Words about wildlife, wilderness & nature conservation
After a hot and busy day, I decided to take a walk to a nearby patch of green. Clouds were moving in and the breeze became stronger and wonderfully refreshing after the intensity of the June sun. This particular London common is divided in two by a road busy at rush hour with cars and [...]
This month we celebrate the success of the fantastic young writers who took part in our inaugural writing competition. Entitled ‘the embodiment of Spring’ and judged by reknowned author, Robert Macfarlane, some sensational articles were submitted as part of contest proceedings, and we had an incredibly tough time making anything that vaguely resembled a decision. [...]
Frances was brought up in Shropshire. She writes about country walks, urban gardens and the wildness that can be found on the doorstep. A music teacher by training, Frances currently volunteers part-time at Chelsea Physic Garden. I arrived at Sandbanks in the early evening. Despite it being June the light was fading and there was [...]
Growing up in semi-rural Northumberland, I have long been accustomed to residing in scenic and ecologically diverse areas. I am used to the presence of bustling nature reserves a mere stones throw from my front door and green-fringed streets ringing with the chirrup of Tree Sparrows; I am accustomed to having a garden, complete with [...]
Now that the show has aired, I thought I would draw attention to the most recent episode of BBC Countryfile where, around halfway through, I pop up in a short segment regarding Northumberland Wildlife Trust's fantastic Hauxley Nature Reserve. A brief feature slotted nicely in the middle of some truly brilliant works focused on Roseate [...]
Spring has sprung, at long last. And all about my local area, the sapphire blooms of English bluebell mingle with the garish, Simpson-yellow of lesser celandine and the pristine white of flowering wood anemone. The air encompassing them ripe with the stench of ramsons carried on the breeze and nearby waterways - the ponds, streams [...]
Last night, it was revealed that New Nature Magazine has won in the 'Green and Eco Company Category' of the UK Blog Awards 2018, beating some seriously tough competition to take home the prestigious prize for virtual work. Hooray! Born of a conversation between myself and managing editor, Alex Pearce, in late 2016, New Nature aims [...]
My relationship with NWT's Hauxley Nature Reserve goes back a long way: to my childhood no less when, during my middle school days, it served as the perfect place to escape reality and engross myself in nature. Indeed, for me, the reserve has always been a place of learning - gifting me with early encounters [...]
The descending song of a willow warbler, the years first, catches my ears as I take my first steps into the wood - a sound which, to me, evokes everything profoundly beautiful about the British springtime. Calling to mind longer days and warmer nights; the electric blooms of bluebell and the yellow radiance of celandine; and [...]
Uncharacteristically, I haven't managed many far-flung ventures of late - the combined result of some drastic life changes, a busy schedule and the build-up of myriad more menial tasks. This, of course, has frustrated me to no end, boiling over with a snap decision this past Saturday to drop everything and travel outwards: inland to [...]
Wildlife Phelps, by Simon Phelps As I have mentioned previously, I love blogs that address environmental issues honestly and absent the tendency to tip-toe around touchy subjects. This is exactly what I feel Simon achieves on his website; while simultaneously producing eloquently written content that inspires deeper thought on complex subjects. Rare among conservation bloggers [...]
Traditionally, March is the first month of Spring: a time of pleasant birdsong, early blooms and fresh, new life. This year, things appear somewhat different. Storm Emma and the Beast from the East have collided and merged and Britain, for the large part, finds itself enduring what seems to many like a second Winter. Snow [...]
I dislike our tendency to name storms and weather fronts almost as much as I dislike our habit of blowing such things entirely out of proportion in this country. Often panicking without justification when snowflakes fall and temperatures decline ever so slightly. That said, the Beast from the East, as it has been labelled by [...]
The 'Newcastle Diaries' are intended as a new series of blog posts brought to life by a recent move to the city; inspired by a growing frustration at not being able to visit my regular, rural haunts half as often as I would like. While I assumed a move here would greatly decrease the time [...]
