The strident chirruping and whirring of crickets and grasshoppers is a sound of the summer. Warm, sunny days near a meadow or even a small patch of longer grass are often accompanied by this music of hot and lazy days. They have a distinctive look with a large head, stocky body and those characteristic longContinue reading “How to… tell a cricket from a grasshopper”
Author Archives: Alison Dent
How to… tell a dragonfly from a damselfly
My introduction to Odonata I grew up in a suburb of Harare, Zimbabwe1, in the beautiful high plains of continental Africa. The landscape around Harare was open grassland with ranges of low rocky hills and some enormous granite outcrops. Local rivers were small and seasonal, raging torrents for a brief spell when the rains broke,Continue reading “How to… tell a dragonfly from a damselfly”
Abnormal loads, Part 1
Loading up I started cycling by accident. Living in central London I’d vaguely toyed with the idea for years but never did anything about it. It wasn’t the traffic that put me off, a few years of riding a motorcycle had left me super-aware of road users around me. Then a generous massage client gaveContinue reading “Abnormal loads, Part 1”
The Foreshore
Journey there A bad few days. The novelty of furlough and endless hours to fill has worn off. The exhilaration of recovering from the virus is long gone. Rambling walks in the park are failing to lift my spirits. The park is busier, more people are returning and with them, litter. Bottles in the longContinue reading “The Foreshore”
How to… tell a moth from a butterfly
Butterflies are beautiful insects and something we associate with summer sunshine, meadows and flowers. They feature in fabric, fashion, earrings and tattoos, butterfly kisses and symbols of the soul. In ancient Greek the word for butterfly is psyche, indicating how we use them to represent something from within. Around the world they are traditionally associatedContinue reading “How to… tell a moth from a butterfly”
How to… make elderflower cordial
At the end of May in the south of England the elderflowers start to open, adding their delicate perfume to the heady mix of spring scents. As May turns to June the flowering spreads north and with it the wave of households making elderflower cordial. It’s a refreshing, aromatic summer drink and an excellent additionContinue reading “How to… make elderflower cordial”
Dawn Chorus (with audio)
4.30am and the alarm crashes me out of deep sleep with a heart-stopping, adrenaline fuelled lurch. Why have I done this to myself? Just go back to sleep, do it another day. No! I swing my legs out of bed without even opening my eyes, not giving myself the chance to sink back into oblivion.Continue reading “Dawn Chorus (with audio)”
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Aftrekplek
Single track tar road, Zimbabwe 1984 Her hair whipped around her face, strands stiffly matted with sweat and dust. All the windows were open, hot air buffeting around the car interior as it sped along the unfolding ribbon of road. Leaning listlessly against the window edge she watched the landscape move by, red roadside edgesContinue reading “Aftrekplek”
Marylebone tits
Thank goodness for the Farmers’ Market. Still open which means I can shop outside, buy produce straight from the farm and treat myself to things I wouldn’t normally buy. Nothing is normal. Or should I say, as everyone else is, we have a new normal. ‘Normally’ I would cycle here every Sunday morning, arriving justContinue reading “Marylebone tits”
How to … de-plastic your bathroom
In January 2019 I joined a wonderful group of women on a trip to Mafia Island in the Indian Ocean off Tanzania. It was in many ways a visit to Paradise (blog coming soon) but in others a wake-up call to the insane profligacy and consumerism of privileged life in the western world. While thereContinue reading “How to … de-plastic your bathroom”
Wild About Life 