We are delighted to announce the winners of the Young Poets Network/ People Need Nature “Ways to be Wilder” poetry competition for young people. Over 200 young people from across the world entered the competition, which is far more than the hosts of the challenge YPN usually receive. So the challenge really inspired everyone to […]
Author Archive | milesking
Re-imagining Lost Landscapes: PNN Trustee Keith Datchler reflects on Lodge Hill
By milesking on June 30, 2016 in inspired by nature, Lodge Hill, Public Land, re-imagining lost landscapes, Uncategorized
Continuing our series of posts after our expedition to Lodge Hill in Kent, This piece comes from People Need Nature trustee Keith Datchler. Photo: Matt Shaw After our day at Lodge Hill, I surprised myself at how much I brooded over the day when I got home, to the extent of waking in the night […]
Re-imagining Lost Landscapes: Paul Evans on Lodge Hill.
This is the first in a series of reflections on our expedition to Lodge Hill, from poet, writer and broadcaster Paul Evans. Cocksfoot Photograph by Maria Nunzia @Varvera Between downpours the security guard goes behind the building for a cigarette. Beside him is a fire-bucket of sand in which a thousand stub ends […]
Re-imagining Lost Landscapes: Lodge Hill visit 16/17 June
People Need Nature promotes the value of nature as a source of inspiration for creativity. We are also concerned about the value of nature on public land. When land moves out of public ownership nature can be threatened. This is the case with the plans to develop housing on a large number of former military […]
Retailer apologises for letting wildflowers grow.
This photo was recently sent to us by Lizzie Wilberforce, Wildlife Trusts South and West Wales Conservation Manager. The sign says “while we undertake a survey, we are unable to cut the grass in this area. We apologise for the look of the border while this is under way.” The border is actually a verge […]
What makes gardening healthy?
Is gardening good for your health? A new report “Gardens and Health” from health watchdog the King’s Fund, commissioned by the National Gardens Scheme, thinks that they are. The report explores what we know about the health benefits of gardens and gardening, before making some recommendations to improve the way gardens can help keep people […]
Earth Day
I see it’s Earth Day – and it’s trending on twitter. Should we celebrate Earth day, commemorate it, note it, or ignore it? What does it mean? Is it an opportunity to sell product, or ideas. Should we take an Earth day selfie and post it on Facebook? When I was growing up […]
Guest Blog: the getting of natural history by Mark Fisher
It’s a pleasure to have our first guest blog written by Dr. Mark Fisher, Honorary Research Fellow at the Wildland Research Institute, University of Leeds. Mark writes a fascinating blog at www.self-willed-land.org.uk. The post arises from a discussion between Miles and Mark, over a number of months and emails. The Getting of Natural History Though […]
John Cleal’s Door
This door of an old chapel was made by the artist and poet John Cleal and represents his own family. He took up residence in Lower Fishguard in the 1960’s and ran a workshop and gallery and raised his children here. Cleal wrote this poem, which embodies something very important to People Need Nature: “We […]
Happy Equinox
Today is the Spring Equinox, the day when there are as many light hours as there are dark ones. While our lives are generally governed by our digital clocks (or analogue ones), it’s easy to forget how important these moments are. But our brains still respond to changes in the amount of light and, as […]