Posts tagged 'Forests'

Another bimble – Beacon Hill

Posted by on February 26th 2011 in Great Escapes

 Last week was half-term here. The kids were reluctant to go out, but we persisted in our efforts to drag them with us.

Beacon Hill Country Park was the venue for Thursday's walk. It's an interesting place - at 245m (802 feet) Beacon Hill is the second highest point in Leicestershire and the site of a Bronze Age hill fort. The walk up from the Lower Car Park is through pleasant wooded areas with good access, and there are many opportunities for geologising. Add in a few wonky trees, some interesting fungi and some weird moss, and it's a good day out.

As you will see from some of the pics, the kids didn't enjoy it at all...

Cones

Catkins

Through the woods

Searching for sticks

Bracket fungi

Mushrooms?

The Den

Bracket #1

Bracket #2

The Old Man

Rocks near the summit

The Old Man again

Layers

Rockhoppers

Chris at the trig point

More layers

Chris on the rocks

Anna and the little people

 

Dip and strike

Panorama - full view

 

Panorama in a scrolly-thing

Anna #1

Anna #2

Ella

Anna #3

3 of a kind

One up, two down

Bedding planes #1

Bedding planes #2

Toposcopy

The Great Unwashed... washed!

Stone Angels

On edge #1

On edge #2

Bedrock

A herd of moss

Wonky trees #1

Wonky trees #2

Wonky trees #3

Holey tree

Fungi?

Another bracket

 

Not a bad day out, I reckon we'll be going there again.

Common sense prevails

Posted by on February 17th 2011 in Campaigns and Petitions, In the News
Tags: ,

This is brilliant news: Victory! Government to scrap plans to sell our forests.

Thanks to all of you that supported the protests and the petitions.

Well done!

A bimble around Braddie Park

Posted by on February 15th 2011 in Celebrations, Great Escapes

Chris took yesterday off work so we went out for a Valentine's Day walk at Bradgate Park. Despite the cool breeze and the cloudy weather it was good to get a few hours out together without the kids.

Old John and the War Memorial

Old John and the War Memorial again

Holed tree

Stags

Stream

The Bennion Memorial Plaque

Chris heading back towards the car

Gnarled

Deer

The War Memorial

Being watched

Old John

Remember why they stand

Posted by on February 15th 2011 in Campaigns and Petitions, In the News
Tags: ,

 "Through God's good grace, through strength of English Oak
We have preserved our faith, our throne, our land.
Now with our freedom saved from tyrant's yoke
We plant these trees. Remember why they stand."

Plaque at Bradgate Park

Some of these trees have stood since 1946, accessible to the public and surviving many storms and governments.
It's just plain wrong for the current government to even consider selling off land bearing treasures like these.
The petition to stop the immoral sale needs more support - please encourage everyone you know to sign up to the cause.
Click Here.

Half A Million!

Posted by on February 11th 2011 in Campaigns and Petitions, In the News
Tags: ,

That's a fair wedge of folk that want the Government to leave our forests alone.

If you've not signed up yet, click the pic above and get on with it - it's a doddle!

Irony

Posted by on February 3rd 2011 in Campaigns and Petitions, In the News
Tags: ,

Yep, believe it or not 2011 is the UN's International Year of Forests. Not that anybody's told Caroline Spelman and her bosses.

 

 

Have just a scan-read of the IYOF website and you'll find that "The United Nations General Assembly declared 2011 as the International Year of Forests to raise awareness on sustainable management, conservation and sustainable development of all types of forests". Their tagline is "Celebrating Forests for People".

Delve a little deeper and you'll find the 2010 Report of the Secretary-General on Preparations for Forests 2011, a Report of the Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon. It's a long document that I don't expect you'll go out of your way to read, so I've pulled a few choice tit-bits for you:

"The International Year of Forests, 2011 offers a unique opportunity to raise public awareness of the challenges facing many of the world’s forests and the people who depend on them. Great success stories and valuable lessons on how to promote sustainable forest management already exist. The Year provides a means of bringing those voices together and building momentum towards greater public participation in forest activities around the world."

"Forest spokespersons or messengers: The secretariat of the United Nations Forum on Forests is currently identifying individuals who can use their leadership or celebrity status to generate media attention and help to raise awareness and support for forests. These ambassadors-at-large are being sought from around the world and would be invited to travel to public events to promote the International Year of Forests, 2011 and mobilize action for forests."

There are some recommendations:

"Further encourage Member States to promote awareness of challenges and success stories related to implementing sustainable forest management at the national level."

"Promote observance of the Year not as an isolated event but as part of a continuing process of advocacy and partnership to foster greater awareness and action towards sustainable forest management at all levels."

There are even some dates for your diary:

The European Union Forest Directors-General meeting is expected to be held in Poland in November 2011

The European State Forest Association (EUSTAFOR) plans to organize its twelfth meeting in 2011

The Sixth Ministerial Conference on the Protection of Forests in Europe will be convened in Oslo from 14 to 16 June 2011. High on the agenda will be the elaboration of a strengthened policy framework for sustainable forest management throughout Europe.

 

All this does make me think that our Government is lost in the woods. Seeing how it's stance is so at odds with the IYOF credo, I'm beginning to think that even our membership of the UN might be considered superfluous by our leaders.

There's still time to take action to stop the madness here - sign the petition and badger your MP.