This content contains affiliate links to Bookshop.org. When you buy through these links, I may earn an affiliate commission. Long regarded as unproductive and inhospitable, the UK’s peat bogs have suffered centuries of drainage, afforestation, burning, overgrazing and peat harvesting. More recently, though, we have begun to realise just how important they are as carbon …
This content contains affiliate links to Bookshop.org. When you buy through these links, I may earn an affiliate commission. Working in the Urban Design and Heritage department at Bristol City Council, my brother Pete has done a lot of digging (sometimes literally) into the history of Bristol’s various neighbourhoods. One he has recently been working …
This content contains affiliate links to Bookshop.org. When you buy through these links, I may earn an affiliate commission. I’ve written in the past about the surprising amount of urban wildlife in our towns and cities. But immersed in the hustle and bustle of urban life, it’s sometimes easy to forget that we are also …
I’ve written before about how valuable hedgerows are for wildlife. But in places where trees and shrubs find it harder to become established, linear boundary walls can offer similar benefits. Not only do these walls, especially dry stone ones with lots of points of entry, provide shelter for a range of organisms, they are also …
Wonderful Wall Wildlife Part 1: Plants and Lichens Read More »
This content contains affiliate links to Bookshop.org. When you buy through these links, I may earn an affiliate commission. To celebrate St Patrick’s Day, let me introduce you to some of my favourite places in Ireland: Galway’s islands. Having grown up on the Isle of Wight, islands have always had a special fascination for me. …
This content contains affiliate links to Bookshop.org. When you buy through these links, I may earn an affiliate commission. At this time of year, woodland flowers are often one of the first signs of spring. They tend to be some of the earliest to flower in order to take of advantage of the extra sunlight …
This content contains affiliate links to Bookshop.org. When you buy through these links, I may earn an affiliate commission. Have you ever wondered how robins and reindeer, partridges and pine trees became so linked to Christmas? Well, wonder no more! To celebrate the festive season, here are a few explanations for how some of our …
This content contains affiliate links to Bookshop.org. When you buy through these links, I may earn an affiliate commission. National Tree Week starts on the 26th of November, so what better time to pay homage to our two native oaks? English and sessile oaks are our largest native broad-leaved trees, reaching heights of between 20 …
This content contains affiliate links to Bookshop.org. When you buy through these links, I may earn an affiliate commission. This year, National Hedgerow Week starts on Monday 10th of October and runs through to the 17th. Celebrating its second year, this week-long appreciation of hedges aims to highlight just how important these often-overlooked wildlife havens …
I’m a huge fan of citizen science projects like the Big Butterfly Count. These schemes mean that any of us can contribute valuable data to research projects around the world, as well as play a part in vital conservation work. And whether you want to help out from the comfort of your own home, or …