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Earth Book - Wild Places Chapter

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Canada’s Cape Breton - Rugged coasts and serene countryside

By Ameen Ahmed

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Written 1st Jun 2012
forests, canada, habitat, cape breton highlands national park, acadian habitat, boreal habitat, taiga habitat, nortehhern species, souther species, hardwood forest, softwood forest

This was my first visit to the North Atlantic coast and I have some very pleasant memories associated with it. The area mentioned here, Cape Breton Highlands National Park of Canada is home to an unique blend of Acadian, Boreal and Taiga habitats, plants and animals and this mix of northern and southern species is found found only here in Canada. It is rich in wildlife and has spectacular beauty, which need to be protected for posterity.

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Greek Countryside
Conserving the “Galapagos of the South” – Macquarie Island
Mountain Top
Sheer beauty!

High Peak Surprise

By Tim Thomas

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Written 1st Jun 2012
english

Despite having travelled widely one of the most exciting wildlife experiences happened to me within walking distance of my home. It thrills me to think that something extraordinary was so close at hand, that nature is powerful the length and breadth of this beautiful planet.

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On a recent hiking and camping trip from Glenfinnan to Inverie (West Scotland), our family of 4 spent a glorious afternoon in a beautiful remote valley which seemed totally untouched by humans; there were so many flowers in the grass that we preferred scrambling along the rocks in the river-bed to avoid treading on them. The only sounds were of breeze in the leaves, little waterfalls, and bird-song. We'd seen golden eagles cruising round the crags nearby. Whether there were any very rare species in the valley I have no idea, but places like this are certainly rare, and special. Sometimes, when possible, we should just keep an area sacrosanct - no visitor facilities, no easy access, no paths, no signposts....just nature doing its own thing, and not much bothered by the few who do manage to visit.
Memories of a desert walk
The importance of nature
I have been a member of a field archery club for the last 20 years or so. The club owns an area of woodland in which is sited the archery course. I really enjoy walking around the course early on a Sunday morning especially in winter when I put out bird feeders. When there is no-one else around all that can be heard is the bird song. Birds can be seen all over the wood and I frequently see Roe Deer and Hares which lie up on the course overnight. Our wood is next to open farmland and a golf course and there is often one or both of a breeding pair of Buzzards seen hunting along this border. I am in full time employment which involves working indoors all week. Getting out early on a weekend morning to walk around the course gives me a real lift and really allows me to unwind. Easily accessed woodland in or near towns is vital for restoring ones spirits. We must not lose such places.

Did you know...

Over 45% of Africa is affected by desertification (when fertile land becomes desert) - if trends continue, two-thirds of Africa’s arable land could be lost by 2025

Did you know...

Over 45% of Africa is affected by desertification (when fertile land becomes desert) - if trends continue, two-thirds of Africa’s arable land could be lost by 2025

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Deeper connections

By Laurence

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Written 1st Jun 2012
sky, habitat, joy, clouds, landscape
Deeper connections

It's just a holiday snap. But lying in the grass looking up at the blue sky triggers memories of my childhood doing much the same thing - finding deep calm, listening to the grass as the wind gently brushes past, the sun warming my body, distant skylarks expressing the joy of life itself and clouds morphing miles above as they have done for millions of years ...

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The Highlands of North Scotland
Sheer beauty!
Mountain Top
Light on the Masai Mara
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Conservation affects everybody

By SIr David Attenborough

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Written 7th Jun 2012
wwf, conservation, nature
Conservation affects everybody

The miracle of nature is right there in front of you. A bud opening into a flower is an astonishment. And as you watch the workings of the natural world, you can’t help wondering how you fit into it.

A moment’s thought is enough to tell you that we are dependent upon the natural world for our very existence – from the air we breathe to the food we eat.

A lot of people might also say that we depend upon it for our very sanity.

But the human population is increasing at an extraordinary speed and everyone needs something to eat and somewhere to live. Inevitably those demands add to the pressures on the natural world.

So the problems of conservation become greater every day – and conservation organisations become more and more important.

Before WWF existed, conservation did not seem relevant to many sections of the world’s population. But WWF has shown that conservation issues affect everybody. And that realisation is essential for our future and for the rich diversity of life that still exists on this planet.

Sir David Attenborough

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One of the best jobs in the world
Global Paradise Questing
There is no substitute for nature. I personally cannot comprehend how so many people function without close contact to natural or wild spaces; but believe that even city-folk are touched by sparkling light on a pond or dappled light through the trees lining the street (if they take the time to notice it). When I was a kid, I saw a tshirt that said something possibly now cliche, but true nonetheless: Only when the last field is paved over, the last tree cut down and the last river dammed WILL WE REALISE WE CAN'T EAT MONEY. To me, nature is nothing less than the visible manifestation of god and love and spirit in this world; every tiny living thing has an energy and a joy to share. So many of the physical, mental, emotional, social ills people experience around the world are a result of being cut off from nature; from the vast devaluation of nature as worthwhile as and within itself; from the attitudes that allow the abuse of nature which inevitably lead to the abuse of each other, and of ourselves. Protecting "nature" isn't only about saving pretty places for future generations to play or ensuring there are resources for them to live off of; it's about recognising the soul and spirit that is the source of our own worth as human beings, as living things, as members of (one of?) the most beautiful and intricate living, organic systems in existence. "If you recognise others in yourself and yourself in others, who then can you harm?" This applies not only to people, but to animals, plants, landscapes, and all the elements that breathe us into being.
WWF needs saving - it is tired, lacking in vision. It scurries among the undergrowth, occasionally pooing, popping its head up and asking silly questions such as "tell us what this mean to you" Yes. Darwin would probably have suggested superior life forms will snap its head off. But please, lets us try and save it. Perhaps if we all try we will see management with vision, open to considering new ideas. The world needs every little pooer it can get.
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