Nature
Is ‘wind drought’ the latest climate catastrophe?
In an enjoyable guide to wind-related topics, Simon Winchester reports that terrestrial wind speeds are mysteriously declining and we are now in the grip of ‘the Great Stilling’
After half a billion years, are sharks heading for extinction?
Studies suggest that a third of coral reef sharks and more than half of pelagic sharks may be wiped out as a result of overfishing, habitat loss and pollution
The many passions of Ronald Blythe
Some he kept hidden, such as his affairs with soldiers in the second world war, but his love of nature, literature, naked sunbathing and moonlit bicycling are all well-attested
Is it up to pop stars to save the planet now?
‘Walking by the banks of the Chao Praya on a breezy evening after a day of intense heat,’ writes Sunil…
Observing nature observed: the art of Caspar David Friedrich
Friedrich’s scenes may appear to depict nature unbound, but they are also famous for their Rückenfiguren in the foreground, the men and women with their backs to us, facing what we also see
Notes on the natural world: an exquisite collection from Kathleen Jamie
In short essays and poems, the Scottish makar explores our connections with nature, always mindful of the insignificance of human time compared to the deep time of stones
Why are killer whales attacking boats?
Orcas – killer whales no less – are on the attack. They have declared war on humanity. They are systematically…
Barometer
Out to grass If Liz Truss is forced out of office (and doesn’t also resign her parliamentary seat as Tony…
A sentimental journey
Publishers lately seem to have got the idea that otherwise uncommercial subjects might be rendered sexy if presented with a…
Common ground
Farmers and rewilders must discover their shared purpose
Gull power
These ‘endangered’ birds are taking over
The problem with rewilding
The government has gone wild. Under new plans, just announced by Environment Secretary George Eustice, farmers and landowners in England could…
Letters
A note about manure Sir: I am afraid Matt Ridley shows a lack of understanding about agriculture in general and…
Losing the plot
Real gardens are dying out
Bitterns
Bitterns are booming, both literally and metaphorically. These handsome brown birds from the heron family make a noise quite unlike…
Nature calls
‘Georgics’ are an ancient form of poetry about agriculture and the land. The term derives from Greek gê ‘land’ +…
Adders
In early April, when the chiffchaff sings its drab little song in the leafless hawthorns, something is stirring in the…
High life
Gstaad I have never experienced such a long, continuous blizzard, and I’ve been coming here for 63 years. The ski…
Natural successor
When it comes to natural history, Sir David Attenborough rules the airwaves. Pliny the Elder (d. ad 79) who, as…
Brain food
The questionable ethics of eating octopus
Natural order
The ancients knew nothing about global warming, but they still reflected on the relationship between man and nature. In the…
The best wine since incarceration
The woodpecker jinked across the lawn like an especially cunning partridge. Its goal was a skilfully constructed bird table with…
Ashes to ashes
Can Britain’s trees be saved?
The joy of the drive-by birthday party
It is a relief to parents that young children are allowed out a bit now as the length of the…
