People from across Dartmoor are invited to share their stories about their relationship with nature and the landscape as part of a project to create a digital archive.

Bringing together thousands of stories in a searchable online archive, Green Space Stories will create a snapshot of our connection with nature in 2022, and a source of knowledge for researchers, policy makers, artists and educators.

This unique citizen science project is part of Green Space Dark Skies, one of 10 UNBOXED: Creativity in the UK projects taking place in 2022, including an event in Dartmoor National Park.Green Space Stories is a partnership between Walk the Plank, National Parks UK and the University of Salford. We’re inviting you to share your stories about your experiences in nature and the landscape: whether that’s hills or mountains, lakes or beaches, woodlands or local parks. Stories can be told through writing, photos or recordings through the Green Space Dark Skies website.

The archive of stories – which will be anonymous – will be available for anyone to view through a searchable, easy to use dashboard and will form a treasure trove of knowledge about the public’s relationship with nature in 2022.

Stories might be used by artists to inspire songs, poems, artworks, films or books; by government organisations or local councils to inform and shape policies; researchers looking for information; educators or community groups, or people who want to hear stories from others like them, or who differ from them. There is no story too short to tell and no experience that we cannot learn from. Green Space Stories is just as interested in hearing about daily dog walks, as in hearing stories about bigger adventures. See greenspacesdarkskies.uk.