Notes on Nature

It’s Indie Spotlight time again, and today we’re putting Unicorn Grocery in Chorlton, Manchester, centre stage. This workers’ co-operative is something of a local legend, with its iconic jute shopping bags a familiar sight across the city. We interviewed the folks at Unicorn to find out more about the past, present and future of their wonderful shop.

Nothing beats the reward of doing your future self a favour. Changing your bedding before you go on holiday, putting something tasty in the slow cooker in the morning – you’ll always be grateful for the small things you did for yourself in advance. And now that winter’s on the way, Nature has the perfect present for future you: spring bulbs.

Welcome to Culture Forager Vol. III. This is where we share with you the cultural stuff that’s on our radar right now. From music for plants to a festival dedicated to mountains, we’ve dug out some gems this month. Scroll through our five foraged findings for inspiration abound.

 

We’re two months in to working alongside Nature as a director. A huge amount of work went into making this appointment possible — but the real work begins now. The real work is not in the appointing, but in the working with Nature towards better informed, more conscious decisions that take the natural world into account. So what is it like sharing the boardroom table with a non-human entity that has never had a voice in business before?

If Nature crowned you with a head of curly hair, switching to zero waste haircare might be a daunting prospect. Caring for curls can be a delicate balance, and introducing any new products to your shower routine could change everything. They might be good for the planet, but are shampoo bars good for curly hair?

So, you’re thinking of switching to zero waste shampoo bars (and hopefully conditioner bars, too). A wise choice – and a kind one! But just how do you go about washing your hair with something that looks like a bar of soap? And where are you supposed to keep it between washes? Stick with us for the answers.

In August ’22, we did something no company had done before: recognised the legal Rights of Nature by making it a director on our board — giving Nature a voice and a vote on how our business is run. But while this is a huge milestone in the reimagining of the relationship between Nature and business, our end-goal has always been so much bigger.

To mark World Vegan Month, we’re sharing the joy of washing your hair with vegan shampoo. Because good hair days shouldn’t be just about looking and feeling good, but doing good as well.

Hemp oil products are having a moment right now, and quite right too. Hemp oil is packed with goo...

From a plant with 47 different species, lavender is a wonder. Wash your body with it, nourish you...

We have absolute trust and confidence (faith!) that Nature knows best — and that products made with natural ingredients are better both in terms of efficacy and well-being. The clue’s in the name, really.

This one’s a big one…

We’ve been putting our faith in Nature since 1974. And today that’s truer than ever — as we become the first company in the world to give Nature a voice and a vote!