Allotment in August with squash ©Sally Morgan We all know that fruit and veg in the diet is good for our health but its worrying to learn that the fruits and vegetables that we eat today may not deliver as many micronutrients as they once did. Research has shown that the nutrient content of vegetables […]
Archive | Guest blog
Guest Blog: Ana Jenkin on the importance of poetry and protest
Having just published her e-book of poems, ‘A Natural Selection: 40 illustrated nature poems for a world in transition’, Ana Jenkin discusses protest poetry and how it can be used to help Nature and our immediate environment. writer and illustrator Ana Jenkin Poetry and Protest ‘Fine, forget Instagram, Twitter and branding. At least have a […]
Looking after farmers as well as the land : Guest blog by Heidi Saxby
By milesking on August 8, 2018 in Agriculture, Guest blog, mental health benefits of nature, Public policy
I recently read a fascinating paper exploring how farmers gain personal benefits to their wellbeing, from taking part in projects which help wildlife on farms – in this case a project to help conserve rare cornfield wildflowers in North Yorkshire. I contacted the author Heidi Saxby, and this is a blog she has written on […]
Loss of Sheffield trees is more than just a bit of greenery gone: guest blog by Jane Wilkinson
By milesking on March 13, 2018 in birdsong, Guest blog, Jane Wilkinson, mental health benefits of nature, Public policy, Trees
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 trees; as well as the tactics of the contractors, security staff and, lately, the police […]
Guest Blog: Minds Need Natural Restoration by Jane Wilkinson
By milesking on February 21, 2018 in Guest blog, mental health benefits of nature, nature and reflection
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, snows, and the wind blows. And yet, wrapped up well, I am transported to a […]
Guest Blog: Soil Association response to 25 Year Environment Plan
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, marking the publication of the long-awaited 25 Year Environment Plan. Soil Association chief executive Helen […]
Guest Blog: Why Taxpayers need a “housemate agreement with Farmers. By Vicki Hird.
The dreaded ‘red tape’ and interference in farm decisions under the European Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) is why many UK farmers voted ‘leave’. But I aim to justify the uncomfortable but necessary complexity we will need to cope with after Brexit when we have a new contract or agreement between farmers and the taxpayer. […]
30 Days Wild – Get Involved!!!
We’re reposting this from Dara McAnulty’s blog (with permission). Dara is a 13 year old aspiring naturalist scientist and conservationist. Date: May 21, 2017Author: Young Fermanagh Naturalist 9 Comments When we moved to Fermanagh in 2013, the whole idea was to experience more freedom and fresh air – to slow down and feel more ‘wild’. […]
Guest blog by George Wheelhouse – Inspired by Nature
My name is George Wheelhouse, and I’m a fine art nature photographer, from Bedfordshire, UK. I recently discovered People Need Nature, and it really resonated with me. During my mid-twenties I’d been working as a software developer for a couple of years, but it’s fair to say I wasn’t very happy with my work/life […]
Guest Blog: Mindful Birdwatching by Joe Harkness @birdtherapy
Mindful Birdwatching I asked on the Bird Therapy Twitter page what people thought connecting to nature really meant. The general consensus was that there are many ways to approach the statement, from ecological approaches to artistic approaches. A notion that was repeated a few times was to feel ‘part’ of nature as I have […]