Ancient Australian Megafauna: Diprotodon optatum

Diprotodon optatum was the largest marsupial to ever roam Australia, weighing over two tonnes. We rarely find its whole skeleton preserved in caves because it’s sheer size prevented it from falling through crevices into the oblivion. Although phylogenetically Diprotodon optatum was closely related to the extant wombat and koala, in terms of its physiology in appearance itContinue reading “Ancient Australian Megafauna: Diprotodon optatum”

Travel: Among the Irish Faeries and Norse Gods

Many years ago, I went hiking in Ireland in Glendalough I saw some magical landscapes. Ireland has a beautiful soft light in the summer. The diffused sunlight is speckled with clouds that pass over the vast valleys and mountain-sides. It’s possible to sit there all day and just watch the way the light travels overContinue reading “Travel: Among the Irish Faeries and Norse Gods”

Book Review: One Year Wiser by Mike Medaglia

Imagine if you will, a delightful and timeless book of wisdom that fits into the palm of the hand or your handbag. A hardback that looks at first inconspicuous and unimportant. And yet on opening this book you will unlock a treasury of wisdom that’s beautifully illustrated on high quality paper. One Year Wiser byContinue reading “Book Review: One Year Wiser by Mike Medaglia”

Book Review: Animals Make Us Human: Edited by Leah Kaminsky and Meg Keneally

Genre: Non-fiction, nature, animals Publisher: Penguin Life Rating: 🌟 🌟 🌟 🌟 The Christmas/New Year of 2019/2020 bush fires scorched through enormous swathes of land across the whole of Australia and killed many millions of native animals. Afterwards, there was a huge outpouring of collective grief from people not only in Australia, but throughout theContinue reading “Book Review: Animals Make Us Human: Edited by Leah Kaminsky and Meg Keneally”

10 Interesting Things I found on the Internet #33

Yo-ho-ho and a bottle of coconut water, welcome to another dimension-coasting, mind-contorting journey into the weird and wonderful world of the internet. Featuring some guest stars and some of the same old cast you know and love. I hope you will join me… A bee-faced mushroom shaman from 9,000 years ago on a cave wallContinue reading “10 Interesting Things I found on the Internet #33”

Artists & Writers in Their Own Words: Jarod K Anderson AKA The Cryptonaturalist

The Cryptonaturalist podcast is the creation of Jarod K Anderson. It’s a completely unique, poetic and quirky fictional podcast in the genre of a classic nature documentary. Yet that’s where its similarity with the known world ends. This is David Attenborough meets The X Files, or Jane Goodall meets Big Foot. In the lingering shadowsContinue reading “Artists & Writers in Their Own Words: Jarod K Anderson AKA The Cryptonaturalist”

10 Interesting Things I Found on the Internet #30

Ahoy there mateys. Here’s a little palate-cleanser to wash away any sad stuff from the news and the socials. I hope you enjoy it. Buddy Bears in Berlin The Art of Tolerance is an ongoing exhibition that travels the world. 146 Buddy Bears who represent 146 different countries were last spotted at Tierpark Berlin. They are designedContinue reading “10 Interesting Things I Found on the Internet #30”

10 Cool Things I Found on the Internet #29

Ahoy there! Here is a quirky internet sea shanty, plucked from poseidon’s breast. I haven’t done one of these posts for a while, because I have been busy with another project to do with animals and conservation. I hope to keep up with these posts as I know some of you like them. Stay pirateyContinue reading “10 Cool Things I Found on the Internet #29”

Book Review: How to be A Good Creature: A Memoir in Thirteen Animals by Sy Montgomery

Genre: Non-fiction, conservation, nature, spirituality. Publisher: HMH Books Rating: 🌟 🌟 🌟 🌟 🌟 *No spoilers This is an extra special book. It’s filled with nourishing and kind-hearted stories of one woman’s relationships with a lifetime’s worth of unique and amazing creatures. Author Sy Montgomery’s relationships with animals mirrors so many other people’s stories andContinue reading “Book Review: How to be A Good Creature: A Memoir in Thirteen Animals by Sy Montgomery”

Ancient Word of the Day: Hell Kettle

Hell Kettle: n. A deep abyss or bottomless pool The deep pools in Darlington, Co. Durham in England are a part of fearsome local legend. These mysterious pools are said to have inspired Lewis Carroll’s endless rabbithole, where Alice tumbles into another world – in his classic book Alice in Wonderland. They are known asContinue reading “Ancient Word of the Day: Hell Kettle”