Wisteria growing up the stone wall of a house. Clock tower, plane tree and fountain add to the scene.

Home is a wisteria.

Flock of sheep on thr transhumance with shepherd behind them on a clear sunny day.

Shepherding has a big influence on nature, not always negative. Transhumance routes are ecological corridors.
I am going to Lleida, Spain for a workshop on Pastoral Routes in 21st century Europe. Is transhumance merely a relic of the past? What is its significance today?

Rather than being similar, I think of them as complementary. Brain/body. Still/moving. Running and walking empty the head and enable new thoughts to emerge.

I would particularly like to hear what Adam Weymouth has to say about wolves, but can’t be there. A pity.

Portuguese seems to be a real outlier. All the others I have found are either related to Mary, Our Lord, Red or Cows. Some Hens. All affectionate, as with the use of 'little' in Portuguese.

Covers all the basics!

Good to learn that. Thanks.

I knew that many European names for ladybird derive from “our Lady = Mary”. But I was surprised to learn how many languages have a name which means little cow: Polish, Russian, Spanish (vaquita de San Anton)… French and Italian in contrast are rather dull: coccinelle = from Latin for scarlet.

And there is little mention of the ecological impact. I want vegetables to be seasonal.

Anyone else think that @theguardian.com article on the greenhouses in Almeria sounds like advertorial? www.theguardian.com/environment/2026/mar/29/...

Thanks for the follow. Nice pics.

Mackenzie Crook’s magical suburban folk tale, #SmallProphets published by #PenguinBooks and #PuffinBooks down the years. A 🧵
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« Guerre asymétrique » : une formule récente pour un phénomène plurimillénaire Si la notion de guerre asymétrique a été conceptualisée de fraîche date, la réalité à laquelle elle renvoie n’est certainement pas une nouveauté.

[1/8] Barthélémy Courmont (Institut catholique de Lille) propose un éclairage sur la notion de "guerre asymétrique". Il montre que ce concept, popularisé depuis 2001, désigne en réalité une logique ancienne de conflits inégaux. #HGGSP #geography #asymmetricwarfare

Ours infos 2025 - Rapport annuel En 2025, 3 287 indices indirects ont été collectés dans le cadre du suivi transfrontalier de l'Ours brun. Les résultats présentés dans le rapport

The #bear population in the Pyrenees is growing fast. Figures announced today say there were *at least* 108 in 2025 (probably 109-143)! Up 11% annually since 2006.
In 1996, there were only 5 bears, and 11 have been imported since. It is a #rewilding success but not everybody is happy.

Spain, like many other countries, is revising its attitudes to animals. New laws give them more protection. But the concept of rewilding is little known. I talked to a biologist who had brought a bear from Slovenia. It wasn't until later on a visit to the USA he realised he had been rewilding!

Condenado un cazador a pagar más de 100.000 euros por haber abatido a una hembra de lince en Toledo | El Diario Vasco El hombre alegó que confundió al felino con un zorro

A Spanish hunter has been fined 100,800€ (£87,000) for killing a lynx. He didn't have a licence and it was outside the hunting season. They don't muck about with #rewilding in Spain!

Thanks @joanlopezphoto.bsky.social for reminding me about the Hospital de La Santa Creu, Barcelona. Quite something !

Modernist staircase, full of light and intricate shapes, in a hospital!

Just reminded by @joanlopezphoto’s photo that I visited the Hospital de la Santa Creu iSant Pau in Barcelona almost exactly a year ago. Extraordinary architecture for such a building. And off the tourist trail.

Is the biggest march in English history a myth? My research shows King Harold sailed down to the battle of Hastings Once I had spotted a 200-year-old error, I was able to join the dots.

New thoughts on old history. Thanks to @pmarques35.bsky.social

I’ve seen this and know the challenges of living with bears in the Pyrenees well. Here you have a fly-on-the-wall film putting the shepherd’s point of view. Recommend.

I had been trying to convince my wife that the drink would help her climb mountains. After seeing this, she finally believed me!

What interests me in this tale is the equivalence it makes between humans and bears. I have been told that a skinned bear looks human if you discount the head.

I've just looked, they are very iconic. Not the kind of thing that would be allowed in Britain.

Don't throw out the baby with the bathwater.

Copilot is sooo annoying. But as a writer I find AI useful. Not for writing, though I use it to tell me what crap I can cut. It's good for research, because it gives links to the original articles so I can assess their validity. It will also translate articles in languages I don't understand...

My story has a different ending. I was on a pass in the Pyrenees at 2200m and came across an exhausted bee on a hot day. I had an energy drink, so I poured a few drops onto a rock in front of the bee. It drank and then flew away happily!

Sex, gender and glitter bears Each February, in villages like Prats-de-Mollo near the border between France and Spain, men disguised as bears will rampage through the streets. Later they will be captured and shaved.

In the Pyrenean bear festivals, the ritual ends by shaving the bear to reveal the man beneath the animal.

But in Prats-de-Mollo, women have started becoming the bears themselves — and the meaning of the ritual is quietly changing.

I’ve been interviewing the glitter bears.

Tony Juniper's suggestion of using animals that have been reintroduced to Britain, like the white-tailed eagle, is excellent, aspirational!

Be it £5, £10 or £20, putting animals on bank notes signals the increase in their value to society.

Sex, gender and glitter bears Each February, in villages like Prats-de-Mollo near the border between France and Spain, men disguised as bears will rampage through the streets. Later they will be captured and shaved.

I've been interviewing the glitter bears in Prats de Mollo in the Pyrenees. They are redefining the meaning of the festival.
#rewilding #naturewriting