Being in nature is good for you. All the evidence is there, it improves physical health, it lifts your mood and your spirits. Recent research, over a very long timescale, shows that the brains of older people who spend more…
At this time of year (and with this amazing summer weather) hardly a day goes by when I don’t think how lucky I am to live in Dorset. Just a hundred yards up the road is a fascinating and special…
I’m posting this here as well as on my own blog, for maximum reach. It’s the People Need Nature response to Michael Gove’s consultation on the future of agriculture in the England. If you haven’t submitted a response yet, please…
This was just published on Miles Richardson’s Finding Nature blog. Miles has given permission for it to be reproduced here. The UK is a ‘smartphone society’ with 68% of adults owning a smartphone. Excessive use can give rise to social,…
Many people have heard about the “battle” to prevent a Local Authority contractor cutting down some of Sheffield’s trees as part of a road maintenance contract. National newspapers, charities, celebrities, and local protesters have all decried the loss of the…
Last week was a momentous one in the life of farmers and anyone who take an interest in our food. The National Farmers Union (NFU) took the historic step of appointing a woman to be its President – it’s symptomatic…
Sitting in a bird hide calms me. Walking down “Green Lane” at my local nature reserve slackens the umbilical cord to my stress and worries for a while. Its February in the UK. Temperatures hover around freezing. It rains,…
The UK’s decision to leave the European Union has created a huge set of risks and threats, but also some opportunities. One opportunity is to change the course of farming policy and practice. For 40 years the UK was subject…
The Poetry Society’s platform for young poetry-lovers, Young Poets Network, and charity People Need Nature have teamed up for the second year running to challenge young writers to explore their relationship with nature. The free-to-enter challenge received over 100 impressive…
A guest blog today from Laura MacKenzie, Head of Policy (farming and land-use) at the Soil Association. Soil at heart of 25 year environment plan Last week, the Prime Minister gave her first major speech on the environment,…