The Botanical Society of Britain and Ireland’s (BSBI) New Year Plant Hunt is an annual event in which botanists, experts and amateurs alike, head out to record the plant species bucking the time-honoured trend and blooming in the depths of winter. Now in its ninth year, the four-day survey is both great fun and an important means by which to assess how changing weather patterns are altering the behaviour of our wildflowers. If you would like to take part, tomorrow is your last chance, at least until 2021.
Having enjoyed my attempt in 2019, I was keen to once again take part in the NYPH this year. What I had not anticipated, however, was that I would end up leading a group walk as part of a friendly competition here in the North-East between botanically-minded members of the Natural History Society of Northumbria. A challenge that would see an expert group, led by a former BSBI President, no less, traversing the picturesque dune slacks of Lindisfarne; while a slightly less practised group, led by myself, would take on the parks, roadsides, and front weed-strewn front gardens of Newcastle.
Setting out on New Years Day, it immediately became apparent that non-native species would form a cornerstone of our collective, botanical haul. Indeed, the streets of Heaton, my own district of Newcastle, revealed a kaleidoscopic mix of aliens, each having breached the confines of their garden prisons long ago. Red Valarian, tall and lusciously pink, bright yellow Oxford Ragwort and the star-shaped blue heads of Trailing Bellflower conspicuous against the greys and browns of concrete and brick. Looking closer, other colonists became apparent also: Canadian and Mexican Fleabane, Yellow Corydalis and Snapdragon. Later in the walk, Pru, a member of our group, also pointed out a new species for me, Mock Strawberry, a yellow flowering native of South Asia. Newcastle, it seems, like a great many of our cities represents somewhat of a botanical United Nations, boasting species from almost all corners of the globe.
Of course, native species also featured as part of our foray. Mainly the tenacious ‘weeds’ that are widely known to persevere throughout the winter months: Shepard’s Purse, Groundsel, Hogweed, Feverfew and the omnipresent Annual Meadow Grass. That said, it was surprising to find the delicate white blooms of Wild Strawberry clinging on in the relative shelter of Jesmond Dene, a local woodland, and the minute, octopus-like female flowers of Hazel greatly brightened up our morning.
All in all, our merry band of urban plant-hunters finished on an unseasonally high total of 40 species. As did the team roving on Lindisfarne, it turns out. With a great day had by all, it would be rude to scoff at an amicable draw.
Mock Strawberry, Wild Strawberry, Hazel and Feverfew
Fast forward to Thursday and keen to head out with my newly acquired hand lens and Collin’s guide to British flora, and a jaunt to the coast beckoned. What transpired was a lovely (and uncharacteristically sunny) three hours at Tynemouth, ultimately culminating in a grand total of 43 flowering plants. The highlight of which had to be Alexanders in bloom – a regionally scarce species abundant at this site due, I am led to believe, to the culinary taste of the monks who once inhabited the long-abandoned Tynemouth Priority.
Elsewhere, I chanced upon two new species for me: Seaside Daisy and Buck’s-horn Plantain. The former, a native of California persevering along a small stretch of stonework near the priory, and the second, a pretty cool native species whose leaves (at least in my mind) resemble more the serrated bill of a Sawfish, as opposed to the horns of a buck. I am unsure how I have overlooked this plant until now – it’s pretty distinct.
Left to right: Alexanders, Seaside Daisy & Buck’s-horn Plaintain
All in all, this year’s New Year Plant Hunt provided a great opportunity to get out and about and appreciate the diversity of local flora. While also providing an opportunity to learn from and socialise with a number of local botanists far more knowledgeable than I. A win-win!
If you would like to cast your peepers over the results of this year’s hunt or, like me, keep a watchful eye on what others have seen in your area, you can check out the BSBI results page here: https://nyph.bsbi.org/results.php
There is rarely any cause for hope in the environmental field. Indeed, everywhere we look, habitats are being erased, ecosystems dismantled and vulnerable species pushed ever closer to the brink of annihilation. It can be grim, at times, and outright depressing at others.
Every once in a while, however, something bucks the trend – the airwaves this week rife with positivity and triumph, as opposed to shock and sorrow. I am of course talking about the successful campaign launched against the damaging bird netting used all too frequently by developers and local councils to spare them the inconvenience of nesting birds.
The uproar centred on this issue has been unprecedented, taking the airwaves and internet by storm in little over a week. In that time, 330,000 people have signed a petition demanding the netting of trees and hedges by developers be made illegal; countless individuals have bombarded the inboxes of MP’s and councillors [to great effect], and others have resorted to direct action – to the tracking, reporting and even removal of nets – in order to spare nature this latest bout of agony. People across the country have rallied together in disgust and concern and, thankfully, it seems to have worked!
All across social media, examples of people power successfully landing a victory for nature have been apparent. First, there were the tweets of numerous MP’s, including the Environment Secretary, keen to hop aboard the bandwagon and support the campaign. Next, there were the developers, leaping into action to spare themselves the wrath of the infuriated public: nets came down, apologies were issued and promises with regards to best practice were abruptly made. Finally, there was the resounding defeat of North Norfolk Council who, after a failed attempt to justify the exclusion of Sand Martin’s from a large expanse of breeding habitat at Bacton, backtracked remarkably and set about removing nets.
All of this may not seem particularly important in the long run – netting is, after all, a relatively small issue in the grand scheme of things, at least when compared to habitat loss, agriculture, pesticides, persecution and the like. However, like these, netting is a symptom of our societies widespread disregard for the natural world – a sorry sign of the low-value we place upon nature and our tendency to bend it to our will whenever it poses the slightest inconvenience. With that in mind, a victory for those at the heart of the #NetsDownForNature campaign is a victory not just over greedy developers and ignorant councils, but over the prevailing attitude towards wildlife.
The recent uproar over netting has displayed people power at its finest and represents a triumph for those seeking to alter the collective mindset with regards to the natural world. All involved should be immensely proud and I, for one, am grateful to those who took a stand.
Common By Nature, the blog you are perusing at this very moment in time, has taken the ‘Highly Commended’ position in the nature and wildlife category of tonights UK Blog Awards, and it looks like I owe readers of this blog a whopping great thank you!
Truth be told, I haven’t published much in the way of content this year. That’s mainly because I now write, tweet and read for a living as a communications officer, and therefore, can’t quite face the prospect of spending yet more hours stuck to my screen upon returning home. That said, what I have published throughout late 2018 and early 2019 has clearly been well received and, as ever, I am incredibly grateful to everyone who stops by this blog from time to time.
This blog has been many things over the years and has focused on many different kinds of content. I have ranted and raved, complained and praised, shared sightings and trip reports and, ultimately, endeavoured to communicate my love of the natural world to anyone who cares enough to listen. Just as I was beginning to doubt that I have the time, energy and motivation to keep doing so, this welcome news has changed my mind. It seems some people like reading this blog; thus I’ll continue to post as often as I can! Promise.
Huge thanks once again to everyone who cast a vote during the earlier stages of the competition, and to the marvellous Kate on Conservation who cast the final vote.
Britain’s cities have served as the epicentre for countless invasions over the years. Landing sites, if you would, where species from far-flung destinations – East Asia, North America and closer to home, in Europe – gain first a toe-hold before beginning their creeping advance across the land. Here, in the city, the wheels of countless vehicles transport seeds, tenacious pioneers breach the walls of their manicured garden cells and unwitting homeowners provide an endless supply of food, sustaining some feral beings on their quest towards colonisation.
Yesterday, I decided to pause and look. To take a moment to seek out the non-native species with whom I share my street (a small area of no more than 300m). I must confess, I was quite surprised – many, it seems, find the urban realm much to their liking.
Rising triumphantly between the pavement slabs that line the street adjacent to the fractured glass of the bus stop from which I make my daily commutes, the obnoxious yellow blooms of the day’s first invader add an unseasonal touch of colour at a time when little if anything, should flower. Oxford Ragwort, a native to the lava fields of Sicily, so named for the botanical gardens where the plant was first grown in the 1700s, clearly at home in the cracks and crevices provided by splitting concrete and crumbling wall.
Oxford Ragwort and Red Valerian growing side by side
So prolific is the ragwort here that it is easily the most frequently encountered ‘wildflower’ on the street, rivalled only by the less widespread yet thriving swaths of Red Valerian – another Mediterranean immigrant – which likewise finds the degrading stonework here to its liking. Both do well here, despite an annual dose of herbicide courtesy of the local council.
The invading botanicals here appear to have organised themselves quite well into some semblance of a natural, tiered community. While ragwort and valerian dominate at ground level, Buddleia prevails at altitude: standing tall in neglected gardens, atop walls, on rooftops and even chimney stacks. The dominant species in the sparse canopy of the street which, brick-breaking tendencies aside, I actually find myself gazing upon fondly. This invader, perhaps more so than the others, provides a boon to insects [and those who enjoy them] throughout the summer months.
While I see Buddleia everywhere I look on my street, some new arrivals are just beginning to gain a toehold. Along the railway lines some 25m from my front door, patches of much-maligned Japanese Knotweed have now appeared. In cracks and crannies on the sunnier side of the street, Trailing Bellflower – a native to the Alps – has begun to creep gradually from garden to garden. Each plant set to paint the stonework here a pleasant blue later in the year. There are others too: a passing glance at the exposed soil at the base of nearby lampost revealing a small, nondescript holly-shaped plant. Not our native Holly at all, in fact, but Oregon Grape – a spiny import from Western North America where, in its natural environment, it forms a dense understory in the shade of towering Douglas Firs. It will find no fir trees here – not that it will be deterred.
Heading to the local park, keen to seek out something, anything, which truly belongs, a piercing shriek and a series of gleeful whistles herald the arrival of another uninvited guest. Sure enough, moments later, a lurid green parakeet emerges atop a budding sycamore. A bird hailing from East Asia, perched in a tree of Eastern European origin looking out across a street laden with arrivals of North America, Italy and China… all in one tiny corner of Britain.
Say what you will about invasive species, they do, in my opinion, deserve some degree of respect for carving out a home in what are often entirely unnatural settings. Some are damaging, some are relatively harmless, but all are interesting.
I started this website as a place to express my interest in the natural world and to share sightings and photographs from my local ventures. Truth be told, I never planned to start writing; although five-years in, here I am, waffling regularly about myriad environmental topics and thoroughly enjoying myself.
Blogging, ultimately, is about finding your voice and learning things for yourself, although there are a few things I wish I’d known when starting out. Simple snippets of advice that would have made a real difference throughout periods of uncertainty. To that end, I am thrilled to announce a new collaboration with the wonderful Kate Stephenson, author of Kate on Conservation, bringing you a collection of our ‘top 10’ tips for emerging nature bloggers. I hope at least one may be of use…
1…Research
It takes a lot of dedication and commitment to keep a fact-based blog and, sometimes unwittingly, you may find yourself becoming a trusted source of information to others. If people look to you as an expert on your topic (which is surely the goal, right?!); you better know your stuff. You and your blog can lose a lot of credibility if you write things that turn out to be inaccurate or unreliable. My top tip for keeping credibility is to cover the gaps in your knowledge by interviewing others who do know the bits that you don’t. Guests posts from other professionals work well too — especially if there’s a topic you think you SHOULD cover, but don’t quite have the expertise!
2…Never overlook context and background
Sure; we can’t explain every detail of every issue affecting a species in each and every blog post – but if your aim is to help raise awareness, it’s important to explain the basics at least. For example, those of us well versed in conservation issues are likely to be familiar with terms such as ‘NGOs’, ‘CITES’ or ‘canned hunting’, but if you’re wanting to reach out to a new audience, or to educate those who may not already be a part of this ‘conservation world’, simply explaining: NGOs – Non-governmental organisations; CITES – the yearly Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora; or canned hunting; the shooting of lions for trophies in an enclosed space, known as ‘the can’, can make a huge difference to how effective your writing is.
Also, never take for granted that your readers will have chronologically followed each of your posts! Just because you explained something in a previous post, it doesn’t mean the readers of this particular piece will have seen it, or even remember what it means.
3… Be daring and, dare I say it, controversial
Blogging is a great way of addressing contentious issues and there is nothing wrong with stirring the pot a little, providing you don’t overdo it. It’s a risky business but addressing the polarising issues in the environmental field – hunting, land-use and invasive species, for example – is a great way to bolster traffic and increase engagement. Of course, many of those commenting may disagree with you, but providing you conduct yourself well, there is no harm in addressing sensitive issues. Blogging, in the purest sense, is about generating conversation.
4… But remember, be accountable
Addressing the controversial aspects of conservation is all well and good but it is worth remembering that whatever you share on your blog will reside in cyberspace for years to come. Avoid misquoting or exaggerating for impact and make a point of being able to justify the words you publish. We all must be accountable for what we write, and truly, you never know when your previous posts might remerge to bite you, or at least instigate an interesting conversation in a job interview. If in doubt, don’t do it, but please do not be deterred – there is nothing wrong with holding an opinion.
5…You’re likely to rock the boat
Wildlife conservation can ignite strong emotions; especially as you inevitably end up having to wade into politics (e.g. by the mere mention of Britain’s badger population); culture (you can’t mention illegal wildlife trade without a reference to Chinese traditional medicine) and lifestyle practices (from reducing plastic waste to ethical food choices). These can be very sensitive topics and evoke strong reactions. It’s important to consider all of your responses to negative comments and feedback (if you decide to give any response at all) and to not take personal attacks to heart. Having a strong support network will help here!
6… Remember the blogging basics
Nature blogging may be a niche field and while it is true that our work will never garner the same attention as those in other fields, there is no reason for us to remain invisible. Remember the blogging basics: master the use of keywords and learn SEO best-practice. Learn to use social media like a pro, adapting your content for each platform, use effective hashtags, find relevant Facebook groups and search constantly for new and emerging sources of traffic. Blogging involves an awful lot of time and effort and there little point writing if no one sees it. Don’t be afraid of self-promotion.
7…Network and collaborate
All things wildlife conservation seem to work better when you collaborate with others — blogging is no exception! There are so many brilliant and active wildlife bloggers out there, that are truly making a difference. Together we can only be a stronger voice for conservation!
Whether you’re entering into awards, going to blogging meet-ups, or finding the right people in your field to interview for posts — collaborating with or linking to other bloggers increases your audience numbers, but is also invaluable for gathering inspiration and taking away the loneliness of sitting behind a keyboard! It’s also a good chance to find out how audiences see your blog and to see what other things are happening in the world of conservation.
8…Be persistent
Blogging is a long game and it is not uncommon for emerging bloggers to feel disheartened by low traffic. When I started out, barely anyone read my blog and fewer still chose to engage with it. Slowly, however, things started to take off. Keep sharing engaging content and give people time to discover your blog – you never know when someone might pick up an article, or when a certain piece may go viral. Keep chipping away, post by post, word by word, eventually, things will start to happen.
9… Don’t dwell on views
Doubtless, all bloggers keep a close eye on their stats: we all like to know that our work is being read, and all love that warm, fuzzy feeling that comes when something we write grows in popularity. That said, none of us is motivated solely by popularity, and ultimately, we all write because we care. We publish content because we have something to say and because we want to achieve something, whether that be education or public awareness. If you have something meaningful to say, say it. Ignore the stats and get writing. To hell with ego…
10…Have your cause at the heart of everything you do
When you’re positioning yourself as a voice for conservation or wildlife welfare, it’s very important that you always come across as sincere. It can be tempting to work with big brands or be enticed by charities and organisations with lots of clout — but do they really reflect your message? I would suggest always looking into the finer details and backgrounds of any companies that you partner with or promote. For example, on my personal blog, I always stand against trophy hunting and have written about this topic on numerous occasions. For this reason, I’ve had to steer clear of certain well-known charities who quietly advocate trophy hunting away from public view. It can be a minefield out there, but research certainly helps!
If you liked this post, please consider casting a vote for me in the UK Blog Awards 2019 by following this link. I’d really appreciate the support of fellow nature bloggers.
So you want to start a blog. A nature blog, no less.
Hats off to you for taking some steps closer to creating one. There is always room on the web for another voice for the natural world.
This article is all about how to blog about nature. What format and style to choose, the structure and word-count that work best, and what to remember in the face of feeling nervous about writing. There’ll also be some help on what to blog about, to spark some ideas, or organise the ones you already have.
Firstly, I want you to shelve those notions of blogging as a passive income or becoming an international celebrity blogger. Not only is this a mostly delusional goal for the majority of bloggers (think dime a dozen travel blogs, for one), in the fields of nature and the environment you have to be really exceptional to grow an enviable audience. Even then, it will be nothing like the success achieved by celeb-bloggers such as Perez Hilton or Darren Prowse of Problogger. Articles about the natural world just aren’t as sexy as those about London Fashion Week or bitcoin investment. Sad but true.
Hopefully, you’ve come here because you want to write a blog for your own noble reasons instead: self-development, sharing opinions, teaching others, spreading awareness. And we could all do with more of that on the world wide web (with some real-world action to follow, of course).
How to write your blog
Whatever your reasons for deciding to write a blog, the most important thing to remember is (cue corny lines) write from the heart. Be yourself. Follow and share your passions. Clichés aside, your blog will be richer, more honest and more relatable if you do this. Being authentic is what will make you more appealing. Why write something that’s a carbon-copy of what others are doing, anyway? There’s no sign of the neoliberal celebration of individualism coming to an end any time soon. Embrace your uniqueness. Be weird and proud of it.
Diary style
A good angle for a nature blog is to write it like a journal.
Remember the old days, when naturalists only had a pencil and paper-based fieldbook to take out into the wilds? Try doing this yourself. Connecting our minds through our hands by using a real pen with real paper helps us to process and articulate information better (scientific fact[1]). Head out on a hike and observe, record and draw. Let nature be your inspiration.
After your wanderings in the wilds, grab your keyboard and transfer your handmade notes to digital format. Type up your observations. Upload the photos. Scan your sketches. And don’t forget to add the location, date, time and weather. Details make a difference. Once the raw data is on your computer, it’s ideal material to add to compilations of stories, thoughts and feelings.
People love reading personal diary-like accounts, especially when they include interesting facts or images from a trip out into the field. It’s worth noting that if it weren’t for the old journals of past-naturalists, much of our knowledge about species (particularly extinct ones) would never have been gathered. You can be a part of the global accumulation of data about our natural world.
Your blog will also serve as a record for you to refer to time and again, whether for research or reminiscence. And you’re sure to have a following of folks who love to have a nosey in other people’s diaries.
Putting it together
What puts off a lot of wannabe bloggers is how to word and structure their posts. Assembling a readable, engaging and enjoyable blog post isn’t as difficult as you’d imagine, however. There are tried-and-tested formulae, as well as structures and styles you can employ to be sure your site visitors stick around and enjoy the show.
Style
Consider the voice you want for your blog. By voice, I mean the way your blog reads in the eyes and minds of your audience. This is the difference between “punchin’ keys like a pro to serve up some flamin’ hot content” and “eloquently crafting prose that produces magnificently alluring subject matter”. Informal vs. formal. Slang-filled casual text or loftier, more lucid wordsmithing.
Who you appeal to can depend on the way you write.
Most folks don’t want to learn stuff while poring over jargon-heavy text that reads like an audit for a law firm. However, if you’re writing among circles of scientists and other academics, your blog posts should include much meatier, more complex vocabulary. Again, the adage “Be yourself” applies here. Use the language you’re most comfortable with, to avoid sounding pretentious (or out of your depth) but don’t be afraid to research and employ new words too – blogging is a voyage of discovery in many ways.
Fortunately for bloggers everywhere, the sweetest read tends to be an informal, conversational tone, like you’re listening to a friend describe their day in a chatty email or diary entry. If you can write in a friendly yet informative way, you’ll be on to a blogging hit. Just don’t create an extreme version of an informal article; a dumbed-down post that sounds more patronising than personable (clickbait articles that have as much substance as a jellyfish fart are prime examples).
Structure
Whenever you create a blog post, the layout and structure of the piece is just as crucial as the content. Conscientiously organising writing on a page is something a lot of bloggers overlook, to the dismay of their readers.
Imagine chancing upon a marvellous title on a topic you’re passionate about, only to find it is written as a single, gapless, wall of words. A huge block of intimidating text. To the reader’s eye, it’s the visual equivalent of a brick in the face. All but the most determined (or possibly dullest) readers will skip it for a lighter read.
By paragraphing your article, you divide the information into bite-sized chunks. Now, instead of trying to force-feed someone a bullion bar of 97% dark chocolate, you’re presenting them with a tray of appealing, cocoa-filled dainties they can pick at one by one.
Adding titles, like the ones in this post, will also make for easier reading. Images inserted between sub-topics also have the same effect, breaking up huge areas of text and leading the reader onwards within the article.
Single, isolated sentences are another device that writers use to maintain engagement.
Like the one above.
Or the one you just read.
They act like a snap of the fingers to grab attention and are especially effective for spurring someone into action or helping them retain some information.
There’s a lot of contention about word count in online content. Some say 200-400 words is ideal because most people only have the opportunity to read something in the time it takes to boil a kettle, or else have as much concentration capability as a cat with ADHD. Others insist that search engines like Google favour articles which are longer than 1000 words because these ample reads contain more value for readers.
In my humble opinion, a blog post written for the joy of writing – not just for increasing eyeballs to your website – can be as long or as short as you bloody well like.
If you want to appeal to an audience of trigger-happy perpetual-surfers whose attention spans are as long as the autoplay timer between YouTube videos, you should keep posts under 400 words and cram in plenty of images to keep ‘em happy.
But if you want a following who desire a hearty meal of a read that’s brimming with information and insights, you can pour out a 2000-word essay without fear of inducing blog-jumping boredom. Incidentally, a blog post of 1700 words constitutes a 7-minute read, which is the optimum length of reading time according to the popular publishing platform Medium. So perhaps reports about creating sizeable articles are true.
If you’ve made an effort, your audience will too.
Professionalism
Writing a blog can be daunting, especially when we have plenty to share and say, but believe we lack the language skills to do it.
If your spelling and punctuation leave a lot to be desired, or your grasp of grammar is tenuous at best, there’s a risk that your readers won’t have faith in what you say. Your facts could be spot on, your stories compelling and inspirational, but if your reader continually stumbles over misplaced commas and blunders into dangling participles (say whaaat?), they’ll be so jarred by the experience they’ll have missed what your post is really about.
That said, in the blogosphere (yes, it’s a real word) most people understand that no one is perfect, and people can be very forgiving if they read material that has clearly come from the heart. What’s more, writing is a skill like any other and improves the more you do it. Perseverance and practice will make perfect.
And with online assistance in the form of spellchecking software, websites and forums on grammar rules, and professional writing coaches for hire, you can develop your penmanship in tandem with your blogging journey.
Before publishing posts, be sure to scan your text for errors and readability. If you’re still in doubt, have it proof-read by another set of eyes. Sometimes, leaving a freshly-written piece for a while, then returning to read it again, can often highlight mistakes you would have otherwise missed.
As a writer, editor and English teacher by trade, I’m biased in opining that a human eye is far more reliable for checking work than a machine. Perhaps the software is advancing faster than I can type this article, but almost all grammar-checking programmes currently on the market still can’t identify word-choice errors, suitability and tone of voice, structure, flow or formatting. Nor can they give constructive feedback about someone’s writing ability.
Rise of the robots…?
Not just yet.
What to write in a nature blog
Many bloggers falter at the thought of what to write about. Again, the rule of thumb here is to draw from what fires your imagination the most; what do you feel most passionate about? Choosing a niche, or a blending of a few niches also brings an interested audience to your blog.
You could focus on places you love to visit, perhaps your local area or a regular twitching haunt. Describe the trips you’ve made and your excursions to areas of natural beauty or sites of special scientific interest. It could be a blog solely dedicated to national parks, river walks or wildlife in the urban jungle. The choice is yours.
Another option is to showcase animals in your blogs, from broad coverage of entire families of animals to a focus on single species. Consider what to include about each creature: scientific information; hilarious, strange or astounding facts; stories inspired by their habits and habitats; tales of your own encounters with the species.
When I was writing for the Dorset Wildlife Trust, I presented several stories that happened to feature facts about the unbelievable genitalia of some marine species. Did you know that a barnacle has the longest penis of any animal in relation to its size?! Fascinating and wonderfully risqué at the same time. What can I say? Sex sells.
Why not write a blog filled with practical advice for naturalists and nature enthusiasts? We all have knowledge and expertise to share – from what equipment to take out into the field, to where to spot corvids in the UK – your blog could be a mine of information for others.
And if you feel you don’t have any tips or advice to share, opt for your opinion instead. Your blog can be a sounding board for your views on conservation, land use, species extinction or pollution… the topics are limitless. Throw in a forum and you could generate a whole new wave of ideas in your very own online community.
Take a journalistic stance and publish posts that report on environmental, ecological and social issues. In a world plagued by greedy corporations, fake news and unscrupulous authorities, independent journalism is a worthy and much-needed field to enter these days.
The marvellous thing about blogging is the sheer variety and scope you have as a self-publishing author. All manner of topics can be covered in the same blog. Your nature writing could include wild foods and foraging tips, places to do rock-climbing, how to photograph invertebrates with a macro lens, plus a report on a silversmithing project you’re undertaking.
Combos and cross-fertilisation of concepts make the most captivating blogs.
So, what are you waiting for?
Grab your pen and fieldbook, do up your boots and start some online literary trail-making of your own. Our natural world needs our voices more than ever before.
If you liked this post, please consider casting a vote for me in the UK Blog Awards 2019 by following this link. All you need to do is select the ‘love heart’ beside Common By Nature.
For some odd reason, the previous blogs I have published highlighting other great environmental bloggers [here, here and here] have been some of the most popular on this site to date.
For this reason, I thought I would put together an even bigger list flagging up the best nature, wildlife and environment blogs on the internet. Sites I read regularly which should be of interest to you too, whether your interests lie in hard-hitting opinion, nature writing or elsewhere, in campaigning or photography…
I will be updating this list constantly as I discover new resources, websites and sources of information.
Eloquent and informed opinion on some of the most divisive environmental issues in Britain today, including rewilding, land management and legislation.
A wonderful blog sharing the flora and fauna of London. Especially useful for anyone interested in plants but with a healthy dose of mammals, birds and everything else.
The first entry by a young blogger on this list and a real corker. This is an account of Zach’s personal experiences in nature and is often simultaneously thought-provoking and uplifting.
An enchanting site with a focus on all areas of natural history. Top-notch photography, interesting facts and lots of lovely nature writing, what’s not to like.
Observations on the natural world from passionate naturalist, Jenny Allan. A wonderful read for anyone who enjoys sharing the magical moments and memorable encounters of others.
Another blog with a focus on wildlife crime and one jampacked with experience-based opinion on some of the most pressing environmental issues in Britain today.
A sticking plaster approach to conservation is failing Scotland’s wildlife – and with species such as red squirrel, wild cat and capercaillie declining or on the edge of extinction, a new era of massive rewilding is needed, says a landmark new book from Trees for Life and SCOTLAND: The Big Picture.
Scotland has space and opportunity to take a fresh approach, with people working with nature, not against it, and allowing ecosystems to restore themselves on a large-scale, say the authors of Scotland: A Rewilding Journey, which is being launched in Inverness this evening.
“Right now, nature is in steep decline – but Scotland is perfectly placed to become a rewilding world-leader. Our wild places can flourish if we allow nature to work in its own way on a big scale, with a helping hand in places. There would be huge benefits for people – from our health and wellbeing to creating sustainable jobs in rural areas,” said Steve Micklewright, Chief Executive of Trees for Life.
Illustrated by world-class images captured by top nature photographers over three years, and with essays from leading commentators, the book lays out an inspiring vision of how rewilding forests, peatlands, rivers, moorlands and the ocean could transform Scotland for the better.
Deforestation, deer and sheep grazing, burning moors for grouse hunting, exotic conifers and denuded seas have left Scotland as one of the world’s most nature-depleted countries, its landscapes supporting fewer people than previously as a result. Climate change now poses a major threat.
Returns or rebounds of species like beavers, sea eagles and pine martens happen slowly. Birds of prey like hen harriers are persecuted. Wolf, crane, wild boar, elk and lynx were all made extinct long ago.
“For decades we’ve been trying to save nature piecemeal – a rare bird or insect here, a fragment of woodland there. But climate change and biodiversity loss now present critical threats to our survival, and saving bits and pieces of nature isn’t enough. As a wealthy country with plenty of space, we can do so much better,” said the book’s co-author Peter Cairns, Director of SCOTLAND: The Big Picture.
Despite superb nature reserves, amazing patches of Caledonian pinewood and new Marine Protected Areas, nature is now hugely fragmented and diminished across Scotland. Its awe-inspiring landscapes are often ecological deserts, stripped of woodlands. Only 1.5 per cent of its land is national nature reserves, while a quarter is ecologically impoverished grouse moors or deer forests.
Scotland’s seas are in trouble too – with wild salmon stocks declining, heavy dredging raking the sea floor, and gannets feeding their chicks plastic waste.
The book’s publication aims to be a watershed moment in the rapidly growing movement for rewilding, and a catalyst for change by shifting attitudes and perceptions, and sparking debate and discussion.
Momentum for rewilding has been highlighted by widespread calls for the return of the lynx, reintroduction of beavers, and initiatives such as Cairngorms Connect – a land manager partnership that is enhancing habitats across a vast stretch of Cairngorms National Park.
There has also been huge public support for Scotland: A Rewilding Journey’s publication. The book was funded by a successful crowdfunding appeal run by Trees for Life, and is supported by an alliance of organisations including Reforesting Scotland, Rewilding Britain, Rewilding Europe, The Borders Forest Trust, The European Nature Trust, and Woodland Trust Scotland.
Bringing back trees would be a good start for major rewilding. Only four per cent of Scotland is native woodland. Rewilded woodlands like Glen Affric could be enjoyed across the country by expanding pinewoods into a grand nationwide network. This would help red squirrels, crested tits and capercaillie, which can’t cross large areas of open ground and are now imprisoned in isolated islands of woodland.
The book aims to encourage conversations and cooperation between different audiences and groups. Rewilding can co-exist well with farming, forestry and recreational activities. It encourages conservationists and landowners to work together with mutual respect. Cooperation between deer managers and conservationists could help resolve over-grazing in the Highlands – which prevents woodlands from regenerating – with sporting traditions enjoyed in more natural settings.
Soaring deer numbers could also be managed by allowing the return of apex predators such as wolf and lynx, when the time is right and when public opinion is prepared to welcome them back. Restoring large areas of wild places could provide employment, especially in the Highlands and Islands. Otters, deer, puffins and sea eagles all support a growing nature tourism economy.
Nature’s benefits also include beavers preventing flooding, trees providing food, and peatlands soaking up carbon dioxide. Studies show how nature boosts people’s health and is good for children.
Scotland: A Rewilding Journey (£25 from www.scotlandbigpicture.com)is published by SCOTLAND: The Big Picture, a non-profit social enterprise that includes leading nature photographers and filmmakers, and promotes the benefits of a wilder Scotland through stunning visual media.
As a nation, we have been conditioned to view our cemeteries as dark, macabre places. And, to a certain extent, they are – each and every one subtly different to the next, but all standing as everlasting memorials to the ephemeral nature of life, and the certainty of death. They are sombre places which, even without a deep-rooted personal connection, dampen the spirits – generating countless doubts as to whether it is proper, or indeed, acceptable, to visit them at all absent cause to mourn. At the same time, they are also rather beautiful.
I love cemeteries. A bit of a morbid thing to announce publically but true, nevertheless, as for me – stranded in an urban setting – such places provide respite, escapism and wild allure. The sacred nature of such sites meaning that they are, more often than not, spared pesticides and the flail and, instead, are left to grow wild and undisturbed. In our cities, such places provide a rare glimpse into a forgotten age and make it possible to imagine, just for a moment, that you are elsewhere. Somewhere markedly more tranquil and wild.
This week, I visited Jesmond Old Cemetery in the heart of Newcastle. A particularly impressive site, by urban standards, rife with aged yews, tree-like giant hollies and countless other gems. Each wall gripped by the tendrils of ivy and each gravestone festooned with the rust and pearl coloured flecks of lichen. With some of the more impressive stone crypts – those which one cannot gaze at without contemplating their cost – now accumulating sufficient humus to facilitate the growth of woody cranesbill, slender-leaved ragwort, campion and other treasures. All of which, combined, makes the site flaming brilliant for wildlife.
Ivy and holly formed the basis of my most recent venture: the larval food plants of the enigmatic holly blue butterfly, Celastrina argiolus. Jesmond Old Cemetary, with its abundance of both, has long been revered by local lepidopterists for being one of the few sites locally where one can catch a glimpse of this high-flying and fleet-footed butterfly. Sure enough, within moments of my arrival, my eyes were drawn a lone butterfly perched atop a headstone, sapphire wings occasionally folding so to allow observation of the species characteristic, pearl-coloured underwings. Flecked with black and most different to the much more abundant common blue.
The butterfly in question did not stay long, darting upwards as soon as my camera departed my bag and leaving me with little option but to explore the site further and see what else may be hiding among the cracked, crusted tombs. Further investigations revealing a glut of common butterflies: comma, speckled wood, small copper, green-veined white, small tortoiseshell and large white, all engrossed in the equally vital processes of feeding and breeding. Elsewhere, tree bumblebees moved between ragwort blooms and my attention fixated, for a considerable time, on some delightful, soft pink bindweed flowers. My earlier identification of Field Bindweed proving incorrect upon consultation with the botanically-minded on Twitter. No matter.
Moving further along the twisted uneven footpaths that, once upon a time before they were overtaken with brambles and pioneering saplings, formed the walkways along which mourners would have travelled, it was difficult not to note the abundance of one of my favourite wildflowers: Bittersweet. The plant’s common name taken from the taste of its berries, being at first bitter but then sickly sweet. Not that I would advise eating the fruits of this particular nightshade: they do, after all, contain solanine, an alkaloid glycoside which, when ingested, leads to vomiting and convulsions. Interestingly, the degree of harm caused by ingestion is thought to depend on the quality of the soil on which the plant grows – with light, dry soils increasing its potency.
Concluding my visit, a rather distinct ladybird drew my attention. Quite unlike anything I have seen before here in the North, it’s distinct appearance reminded me of something seen elsewhere, in France and in London. My suspicions proving justified when, upon closer scrutiny, it was revealed to be a Harlequin Ladybird – perhaps the only ladybird in the entire world maligned as opposed to adored. And also a rather damaging invasive species prophesied to bring about the downfall of native ladybird populations.
Harlequin Ladybird and larvae, brought home for closer inspection
