As a child growing up in semi-rural Northumberland, red squirrels were a figment of daily life. A prominent fixture of local nature reserves, nearby woodlands and, indeed, my very own garden, that brought me great joy during my youth. So much so, in fact, that I would not hesitate to list the russet rodents as one of the key instigators of my passion for the natural world. It is, after all, rather difficult to not depart elated after encountering a red squirrel: their vigorous courtship chases and endearing chattering are a true sight to behold.

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I think it’s safe to say that winter is most certainly here, and on these cooler, crisper, and increasingly shorter days, I look back fondly at the time I spent helping with local conservation efforts back in the middle of June. As part of my Gold DofE Residential, I chose to help out with butterfly habitat management at the expansive and diverse Holnicote Estate in Exmoor National Park, alongside the National Trust.

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“Surely that’s not one of ours?” I whispered disbelievingly to my colleague Jason Fathers, as we stood transfixed, gazing into a sky dashed with the first light of an August morning. We were rooted to the spot, watching as directly above us a gigantic white and brown bird soared and danced on the air, skilfully dodging the vicious dives of a closely pursuing peregrine falcon. It looked quite as though it had never known anything but life on the wing. [Read More]

Bardsey Island is a wave-battered isle jutting off the tip of the Llyn Peninsula into the tumultuous Irish Sea – its jagged nose to the south-westerly swell and its humpback mountain affronting the mainland to the east. For ten years now, I’ve been lucky enough to call this remote Welsh jewel my home.

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Welcome to our 2016 Advent Calendar series (#AFONAdvent)! This year, our theme is “The Gift of Inspiration”. For each day, one of our members has written a blog post about someone who has inspired them, and how that inspiration has lead to them being where they are today. Each member is a shining example of a young person who is acting Now for Nature. We hope that you enjoy the series and have a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

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Welcome to our 2016 Advent Calendar series (#AFONAdvent)! This year, our theme is “The Gift of Inspiration”. For each day, one of our members has written a blog post about someone who has inspired them, and how that inspiration has lead to them being where they are today. Each member is a shining example of a young person who is acting Now for Nature. We hope that you enjoy the series and have a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

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Welcome to our 2016 Advent Calendar series (#AFONAdvent)! This year, our theme is “The Gift of Inspiration”. For each day, one of our members has written a blog post about someone who has inspired them, and how that inspiration has lead to them being where they are today. Each member is a shining example of a young person who is acting Now for Nature. We hope that you enjoy the series and have a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

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Welcome to our 2016 Advent Calendar series (#AFONAdvent)! This year, our theme is “The Gift of Inspiration”. For each day, one of our members has written a blog post about someone who has inspired them, and how that inspiration has lead to them being where they are today. Each member is a shining example of a young person who is acting Now for Nature. We hope that you enjoy the series and have a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

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Welcome to our 2016 Advent Calendar series (#AFONAdvent)! This year, our theme is “The Gift of Inspiration”. For each day, one of our members has written a blog post about someone who has inspired them, and how that inspiration has lead to them being where they are today. Each member is a shining example of a young person who is acting Now for Nature. We hope that you enjoy the series and have a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

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Welcome to our 2016 Advent Calendar series (#AFONAdvent)! This year, our theme is “The Gift of Inspiration”. For each day, one of our members has written a blog post about someone who has inspired them, and how that inspiration has lead to them being where they are today. Each member is a shining example of a young person who is acting Now for Nature. We hope that you enjoy the series and have a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

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