Every Flower Counts

Leave your mower in the shed and count your flowers for ONE DAY between Tomorrow – saturday 23rd may until sunday 31st may. That’s the message from Plantlife in their new citizen science campaign Every Flower Counts WHY is this information important …? On a single day in summer, one acre of wildflower meadow can contain 3 million flowers, producing 1 kg of nectar sugar. That’s enough to support nearly 96,000 honey bees per day. But since the 1930s, we have lost nearly...

UN International Tea Day

A cup of tea is a daily ritual in the lives of millions throughout the world – and millions depend on it for their livelihood. The first ever International Tea Day, backed by the United Nations, takes place today – 21 May. We take a look at the challenges facing the global tea industry, and how it can build back better after COVID-19 to support smallholder farmers and sustainability.   The UN states – Tea, one of the oldest estate cash crops,...

Man rescues a whale calf, but….

A man rescued a whale calf trapped in nets off the Gold Coast, Australia from a small boat …. this from the Guardian However , he may face a fine of almost $27,000 for ’interfering with shark control nets‘. It’s unknown how long the calf – believed to be a humpback – had been trapped. It was spotted about 7am by a drone operator, and a crew from the Department of Agriculture and Fisheries arrived at the scene at 9.45am....

Archaeology Week in Australia

National Archaeology Week (NAW) in Australia – May 17 to May 23 – which aims to put ‘archaeology in the spotlight’ , is (of course) fully online this year due to coronavirus. NAW has 4 prizes : Best online event or content People’s Choice.  Nominate and vote for your favourite via social media. Bake It and Make It.  Bake a stratigraphic layer cake, french knit a scale bar, the only limit is your imagination.  Post a photo of your creation...

Rare dinosaur unearthed

A dinosaur relative of T. rex and Velociraptor with an unusually long neck, and which may have transitioned from predator to plant-eater as it reached adulthood, has been unearthed in Victoria, Australia. As if timed to coincide with my “Australia and Antarctica” post ….. The elaphrosaur was a member of the theropod family of dinosaurs that included all of the predatory species. It stood about the height of a small emu, measuring 2m from its head to the end of a long tail, and...

Feral Pigeons good or bad?

We have referenced the need for heroes in a previous post – BBC Wildlife Magazine now asks the question are feral pigeons good or bad? Is it really that black or white an issues? Some of us think the feral pigeon is a pest, but Steve Harris is smitten by this tough, adaptable and really rather useful bird. It was the satirist Tom Lehrer who started the rot in 1959 with his song Poisoning Pigeons in the Park, which explained that...

What makes a ‘hero’?

Ever wondered how people get to be heroes? We could certainly use some of these heroes in today’s mixed up world… Batman, Superman, Wonder Woman / Diana … No, actually real life heroes who go out of their way to help wild creatures….. Gillian Chandler tells us more book NEW ZEALAND NATURE HEROES Available from Potton & Burton LearnFromNature  Tweet  ...

Art and nature – therapy, study, skills

Nature and wildlife art is an important topic of interest- particularly at this time of Coronavirus when we want to connect with nature. Nature art requires a range of skills – from the science of anatomy, to the skills of artistry with pencil, brush or camera. Thaneeya McArdle gives us some her ideas why nature art is so important She says – Nature in art can take many visual forms, from photorealism to abstraction. Art can mimic nature, by seeking...

Understanding the world – great geography resources in time of lockdown

UNITED KINGDOM The Geographical Association has a new section of their website with resources previously only accessible to members, particularly as many older students will be studying from home. Check out Geography from Home . Membership of the GA is optional but useful and recommended if you are a student of geography The Royal Geographical Society has many resources including free. Again, membership is a good optional element and includes Geographical magazine UNITED STATES The US has several different Associations...

Africa wild places and Coronavirus

As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to unfold, the future of Africa’s natural landscapes—and the communities that coexist with them—are hanging in the balance. Here’s how your safari plays a role in the larger conservation story. My wife Anne and I were fortunate enough – after much planning – to be able in the mid 1990s, to go ‘on safari’ in East and central Africa – Kenya, Tanzania, Botswana, Namibia, Zambia, Zimbabwe. In Botswana, getting up at 5am (yes, that very...

Coronavirus – STOP blaming the bats!

Coronavirus was started by bats – a statement I hear all too frequently and am actually of hearing. The problem is – us humans! We have invaded their habitats and hunted them….. For more information about bats, see here For my hero Dr Jane Goodall put the facts Dr Jane explains the science. The WHO just stops short of banning wet markets – The Independent article – see below https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/coronavirus-who-world-health-live-animal-wildlife-market-disease-peter-ben-embarek-a9506836.html?jwsource=cl LearnFromNature  Tweet  ...