#633: Europe's soils are drying out...

And that is not good news...

Rivers are running low across Europe, cutting the generation of clean hydropower and restricting cargo ships. The Rhine at Lobith in the Netherlands is now lower than the minimum level seen in the hot summer of 1976. The scientists warned that this disruption could push up the price of food and energy, hitting low-income households hardest.

The original research is here. 

#519: Beanz meanz

This BBC News story from 2023 talks about a successful haricot bean harvest in Lincolnshire.

Baked Beans from companies such as Heinz are generally imported as the beans haven't traditionally done well in the UK.

In 2025 we also had rice successfully grown...

In the future we may see a very different English countryside to the one we have become used to seeing.

#515: Norfolk oysters and lobsters

Norfolk has some excellent seafood and some very good places to buy it.

Think Norfolk and you think of Cromer crabs, or brown shrimp caught by boats which head out from the Fisher Fleet in King's Lynn.

There are several projects aimed at developing 

Norfolk Oysters

Oysters are getting a new reef off the Norfolk coast where they can live and grow according to a report from September.

This is a man-made structure, but will help the oysters grow.

Norfolk Lobsters

This project is rearing lobsters and then releasing them when they are still very small, so that they can repopulate the Wash off the coast of Norfolk.

Discover the Wells Harbour Lobster Hatchery, where we’re dedicated to sustaining the local lobster population and preserving Wells’ rich fishing heritage. Through our innovative rearing practices, we boost lobster survival rates and support a sustainable fishery, benefiting both the marine ecosystem and local fishermen. Our hatchery is also a centre for research, education, and community engagement, offering tours that provide a unique glimpse into marine conservation. Join us in our mission to protect Wells Harbour’s marine life for future generations.

Both of these projects are aimed at increasing the sustainability of the local seafood industry. A whole variety of coastal pubs and restaurants are keen to secure fresh produce.

#456: Earth in 100 Seconds

Earth in 100 Seconds is a short film made by Daniel Raven Ellison - with each second revealing 1% of land and how we are using it.

After the premiere last night, the film is now available.

From the film's script:

"What are we using planet Earth for? 

Let’s go for a walk to find out.

 Each second of our walk reveals 1% of land and how we’re using it. 

We spend our first 10 seconds walking across a frozen land of ice. 

The next 11 in desert, barren and rocky lands. 

14 more seconds of our walk is through ecosystems we minimally use including only 8 seconds of intact forests. 

All other land is directly exploited by people. 

So that makes just 35% of the Earth's land area is 'natural' - we could debate that.

Just 1% of land is built on 

Crops cover 11% of land, nearly half of these are fed to livestock 

For 20 seconds, we’re in the woods again These forests are managed for their timber and play a vital role in regulating our climate, air and water Some are great for wildlife, while much are not.

We’ve prioritised over a third of land for producing meat, dairy and animal products.

14 seconds of our walk is on less used wilder grasslands and rangelands As well as cows, sheep and goats, wild animals could graze here Some livestock is managed carefully so other species can flourish, much is not 

Our final 19 seconds is through pastures that we mostly use for rearing cows.

Cows now have a collective mass that’s nearly 10 times greater than all wild mammals combined At a time of climate crisis And when a million species are at risk of extinction Why not rethink this mix of lands we have and how we use them I need more trees please I think more nature would be greater So what if we made more space, for nature?" 

Dan explains why he made the film:

This is an important little film. It tells the story of how we're using and (mis)using the planet.. all through a humble walk. Earth is vast and complex, making it difficult to fully comprehend its scale, understand how we’re using it, or organise efforts to manage it more effectively. 

Thoughtful land use is vital for the survival of humans and countless other species, as well as for creating fair and equitable futures. Access to better data and insights about how we interact with land is crucial - whether it’s choosing what to eat or deciding who to support at the ballot box. 

This film draws on data from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change’s Special Report on Climate Change and Land. While the report does an excellent job of presenting the facts, its charts and graphs often fail to connect with people on a human level. 

Earth in 100 Seconds transforms this data into a relatable journey, using a simple walk to evoke a sense of story, place, and scale. 

In just a couple of minutes, it allows viewers not only to see what the data means but also to feel its impact - by sitting through it. 

We desperately need to have better relationships with the rest of life on our planet and the land, climate, resources and systems we all depend on - ones that are kinder, healthier and more harmonious. 

I hope this short film sparks meaningful conversations that help make that happen more of the time.

#455: Stand with the farmers

70% of UK land is farmed.

If we want nature to recover, this is where it happens.

Farmers like @herdyshepherd1 are already doing it – farming with wildlife, not against it. But without proper funding, we risk losing it all.@RachelReevesMP: increase funding, grow our future. pic.twitter.com/jJvbUHPXfH

— RSPB (@Natures_Voice) May 30, 2025

#358: "Nature's Ghosts"

A recent piece in The Guardian from Sophie Yeo uses the phrase 'nature's ghosts' to refer to some of the lost species which have been the result of modern farming methods. It's an extract from her new book of the same name, and is tellingly part of a series of articles called 'The age of extinction'.

Here's a review of the book.

I will hunt this out in the library and perhaps add it to the reading list in due course.

#335: Wilding

This movie has been getting a lot of attention.

It tells the story of a farm taken over, and a decision to change how it was managed. 

Linked to a book by the same name written by Isabella Tree which I also have a copy of.

#215: Six Inches of Soil

Six Inches of Soil is a new film, which explores the value of this material, which many people undervalue - not understanding its critical importance. I studied pedology (soil science) in the final year of my undergraduate degree, spending quite a lot of time carrying out experiments and fieldwork, and know very well how important it is to look after it.

🥁🥁🥁🥁🥁🥁🥁🥁🥁🥁🥁
*Drum roll*
We’re extremely proud to present our new #filmtrailer. Huge thanks to award-winning creative agency @Chinagraph_L for producing it for us. We hope you love it as much as we do. Feel free to leave comments on our YouTube https://t.co/kXFW6ag15M pic.twitter.com/gRAHmDrpGA

— Six Inches of Soil (@sixinchessoil) November 16, 2023

Here's the original quote which inspired the title of the film:

“Despite all our accomplishments, we owe our existence to a six-inch layer of topsoil and the fact it rains.”

Paul Harvey (1978) U.S. radio broadcaster

The trailer for the film can be viewed here:

#186: Hedge consultation

The local Byline Times has a piece on a consultation that recently took place regarding hedgerows.

It seems amazing that anyone would consider that hedgerows should be removed.

Hedgerows are a vital part of the English landscape, dating back to times of enclosure, or marking the boundaries of areas of land. They are also a vital habitat for a great many animals - hedgehogs included one imagines.

The government was seeking opinions about the future of hedgerows – their maintenance, the current rules of management, the penalties and what the long term strategy should be. 
Defra states that “Amending the Hedgerows Regulations 1997 to include management measures would impact on all farmers and land managers in England who have hedgerows on their agricultural land, aside from those covered by various exemptions.”

This provides some protections for hedgerows currently.

 

Image: Alan Parkinson, shared under CC license

#141: Natural History Podcasts #5: Chris Skinner and High Ash Farm

For some years, I listened to BBC Radio Norfolk on my commute to and from work and used to catch Chris Skinner's farm sections from High Ash Farm. 

He has been broadcasting from the farm for over 40 years apparently. He has sound recording gear with him, and captures the sounds of the wildlife on his farm in Norfolk.

Check out the Facebook page for High Ash Farm as well, which provides a lot of detail and has images and other information.

Chris has started a podcast with Matthew Gudgin, and this deserves a place on our list of Natural History podcasts.

It would be lovely for schools to be paired with farms and to perhaps consider how they might work together for mutual benefit.

#112: 'A Year in Farming' Calendar

A resource from the Countryside Classroom - a resource site which I have blogged about previously.

It goes through a typical Farming year and sets it out as a circular calendar. I've seen similar diagrams before in geography textbooks. A free account is needed to download the diagram and the related teacher notes.

Having identified the typical farming year, one activity would be to consider the possible changes that will be required in the coming decade(s) to account for changes to the natural order of things...

#105: Natural History Reading List #8: Land Healer: How farming can save Britain's countryside

Relatively new in my library is the paperback version of a book by Jake Fiennes, who is currently Head of Conservation on the 25000 acre Holkham Estate in North Norfolk.

This article in The Guardian says a little more about Jake and his work.

It describes the work that has been carried out at Holkham, and the earlier work that taught Fiennes the methods that he is now using. I used to be a regular visitor to the Holkham Estate when a relative owned a caravan which was located there, but he sadly sold out.

This previous article from December 2021 explores some of his conservation work on the coastal marshes on the Holkham Estate.

He has also been profiled in 'The New Yorker'. Limited viewing possible.

The book explores some of the projects that Jake has instigated, and makes suggestions for how farming can make a difference in a positive way. It provides a hopeful message for the way that farming could be - sadly the Government and those in charge of the crucial departments aren't listening to the right people it seems.

#99: The sound of autumn in Norfolk

They are back. I passed some in the fields near to Docking at the end of last week, and heard them for the first time near to Holme next the Sea. 

Pink-footed Goose
Anser brachyrhynchus

The pink-footed geese are back in Norfolk from their migration. Their noise is part of the atmosphere of autumn and when I lived in Snettisham for twelve years I would frequently stand outside my house staring up as skein after skein headed back out to the marshes for the night before coming inland to graze in the local fields. The numbers have been impacted by changes in farming methods, particularly with regards to the cropping of sugar beet.

Feathers via Featherbase.

The geese are juse one of the species mentioned in Nick Acheson's excellent book on geese in Norfolk.

The Meaning of Geese is the story of Nick Acheson's love for the land in which he was born and raised and for the wild geese that fill it with sound and spectacle every winter. During a time when many of us faced the prospect of little work or human contact, renowned naturalist Nick Acheson found a sense of peace and purpose in his pursuit of the wild geese that filled the Norfolk skies on their seasonal visits from Iceland and Siberia.

In The Meaning of Geese Nick recounts these adventures, starting with the dramatic arrival of the pinkfeet and brent geese as they land in the thousands in Britain each autumn. Over seven months he cycles 1,200 miles - the exact length of the pinkfeet's migration to Iceland, while encountering rarer geese, including Russian white-fronts, barnacle geese and an extremely unusual grey-bellied brant, a bird he had dreamt of seeing since thumbing his mother's copy of Peter Scott's field guide as a child. Nick keeps a diary of his sightings as well as the stories he discovers through the community of people, past and present, who love the geese and are working to protect their future.

Top image: Pink-footed geese over Snettisham, Norfolk - Winter 2009 - by Alan Parkinson, shared under CC license

Update October 2023

Read Nick's piece in the latest Big Issue. A warning to us ...

#43: Wild Ken Hill

Wild Ken Hill has been the home of the BBC's Springwatch and Autumnwatch for the last couple of years, and also the occasional Winterwatch.

Chris Packham, Michaela Strachan and the team base themselves here, having previously been based at Minsmere and other locations including the nearby location of Pensthorpe, near Fakenham for a while.

Wild Ken Hill is in North West Norfolk, between King's Lynn and Hunstanton.

Wild Ken Hill is a site of rewilding, conservation, and a working farm. Its land is made up of hilly wood, wetter marshland, pasture landscape, and agricultural fields. As such, the ground is predominantly uneven with thick undergrowth. Ponies, pigs and cattle graze parts of the site and it is home to many, small, wild animals.

I lived in Snettisham for 12 years, and walked over Ken Hill many times, through the woods and down through the reed beds and along the old railway line which was sadly a casualty of Beeching's cuts in the 1960s. 

That line, passing through Wolferton, Snettisham and Heacham would make a fantastic route from King's Lynn to the coast. Sadly, there have been some changes and new buildings which mean that the line is unlikely to ever be reinstated despite the fact that it would immediately 

The area has changed substantially over the 12 years since I last visited for a good period of time.

Locations such as this may well form a good site for a field visit, or a case study of rewilding should that be a focus for the final draft specification. 

To find out more you can follow Dominic Buscall on Twitter. Fun fact, my daughter went to school with members of the Buscall family.

I can imagine the area of the Wash, and surroundings landscapes and land uses, and some of the potential conflicts that occur there would make a good large scale case study.

#30: Don't fence me in

I love this image by Harry Epworth Allen.

It shows the typical walls that are found in much of the Peak District - both the White and the Dark Peak. This looks like the area around Great and Little Hucklow, which I know well.

Derbyshire Walls, by Harry Epworth Allen (1894-1958), @SheffMuseums. pic.twitter.com/jLg8X2xFPy

— Brian Groom (@GroomB) December 20, 2022

These walls are made by skilful people, and were a massive achievement - the walls run to hundreds if not thousands of miles in length and enclosed land owned by landowners including monasteries / religious areas as well as individuals. 

This article in Great British Life explains how they are an integral part of the British countyside in this part of the country. 

Here's a little extract from the article.

The existence of dry stone walls can be dated as far back as over 3,500bc. 

It is believed that farmers of the Iron and Bronze Ages constructed their agricultural walls with the huge structures arranged by the ethnic chiefs and lords. In Derbyshire alone we have standing walls that go back to Roman times; ancient clearance walls built to mark boundaries and contain livestock; slavers walls built by people who were captured and brought here because they could build walls effectively; and famine walls built by Irish labourers in the 1800s, working either for homesteads or wealthy land owners.

At a glance, the ages and types of dry stone walls are identifiable by their shape, form and location. Enclosure by Act of Parliament was standard in the mid 1700s, although the first Enclosure Act was passed in 1604. 

Walls built in this period are the most common in the countryside, dividing land in straight strips of a rectangular shape and called the enclosures walls, as seen in the countryside near Monyash and Flagg.

The walls are also important for some plant and animal species by providing a sheltered habitat for them to grow.

The idea of borders is also important, and there are some possible contexts here for work around Natural History in terms of identifying just how enclosures in the past have influenced the natural history and biodiversity of today.