Tuesday 28 January 2014

marine warden

Hello!

This week I have had some very exciting news! I am now a voluntary marine warden at my local marine reserve with The Wildlife Trusts. I am very excited about this opportunity to get involved with my local wildlife trust and raise awareness about protecting the marine environment! 
Here are a couple of snaps of the marine reserve that I will be contributing to protect! 




I can't wait to get stuck in! 

Lauren 

Monday 20 January 2014

weekend walk

Hello there! 

January is not my favourite month of the year, but this year the sun is shining bright in the sky and I am loving it! I have my first third year uni exam tomorrow which is absolutely terrifying! However a lovely walk over my local healthland paddling in the mud was the perfect way to calm the nerves!! 



Good luck to anyone with exams at the moment! 

Lauren 

Saturday 11 January 2014

here comes the sun

Finally the sun returned today! It felt so good to see the sunshine! I went for a walk at my favourite beach, Knoll Beach at Studland. I absolutely love it there and it is a beautiful beach. My favourite wellies also came out of the cupboard for a sunny walk! 
Being a third year university student, means my first lot of third year uni exams are about to start which is really really scary! Therefore a lovely walk at the beach was the perfect break from revision! Here are a few snaps from my day at the beach.




 






Taking a walk is definatly the cure to the cooped up revision feeling! 

Lauren 


Wednesday 8 January 2014

eden project fun

Over the past few months I have been able to visit the lovely Eden Project in Cornwall twice! I love the Eden Project, set up as an educational charity it aims to educate people of all ages about the fantastic biodiversity that exists on this planet as well as completing amazing research into plants and conservation through their unique biodomes! 

From my latest trip I wanted to write about some of the incredibly rare plants and trees that they are growing there that have some amazing properties. 

Below shows the Rose Perwinkle, this incredible plant is known for its ability to cure leukemia because of its two potent anti-cancer alkaloids, vincristine & vinblastine. It seems incredible to me, that such a beautiful flower could have such impressive qualities. It also makes you question how many unknown species could have similar disease fighting properties.



The Bottle Palm was an extremely unusual looking tree! Currently on the IUCN red list, the fact that it grows on only one tiny island on Earth, identifies the vulnerability and precious nature of many relatively unknown species.



Below shows my sister taking in all the sights in the Rainforest Biodome. 


This little plaque has such an important message! 


Another plant that fascinates me is the African-quinne, this plant is amazing with painkilling, anti-inflammatory and fever reducing properties. It also acts as a prophylactic against Malaria. Incredible!!



A newish feature in the Rainforest Biodome is a walkway up to the top of the Biodome! Heights aren't usually a problem for me but I definatly began to feel very funny at the top of here as it swayed! 



This wonderful table explanation explained all about the lives of plants! Such a beautiful way to explain something so interesting! 


The Mediterranean Biodome is now really full of life. I visited the Eden Project a good few years ago and this Biodome was pretty bare! Lovely to see it full of life. Although I was not sure about having a pizza restaurant in the Biodome?! 


Butchers Broom also has amazing properties that can enhance blood flow to the hands, legs and even the brain! 




The Eden Project is definatly a beautiful place to visit! There is so much to see there that you definatly can't do it all in one visit. Hopefully I'll be back soon! 

Lauren 

Tuesday 7 January 2014

favourite nature moments of 2013

I wanted to share some of my favourite nature pictures of 2013. For me, I managed to see places that I never thought I would such as Lundy Island in the Bristol Channel. Here are some of my favourites.

Sunset at Arne, paddling in mud in Poole Harbour, Sika deer at Arne, mountains in Inverarary in Scotland, The Flats at Kimmeridge Bay, horses near Lulworth Castle, a rescued hedgehog found in my garden, Lulworth Cove, a poppy at Thomas Hardys house in Dorchester.


Sunset at Sandbanks beach, horses at Lulworth Castle, view on Lulworth Estate, sunset at Old Harry Rocks, duck pond at Lulworth Cove, Bude, Lamb on Lundy Island, Lundy Island, Grey seals at Lundy Island.


Finally here is a picture of me enjoying my first lesson on a quadbike! 


Lauren 

Monday 6 January 2014

waterlogged england

Currently, where I live in England is flooded to a ridiculous extent! I have never seen so much rain, and it's still raining! I love rain, but it's becoming quite scary with more serious flood warning released by the Met Office. 
I decided to go and visit Studland beach in Dorset which is owned by the National Trust at the weekend. 
Studland is a beautiful beach full of important sand dunes that are being monitored annually to analyse changes to shoreline erosion. I was able to help with the introduction of new ropes and wooden poles that surround the dunes to protect them from trampling in 2012 as part of conservation work.
This is a very wide beach, however visiting on Sunday the tide was so high on the beach it was nearly completly covered in water.




I am definatly looking forward to Spring and for the rain clouds to finally part! 

Lauren 

Saturday 4 January 2014

6 things that will make you love nature

Now that it's 2014, I am convinced it's the year to start loving nature! Here are 6 tips to inspire the nature lover in you! 
 
1. Borrow or make a plankton net, go plankton hunting, then look at it under a microscope! I promise it will blow your mind! 

 2. Investigate your local nature reserve and go for an explore! 

3. Go rock pooling and take a species guide! You'll be amazed at what you can find at your nearest rocky shore.

4. Leave some bird food perched on a surface in your garden and see what appears to have a nibble.

5. Pull on your Wellington boots and go to visit the muddiest place you can find! Mud makes everything better. 

6. Put your coat on and get outside now! They're no such thing as bad weather, only innappropriate clothing! 

Lauren 

oh Lulworth, I love thee.

Lulworth cove is my favourite place to visit on any day of the year. Whether it is a beautiful sunny day or unbelievably stormy, it is still undeniably one of the most tranquil and calming places I know of. Visiting it over the festive season with family reminds me of why I love it so much! The Lulworth Inn does some lovely food which is perfect after a long stroll around the cove! 
It has been a while since I ventured up the many, many steps to see Durdle Door and I have decided this needs to happen very soon! 


Whilst enjoying the cove last week, I was paddling away and completly misjudged it and ended up with my wellibobs full up with freezing water! Not the best on a winters day. 


Makes me shiver thinking back to it
now, brrrrrr! Have a good weekend! 

Lauren 



Friday 3 January 2014

it's a new year

It's officially 2014! This year has been a whirlwind and has been pretty great! However 2014 is definatly the year to experience as much as possible! This year will be the year of getting outside as much as possible to enjoy the natural world! It has begun by enjoying a lovely walk at the beach today and here is a seriously pretty snap of sandbanks. 



Here's to the rest of 2014 being as beautiful as this! 

Lauren