#707: A requiem for Sycamore Gap

Robert MacFarlane has finished work on “The World Tree”, the libretto for a long choral work originally inspired by the felling of the Sycamore Gap Tree.

Matthew Whittall and Robert Macfarlane’s large-scale choral work The World Tree traces an arc from the Ice Age to the present day from the perspective of a single tree, and stands as a powerful statement against humanity’s callous exploitation of nature.

The CD came out on Friday this week....

In 2025 Robert MacFarlane  wrote:

My text is currently being set to music by the Finnish-Canadian composer Matthew Whittall, and will have its premiere in Finland in November this year, performed by the @helsinginkamarikuoro and conducted by Nils Schweckendiek. We expect it to travel subsequently, including for performance on or near Hadrian’s Wall itself.

In the text, I pull the temporal lens right back to the re-beginning of trees and forests at the end of the Pleistocene & the beginning of the Holocene: the first movement is called “Glacial Maximum”. I am interested as much in the longue durée of human-forest relations in Northern Europe as in the acute intensity of the Sycamore Gap Tree’s felling, and the outpouring of love, grief & anger it prompted. The final movement, which borrows its title from the great Ursula Le Guin, is called “The Word for World Is Forest”, and imagines a future forest flourishing on the uplands where that one tree once stood.

Between these two movements come eight others with titles such as “Wildwood”, “Song of the Axe” and “Pollen: a Polyphony”. Matthew is working at white-hot intensity on the score as I type, and the early music I am hearing from him is extraordinary.

And Whittall said:

“I didn’t want to produce simply yet another contribution to the climate debate. 

My original idea was to write some kind of nature-related work, a setting of an original English text, and back in 2019 I contacted the English writer Robert Macfarlane, whose natural-philosophical works I have long admired. To my great excitement, he was keen on the idea of a collaboration, but then the pandemic came along and a whole array of other things got in the way too, and when we eventually returned to the idea in 2023, the iconic Sycamore Gap Tree on Hadrian’s Wall in Northumberland, England, had recently been illegally felled by a pair of eco-vandals. In light of this, it felt logical to let the piece form a kind of requiem for the tree in particular and man’s often destructive relationship with nature in general. 

When Macfarlane showed me the first drafts of the text, we quickly realised that the overall piece needed a deeper approach, even if its central idea remained the same.”

#706: Voles

From the recent newsletter from the Norfolk Wildlife Trust.

"Thanks to £25,000 funding from Natural England, we’re embarking on a research project in partnership with Norfolk Rivers Trust that holds the key to a brighter future for Norfolk’s water voles."

Water voles were once commonplace throughout Norfolk’s waterways but suffered a dramatic decline in the last half of the twentieth century. A major factor in this was predation by mink, a species which has now largely disappeared across Norfolk. This gives us a unique opportunity to return the species to its former glory throughout Norfolk’s waterways.

After first discovering where small populations of these furry, river-dwelling species currently live within the Wensum and Yare rivers, we’ll identify where new water vole habitat can be created to help the isolated populations reconnect with each other.

Our research will inform a series of actions for land managers and decision-makers living and working along the rivers. We’ll offer guidance and workshops, bringing communities together to help the charismatic species flourish throughout the county once again.

#705: Timeline

From the Cambridge OCR Hub.

Still quite a few unknowns...

#704: Rebecca Solnit piece

Meditations in an Emergency is the website where author Rebecca Solnit shares pieces and essays.

In a recent piece, Solnit writes a letter from a hot planet.

#703: Animals on banknotes

Following a public vote, which attracted over 2 million votes in total, four animals have been selected to appear on English banknotes. The bumble bee got the most votes.

UK wildlife on England’s banknotes, from the Bank of England.

The Atlantic puffin, barn owl, buff-tailed bumblebee and European hedgehog will represent UK wildlife and feature as the central images on our next series of banknotes.

The decision comes after nearly 500,000 people responded to a public consultation asking which native wildlife they would like to see on our banknotes. They chose from a shortlist of 18 options across three categories – mammals; birds; and amphibians, insects and fish – developed in collaboration with a panel of UK wildlife experts.

The Bank used the feedback from the consultation to decide on the four animals, one for each denomination of banknote. The selected animals meet the Bank’s objectives for a distinctive set of banknotes that can support counterfeit resilience and are representative of the UK.

The barn owl (Tyto alba), buff-tailed bumblebee (Bombus terrestris) and European hedgehog (Erinaceus europaeus) were the most popular animals in their respective categories. The Atlantic puffin (Fratercula arctica) was selected because it was the most popular marine animal. The inclusion of a marine animal will add variety to the series, making the denominations easier to distinguish and will provide an opportunity to celebrate the British coastline.

The decision on which animal will feature on which denomination will be made in due course and announced closer to launch. While the selected animals will feature as the central imagery for the next series, the banknotes will also feature other elements from nature to complete the designs, potentially including other shortlisted animals. The next series will continue to include a portrait of the monarch.

It takes a number of years to design, test and print banknotes, to make sure they are high-quality, resilient and accessible. The expectation is, therefore, that the first denomination from the next series will be launched over the next few years.

#702: Drought

Drought is a threat to many native species and is therefore connected to natural history.

Droughts are defined differently depending on location.

From the DEFRA website.

There isn’t a single definition for drought so whilst it’s caused by a period of low rainfall, the nature, timing and impacts on people, the environment, agriculture or business will vary.

Some droughts are short and intense, caused by a hot, dry summer. Others are long and take time to develop over multiple seasons due to low amounts of rainfall accumulating.

The main types of drought, which may occur separately or together are:

• Agricultural drought – when there isn’t enough rainfall and moisture in soils to support crop production or farming practices such as spray irrigation.
• Environmental drought – when lack of rainfall has a detrimental impact on the environment and ecology.
• Water supply drought – when a lack of rainfall leads to concerns from water companies about supplies for their customers.

The Summer of 2022 saw a prolonged drought, which had a great impact on grass everywhere. 2026 was worse....

Grass is at least fairly tolerant of drought as it grows in a particular way which means it is often protected from threats such as drought and fire.

Other plants are perhaps less tolerant, and it was a struggle to keep some plants alive.

Image: Alan Parkinson

#701: SISI and Alien Detectives

SISI is the Scottish Invasive Species Initiative.

They have produced an excellent set of materials on the theme of invasive species which is called Alien Detectives.

This includes a whole range of materials: powerpoints and other documents, to take students and teachers through the whole story of a theme which is important for the GCSE Natural History as these plants are non-native.

There are seven sections to the resource.

There's also an excellent page of additional information and links.

Check out this nice interactive video on Marine invasive species:

#700: Another milestone passed...

 

#699: Mosses and Lichens

The latest book I've been reading to fillet for useful quotes and information is about mosses and lichens.

Image: Alan Parkinson

Mosses are quite amazing things when you look at them closely, which you have to in order to understand and identify them.

A link here to some very useful ID resources. These links are very helpful and free of charge resources as well.

They are from the British Bryological Society.

#698: Plant heritage

Plant Heritage website.

Plant Heritage is the UK's leading charity for the conservation of cultivated plants. It is also the home of the National Plant Collections®

Gardens are one of the habitats that students can use as a study area according to the proposed subject content.

There will need to be some guidance booklets on this for teachers to work with.

#697: Encountering wildlife

It's a sad fact that for many people the only time they see a pheasant or other native wildife is when it's dead and splattered on the road.

For many, the only sight of a badger is as roadkill. There's a corner on the A10 near to the village of Southery in Norfolk which regularly has the sad sight of a corpse. There was one there on Sunday when I drove to Ely.

One project called The Road Lab (formerly Project Splatter), records sightings and interactions.

At the end of September 2021, an estimated 39.2 million motor vehicles were licensed for use on the roads in Great Britain (DVLA). In the UK, we currently have a poor understanding of the impact roads have on our wildlife.

We are a team of researchers based at Cardiff University, with collaborators around the world. With help from the public, we have been collecting data on animals killed by motor vehicles on roads in the UK for the last 10 years. This data is analysed to determine the impact of roads on UK wildlife and to identify hotspots where mitigation efforts may be needed. We provide regular updates on what we have learned on social media, on our website and in scientific publications in order to keep our reporters updated on how they are helping protect wildlife here in the UK.

You can help us understand where and when wildlife roadkill occurs on roads in the UK by reporting what you see to us. We are interested in birds, mammals, amphibians and reptiles and all you have to do is let us know where, when and what species you have seen as roadkill.

The wildlife and nature writer Barry Lopez wrote a book called 'Apologia' where he apologised for the toll of wildlife on the nation's roads.

It can be read on the Internet Archive - physical copies are getting more expensive.

#696: Thought for the Day

"There are few joys greater than the intellectual joy of suddenly seeing the co-relation of things which were formerly detached"

Halford MacKinder 'The Development of Geographical Teaching through Nature Study' (Geographical Teacher, Vol 2.)

#695: Arran Coast MPA

The Community of Arran Seabed Trust (COAST) is a grassroots organisation that has been working tirelessly for over 25 years to ensure the region’s marine environment thrives.

Amongst a host of pioneering conservation work, they were responsible for the creation of Scotland’s first, and the UK’s only, community-led No Take Zone (NTZ), which has allowed almost 375 football fields worth of ocean habitat in Lamlash Bay to be entirely protected from all fishing and extraction.

The NTZ now sits within the South Arran Marine Protected Area, established in 2016, which excludes scallop dredging and limits prawn trawling activity. These protected areas encourage natural regeneration of habitats and the recovery of wildlife populations.

To read more or support COAST, please visit their website.

COAST Discovery Centre,

Old Pavilion,
Lamlash,
Isle of Arran,
KA27 8LS

#694: Soil in the Classroom

From the Office for Climate Education. A new resource pack.

Soil is easy to overlook, yet healthy soil supports the ecosystems we depend on, helps communities respond to climate change, and contributes to human well-being. 

The SoilTribes Train-the-Trainers Pack gives educators practical ways to make this living world visible to their students.

Created in the framework of the European SoilTribes initiative, the pack brings together 10 formal lessons, 2 non-formal activities and supporting videos. Hands-on demonstrations and explanations from scientific experts help educators move from classroom discussion to observation, experimentation and creative work.

SoilTribes is also worth exploring further.

The resources invite students to explore what healthy soil does and why it needs care. They also examine the pressures it faces, including climate change, intensive agriculture and urbanisation. Through a range of teaching methods aligned with the GreenComp sustainability competencies, students build knowledge they can use to think critically and take action.

At its heart, SoilTribes is an invitation to reconnect with the ground beneath our feet. By sharing knowledge and working together, educators and students can turn a deeper understanding of soil into everyday stewardship.

#693: Curious by Nature

This is a podcast series from Farmer's Weekly.

Available on YouTube.

This campaign aims to broaden perceptions of agriculture by showcasing real people, real careers, and real workplaces — highlighting routes into the industry that may not typically be associated with traditional farming.

From labs to logistics, data to sustainability, journalist Evie Clark will be meeting inspiring people to discover what they do, how they got there, and why their work truly matters.

Connections with local farmers will be something that schools may want to explore and pursue... the need to produce food for food security against the potential impacts on biodiversity.

#692: How to live on Earth

Now out to view in full...

How to Live on Earth is an ambitious feature documentary that explores how humanity can build a safe and thriving future by working with nature, not against it. 

Presented by Benedict Cumberbatch, the film presents the ultimate hack, showing what becomes possible when we team up with nature to solve our greatest challenges. 

Heart-warming, entertaining and energising, the film presents a hopeful vision of a future within reach – one in which nature thrives, and so do we.

Key Messages

1. We are part of nature, not apart from it. It is the foundation of our health and prosperity.

2. The systems that underpin how we live on Earth today fundamentally do not value nature.

3. By working with nature, not against it, we can build a safe and thriving future for all.

#691: Derek vs Derek

Derek vs Derek is a documentary exploring two neighbouring farmers, both called Derek.

Two neighbouring Devon farmers, both called Derek, go to war over the future of their land in this funny and timely documentary.

One is an advocate for intensive farming; the other is giving his entire farm over to nature, rewilding it into an oasis for wildlife. Tempers fray, wild animals escape, and the land between them is transformed, all while the two Dereks butt heads over what the English countryside should look like and who gets to decide. The tension between rewilding and traditional agriculture has never felt more urgent, and the film finds its way into that conversation through a neighbourly dispute that just happens to share a name on both sides of the fence.

200 000 page views

Just 10 months to add another 100 000 page views of the blog.

Thanks for your interest in the blog.

Image: Alan Parkinson

#690: Our need to be fully human

That is the title of a blog on the NAEE website which has been written by Mary Colwell, the instigator of the GCSE in Natural History.

"It is essential we tell children that their home is precious, that it matters, that the life around them has a value and a right to exist – and that it is essential for the survival of humanity. 

We must show them how to notice and to care. 

We have to connect children to the natural world and teach them the names of things and what life needs to thrive. 

Future generations will have to sort out the mess we have made and they must be given the tools to do that. 

They must be plugged into nature, drawing from it the life lessons that will keep the Earth functioning and, crucially, keep us sane. 

We will rely on future generations to make wise decisions for all of life on Earth."

#689: The Primrose from England.

'A Primrose from England' is a painting by Edward Hopley from around 1855.

Edward Hopley
Great Britain 1816-1869
A Primrose from England c.1855
oil on canvas
151.0 x 201.0 cm

This Conversation piece looks at the technology called the Wardian Case. 

I have blogged about this previously.

These were used to bring species from abroad.