New Forest National Park Writer In Residence
New Forest National Park Writer In Residence - Yarrow Townsend
In June 2024 the New Forest National Park Authority in partnership with local non-profit writers’ agency ArtfulScribe and the Countryside Education Trust charity appointed its first Writer in Residence.
Poet and author Yarrow Townsend was selected for the 12 month tenure, primarily based at the Countryside Education Trust (CET) in Beaulieu. The position was initiated with the purpose of inspiring creativity and connections between people and nature, with a focus on the younger generations in and around the New Forest. Having grown up in the New Forest, published author Yarrow embraced the opportunity to return to the landscape that shaped her childhood to engage with young people through nature-based workshops and projects.
Over the past months Yarrow has been involved with practical environmental skills at CET including coppicing and farm tasks to inspire her own reflective writing and blog. Other projects led by Yarrow included charcoal making workshops, nature walks and creative writing sessions, and group activities with local school children. With additional funding from YouCAN (Youth for Climate and Nature Scheme) she also took the lead on a 14-day mini project to restore CET’s herb garden.
Yarrow has been actively involved in New Forest events throughout the year including writing workshops at Urban Wild Festival, and reading her poetry for ArtfulScribe’s Women In Science at the Mayflower Theatre, Southampton. She has been documenting her residency experience through her blog which you can read on her Substack here.
She is has completed a collection of poems and illustrations which have brought together all of her learnings and reflections from her Writer in Residence journey. Watch her talk about her residency in the film below.
New Forest National Park Writer in Residence is funded by the New Forest National Park Authority’s Sustainable Communities Fund.