My Blog - Jeff Clarke

Celebrate Good Times, C'mon! {yoogallery src=[/images/stories/blog/celebrate]}A week or so ago I had the good fortune to be attending the Count ME In Celebration event taking place at the Boat Museum in Ellesmere Port. The occasion marked the closing of the, two year, Count Me In project. This programme of events has given so many people so much fun and enjoyment and a real opportunity for cross-generational interaction with the natural environment. The event included awards to our youngest participants as champions of the Count Me In ethos.The project was funded through Heritage Lottery Fund and Esmée Fairburn Foundation and was spearheaded by Chester Zoo and RECORD. The project co-ordinator Karen Lawson did a fabulous job in encouraging s...

Mammals of Kindrogan {yoogallery src=[/images/stories/blog/FSCKIndroganOct2010]} All images unless otherwise stated © Jeff Clarke 2010 I spent an enjoyable few days at FSC Kindrogan in Scotland teaching an enthusiastic group of people about Small Mammals, including live trapping and handling techniques. The range of people on the course was wide, encompassing trained ecologists and bat workers, to a father and son team there for the simple and rewarding pleasure of getting close to nature and learning new skills. I have to say they were a lovely bunch of people and very easy to work with.In total we found evidence of 22 different mammal species during the course and actually had visual sightings of 16  different species. The main thrus...

Body Snatcher   {yoogallery src=[/images/stories/blog/bodysnatcher]} All images unless otherwise stated © Jeff Clarke 2010 Earlier today I joined a select group of folk on an Fungal forage at Runcorn Hill LNR. The event was organised through the Artery of Life project under the sterling leadership of Anthony Brandreth. Anthony had recruited the services of the charismatic Fungal Punk Dave to guide us through the labyrinthine world of the mycologist. In the past I've led a number of these types of event, though I've never claimed any degree of real knowledge. A fact highlighted today by discovering that most of the scientific names I'd previously learned are now defunct and worse, what was once a single species has now been divided into...

Wonder of the Day   {yoogallery src=[/images/stories/blog/wonderoftheday]} All images unless otherwise stated © Jeff Clarke 2010 Biological survey work is usually fascinating but it can also be a seriously exhausting slog. In recent days I felt like a man running through treacle, as simple physical fatigue set in after days and nights of work with barely a let up. When it gets to this point you need a little lift to rev your engine again and just such a boost came in a moth trapping session in the depths of the Cheshire Countryside.Three of us gathered in the crepuscular light of dusk and set up our various lures and traps. The signs were good, overcast, mild temperatures, light rain showers forecast. Anticipation rising. Setaceous Heb...

Jewel on the Hill {yoogallery src=[/images/stories/blog/earthstar]} All images unless otherwise stated © Jeff Clarke 2010 There is very little in the natural world that fails to spark at least a degree of my interest, so when he jungle drums beat to tell me about the appearance of some earth star fungus on the sandstone bluff of Runcorn Hill LNR, a few short miles from my home, I decided they would make a suitable subject to test out my new ring flash setup.I met up with the site Ranger who kindly showed me the location and spent a few minutes testing the different settings (I'm sure I'll get around to reading the user manual one day). The earth star proved to be Geastrum triplex which is often referred to as Common Earth Star, though it is...