#668: GA's response to the consultation on proposed subject content

Thanks to Steve Brace for sharing a link to a post on the GA's website which shares the main themes of their response to the current consultation of the proposed subject content, which closes on the 4th of September.

#667: Natural History Podcasts #10: 'As the Season Turns'

Thanks to Michelle Graffagnino for the recommendation to this podcast on the Facebook group.

It's presented by Alice Boyd.

"As the Season Turns" has two new episodes each month - on the first of each month there is a post from Lia Leendertz, who was mentioned in the previous post.

Later in the month, Alice speaks to someone.

In the August edition she visits Jackie Morris.

Jackie Morris has worked with Robert MacFarlane on a series of projects.

#666: Lia's Almanac

Thanks to Michelle Graffagnino on the Facebook group for the recommendation of this book.

This has been published for quite a few years, and the 2027 version is now available to purchase. 

This would be a useful resource to have a copy of within the 'department' and refer to when working out some activities and foci during the year(s) that the course is taught for.

Reconnect with the seasons in Britain and Ireland with this month-by-month guide to the world around us - including tide tables, sunrises and moon phases; wildlife and folklore; seasonal recipes and more.

The Almanac: A Seasonal Guide to 2027 gives you the tools and inspiration you need to celebrate, mark and appreciate each month of the year in your own particular way.

Divided into the 12 months, a set of tables each month gives it the feel and weight of a traditional almanac, providing practical information that gives access to the outdoors and the seasons, perfect for expeditions, woodland foraging and beach holidays.

You can also sign up to receive weekly seasonal posts.

Check out the ones so far this year here.

Click and search the archive for 3 years' worth of posts, which will contain useful ideas and inspiration for following the course of the seasons and how they are reflected in the landscape.

#665: Thought for the Day

“We should pay more attention to how we're treating our mountains, how we’re treating our world, how we’re just treating everything.

We’re just mistreating Mother Nature. That's, like, being ugly to your mama, you know?”

Dolly Parton (RIP)

#664: Tom Gauld and Peter Brookes

I'm a big fan of the work of cartoonist Tom Gauld.

My cartoon for this week’s @GuardianBooks / @GdnSaturday pic.twitter.com/iHKQaUp8mc

— Tom Gauld (@tomgauld) September 16, 2023

Along with several other newspaper / syndicated cartoonists they sometimes turn their attention onto Natural History.

The most obvious cartoonist to do this is Peter Brookes.

His Nature Notes cartoons have been appearing for over 25 years!

A collection of suitable cartoons would make a good resource for teachers, to help students think critically about changes in nature.

#663: CORINE

The UK National Parks in 100 Seconds film I mentioned in a previous post uses CORINE data to work out land cover (not land use). 

This is useful data and is freely available. 

The earlier film on the UK in 100 Seconds showed just how little of the land was actually covered with housing.

Access the data here.

#662: Tectonic plate movement

Several animations: the first from ESRI

And one from Visual Capitalist:

Plate tectonic evolution from 1 Billion years ago to the present..mp4 from Visual Capitalist on Vimeo.

and finishing with this map which you can explore.

Source: https://edition.cnn.com/2020/08/30/us/map-hometown-earth-continental-drift-scn-trnd/index.html

#661: Getting used to drought

How resilient is the UK's wildlife to the coming climate emergency? 

Not very seems to be the answer...

This Conversation piece talks about the changing nature of our climate.

#660: Field Guides

The Linnean Society has shared a good collection of field guides to help you identify species.

These are going to be useful for those beginning to upskill themselves in such skills ahead of potentially teaching some of the proposed habitats in the subject content which is out for consultation until early September 2026

#659: Georges Cuvier and comparative anatomy

Georges Cuvier was someone who looked at extinct animals and used fossils and comparative anatomy to work out what they might have looked like

When we think about early life, we have a particular view of what anumals look like...

August 23, 1769, birthday of French anatomist & naturalist Georges Cuvier. First to reconstruct - when not busy drawing stratigraphic profiles - extinct animals based on comparative anatomyhttps://t.co/F5qYSMdmjF pic.twitter.com/6Eiu1XLq8a

— History_of_Geology (@Geology_History) August 23, 2022

 

#658: Cumberland House Natural History Museum - Portsmouth

Another location in the list of possible visit locations we are putting together as part of the support materials for the new specification when it is finalised.

Cumberland House Natural History museum is in Portsmouth.

It is located in a historic house near to Southsea Beach.

This has a good varied collection of items with a natural history focus.

One area is the Butterfly House.

There is also plenty to connect the visit with other natural history related field work to connect up to make a good 

The musum is free to visit.

If you've been, please let me know...

#657: Fractals, Mandelbrot and granularity in nature

Nature is the best artist, and produces stunning patterns: the feathery fronds of ice on a car in the morning, the complex patterns in a cauliflower and the aerial views of a river and its distributaries across a delta are just three of many thousands.

Often, when one views a pattern, zooming in reveals further granularity.

There is a mathematical relationship at work here. I've previously blogged about the Golden Ratio / Fibonacci sequence and its impact on natural forms.

In Adam Nicolson's 'The Sea is not made of Water' he talks about connections between Tim Robinson's maps of 'Aran' and these patterns.

The coastline of an island is impossible to measure accurately because as we zoom in the complexity of the coast reveals that it is not a straight line but has endless small imperfections which we should also measure if we want to be accurate.

Image: Alan Parkinson, shared on Flickr under CC license

#656: Big River Watch - back again in September

 The Rivers Trust is running their next Big River Watch between the 18th and 24th of September.

Twice a year, anyone can take part in these week-long citizen science surveys that help to build an important picture of river health across the UK and Ireland. Our rivers are far from healthy. They’re polluted with sewage, plastic, chemicals and nutrients, and just 15% of river stretches in England are in good overall health.

With the Big River Watch app, you can help identify the issues, which help’s the Trust influence policymakers and hold polluters to account. After the drought of this summer, many rivers are at low levels of flow, and my local chalk stream the River Nar is running at very low levels which is not good. To take part you need to download the app, which is free

This would be a good Citizen Science opportunity for students to participate in.

Download the app and head for your nearest river. Mine is about 2 minutes walk away luckily.

Spend 15 minutes watching the river, and answer the questions in the survey. You can complete the Big River Watch at your favourite local spot, or get to know somewhere new. The survey will ask you about what you see, from wildlife and plants to any signs of pollution. Not sure what you're looking at? The in-app pollution and wildlife guides can help you make an identification.

#655: Storm Shaun or Storm Timmy?

I've had a busy summer of Aardman related things.

I've been to Bristol where there was a special exhibition at the MShed, marking 50 years of Aardman.

I also saw another exhibition at Bristol Museum and Art Gallery, and the one at the Young V&A in Bethnal Green.

There's now a chance to vote for either Shaun or Timmy to be added to the new list of storm names for 2026-27 which will be announced in September. They have teamed up with the MetOffice. Go to one of their social channels to vote.

• Voting closes at 11:00 am on Friday 21 August 2026
• Members of the public can vote for either Shaun or Timmy
• The vote relates specifically to which Aardman character will be added to this year’s storm names list
• The result of the public vote will be announced on Friday 21 August and included in the 2026/27 storm names list

Predictably some people are saying this is inappropriate as these storms may cause damage and even lead to fatalities...  others that we'll soon have sponsored storms... others say it's a bit of fun and raises awareness of why storms are named.

The Met Office say:

Storm naming is an important public safety tool, helping people notice, remember and discuss severe weather when it has the potential to cause significant impacts. By working with Aardman, the Met Office hopes to reach new audiences and encourage conversations about severe weather preparedness in an engaging and accessible way.

The announcement also forms part of Aardman's 50th anniversary celebrations and comes ahead of the release of  Shaun the Sheep: The Beast of Mossy Bottom, which arrives in UK cinemas on the 18th of September.

As a sustainability ambassador and one of Britain's most recognisable animated characters, Shaun has long been associated with themes of nature and the environment, making him a natural fit for a campaign focused on weather awareness and preparedness.

Met Office Head of Warnings and Guidance, Holly Clements, said: "Naming storms helps our weather warnings reach more people and encourages the public to take notice when severe weather is approaching. This collaboration with Aardman gives us a fantastic opportunity to engage new audiences and explain why storm naming matters, helping people understand the risks severe weather can bring and the actions they can take to stay safe."

Hopefully we won't reach 'S' in the alphabet next year....

#654: Landgulls

An article in The Guardian on urban gulls.

Gulls are birds which have grown to live with us, and which we both tolerate but also encourage through the way that we interact with them. They have been called "rats with wings".

Instead of sea cliffs, gulls find nests on the side of tall buildings, which mimic them.

Instead of hunting for food, we supply them with a steady stream of waste food because of our convenience lifestyle and overflowing rubbish bins.

Gulls learn how to steal, and there are lots of videos which show them opening automatic doors into shops and then coming out with packets of food.

To find out a great deal more, I recommend that you read the book 'Landfill' by Tim Dee.

#653: Getting down to earth

Great Soils is a web page developed by the Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board (AHDB), the independent, impartial public body that unlocks success in British agriculture.

They have developed a soil health scorecard with videos to help.

Image: Alan Parkinson, shared on Flickr under CC license.

#652: Stone Curlew habitats and new housing

This story from the BBC News had a headline which at first glance is the wrong way round surely...

It's since been changed.

Stone curlews are a protected species. I have seen them in the wild in a field which is part of a Norfolk Wildlife Trust reserve.

I've visited Weeting Heath and seen the bird in the fields at the reserve. It's eye always draws the eye... it's a beautiful bird.

#651: Protection for forest warrens and lodges

Rare rabbit warrens and lodges in Thetford Forest - on the Norfolk/Suffolk border recently gained protected status.

#650: Basecamp Lyngby

Via LinkedIn I came across this development.

Basecamp Lyngby is described as a housing and multi-use development.

It is located in Denmark.

It's an interesting example of how housing could be designed to incorporate nature, and provide opportunities for residents or users to have access to nature in their daily life.

Image source: https://kragh-berglund.com/public-space/skovbrynet-basecamp/

It's described as a place where design, convenience, and sustainability coexist harmoniously and boasts about its positives:

• Intergenerational Living: This unique complex brings together students, doctoral candidates, and seniors, fostering a vibrant and diverse community.
• Waste Minimisation and Reuse: The building extensively uses recycled materials, particularly in its facade. These materials not only promote sustainability but can also be reused repeatedly, embodying the principles of a circular economy.
• Recycled Air Systems: The heating and ventilation system utilizes recycled air, significantly reducing energy consumption and waste. This system captures and reuses 90% of the energy from extracted air to heat fresh air, enhancing energy efficiency.
• Rainwater Harvesting: The complex includes rainwater storage facilities that collect and store rainwater for various uses, such as natural irrigation, thereby reducing the burden on the sewage system and conserving water.

There is plenty more that could be done to ensure that modern buildings are more creative, and pay closer attention to nature.

#649: Natural History Reading List #28 - 'The Story of Nature'

This is an academic and lengthy read, and a heavy dense book by Jeremy Mynott.

I have been reading it slowly for the last year or so, one chapter at a time.

This review has some useful details.

We talk about ‘nature’ all the time, but what exactly is it? Does nature include physical processes such as rocks and rivers, as well as life? Is humankind part of nature or is there now a clear separation between the artificial and the natural? And if the latter, when did that divorce take place? Nature has a deep history, and what we think about it today may be different from how it was viewed in the past (there have been changes in perception even in my own lifetime). Who invented nature anyway?

There's another useful review of the book here.

It explores some of the early relationships that people had with nature and how those relationships have changed. I was interested in the chapter on cave paintings for example, and the relationship that we had with nature in those times.

Introduction:

What is ‘nature’? Has it always meant the same thing? Are we a part of it?…This is a huge subject, of course, and it would be impossible to write a comprehensive and systematic account of it in a book of this length — or indeed any length. But…stories offer a different way of finding routes through such a vast, varied and difficult terrain and my story is only one among many possible ways of tackling this theme.