Wayfarers Outdoors
'Going to the woods is going home.' (John Muir)
Learning and living in nature
Hornets
Why we shouldn't fear the European Hornet but be alert to the Asian Hornet
A week or so ago I was woken at first light by what sounded like a drone crashing about in the bathroom. It was a European hornet, Vespa crabo, the gentle giant of the wasp family. Using a glass and a piece of paper I caught it and released it through the window.
Since then I've been asked many times about similar instances or . . .
Why Buddleia are Bad News
I suspect many of you have been raised with Buddleia (Buddleia davidii, Buddleia sp) being described as the Butterfly bush. Most of us will have seen Buddleia bushes covered with all sorts of butterflies and moths. 'Ah lovely! That's so beautiful!' Only it's not. Buddleia nectar is akin to giving butterflies, and other . . .
The Wild Bread Blog
Thoughts on what can be used when we're short of flour.
Read on for a mixture of anthropology, archaeology, a smattering of current affairs and a perhaps a little bit of prepping. The thread running through all these is our daily bread.
The news from Ukraine got me thinking about what would happen if we had a flour shortage. Some eighty-five percent of the flour used in Britain is grown . . .
The Wild Bread Blog
Thoughts on what can be used when we're short of flour.
Read on for a mixture of anthropology, archaeology, a smattering of current affairs and a perhaps a little bit of prepping. The thread running through all these is our daily bread.
The news from the early stages of the war in Ukraine got me thinking about what would happen if we had a flour shortage. Some eighty-five percent of the . . .
Pleasures from Pines
Pine needle gifts
Pine tree gifts
It's February and a bit bleak. There are some greens to be found: the start of garlic mustard, cleavers, some nettles and the omnipresent bittercress. The true bounty of spring is yet to happen though so I thought that maybe a sweet, vitamin C rich treat from an evergreen tree might be welcome.
Pines in . . .
Glittering Glow Worms
In the faded tall grasses of field corners, cricket pitch margins and churchyards a tiny wonder lies. Late in the evening, after the sun has waved a rosy farewell to the day, sometimes you may be lucky enough to see twinkling yellow-green lights amongst the grasses.
Lampyris noctiluca, glow worms are not a particularly common . . .
Treasures of the Night
Some simple stargazing ideas
Sometime back I promised I’d write a blog about stargazing. Clear, frosty nights with the prospect of a deep velvet, star studded sky are magical for studying the heavens. This brief introduction describes the Northern hemisphere night sky.
When is Best for Stargazing?
If possible, choose a moonless night; wrap up warmly, take a . . .
Cover image credit: http://image: Wayfarers Outdoors
