Adrian's Croft

18/06/2026

Muscovies make excellent mothers. She's managed to raise a wee chick in with her clutch of ducklings. I'm not sure if she's noticed 😆

18/06/2026

I wonder how long it will take before mumma and chick realise they are not the same species 🦆🐣🤣

17/06/2026

Noticing energy!

17/06/2026

Happy highland cattle

16/06/2026

Edges: Edges: where different energies meet.
☀️😸

16/06/2026

Here in the Northern Hemisphere, June's Small Shifts theme is Boundaries & Edges: Protecting Energy.

Another word for an edge is a margin.

Over the past few days, one of my Muscovy ducks has separated herself from the flock. While I assess her condition, I've made her a quiet, sheltered space where she can rest.

In nature, this isn't unusual. Animals that are injured, unwell or vulnerable will sometimes withdraw from the group for a time.

It made me think about the idea of margins.

When we talk about ecosystems, the margins are often places of diversity, adaptation and resilience. They can be rich in life and full of interesting relationships.

Human societies also have margins.

Some people find themselves on the edge of mainstream systems because of illness, disability, caring responsibilities, poverty, culture, neurodivergence, age, circumstance or simply because the systems around them were not designed with their needs in mind.

Yet those margins often hold perspectives, experiences and insights that the centre cannot easily see.

Permaculture encourages us to pay attention to what is happening at the edges.

Not simply because edges are interesting, but because understanding relationships helps us design more thoughtfully.

Who is being overlooked?

Whose needs are not being met?

What gifts, skills and perspectives might we be missing?

How we think influences how we see.

How we see shapes how we act.

And sometimes the most important things become visible when we take the time to look towards the margins.
🌿

15/06/2026

Here in the Northern Hemisphere, June's Small Shifts theme is Boundaries & Edges: Protecting Energy.

While preparing a butternut squash today, I found myself thinking about edges again.

Many scientific studies suggest that the skins of fruits and vegetables often contain higher concentrations of nutrients than the flesh inside.

Yet many of us automatically peel them and throw the skins away.

Some end up in the compost heap. Others in the bin.

Increasingly, I find myself asking a different question:
"Is there another use for this?"

Squash skins can be roasted. Vegetable peelings can be turned into stock. Citrus peel can flavour food, drinks or cleaning products.

The edge is often where nutrients accumulate.

What changes is not the squash.
It's how we see it.

How we think influences how we see.

How we see shapes our actions.

And sometimes a small shift in perspective reveals value where we previously saw waste.

I'd love to hear your ideas.

What are your favourite ways to use skins, peelings or other "edge products" that might otherwise be discarded? 🌿

14/06/2026

One of the things I'm really enjoying about the Small Shifts guide is how each month's theme gently focuses my attention.

June's theme is Boundaries & Edges: Protecting Energy.

Since the beginning of the month, I've found myself noticing edges everywhere.

I recently came across an article explaining that a small wave breaking on a beach contains an astonishing abundance of microscopic life. Every wave arriving at the shore carries countless bacteria, plankton and other organisms from one environment into another.

Yesterday, a drive through the Highlands revealed another edge rich in life: the roadside verge. Orchids, wildflowers and grasses thriving where road, ditch and woodland meet.

The accumulation of life and energy is often easiest to spot at the edges.

Where water slows.

Where nutrients gather.

Where temperatures change.

Where different habitats, ideas or people meet.

The interesting thing is that these edges have always been there.

The difference is that now I'm looking.

Sometimes a small shift in attention is enough to reveal an entirely different world.

What edges have you noticed recently? 🌿

12/06/2026

I've recently moved the Living Lightly community from Skool to a new home on my website: The Living Lightly Commons.

The Commons is a space for people who are interested in living lightly, thinking differently and working with nature rather than against it.

I'll be sharing monthly Small Shifts reflections, observations from Adrian's Croft, ideas from permaculture and systems thinking, and occasional glimpses of projects in Scotland and further afield.

There is no pressure to keep up, no algorithms to fight and no expectation that everyone agrees with one another.

Just a place to learn, reflect, ask questions, share experiences and connect with others who are exploring similar ideas.

If that sounds useful, you're very welcome to join us.

🌿 Learn, reflect, share and connect from wherever you are in the world.

A place to learn, reflect, share experiences and support one another in living lightly — wherever you are in the world.

07/03/2026

Tomorrow is International Women’s Day
I feel deeply grateful for the many extraordinary women I’ve had the privilege to learn with and from — particularly in Jordan and Pakistan, where strength, creativity, humour and determination are part of daily life.
In classrooms, kitchens, gardens and community spaces, I’ve watched women share knowledge, challenge assumptions, collaborate across differences, and reshape what feels possible — often within very real constraints.
Again and again, I’m reminded that when women are supported to learn, lead and design within their own contexts, everybody benefits: families, communities, ecosystems and future generations.
This weekend, I’m simply holding gratitude for the women who have trusted me, challenged me, and taught me so much.