Prince Philip – Stalwart champion for the environment

    It has become only too apparent that the world’s tropical rainforests are critically endangered. Prince Philip, 2002  WWF International expresses its condolences on the passing away of HRH The Duke of Edinburgh, at the age of 99. His Royal Highness served for many years as president of the global conservation organization and was WWF International’s president emeritus at the time of his death. Prince Philip was a pivotal patron of WWF, serving as a passionate voice, advocate and...

Some of the animals of Easter

The Easter story has only a few animals associated with it… Donkey “We all know that a donkey carried Mary to Bethlehem and on the trip to Egypt,” Powell said. “Jesus rode a donkey to Jerusalem on Palm Sunday and the significance of Jesus’ riding a donkey was that he was coming in peace. “The Nubian donkey has a cross on its back because it was said that this breed of donkeys carried Jesus to Jerusalem on Palm Sunday.” Powell...

Conservation dogs to the rescue

As a dog lover – dogs are not called ‘people’s best friend’ for nothing – I’m interested in how dogs are used to help us humans in many different ways.  They ( dogs) are intelligent, can be trained for very particular purposes …. Here are two examples of dogs skills being applied to help with nature conservation especially endangered species. Australia Detection Dog Research Team In addition to the Fighting Extinction Dog Squad, Zoos Victoria employ the skills of dogs...

Hope for the Oceans | Dr Sylvia Earle & Hope Spots

Dr Sylvia Earle- oceanographer spectacular – has had a remarkable connection with the sea, and a similarly remarkable history of achievements .   Her charity Mission Blue Mission Blue inspires action to explore and protect the ocean. Led by legendary oceanographer Dr. Sylvia Earle, Mission Blue is uniting a global coalition to inspire an upwelling of public awareness, access and support for a worldwide network of marine protected areas – Hope Spots. Under Dr. Earle’s leadership, the Mission Blue team...

Watch out for … bees !

, Bee sting twice as likely to land Australians in hospital than encounter with venomous wildlife   Study finds five in 100,000 Australians taken to hospital for bee and wasp stings, twice the rate for spiders and snakes   Australia is home to the 11 most venomous snakes in the world, the deadliest spider in the world, and some of the most venomous marine life. And yet according to a study released on Wednesday, Australians are twice as likely end...

World Book Day | Some great nature books

As its World Book Day – here are some books that I would recommend for your reading pleasure, for the nature lover …. including Diary of a Young Naturalist Best nature books    Wild Child by Patrick Barkham review – why children need nature From blackberry picking to digging a pond … a perfect lockdown reminder of how having fun outdoors is essential for children, in cities as well as the countryside Alice O’Keeffe There is a certain grim irony...

Forests | Sustaining People and Planet … Wild at Home

Wild at Home Thousands of consumer products used in Europe and around the world contain ingredients obtained from wild plants. Wild ingredients often come from the most biodiverse ecosystems on earth and are collected by some of the most impoverished communities. However, thousands of harvested species are at risk mainly from a combination of overharvest and habitat loss, with over 20% of species estimated to be threatened with extinction. These declines threaten biodiversity and wider ecosystems also putting at risk...

Helping children to identify wildlife – UK

( image – The Wildlife Trusts ) Ever came across an insect, birdsong, or a rock which…. you just could not identify? Here are some great groups resources about ‘kids nature ID activities’ – mainly downloads. United Kingdom   wildlife in general Wildlife Watch – the junior branch of The Wildlife Trusts – has ‘dozens’ of worksheets to give you ideas and actual activities, which you can then adapt for your local use.  Click here  Countryside Classroom similarly has ‘dozens’...

Education resources | Polar bears

As its International Polar Bear Day , here are some education materials of the groups that work with these unique mammals… Polar Bears International Many free downloads including lesson plans, posters, PowerPoint and videos like this one… National Geographic has great fact sheets and video also https://www.nationalgeographic.com/animals/mammals/facts/polar-bear National Wildlife Federation has fact sheets WWF – World Wildlife Fund – Did you know polar are defined as ‘marine mammals’ due to how much time they spend in ocean and that they rely...

All about the … Polar bear

As we celebrate these amazing arctic creatures – the internet is literally being ‘spoiled’ as Polar Bears International , the great charity, has a week of online events ….. click the link here for details   LearnFromNature  Tweet  ...

All about amphibians & reptiles

Herpetology is the study of reptiles and amphibians, and those who study them are referred to as herpetologists. A reptile 🦎 is… Reptiles are air-breathing vertebrates covered in special skin made up of scales, bony plates, or a combination of both. They include crocodiles, snakes, lizards, turtles, and tor- toises. … Because of their slow metabolism and heat-seeking behavior, reptiles are cold-blooded. ( National Geo )  An amphibian is…. Amphibians are small vertebrates that need water, or a moist environment, to...

Scouting & conservation | Baden Powell

Today – February 22nd –  is the birthday (Founders Day ) of Baden Powell of Gillwell , or “BP” for short. Lord Baden-Powell (1857-1941) was a British general and founder of the modern Scouting movement. Baden-Powell became a national hero during the Boer war of 1899-1900 when, with a small garrison, he commanded the defence of Mafeking. During the Boer War, Baden-Powell wrote “A Guide to Scouting”. This was published in 1908 and was a best-seller. Initially meant for military...