One of my favourite spots to go and contemplate in is my local woodland reserve. I remember how I was feeling on this day a few years ago. I was at a crossroads in my career, having been through a few setbacks despite knowing deep down that I was good enough for progression but just... Continue Reading →
International Women’s Day 2021: Forestry England’s 10 Powerful Women in Nature
Just a quick post to say how honoured and thrilled I am to be included in Forestry England's 10 Powerful Women in Nature blog, together with nine other amazing women who are inspiring others to get outdoors and in Nature! Massive thanks to all who have shared this journey with me. Here's the link to... Continue Reading →
Lock and Release
I am close to completing a carbon sequestration sampling and woodland surveying job with my mentor in a lovely Cornish woodland. By estimating how much carbon a woodland can capture, you gain knowledge of the potential a woodland has in order to better manage it for the onset of climate change. It's been fun learning... Continue Reading →
Good, Bad and Everything in Between
We are in the middle of February, and the past two weeks have not been unlike any other winters in the UK - only that we are still in the post Christmas national lockdown - and it has been particularly cold. To a lot of people, winter is a time they dread the most: the... Continue Reading →
Pathways
Today I feel uplifted. I simply cannot describe the exact feeling: It's a tightness in my heart centre - not a bad one - but a nervous excitable energy knowing that I'm on the right path with my passion for trees. I was talking to a good friend today as he was feeling a bit... Continue Reading →
Last and First
As I'm writing, we are officially sailing through the first day of 2021 in the UK, so firstly a very Happy New Year to us all. Yesteryear was probably - for a lot of people - a branch that we'd like to snap across our knee. Although our boundaries and freedom have changed drastically, a... Continue Reading →
Bokeh (Macro) Nature Shots
I have recently stumbled upon a new term in photography: Bokeh. Back when I used to shoot professionally, we only knew the term ‘macro’. Apparently ‘Bokeh’ is termed as “the Japanese aesthetic quality of the blur produced in out-of-focus parts of an image”. When I was a photojournalism student, I was extremely passionate about photography,... Continue Reading →
Autumn Snapshots
Just some photos we took today, in celebration of our local woods and my favourite season, Autumn! ~ All photos by C & J Duerden ~
No Rest On a Sunday
Sunday, traditionally is a day of rest. However, rest my feet I won't, as last weekend I headed out in the relentless rain for a bit of an exploration. Since moving to a new place, it's been thoroughly enjoyable not having anyone about when you go for a walk. I truly get to appreciate the... Continue Reading →
Ascension
How does it feel to be up in the crown of a tree? "Just climb and you'll find out," I answered myself. And so I did with my friend Sam, a professional arborist. Leading up to this moment, I have been super excited and looking forward to it for days. At this crucial stage, I... Continue Reading →