By the late 19th C, New Hampshire was almost completely timbered & left with very few old growth trees. It's now ~83% covered in trees, areas where once stood large farms with houses and outbuildings all reclaimed by the forests. https://www.forestsociety.org/blog-post/reminders-past
About bees. Who would I write to in government about an idea I have: creating a scheme where those who are willing get free beehives and swarms. Opiaries are very expensive.
Although i know you mean well, please don’t do this! Write to them about creating policies to increase biodiversity. Dumping managed bees arbitrarily into the landscape can be harmful to the existing ecology.
Such a complicated topic Nita too long for here. If you keep a bait hive, eventually bees will find it. This way the regional population does not expand, it divides. Don’t worry about wasps they are part of a healthy insect population and gone in a year.
There's a lot of birch in this image, but coming up through it is oak, holly, hazel, + other wild trees. Below, there's already a rich woodland flora of bluebell, violet, anemone, etc.
Birch is a pioneer species, colonising open ground fast and creating conditions for the rest of the ecosystem. 🌍
Landlady absolutely decimated a lovely birch tree behind our house for no apparent reason(wasn’t a hazard or falling over). We rescued a branch and is now growing happily in a pot out the front until she’s big enough to be planted in place of the one that was murdered🙂
Reverses nature loss ✅
Helps combat climate breakdown ✅
Reduces flooding ✅
Provides clean air + water ✅
Creates great amenities ✅
Boosts tourism ✅
Is great for mental wellbeing ✅
Brings communities together ✅
I was half listening to Radio4's Farming Today program some time early this week. Admittedly, I was half asleep but I'm quite sure a Northern Irish farming representative was actively calling for less shrubs and trees and more meadows/grazing to reduce the risk of fires... 🤨
Living in North London I used to have a tree-lined view from my bedroom window to the PO Tower which hid the ugly concrete school at the back. Unfortunately some trees cut down to build a new-four flat building but also others. I lost the shade they offered in summer but also the view.
For anyone who hasn’t seen this fantastic film, let me highly recommend it! Specifically about the health and the prospects for Scotlands wild places but viewed through a tour of some of Europe’s most exciting rewinding projects, applicable to anywhere on these islands!!
Austria going from 1860’s>hunted the Beaver to extinction>1970/80’s>first reintroduction>8-9000 across the country and the equivalent of ‘maximum possible Beaver’ in Vienna, is the kind of will to effect widespread change we can believe in! While TechBrats destroy, we regenerate and save
The bit that felt like a minor epiphany with that section was that “most people don’t realise the👨🏻🦳🦫 co-existence exists” Of course they don’t. Loud voices at the poles of these issues but for most they will extremely quickly become just another animal they rarely see, if ever, sad but that’s okay!
Hi @floblackbourn.bsky.social I would have included you with a credit in this had I found you before this morning! The film and your truly effective and affecting role in it really resonated with me and seems to be with a few others. I hope it gets shared and viewed far and wide 💚🐻🦅🦫
Hey @rewildscotland.bsky.social here’s a lil bump for your excellent film! I thought Flo was a very effective communicator and really did the whole journey the justice it deserved. It’s a must see. Any scope for broadcast or is considered too ‘corporate’ Shame if so!
My pleasure. It just popped up on my YT algo and was some of the best ‘telly’ I’ve watched in years Naturally some quarters would object and likely amongst flighty commissioning editors, damn their vanilla sensibilities. Has @chrisgpackham.bsky.social seen it? Springwatch audience would lap it up!!
Comments
Offer soul fulfilling validation & sense of purpose
& Hope.
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2024/apr/07/help-bees-dont-become-a-beekeeper-honeybeee-hive-biodiversity
Best thing is not to farm bees, and let the wild bees do what they do as an essential part of the ecosystem!
Birch is a pioneer species, colonising open ground fast and creating conditions for the rest of the ecosystem. 🌍
Reverses nature loss ✅
Helps combat climate breakdown ✅
Reduces flooding ✅
Provides clean air + water ✅
Creates great amenities ✅
Boosts tourism ✅
Is great for mental wellbeing ✅
Brings communities together ✅
Etc, etc...
Have a listen.
https://youtu.be/FFypWj1bjPk?si=ZL89bB2u4rp6FGz3
https://bsky.app/profile/rewildscotland.bsky.social/post/3lmflgalce22r
So lush