#250: Horniman Museum and Gardens

The Horniman Museum and Gardens might make a useful location for a field visit for those schools who are within easy travelling distance.

We will be collating a list of suggested places for field visits, including museums of this kind. We have a spreadsheet with quite a lot already, but keen to hear your suggestions.

Here's a description of the museum collection, one of which is particularly useful.

Our Natural History collection contains over 250,000 specimens of local, national and worldwide origin. 

They were assembled from the mid-19th to the early 21st centuries for public display, education, reference and research.

The collection contains biological and geological material of national and international significance and includes taxidermy, skeletal material, pinned insects, fossils, minerals, rocks, models, dried pressed plants, fungi, shells, and birds’ eggs.

Having recently declared an ecological and climate emergency we increasingly use our collections to connect people with nature and encourage a deeper appreciation, love and respect for the natural world. Our collections and research – combined with the public programmes – help to raise awareness of the global environmental challenges we all face. We seek to empower and encourage people to take action to protect the planet and its ecosystems for future generations.

The Natural History collection can be searched. It is split into Zoology, Geology and Botany.

There is plenty of taxidermy, and also collections of skeletons.

Some of the museum is free to visit, but there is a charge for the Aquarium and Butterfly House, which may be of interest.

I also like the look of the World Gallery.

This school seemed to like their visit:

Year 10 GCSE artists & photographers visited the Horniman Museum in London on Monday. They carried out drawings and photographs in the butterfly house & aquarium as well as making observations of the vast array of taxidermy on exhibit in the gallery of natural history. #horniman pic.twitter.com/rPfFRYXjsM

— Claremont Fan Court School (@CFCSchool) September 22, 2023

What's your nearest natural history museum / display / exhibition? 

#249: 'Hedgelands' - coming April

This sounds like it is going to be an excellent addition to a growing library of recommendations. It is a new book by Christopher Hart.

As I've been creating this blog, I have come across numerous references to the value of hedgerows, particularly old ones with a large variety of species. They act as habitats, windbreaks, borders and management tools, as well as reducing wind speeds.

In this joyous journey around the wild edges of Britain, Christopher Hart takes us through the life, ecology and history of the humble British hedge, showing us how this much-loved (but somewhat overlooked) feature is inextricably woven into our language, history and culture.

Hedges – or hedgerows – have long been an integral part of the British landscape; a bastion of privacy for our gardens, a protective presence on winding country lanes and a vital hiding place for birds and beasts on farmland.

This man-made marvel is finally getting its time in the sun. Recognised as an environmental hero and a powerful climate ally, hedgerow is now considered the greatest edge habitat on earth, offering thorny scrub, mature woodland, grassland and even wetland. It plays a critical role in carbon sequestration and provides essential protection against the elements.

Hedgelands highlights the hawthorn and hazel of ancient hedges; the abundance of wildlife, from the elusive dunnock to the striking nightingale, the industrious hedgehog to the little harvest mouse; and the free pickings that the hedgerow offers, making it an essential – and delicious – element of any countryside ramble.

Hedgelands will tell you everything you never thought you needed to know about this wild, diverse and rich habitat – and you might even look at your humble hedge in a whole new way.

#248: Skye and The Cuillins

The Isle of Skye is a place which has a special place in my heart after repeated trips there in my 20s and 30s to climb and explore the island with friends.

Simon Ingram's book explores the key mountain range in the south of the island: the Black Cuillin Hills. it is available as a chunky paperback which looks rather fine on a shelf. The majority of the book is more about the geology and sense of place of the hills and their exploration by early climbers.

Chapter 12 is entitled 'Treasure'.

This chapter considers the natural history of the mountain range. It is well worth a listen if you have a chance. 

There's a few cultural references too, which I would try to bring in, including the poetry of Sorley MacLean and the music of the much-missed Martyn Bennett.

#247: Fungi: Entangled Life

Merlin Sheldrake's book is an important one, and I will be exploring it for the reading list. 

I will write a full review in due course and add it to the library as well once I get the chance to finish listening to it - which I will do during March.

I have an Audible copy of the book to explore and potentially use with students. The introduction to the book is an excellent start and nice introduction to the value of fungi in our lives. There is also plenty on how humans have used fungi for a range of applications from industrial to medical to recreational.

One of my favourite sequences from the upcoming IMAX movie, Fungi: Web of Life. Björk explains how a fungal spore becomes a mycelial network. The astonishing footage is by Wim van Egmond. I'll post a series of clips from the film in the coming days. Stay tuned! pic.twitter.com/TnAjjqFfQK

— Merlin Sheldrake (@MerlinSheldrake) October 23, 2023

“Entangled Life is a dazzling, vibrant, vision-changing book. Sentence after sentence stopped me short. I ended it wonderstruck at the fungal world and the earth-shaking, hierarchy-breaking implications of Sheldrake's argument. This is a remarkable work by a remarkable writer, which succeeds in springing life into strangeness again.” — Robert Macfarlane

A film has been made suitable for IMAX, so I will look out for a screening of that as well.

#246: Ditches

A very nice piece by Melissa Harrison in The Times on the 4th of November 2023 looked at the important role that ditches play in the landscape. This was followed up by a range of tweets on the value of ditches.

There is a tendency to focus on the grand elements of the landscape, but sometimes the smaller overlooked features are just as important for the wildlife that makes them a home: think about the rare ferns and other plants that thrive in the grykes on limestone pavements for example.

Those ditches are bursting with nature! pic.twitter.com/maNLeZiPU8

— Tom Clarke 🇺🇦 🌻 (@Tom_Clarke) April 28, 2023

In the Fens maybe more than anywhere else.

Ditches are our "inverted" hedgerows, and harbour some of the last strongholds for water voles and other critically endangered and red listed species. @FenlandSoil @CLR_Cambridge @NaturalCambs @BrianE_Cambs

— Tom Clarke 🇺🇦 🌻 (@Tom_Clarke) November 4, 2023

 Image: Fenland roads - Alan Parkinson - shared under CC license

#245: Butterflies

Butterflies are an important element of our lives - flitting in and out of them at times, and with a strength that belies their apparent fragility and ephemeral nature.

Happy New Year! Butterflies and moths are often seen as a symbol of hope and new beginnings 🦋

Keep an eye out for these species in your gardens and local green spaces this month, and let us know what you see. 👀 #SaveButterflies #MothsMatter pic.twitter.com/EnlUHAOBB1

— Butterfly Conservation (@savebutterflies) January 1, 2024

Image: Butterfly on Buddleia - Alan Parkinson - shared under CC license 

#244: National History Playlist #2: Secret Keeper

This song featuring the Royal Northern Sinfonia, was commissioned by Newcastle Gateshead Initiative for the Great Exhibition of the North in 2018.

It was accompanied by some visuals when the song was first shown on TV, and some drones as well.

The song's lyrics refer to a beech tree, into which a couple carve their initials (this is not to be encouraged of course). It grows, as does their relationship... as decades pass and a new couple appears at the tree. The tree has borne witness to plenty of change in the landscape, including the closure of the mines.

I have seen the skyline shift as I've grown older
Let the future be a gift as it grows bolder
My roots grow deeper, secret keeper

#243: Cave Paintings #3 - Cresswell Crags

As mentioned in previous blog posts, the possible specification that will emerge is likely to include some reference to early artworks which represent nature. The earliest of these that survive are rock carvings and cave paintings.

One proposed theme in the first iteration of the new specification is 'Life in the Early World'

This would include students exploring early representations of the natural world.

Cave paintings are the first examples of this.

The hand silhouettes in Cueva de las Manos (Cave of Hands) in Santa Cruz, Argentina, form part of an exceptional assemblage of cave art executed between 13,000 and 9,500 years ago. The site was granted @UNESCO World Heritage status in 1999 https://t.co/NEipFKHIRm ✋🖐🏾✋🏽🖐🏻✋🏿🤚🏼🤚✋🏽 pic.twitter.com/JpcEJlJvkA

— Prof Jamie Woodward (@Jamie_Woodward_) January 1, 2022

There are quite a few theories as to why people decided to decorate the walls of caves.

It's worth having a look at Jamie's book in the Very Short Introduction series: 'The Ice Age'.

Another related book here is 'Transcendence' by Gaia Vince, which explores the significance of this period in the development of language, which in turn led to storytelling. This will be appearing in the library / reading list posts as well.

In some associated posts, I have started to explore some of the possible places that students could be introduced to, which are perhaps a little closer to home. For those in the East Midlands there is a suggestion here:

In the UK, there is Cresswell Crags.

The website has plenty of information on the site.

#242: MAGiC Map - a free resource for GIS work

MAGiC is an interactive map. It is produced by DEFRA with a range of other organisations.

The GI stands for Geography Information - it's a GIS.

There are a series of layers of information which can be added to the base map.

Here's a map made by turning on the Habitats > Coastal > Saltmarshes layer, for example. This is very easy to do and students could be asked to explore the map themselves or be given a step by step guide. It would make sense

This map shows the locations of saltmarshes around the Wash.

Similar maps can be created for a whole range of habitats by changing the overlays.

A general guide to the map is available here.

#241: CLA

The CLA is the Country Land and Business Owners' Association. Their mission is to champion the rural economy, environment and way of life.

Their website provides a number of resources which may be of interest to those preparing materials for teaching the GCSE Natural History - particularly where they are considering the landscape and land use.

Check out the Rural Powerhouse campaign.

#240: Passport to Natural History

Have you ever looked inside your passport (assuming you have a British one...)?

Thankfully for the next few years at least mine is burgundy and mentions the European Union. 

The passport contains a number of pages with designs which include features of the United Kingdom. My old passport was a special design.

This was introduced in 2010. (PDF download)

The design theme was called ‘Scenic United Kingdom’ and includes images of well-known landscape scenes, including the White Cliffs of Dover, the Gower Peninsula, Ben Nevis and the Giant’s Causeway. 

There are also weather symbols on the pages, familiar from the weather forecast on the BBC.

In 2015, this was changed to a design which included British engineers and inventors who had given the world something important. They are listed in the document here. This is the one I have at the moment.

The more recent passport design is outlined here.

This Dezeen page also outlines some of the security features of the new passport, which appear under UV light.

It shows some of the designs of other country's passports, many of which also include landscapes. I love the Norwegian passport design.

#239: Natural History Podcasts #7: NatureScotland's Podcasts

I've previously added the NatureScotland website to the blog.

As I said in the entry, this has a large collection of podcasts.

They are badged under the hashtag #MakeSpaceForNature

They are on a wide range of topics, many of which are definitely within the realms of natural history and would make useful resources for both students and teachers to access. 

I also like the idea that some schools may encourage their students to record their own podcasts as part of the lesson activities. There are many options out there to do this free of charge, or at minimal cost.

#238: Watkins and Doncaster

Watkins and Doncaster are a firm that many schools are likely to be in touch with when they are preparing to teach the new GCSE Natural History specification for the first time.

Any school planning to offer the GCSE Natural History will probably need to purchase a range of equipment for some of the skills and fieldwork elements - if those are retained from the original consultation. It is unlikely that many will have everything they need for the new specification. This is also one additional 'cost' involved for schools which want to offer the new specification and which might therefore prevent some colleagues who might want to be involved from being able to add it to the subjects they offer.

Here's the wording from the original consultation document, which is only advisory and not the final text of course.

Safe use of techniques for monitoring/detecting organisms. For example: Longworth traps, moth traps, camera traps, satellite tags, methods for monitoring reptiles, using photographs, bat detectors, bird ringing, etc. Use of indirect evidence (e.g. signs, tracks, landscape analysis) Use of Identification charts

They will need some equipment for fieldwork and also to train students in the techniques they need - the teachers will need to upskill themselves first of all, so liaison between biologists, geographers and others will be essential...

The firm sells some useful equipment for entomological work (insects) and geology.

#237: 'Watercress and Winterbournes'

This a nice, geographical project based in Hampshire.

An introduction to the project from the website:

The Rivers Test and Itchen are iconic features of the Hampshire landscape, but the chalk streams that give them life are some of the greatest hidden treasures in the county. With only around 200 existing worldwide, these cool, oxygenated, alkaline waters provide a uniquely perfect habitat for species like water vole, brown trout, southern damselfly, water crowfoot, and white-clawed crayfish.

Our streams also have another story to tell: that of a landscape shaped by centuries of human activity. Adjacent fields are marked with patterns from old water meadows, while mysterious riverside structures speak of trades ranging from gin distilling to paper production. 

Today many of these historic industries continue, with our area being famous for watercress growing and fly fishing. Some of them are sadly threatened with the current tide of sewage pollution which has caused problems for so many of the country's rivers. Feargal Sharkey has spent years campaigning on this issue, which has got worse and worse during that time to the point now where sewage is routinely dumped into rivers and the sea. 

My local chalk stream is the River Nar. It runs through the village where I live and on towards King's Lynn and the Great Ouse.

We are looking forward to launching #whispersofchlakstream project on the 31st January. We would love your company - learn more about our chalk stream - come along , get involved - hear more of future events #WatercressandWinterbournes #NationalLotteryHeritage @HantsIWWildlife pic.twitter.com/j7Wk0DOaEb

— Clarke&Witt (@Attention2place) January 5, 2024

I follow a few social media accounts linked to Chalk Streams including one based near King's Lynn which shares frequent images and information on problems.

#236: Urban Plants: an ID guide

Most ID guides for plants are about rural locations, and to help identify things like wildflowers and salt marsh plants. They are for taking on nature rambles in woodlands or rural locations.

Pelagic Publishing is preparing to publish a guide in July 2024 which will help identify weeds growing through the pavements, or other urban locations. To be fair, for many schools, these plants are more likely the ones to be found in the immediate area, particularly urban schools which may not have a park or significant open space that is easily accessible.

This is another example where the context of a school may well determine the possibility of offering GCSE Natural History. There are several important factors here.

Description:

Have you ever wondered exactly what those ‘weeds’ are growing along the kerb or between the cracks in the pavement? Not the pampered plants of parks, front gardens and herbaceous borders, but simply those that exist everywhere and nowhere in particular: the true survivors, the botanical opportunists. In this handy guide, we introduce the most commonplace flowers, shrubs, grasses, mosses and ferns that are to be found on the street, and show the main characteristics by which you can recognise them. 

Soon you’ll be more alert than ever to the rebellious species of tarmac, wall and gutter as they defy weedkiller, climate change and dog wee.

So you can identify the plants you discover in your town as readily as possible, the species are arranged according to their growth form. The book starts with the largest group – herbaceous plants – followed by a few woody plants, grasses, mosses and ferns.

Out in July 2024. I think I will be getting a copy of this book for our library of field guides.

#235: NatureScot website

The NatureScot website is worth a visit. There is plenty of interest here on the work of Scotland's Nature Agency.

There is a useful Information Hub.

This includes a set of Podcasts on the theme of Making Space for Nature.

There are also sections on Climate Change, Landforms and Geology, Landscapes and Habitats and  Platnts, animals and fungi.

#234: Meat - warning labels

An interesting piece on the use of warning labels on meat packaging. 

Published on The Conversation website.

Messages such as “smoking kills” and “smoking causes blindness” alongside a graphic image have been legally required on all tobacco products in the UK since 2008.

It will be interesting to see whether any of this sort of activity actually takes place.

The research referenced can be read here.

Meat consumption is deeply ingrained in Western societies. The United Kingdom is a good example, where according to a recent YouGov poll, 72% of the UK population classify themselves as meat eaters whereas only 7% of Britons classify themselves as either vegetarian or vegan (Dabhade, 2021).

The draft consultation of the specification mentioned the impact of our diet on the planet. This is one of the suggested themes which will be explored. I wonder whether this will survive to the next stage. 

My fear is that anything 'political' or 'meaty' (if you'll forgive the pun) will be removed.

#233: Natural History Reading List #16: 'British Woodland" How to explore the secret world of our trees'

This is a new book written by survival expert and TV personality Ray Mears. I can attest to the power of Ray's storytelling as I attended an excellent talk he gave in Ely Cathedral several years ago, organised by Topping Books of Ely.

This book explores British Woodlands, and is very nicely designed.  The book is organised under themed chapters, but the trees themselves are arranged in alphabetical order, starting with Alder, and working through Beech, Elm, Horse Chestnut, Pine, Sycamore and many others, ending up with Yew. A final chapter explores the Future, and the book begins with a look at the past, when there were no trees in much of the UK as it had been scraped clean by glaciers. The trees soon returned to colonise the land, before people then stripped them all away.

There is some nice photography and the story of each tree is joined with a narrative. Each tree has a double page of information and a picture of their leaves, to aid identification perhaps. 

A focus for the narrative is on the usefulness of each tree for different things. The photography also explores toxic and edible plants and fungi as well as berries and other fruits which can be found in British woodlands. The book covers a whole range of associated topics e.g. Phototropism.

I liked the section on 'How not to get lost', which is all to easy of course in dense woodland. There are also photos of some of the indicator species of ancient woodlands towards the end of the book. 

This would make a fantastic addition to any library of Natural History books, and also a great gift for someone.

I obtained this book from the Norfolk Library Service. It was published in 2023.

The paperback edition comes out on the 21st of March, 2024 and I will be adding a copy to my GCSE Natural History library.

#232: What makes a good bird name?

An interesting piece on bird-naming (and the field of ethno-ornithology.

This was written by Andrew Gosler, a Professor at the University of Oxford.

It explores the decision by the American Ornithological Society, which recently announced it would replace all bird species named after people in North America. This is part of the idea of decolonising nature. The article talks about the process by which birds gain their name, and some of the other local vernacular variations which they also acquire. 

Very few British bird species are actually named after people.

#231: The power of Natural History films

An interesting research paper from the British Ecological Society.

This highlights the importance of natural history films in highlighting the impacts of our activities on the natural world, and encuraging us to be aware of this.

#230: 'Geographical' Magazine

When the draft specification (finally) emerges, there will be a need to resource it for the teachers who are going to teach it. This will need to be done with some urgency.

One option that should be considered by those who have back issues of relevant journals is to revisit those to identify suitable articles. 

One such journal is the RGS-IBG's 'Geographical' magazine. 

I've had a departmental subscription for many years.

In many issues there is an article which is linked to some of the likely themes in the new specification, and as they are written for a general audience, this is going to be of value to both staff and students. A limited amount of content is also on the website.

You can also arrange for a subscription to print or digital. The digital option includes access to an archive of past issues. This would be a particularly valuable way to build up a library of suitable articles.