Tag Archives: environment
Hedgehogs!
For twenty one years we have not used any chemical fertiliser or pesticide, and this year we have a hedgehog! I am SO thrilled. Now our garden is virtually free of slugs – our plants this year have thrived, even the things that are usually eaten before they reach a few inches of height! The first thing …
k is for Komodo Dragon
Komodo . Komodo dragons live on a few Indonesian Islands, including the one that gives them their name. They are extremely large, aggressive lizards, growing up to 10 feet long. New research suggests that contrary to former opinion, that they grew so large because there was no competition on their isolated islands, they are actually …
Animal Magic talk
On Saturday, 8th September I was at the welcoming Downend Library, Bristol, to read poems from my book and talk about the animals to an estimated audience of about 40. In fact, there were about 50 children ranging in age from about 4 to 11 – around about 10 adults and some fabulous librarians. These …
Z is for zebra duiker
The last animal in my endangered animal A-Z is the zebra duiker. It’s a dainty, South African antelope, with 12-15 black stripes down its gold to copper-brown back. The word ‘duiker’ in Afrikaans means diver – it was named after the swift dive into undergrowth it makes when disturbed. This little ungulate has a very hard …
X is for Xerosecta giustii
Xerosecta giustii is a rather pretty little snail that lives in Italy. Like many snails, it doesn’t have a common name. People just don’t notice snails usually, unless they are eating their gardens, in which case they kill them. But snails, just like many other animals, are suffering in a more widespread way from human …
T is for Tiger
There is definitely something special about the tiger – despite the obvious power and weight visible beneath its stunning coat it has wonderful lightness and grace of movement. It is the largest of all cats, and arguably the most beautiful. It is also one of the most endangered. Again, human encroachment into and destruction of …
