant today as they were when they were first told.

Our first tale originates from the borderlands of Scotland and England, and we know that you will enjoy listening to it. So, sit back, relax, and begin with the story of Thomas the Thatcher.

Living and eating in sync with nature is not new, yet it is more relevant now than ever. The buzzwords 'green' and 'eco' have become commonplace. Still, if they lead more people to align themselves with the cyclical rhythms of nature, then they are worth embracing. However, we should never condone greenwashing, as it is dishonest and unethical.

Our second tale is a universal story that originated in southern Ireland but is present in almost every culture worldwide. Its message resonates with all of us, regardless of where we live.

Are you ready to hear it? Let's close our eyes and immerse ourselves in the story of the underwater palace.

We would be so grateful if you would leave us a review on your podcast platform and like, follow, and share our stories on your social media platforms. The Nature StoryTeller is on Facebook, Instagram, Threads, and Twitter/X.

We are new to this journey but have received remarkable support and friendship from fellow storytellers. We are grateful for the warm welcome and sage advice we have received.

Thank you to Lisa Schneidau for her incredible passion for storytelling, her knowledge and love of nature and wildlife, and Owen Staton for being a storytelling legend.

Owen was the first person I contacted. He is an excellent source of knowledge of folktales and an inspiration with the passionate way he delivers his storytelling. We highly recommend that you listen to his podcast, The Time Between Times, and we hope to join Owen around the firepit deep in the forest one day.

We would like to hear from you if you enjoy our nature-based folklore and storytelling. If you have a favourite story you would like us to share, or there are things we could do better, please get in touch with us. We read every email. Our email is hello@naturestoryteller.org. That's hello@naturestoryteller.org.

Most importantly, we want to thank you, our listeners. Whether you are joining us today for the first time or have been with us from the beginning of this journey, we appreciate you all and would like to say a heartfelt Thank you for listening to our first series of tales.

The Nature StoryTeller will return in April with series two.

Welcome to the Nature StoryTeller.

To celebrate the UK #NationalStorytellingweek 2024, we took the NatureStoryteller on the road for the first time to share our stories with a live audience.

With the spirit of Imbolc rising in our blood, we shared two stories. The first was an adaptation of Catriona McDonald's The Imbolc Story, featuring Brighid as she develops the skills and compassion that made her a Goddess.

In our second story, we again follow Brighid to Kildare, where she sets up home and home and works her magic to help a white wolf and a woodcutter who is in deep trouble with the king. Our second story is one of the very few where wolves are not seen as bad; that is why I like it.

I hope you enjoy our live storytelling, as it is something I hope to do more of in the future.

You can listen to all our storytelling podcasts and find out more about us on our website, www.naturestoryteller.org