#642: Wildfires

Wildfires are breaking out across Europe.

It's not clear whether most of them started by natural causes.

A report from the House of Lords.

Wildfires are a natural phenomenon and an essential process in some ecosystems. However, around the world climate change, demographic changes and shifts in land use are altering their frequency and severity.

In the UK, natural wildfires, for example those sparked following lightning strikes, are rare and most wildfires are the result of human action. The National Fire Chiefs Council (NFCC), which represents fire and rescue services (FRS) across the UK (44 in England, three in Wales and one each in Scotland and Northern Ireland), notes that most wildfires nationally originate from human activity such as:

• littering (from improper disposal of a cigarette to dropping litter such as reflective items and glass bottles that then start a fire)
• unattended fires (campfires, bonfires and barbecues left unattended or not fully extinguished)
• deliberate fire-setting
• controlled burning used to manage land that then gets out of control

There is no single definition of what constitutes a wildfire in the UK, with different definitions used by government agencies, the media and FRS. 

The UK government used to define a wildfire as any “unplanned and uncontrolled fire(s) in the natural environment”, but now defines the term to mean an “uncontrolled fire that burns vegetation, such as grass, heather, woodland, crops and scrubland”.

The NFCC maintains that not all outdoor fires are wildfires. Instead, it defines a wildfire as “any uncontrolled vegetation fire which requires a decision, or action, regarding suppression”. In addition, the NFCC specifies that a wildfire will meet one or more of the following criteria:

• involves a geographical area of at least one hectare (10,000 square metres)
• has a sustained flame length of more than 1.5 metres
• requires a committed resource of at least four FRS appliances/resources
• requires resources to be committed for at least six hours
• presents a serious threat to life, environment, property and infrastructure

One of the most heartbreaking ones, was relatively local to me, and an area I know well: Dunwich Heath which borders Minsmere RSPB reserve.

A fundraiser shows the depth of feeling for this landscape.

"This beautiful purple landscape, once filled with the sound of warblers and skylarks and people enjoying a walk through the heather, is now unrecognisable."

Hilary McGrady, director-general of the National Trust

#526: John Clare and an Inherited Perspective

Another name which I hope the new specification introduces young people to is the poet John Clare.

He is the subject of a book by the London-based writer and psychogeographer Iain Sinclair, who traced his footsteps. The cover of the book can be seen below. It is called 'Edge of the Orison'.

https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poets/john-clare

Click the link to download the whole eBook - thanks to Nottingham Trent University. (PDF download)

Image via Wikipedia - Public Domain

#97: Ronald Blythe

Ronald Blythe died earlier this year, just after his 100th birthday.

He referred to local plants in an areas as "a form of permanent geography".

His writing spans many decades, and includes some classic texts.  There is a great deal that has been written both by and about him.

I recommend starting to build up your Blythe library to introduce students to the work of someone who was tied to a place, and looked at it in detail. 

He was closely linked with the late author Roger Deakin, who will also be mentioned here as well, particularly because of his book 'Wildwood', which was published posthumously.

He's one of the authors who is on my 'charity shop' list - whenever I go to a town I always check out the charity shop stacks and have certain letters I look at (if they are organised alphabetically that is...).

Akenfield has to be on the list of books, but also the various collections of his pieces for local newspapers and other publications.

It can be borrowed from the Internet Archive site.

There is also a 2022 anthology volume of his work called 'Next to Nature' which has come out recently, and contains a range of writing about natural history and what it means to connect with a place.

I'd be interested to hear your favourite Blythe pieces.

#48: Suffolk Coast and Heaths - AONBs

Suffolk has an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty called the Suffolk Coast and Heaths.

Follow the Twitter feed here.

Explore the Map of Mystery! 🗺️

An alternative map that allows you to enter a wide world of wonder, whether a visitor or proud resident - there is much to discover from our past and present

This is just part of it - view & download the full map

👉 https://t.co/faN3EKEatF pic.twitter.com/flUULXq5P8

— Coast & Heaths Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (@SuffolkAONB) May 22, 2023

You can download the Map of Mystery from the link above, or here (PDF download)

It's a lovely piece of work. Here's an extract:

It may be worth considering how to make the most of your local AONB.

You can find it using a map from the Landscapes for Life website. 

This is an interactive map which has details of the UK's 46 AONBs. 

Students might usefully be allocated an AONB each to explore the particular landscape features, along with the biodiversity that it contains, and projects which are being undertaken to preserve its natural beauty.