#624: Scolt Head Island

I recently spent an overnight at the White Horse at Brancaster Staithe. 

It's recommended as a hotel to stay in.

The pub has a marsh bar down by the salt marsh. From there you can see the low hills of Scolt Head Island.

Scolt Head Island lies just off the North Norfolk Coast.

This would make a great field study location for coastl ecosystems work and investigations.

Baz Scampion has created this website about the island.

The island is accessible by ferry.

The island is a National Nature Reserve, which limits the activity that can take place there. A good example of landscape management.

Image: Sea lavender on the salt marsh at Brancaster Staithe.

#565: 75 years of the Peak District

2026 marks the 75th anniversary of the first National Park to be designated in the UK.

Peak District National Park

A local National Park will be a perfect place for visits once the GCSE Natural History launches, and many schools will be within a reasonable distance of one... or actually within one.

#381: Broads Society Lecture - October 24th

If and when we are able to move to the next phase of this qualification, teachers will need training and will need to look for national and local organisations offering events which will be suitable for developing our skills in the field of Natural History.

The Broads Society calls itself "the voice for the Broads". 

It is a Society local to where I live in Norfolk, and to a landscape which I am sure I will be using to develop some resources when we get to that stage.

They also offer a series of events... and one sounds useful which is coming up in a few weeks' time.

One for Norfolk and similar folks really due to the location...

The Broads Society has a lecture which soulds like it will be useful.

24^th October  2024

‘Innovative Management of the Broads Landscape’

7.30 at Blake Studio, Norwich School.

If interested, please book through Broads Society website.  

This will be an important event looking at mitigation measures for the Broads in the face of the potentially dramatic changes ahead.

Image: On the Broads, by Alan Parkinson, shared on Flickr under CC license

#182: AONBs are now called National Landscapes

Those preparing new resources take note... a significant change which many people are not aware of...

From today, Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty are now called 'National Landscapes'. This is another change which will impact on many printed resources / textbooks / websites and resources that are under construction which focus on landscape management.

This site has a nice interactive map of the 46 areas but currently has the old name.

Check the website for more details.

Welcome to National Landscapes – a new chapter in the story of designated Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONBs) in England and Wales. Find out more at https://t.co/LZpHYAkvmq 1/5 pic.twitter.com/j4XIkjV0v5

— National Landscapes Association (@NatLandAssoc) November 22, 2023

Some nice graphics on the Twitter feed - check the thread today to kick start the new association and name. 

From the site:

The new name reflects their national importance: the vital contribution they make to protect the nation from the threats of climate change, nature depletion and the wellbeing crisis, whilst also creating greater understanding and awareness for the work that they do.

This is a significant milestone for the UK and the next step in fully realising the National Landscapes’ vision to be the leading exemplars of how thriving, diverse communities can work with and for nature in the UK: restoring ecosystems, providing food, storing carbon to mitigate the effects of climate change, safeguarding against drought and flooding, whilst also nurturing people’s health and wellbeing.

National Landscapes teams have been at the forefront of delivering natural solutions to the main challenges facing the nation for many years. The new brand underscores their commitment to redoubling their efforts and engaging with a wider audience. In 2019, teams set themselves the most ambitious targets for nature in the sector and continue to work to meet them.

By 2030, National Landscapes aim that, within their boundaries: at least 200,000 hectares of the most valuable natural areas (Sites of Special Scientific Interest or SSSIs), which equates to 1 ¼ times the size of London, will be in favourable condition; 100,000 hectares of wildlife-rich habitat outside of SSSIs will be created or restored, which is roughly nine times the size of Manchester; and 36,000 hectares of woodland, which is a little smaller than the Isle of Wight, will have been planted or allowed to regenerate. National Landscapes Partnerships will also focus on habitat restoration to ensure the protection of some of our most endangered species and increase their work to help more people to enjoy time spent in beautiful places.

There is a list of all the new National Landscapes on the website. This can be viewed as a list or a map.

As I thought, when looking at the graphics, each National Landscape has been given a new visual identity / logo.

I will be spending part of my Christmas holidays in the Norfolk Coast National Landscape.

I can see an activity where a list of the areas is shown and students have to identify the appropriate logo - it takes quite a bit of knowledge of the landscape and local wildlife to identify some of them...