The Frightened Face of Nature

  • The Hedgehog Dilemma: A Spiky Issue to Grasp. Here’s the point…

    The Hedgehog Dilemma: A Spiky Issue to Grasp. Here’s the point…

    FFON Eco Scribe Can we agree a hedgehog is more than just a charming garden visitor? I hope so. It’s a barometer of our environmental health and a silent guardian of our ecosystems. In the quiet of night, hedgehogs perform vital roles, largely unseen and often unacknowledged. They control insect populations, contributing to a balanced…

  • “Our first ever slow worm in the garden…”

    “Our first ever slow worm in the garden…”

    Dear Simon, John and Margaret We have written a very quick note below from our encounter a few days ago and also attached a couple of pictures if you would like any of them for FFON. We were lucky enough to find our first ever slow worm in the garden yesterday which was absolutely wonderful.…

  • Podcast episode 4 – ‘Don’t keep your natural history to yourself’

    Podcast episode 4 – ‘Don’t keep your natural history to yourself’

    Simon, John and Margaret’s theme for today’s podcast is “Records and Rapport”. But first, they share messages from a variety of places including India, the Caribbean, Scotland and a safari company based in East Africa. Recorded Wednesday 6th May at 19.00. Podcast edited by Edward King. Episode show notes: Since recording the podcast, The Map’s…

  • Growing close to nature during the lockdown

    Growing close to nature during the lockdown

    Written by Sean Wensley.  Northern Ireland is in an extended period of lockdown as I write, 3 weeks beyond the rest of the UK. For a further three weeks, I toggle between my work desk, garden and 8-month-old baby, buying shopping to last as long as possible and clapping for NHS staff and other key…

  • “April … hath put a spirit of youth in everything”

    “April … hath put a spirit of youth in everything”

    John and Margaret Cooper submitted the piece below, with photos, for the FFON Armchair Naturalist, from their friend Dr Jennifer Whybrow BVSc MSc MRCVS. Jennifer’s notes reflect changes during April, during the first few weeks of the Covid-19 lockdown. She enjoys her garden but, like all of us, has to strike a balance between maintaining…