Explore the Wild: A Day of Cyanotypes, Trees and Connection
Explore the Wild Cyanotypes is a Grow Wild Youth Project
Kanchi Mehta 28th July 2026
Our Explore the Wild cyanotypes event was everything we hoped it would be—and more. We welcomed an incredible turnout, with even more people joining us than we expected, making it a fantastic day of creativity, curiosity, and connection with nature.
The pace of the day was wonderfully relaxed. Together, we wandered through the woods, taking time to really notice the trees around us. It was a chance to slow down, look closely, and build a deeper sense of empathy for the natural world.
One of the highlights of the day was meeting Gaia, a fellow bug enthusiast who travelled down from Kew to document and take part in the event. Her passion for wildlife was infectious, and it was a real pleasure to have her join us. Sharing the day with people who care so deeply about nature made the experience even more special.
Of course, the cyanotype process itself was a huge hit. Watching plants, leaves, and natural textures transform into beautiful blue prints never loses its magic, and it was wonderful to see everyone experimenting, exploring, and creating their own unique pieces inspired by the woodland around them.
We're already looking forward to the next sessions! We have plenty of exciting developments planned, including improved cameras that will produce even better images, take home camera kits for participants to explore with, and the first steps towards creating our collaborative public artwork.
We have planned 2 more cyanotype sessions which will include new and improved designs in response to feedback. We are hoping for even clearer images and cameras that are better built!
The next session will be in Saturday August 22ndand
The last session will be Saturday September 19th
Thank you to everyone who came along and made the day such a success. We can't wait to welcome you back into the woods for the next chapter of Explore the Wild. We hope to see you at the next one!
The Wonderful World of Wildflowers
Take a Look at last month’s Explore the Wild, exploring the fascinating world of our chalkmeadows and their wildflowers in this video created for us by Paul Bevan: