“So have you kayaked before?” my instructor asks as he hands me a lifejacket. Well yes, once, on a gently flowing river in Norfolk so shallow I kept beaching the kayak. But never on anything quite this wide, this deep and this cold.
Tag Archive | "nature watching"
Winter paddle down river
Posted on 03 January 2013.
Posted in Fresh Air London, Kayaking, Latest features, River & seaComments (0)
Green Traveller: Birdwatching in the Suffolk Coast & Heaths AONB
Posted on 06 September 2012.
In this next post from my recent trip to Suffolk Coast and Heaths AONB, I visit RSPB Minsmere to discover the delights of bird watching and highlight some of the best places for wildlife spotting in the area.
Posted in Eco, Editor's blog, Latest features, Learn about natureComments (2)
Wake up to the dawn chorus
Posted on 09 April 2012.
Spring is the season of the dawn chorus, an incredible crescendo of birdsong that’s well worth getting up for.
Posted in Eco, Latest features, Learn about natureComments (0)
Getting Scilly with seals
Posted on 29 March 2012.
Find out what it’s like to get up close and personal with these graceful swimmers who live around our coastline.
Posted in Diving, Latest features, River & sea, Wild swimmingComments (0)
Looking for signs of spring
Posted on 20 February 2012.
So what’s your sign? No I’m not talking zodiac or Chinese, I mean signs of spring. Everyone seems to have their own benchmark for when the natural world officially wakes up from its winter nap. For some it’s the sound of the cuckoo, for others it’s primroses flowering, but by February I’ve always had enough of the winter gloom and start desperately hunting for for clues
Posted in Eco, Editor's blog, Learn about natureComments (0)
New Year project: Make your garden more wildlife friendly
Posted on 03 January 2012.
Looking out of my kitchen window over Christmas, the back garden was looking a bit forlorn and devoid of life, without a green shoot or buzzing bee in sight. However, a stocking filler booklet from the RSPB about making your garden more bird and wildlife friendly (thanks mum) assured me that there are is still plenty of life out there, but it’s tough going at the moment for them.
Posted in Eco, Editor's blog, Get your hands dirty, Latest features, Learn about natureComments (0)
Let the kids go free range
Posted on 08 August 2011.
Now that the summer holidays have kicked in, it’s hard work keeping the kids occupied without resorting to the TV or computer games. However help is at hand from Jo Schofield and Fiona Danks, authors of Make it Wild, who have plenty of suggestions for keeping your family entertained in the great outdoors.
Posted in Eco, Get your hands dirtyComments (0)
What do you think about the big forest sell off?
Posted on 28 January 2011.
The people of Britain are not happy. According to a YouGov poll, three quarters of us are opposed to the government’s plans to sell off England’s forests, and believe they should remain publically owned to protect them for future generations.
Posted in Eco, Learn about natureComments (0)
Spot starling roosts
Posted on 17 November 2010.
Look skywards for one of autumn’s most spectacular displays
Posted in Eco, Learn about natureComments (0)
Bake some bird cake
Posted on 05 October 2010.
The birds in your garden might struggle a bit over the winter as their usual food supplies start to dwindle, so why not give them a helping hand with this tasty (for them!) bird cake recipe.
Posted in Eco, Get your hands dirty, Learn about natureComments (0)
Talk to the trees man
Posted on 23 September 2010.
No we haven’t become tree hugging hippies, the National Trust have actually created a new ‘talking trees’ trail in Cornwall.
Posted in Eco, Events, Learn about natureComments (0)
152 ways to reconnect with nature
Posted on 30 August 2010.
When did you last climb a tree? Spot a bird of prey? Collect shells on the beach? This latest guide from the Wildllife Trust, 152 Wild things to do is packed with ideas to help you enjoy the outdoors whether it’s at home, in you local area or at one of their own nature reserves.
From planting wildlife-friendly plants to taking a nature trail through ancient forests, from saving an endangered species in your garden to spotting whales and dolphins, this guide is accessible and practical, so anyone can have a go at the activities on offer.
We’ve picked some of our favourites from their autumn selection, and will be bringing you some inspiration over the coming weeks. First off… Explore a wild orchard
“Autumn is a great time to visit an orchard. In preparation for the cold months ahead, bats and birds feast on fallen fruit and insects attracted to the fruit. Fungi, like wax caps, giant puffballs, field mushrooms and bracket fungus, emerge on the orchard floor or tree trunks. A seasonal favourite, mistletoe is our only native white-berried plant. It’s spread by the mistle thrush, and is semi-parasitic, often found on apple trees. It’s great source of food for birds during winter.”
Where to find some wild orchards:
Clattinger Farm, Wiltshire
Broad Oak Dorset
The Knapp and Papermill, Worcestershire
Martin’s Meadows, Suffolk
Tewin Orchard, Hertfordhsire
www.wildlifetrusts.org
photo credit: sumitrarose
Posted in Eco, Get your hands dirty, Learn about natureComments (0)
When will autumn arrive this year?
Posted on 24 August 2010.
According to the Woodland Trust, It seems this year’s late spring is having a knock on effect in delaying signs of autumn.
Posted in Eco, Learn about natureComments (0)
Coasteering
Posted on 27 May 2010.
Welcome back to the second in our series of ‘Have a go’ Guides. In case you haven’t seen them before, these guides are all about discovering the many fantastic, different ways to enjoy the Great British outdoors.
If you’ve always wanted to ‘have a go’ at a particular activity, or just want try something a bit different, these guides should give you some ideas, help decide if it’s for you and if so, how to get started.
So, for the next in our series, we speak to Libby Chivers from Preseli Venture in Pembrokeshire, to get the lowdown on… coasteering.
Posted in Activity guides, CoasteeringComments (1)
About Juliette
Thanks for visiting Fresh Air Fix. I no longer blog here, but feel free to look around and read the guides and posts to get some outdoor inspiration. You can still find me on Twitter, Instagram and Pinterest. See you there!
