What I’ve been reading this week, 15 February 2020

Making space for nature, Norway end to end, between the storms, and what to do with the bodies.

Environment and nature

HS2 decision will destroy precious wild places – I’m aware of the argument that HS2 is a necessary evil, even from an environmental point of view, but ancient woodland is irreplaceable and I’ve seen little evidence that ‘biodiversity offsetting’ can work. The Wildlife Trusts agree.

Can farming make space for nature? – this is an interesting piece about the increasing conflict between farming and preserving biodiversity.

A very modern question: what to do with the bodies? – nature is very efficient at recycling. Unfortunately humans are very efficient at messing up natural processes.

An interview with Julian Hoffman on ‘Irreplaceable: The Fight to Save Our Wild Places’ – ‘some of the places in the book are sadly no longer with us, and some places disappeared or were destroyed before I could even reach them. These places no longer exist in any physical sense, and are now simply memorials in people’s minds.’

Long-distance hiking and the outdoors

Don’t lose your way – the Ramblers have begun an important campaign to help prevent an estimated 10,000 miles of footpaths in England and Wales from being lost. You can help here.

Norway End-End 2018 – a great blog post from Colin Ibbotson on his marathon 2018 crossing of Norway.

Between the storms: a snowshoe walk in the Cairngorms – Chris Townsend has been out in the Cairngorms. Looks like winter is well and truly here!

Gear List: The Long Crossing of the Lofoten Islands – Cam Honan’s gear choices for Lofoten.

Collect or explore? Is it time for a rethink about how we share our outdoor spaces? – interesting thoughts about the geotagging debate from Fi Darby. Geotagging can place more pressure on fragile places, but it can also break down barriers when it comes to accessing the outdoors. There’s also the argument that the more people love a place the more people are willing to fight to protect it. No easy answers!

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