The first time a drop of alcohol touched my lips was when my grandpa handed me a very small glass of medium dry cider when I was about 14 years old at Christmas time. I remember it well. It was tangy and smokey and different to anything I had ever tasted before. I liked it.…
Camping on an organic cider farm in Dorset
Connecting to nature through food
How does food connect us to nature? The most obvious response to this question is because, simply put, most of the food we (should) eat comes directly from the natural world. Fruit bearing trees, vegetables, legumes and grains are all rooted in soil. If you eat animals, those animals will have consumed plants from the…
5 Songs for nature contemplation
For me, music can have a deep and profound effect on my mood and my imagination. I have experienced moments of pure bliss – lost and sunken into daydreams, sometimes for hours, whilst listening to music. Hours may sound like an exaggeration, but I’ve spent a fair number of hours of my life on airplanes,…
Greta Thunberg | An appreciation post
This is a post dedicated to Greta Thunberg. She needs no introduction, but for anyone who doesn’t know who she is, Greta is an inspiring Swedish environmental activist. I hope you enjoy learning about her. There are some resources at the bottom of this post where you can continue to learn more. We humans are…
Lessons for Longevity from the world’s ‘Blue Zones’
I’ve wanted to write about the Blue Zones for a while. Writing this post on the 20th March, International Day of Happiness, seemed like a perfectly fitting moment. I read The Blue Zones by Dan Buettner about a year ago and found it to be a very eye opening, grounding and heartwarming read. There are…
Isatou Ceesay | An appreciation post
This is a post dedicated to the ‘Queen of recycling’, Isatou Ceesay – A Gambian activist and social entrepreneur. I hope you enjoy learning about her. There are some resources at the bottom of this post where you can continue to learn more. We humans are every bit a part of nature as our fellow fauna, but…
Vandana Shiva | An appreciation post
This is a post dedicated to the Indian environmentalist, food sovereignty advocate, philosopher and author, Vandana Shiva. I hope you enjoy learning about her. There are some resources at the bottom of this post where you can continue to learn more. We humans are every bit a part of nature as our fellow fauna, but…
Dr. Wangari Maathai | An appreciation post
This is a post dedicated to Kenyan social, environmental, and political activist, Dr. Wangari Maathai. I hope you enjoy learning about her. There are some resources at the bottom of this post where you can continue to learn more. We humans are every bit a part of nature as our fellow fauna, but we often…
Dr. Jane Goodall | An appreciation post
Updated October 2025 – In memory of Dr. Jane Goodhall (3 April 1934 – 1 October 2025). Her journey reminds us: reconnecting with nature isn’t a luxury but a necessity. In her spirit, may we continue to walk gently on the Earth. May we speak up for its creatures and hold hope for the future.…
Why is organic so important?
With huge issues like climate change, diet related health issues and the global decline in biodiversity, the need to change our food systems has never been more important. Farming systems like organic farming, that work with nature rather than against it are a big part of the solution. I’ve been making mindful choices about the…