Hope and happy times
“We see a lot of negative stories in the press about the state of our countryside, our wildlife and our rivers. And with good cause; there is a lot to deal with and, as a country, we’re not tackling the challenges fast enough. However, there are many organisations and individuals doing brilliant work and we need to support and applaud their efforts.
Talking of rivers, what about the story of Goldrill Beck, an award-winning restoration of a Lake District river by re-wiggling it with a digger? Until recently, it was a lifeless channel; now it is a meandering brook weaving wonderful life back into its waters and surrounding valley.
Elsewhere, John Craven reports on two rewilding projects where large herbivorous mammals are helping revive tired fields and woods into more complex ecosystems for a much wider range of plants and animals to thrive in.
Then there are the individuals taking action. Recently, I was lucky enough to interview scientist and Springwatch presenter Megan McCubbin for the magazine and our Plodcast. What struck me was how energised she was – and I liked how she emphasised that we can use our anger and distress at the state of things to drive us to seek change for the better. Learn more about Megan and her new book. As for the rest of the magazine? Well, it’s full of the countryside you love…
Don’t miss our nature and countryside Plodcast – available on all podcast providers
THIS MONTH’S CONTRIBUTORS
John Craven, ‘Natural agents of rewilding’
“Bison and pigs are ‘ecosystem engineers’… they create the conditions for other wildlife to thrive.”
Tanya Jackson, ‘Reviving a river’
“Just a year after its completion, the river is home to frogspawn and a thriving community of invertebrates.”
Megan McCubbin, ‘Finding hope in nature’
“Writing a book about endangered species is tough… but my job is to try to get these stories out there.”
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