Notebook from the North

Roses are red, violets are blue, but how do they end up growing in that old quarry down the road which used to be covered in rocks? Complex plant communities are able to appear in places that were previously barren due to the biological process of succession, without which earth would be a pretty barren Read more

The polar regions of the planet are tough places to survive. Biting cold temperatures causing frostbite and sapping energy, harsh winds and unpredictable ice conditions making moving in this landscape dangerous, and the vast emptiness creating an environment where one is very much alone all come together to give polar regions a pretty tough reputation. Read more

This week we are going to take a look at the Winter War. What does a war have to do with our nature and Arctic theme? Well, part of this war was in the Arctic, covering that bit, but the nature/climate aspect is also a lot bigger than you may expect. This war, no doubt Read more

65 million years ago dinosaurs went extinct, but for many million years before this they were roaming all over the planet. There were many different species in many different places, but we most commonly associate them with old dense forests filled with ferns, or with grasslands and forests. However, they did live in quite northern Read more

It’s not just mud. Soil is pretty important, for all kinds of reasons including us being able to grow food and flowers, and not having to walk around on rocks all the time. But what is soil, and what’s in soil, and how can that brown stuff that we walk over every day be partly Read more

This week is another animal spotlight, but instead of looking at the furry creatures of the north, we will be looking at birds, or one very impressive bird in particular. This is the Arctic tern, who though it lives part of the year in the Arctic, spends much of its time on the wing travelling Read more