Latest news with #naturalist
The Guardian
6 days ago
- General
- The Guardian
Country diary: A springtime with an ending
I was in Cumbria this week to bid farewell to a beloved friend, the uniquely talented naturalist, conservationist, educator and campaigner Jamie Normington. We met when we were crowdfunding campaigns to supply copies of The Lost Words, the celebration of nature's disappearing lexicon, to schools in our respective counties. Jamie would never describe himself as a writer, but he had a unique talent with words: his old Twitter account was one of the literal handful I ever set notifications for. He embraced it as his genre, managing to be idiosyncratic, insightful, sometimes profound and often spit-your-tea funny. Those same qualities made him a superb teacher, mentor, interviewer and compere, most particularly for Cumbria Wildlife Trust and Kendal Mountain Festival, both of which will be immeasurably depleted by his loss. Jamie's last words to me were via WhatsApp. A three-word message: 'Jinny Greenteeth vibes', comparing me to a female water demon of northern English folklore. Historically, Jinny (or Jenny) was depicted as a murderously rapacious hag who lured innocent young men to a watery demise. In an attempt to redress the routine demonisation of feminine spirits, I've been seeking to rehabilitate her as a fearsome but not necessarily malign guardian of our abused rivers. We commissioned a badass verdigris mask, which was first worn by my friend Helen Mahoney, a local arts promoter – who, as brutal coincidence would have it, was taken by the same hateful disease as Jamie last year. Two days before Jamie's funeral – a beautiful woodland burial – I swam in my home river, the Yorkshire Derwent. The surface was twitching with thousands of dying mayflies trapped in a floating fog of fluffy willow seeds. Lives ending, lives beginning. I climbed out with them clinging to my skin and snagged in my hair. Jinny Greenteeth vibes indeed. I laughed, then cried, because this spring has provided such a potent counterpoint to personal and global turmoil. It's been a hell of a show: epic blossom, intense birdsong, more swarming insects than I've seen for years, and now this mass emergence of mayflies, icons of carpe diem, a spirit that Jamie personified. A message from the river and those who've crossed too soon. It's over so fast. Make sure you live it. Under the Changing Skies: The Best of the Guardian's Country Diary, 2018-2024 is published by Guardian Faber; order at and get a 15% discount
Times
21-05-2025
- General
- Times
Showing poor kids green spaces helps them and the planet
The natural world is in crisis. Very few naturalists will disagree. But what can we do about this to save the spaces, places, creatures and climates we hold dear for our children and grandchildren? In a world dominated by screens, the natural world has become something distant, something our kids might see in documentaries but rarely touch. As a naturalist, father and someone who has spent a lifetime exploring the wonders of the wild, I think it's time we turned this around. Our children need to spend more time experiencing nature, not just for their health but for the health of the planet. I have seen at first hand the remarkable benefits that a closer connection to nature and the outdoors can provide. The natural
CBC
10-05-2025
- Lifestyle
- CBC
P.E.I.'s spring vegetation presents opportunity for foragers, says biologist
'A few basics is all you really need to know' Springtime is a great time of year to forage for local plants and vegetation, says Kate MacQuarrie, a naturalist and biologist on Prince Edward Island. "Everything is starting to emerge, and all that fresh growth is so delicious and nutritious," said MacQuarrie. "There are some things that we can only find this time of year, and so much is coming on tap that all my spare time is spent eating wild." Foraging has grown in popularity in recent years, MacQuarrie said, noting that interest has been especially high since the COVID-19 pandemic. Political uncertainty and movements that support eating local ingredients have also gotten more people interested in foraging, she said. MacQuarrie said that about 1,000 people participated in her workshops and field courses last year, which provide education about foraging. Media Audio | Island Morning : Foraging grows in popularity amid high grocery prices Caption: Islanders who may be feeling the pinch of grocery prices might want to give foraging a try, according to Kate MacQuarrie, a naturalist and biologist on P.E.I. We speak with her about getting out your foraging gear this season. Open Full Embed in New Tab Loading external pages may require significantly more data usage than loading CBC Lite story pages. Foraging 101 Foraging doesn't have to be complex, MacQuarrie said. "A few basics is all you really need to know," she said. MacQuarrie said, noting that it can be as simple as picking up a tasty-looking plant while out on a walk. Always, always verify with a human before you consume something — Kate MacQuarrie Foraging doesn't require much investment, but there is one essential component, MacQuarrie said. "Knowledge is the only thing that you need to take with you," she said. While there are apps that help identify plant species, MacQuarrie said it's not a good idea to rely on them. "The best apps for plants have been shown to be about 85 per cent accurate," she said. Plants to look for on P.E.I. There are a variety of plants on P.E.I. that are good for foraging. Some of the highlights in season now include fiddleheads, cattail shoots and watercress, MacQuarrie said. "One of the things I've been using a lot lately is alder pepper," she said. "Alders grow all over P.E.I. and those male catkins that appear in spring — you take them, you dry them, they've got an incredibly complex piney, citrusy, peppery, spicy scent and flavour. It's just amazing." MacQuarrie said one of her favourite things to forage for are service berries, which are also known as Saskatoon berries — though they won't be in season until later this summer. While it's true that P.E.I. plants can be delicious, MacQuarrie said it's important to keep the environment in mind and not over-harvest an area for a particular kind of vegetation. "I recommend not taking more than one in 10 of whatever you find. Leave lots for reproduction of the organism and for other foragers that may come after you," she said. "Sustainability is really part of the core of foraging."
BreakingNews.ie
08-05-2025
- Entertainment
- BreakingNews.ie
David Attenborough's ‘global legacy' celebrated as broadcaster turns 99
Sir David Attenborough has got to have 'one of the greatest legacies of any human being ever', a BBC executive has said. The naturalist, who has been on our TV screens for more than seven decades presenting programmes such as Planet Earth and Blue Planet, is celebrating his 99th birthday. Advertisement Mike Gunton, creative director at BBC Studios Natural History Unit, told the PA news agency: 'Each generation has its own kind of personal legacy from him, and I think that's remarkable. King Charles meets David Attenborough as he attends the premiere of 'Ocean with David Attenborough', at the Southbank Centre, Royal Festival Hall in London on May 6th (Alistair Grant/PA) 'But also, there's a broader, I suppose, global legacy, which I think is that he has shown us wonders, he's helped us understand wonders, and he's encouraged us to protect these wonders. 'If you could do that in a lifetime, and speak to hundreds upon hundreds of millions of people and inspire them to do all that, that's got to be one of the greatest legacies of any human being ever. 'And I think he's aware of that, and the responsibility of that, and he often talks about the privilege of being able to do that, and it's a privilege for those of us who have worked with him to have.' Advertisement Mr Gunton began working with the broadcaster aged 29, said it has been 'a life defining experience' for him. He told PA: 'Every programme I have made with him has been a remarkable experience which the audience have always found completely memorable and worthwhile and that's a joy for anybody, to make things that are remembered, you know, they're historic, they're part of human history.' Sir David Attenborough in the press room with the Impact award at the National Television Awards 2018 (Ian West/PA) Attenborough was born David Frederick Attenborough on May 8th, 1926, in London, son of an academic and principal of Leicester University College. Before joining the BBC in 1952 he studied geology at the University of Cambridge and served two years in the Royal Navy. Advertisement He made his reputation with the groundbreaking Zoo Quest series, which he hosted for 10 years on the BBC. In 1965 he became controller of BBC2, overseeing the advent of colour TV, and he later became BBC director of programming. Ultimately, however, life as a broadcast executive did not appeal and he returned with relief to his early passions, programme-making and filming the wildlife which fascinated him so much. Prince Charles with his sister Princess Anne meet David Attenborough and Cocky, the cockatoo brought back from his last Zoo Quest expedition, at the BBC Television Studios (PA) His famous whispering voice captured the imaginations of the nation in 1979 when he was seen mingling and bonding with a family of gorillas in Life On Earth and its sequel The Living Planet in 1984. Advertisement The following year, he was knighted by the late Queen Elizabeth II before being awarded a Knight Grand Cross honour years later in 2022. The TV presenter has two children, Susan and Robert, with his late wife Jane whom he married in 1950. In recent years Attenborough, who resides in Richmond, has presented shows including Dynasties, Prehistoric Planet and Planet Earth III. In celebration of his 99th birthday a new documentary about the health of the ocean will air in cinemas from Thursday. Advertisement It comes after King Charles and Attenborough attended the premiere of Ocean With David Attenborough on Tuesday. Also to mark his birthday, and the publication of his new book, Ocean: Earth's Last Wilderness, John Murray Press are giving at least 1,000 copies to schools and libraries across the UK.
The Independent
08-05-2025
- Entertainment
- The Independent
Sir David Attenborough's ‘global legacy' celebrated as broadcaster turns 99
Sir David Attenborough has got to have 'one of the greatest legacies of any human being ever', a BBC executive has said. The naturalist, who has been on our TV screens for more than seven decades presenting programmes such as Planet Earth and Blue Planet, is celebrating his 99th birthday. Mike Gunton, creative director at BBC Studios Natural History Unit, told the PA news agency: 'Each generation has its own kind of personal legacy from him, and I think that's remarkable. 'But also, there's a broader, I suppose, global legacy, which I think is that he has shown us wonders, he's helped us understand wonders, and he's encouraged us to protect these wonders. 'If you could do that in a lifetime, and speak to hundreds upon hundreds of millions of people and inspire them to do all that, that's got to be one of the greatest legacies of any human being ever. 'And I think he's aware of that, and the responsibility of that, and he often talks about the privilege of being able to do that, and it's a privilege for those of us who have worked with him to have.' Mr Gunton began working with the broadcaster aged 29, said it has been 'a life defining experience' for him. He told PA: 'Every programme I have made with him has been a remarkable experience which the audience have always found completely memorable and worthwhile and that's a joy for anybody, to make things that are remembered, you know, they're historic, they're part of human history.' Sir David was born David Frederick Attenborough on May 8 1926, in London, son of an academic and principal of Leicester University College. Before joining the BBC in 1952 he studied geology at the University of Cambridge and served two years in the Royal Navy. He made his reputation with the groundbreaking Zoo Quest series, which he hosted for 10 years on the BBC. In 1965 he became controller of BBC2, overseeing the advent of colour TV, and he later became BBC director of programming. Ultimately, however, life as a broadcast executive did not appeal and he returned with relief to his early passions, programme-making and filming the wildlife which fascinated him so much. His famous whispering voice captured the imaginations of the nation in 1979 when he was seen mingling and bonding with a family of gorillas in Life On Earth and its sequel The Living Planet in 1984. The following year, he was knighted by the late Queen Elizabeth II before being awarded a Knight Grand Cross honour years later in 2022. The TV presenter has two children, Susan and Robert, with his late wife Jane whom he married in 1950. In recent years Sir David, who resides in Richmond, has presented shows including Dynasties, Prehistoric Planet and Planet Earth III. In celebration of his 99th birthday a new documentary about the health of the ocean will air in cinemas from Thursday. It comes after the King and Sir David attended the premiere of Ocean With David Attenborough on Tuesday. Also to mark his birthday, and the publication of his new book, Ocean: Earth's Last Wilderness, John Murray Press are giving at least 1,000 copies to schools and libraries across the UK.
