Native American tradition has many stories for the seasons of the year, especially those to do with the moon. This beautiful screen print is by Roy Henry Vickers, an artist and leader from the Northwest Coast First Nations. The print is called Potlatch Moon. The new moon at the beginning of January is traditionally called the Giving Moon and signals the start of the winter giving season where people visit each other and take gifts of food. A Potlatch supper is a meal assembled from food brought by guests, with each person bringing something to add to the table. Thanks to Roy Henry and the Eagle Eerie Gallery in Tofino, British Columbia for permission to use his picture to help welcome in the New Year.

One of my hopes for our Outdoor Learning Network for 2012 is that we will become a community of practitioners in outdoor learning that enjoy giving and sharing our ideas, experience, enthusiasm and expertise. We all need encouragement and support in our various roles and contexts and I hope that we will be able to give that to each other through our network activities over the coming months.

The lovely Brian Cox is off star gazing again on TV. Dara O’Briain will be working with him to help us get outside at night and study the heavens for inspiration. The BBC 2 broadcast will be live from Jodrell Bank radio observatory over three consecutive evenings beginning Monday 16th January at 8.30pm. Another exciting outdoor journey of discovery – challenge your children and young people to explore the wonders of the universe ! Thanks to TheDreamSky for the great star journey picture, used with creative commons permission.