Making Connections Between People and Nature
Ten years ago this week I rocked up at Newhaven Wildlife Sanctuary in the Northern Territory, Australia. I was to be there, remote in the wilderness, for over 100 days in total. I had quit a full-time job managing the wooded landscape in the Ironbridge Gorge World Heritage Site that I worked really hard to …
Volunteering is good for the soul. There are many benefits to be gained from volunteering your time, energy, and knowledge. I've volunteered extensively over the last 15 years with the vast majority of my time being given to nature conservation organisations.
Pheasant. Hedgehog. Deer. Mallard. Pheasant. Hedgehog. Badger. Hedgehog. Hedgehog. Do you know where I saw the aforementioned animals? No, not in a woodland. They were all seen on the road. They were all dead.
Not too far from where I live is a National Nature Reserve. On first impressions this open flat land comprising heath, pools, and young woodland can appear relatively lifeless. However, a closer look tells a different story.
Valentine's Day stands out in my mind as a special day in 2018. It was the day that I was greeted by song as I left the house.
I was feeling indifferent about heading outside even though I knew that I needed it.
"Glow worms? In Telford? Seriously?" is along the lines of what I was thinking in late September, 2005, having just started a university placement at Severn Gorge Countryside Trust.
