I took a stroll along our lane this afternoon. The gloomy morning sloped off after lunch to be replaced by a raw heat that churned the sky milk-blue and rinsed vibrancy from the vegetation.  Beyond a row of silent ash trees, the lane rolled steeply downhill, whereby the dry stone walls were exchanged for open … Continue reading Awash with butterflies

Although I limit my paper usage to the bare essentials, I have the potential to be a bit of a stationery geek. I just love the feeling of opening a new notepad; the sense of anticipation as the pen hovers over the unblemished page, and the self-imposed pressure that what I am about to write … Continue reading Nature Diary

Having run a number of ecology training workshops over the years, it is really exciting to launch an online series of presentations. The first few represent the areas I have been asked to provide advice and training on in recent years. My first presentation relates to report writing. The ability to produce a report that … Continue reading Online Ecology Presentations

The Arts and Humanities Research Council and the LandLines research team, supported by the National Trust, Natural England and the Field Studies Council, invited nature lovers to create a crowd-sourced spring nature diary. Each entry could be no more than 150 words; here's a copy of mine... It’s not to daylight that I look for … Continue reading Spring diary

"Afternoon was beginning to slide into dusk when Ember and Barley made their way back to the barn. The field felt quieter compared to their earlier visit, when it was alive with the buzz of insects. A blackbird sang a sweet solo from a nearby tree – a love song to the setting sun; its … Continue reading Book update

On a brazen autumn day, I stepped off the train at Richmond Station accompanied by three friends. Leaving the warm carriage behind us, we pulled on thick gloves and zipped up winter coats, to halt the chill breeze. We were buoyed up with anticipation. After a short bus journey and a stroll through leafy suburbs, … Continue reading Connecting people with nature – roots

Until relatively recently, the guidance was sparse in relation to ecology report writing. The Chartered Institute of Ecology and Environmental Management have worked hard over the last few years to provide guidance documents to cover the technical reports that commonly accompany planning applications. In addition, a British Standard Institution publication (BS 42020:2013 Biodiversity. Code of … Continue reading How to improve your ecology report writing