04/05/2011 by admin.

making a sound as they fall on the ground, is a line from a delightful song from the much loved Disney animation Bambi.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eJZnIHwzvzM 

It’s what we normally expect from the Spring. Not this year. This year the UK has witnessed the warmest April on record, with temperatures between 3-5 degrees higher than average. It followed the driest March for over 50 years. In fact there’s been a distinct absence of rain across much of central Europe. The weather has confused many plants and animals into thinking summer has already arrived.

Whilst in America a record breaking tornado outbreak capped a month of extremes, including natural disasters and devastating wildfires. Six states recorded their wettest April’s on record and there were 875 tornadoes which was nearly four times the previous record of 267 for April.

As malachi reminds us, there’s no place like home…

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zJ6VT7ciR1o

Posted in Q35 Do you trust your instincts?, Q53 Do you prefer to keep warm?, Q30 Did you ever watch the rain on your window?, Q27 Do you like gardening?, Q22 Do you love our Earth?, Q15 Do you sometimes fear the worst? | No Comments »

10/03/2011 by admin.

Scientists working for the United Nations report that the mysterious collapse of the world’s honey bee population has spread to Asia and Africa.

The authors include some of the world’s leading honey bee experts and the findings amount to a stark warning for humanity as honey bees are crucial crop pollinators around the globe. A number of factors are thought to be contributing to the problem including:

• transformation of the coutryside and rural areas over the last 50 years or so 
• loss of flowering plants, and other habitat
• use of damaging insecticides
• air pollution - scents that once travelled 800 metres in the 1800s now travel just 200 metres.
• parasites and pests

Society is investing heavily in ‘industrial hives’ but we need to better manage the landscape in order to help wild bee populations recover.  Achim Stiener, UN Environmental Programme director said, The way humanity manages or mismanages its nature-based assets will define our collective futures. We have fabricated the illusion that we have the technological prowess to be independent of nature. Bees underline the reality that we are more, not less, dependent on nature’s services in a world approaching seven billion people.”

His capture the essence of The Haymakers Survey. As Malachi warns our actions now will determine if humanity will ‘be or not be’ that is the question?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DpyY9_9y9Qw&feature=related 

Posted in Q65 Have you ever wished you could fly?, Q66 Do you have a favourite flower?, Q51a How many people does it take to fill up the Earth?, Q46 Do you value a good education?, Q34 Have you ever restored something?, Q15 Do you sometimes fear the worst?, Q27 Do you like gardening?, Q.9 Do you feel in control of your life? | No Comments »

03/12/2008 by admin.

Stargazers have enjoyed the sight of a smiley face in the night sky.  An extremely rare positioning of Venus, Jupiter and a crescent moon provided a smiley face over Asia.  What a wonderful coincidence to have the crescent moon right beneath the two planets just as they appear close together in the night sky.   The next time the 3 will be this close together will be in 2054.

It’s amazing as the Moon, Venus and Jupiter all feature in our story, and the ‘magician’ chose to leave us a emoticon ’smiley face’ in one of his messages.  What’s more, the date of the event is curious too - the 3rd of the 12th - when our story is designed to promote 3 things - Art, Love and Nature - and the role of the 12 sacred stones in helping to reveal the wonder of the survey.  

There’s more magic to this life than we know! LOL!

http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=7ljA9y7QRF8&feature=related

MARCH OF THE INVADER ANTS

A recently discovered ant species, Lasius Neglectus, capable of forming supercolonies has begun to invade Northern Europe, including the UK.  Originating from Asia, a garden infested with them will contain between 10 to 100 times more ants than their European counterparts.  One of the species co-discoverers, Professor Jacobs from the University of Copenhagen, said, “When I first saw them I didn’t imagine it possible that so many ants on the same lawn.”  Perhaps Charles Lamb would have something to say about this given his encounter with ’super ants’ invading his boots just prior to the arrival of Malachi, the messenger.

Posted in Q70 Do you like to look at the stars?, Haymakers: Watch Wonders, Q52 Do you believe in miracles?, Q39 Do you believe in magic?, Q20 Have your eyes ever deceived you?, Q27 Do you like gardening?, Q12 Is our Earth enchanted? | No Comments »

16/07/2008 by admin.

More magic from Mother Nature. Scientists are baffled by the sudden and strange appearance of an unidentified insect in parts of London. Tiny black and red bugs about the size of a grain of rice were first spotted in the wildlife gardens of the Natural History Museum.  They’ve also been spotted in Gray’s Inn and Regent’s Park.  Our tale also feature references to the Natural History Musuem during discussions about the future of our endangered species. The Prince Regent is mentioned several times in Charles Lamb’s journal and we all now about the Lady in Gray!

The bug appears to have an X marking on its back, perhaps in response to our poser - do we have the X-Factor? And, The Haymakers Survey is all about YES or NO responses, putting a tick or a cross in the box!

Posted in Haymakers: Watch Wonders, Q54 Do you enjoy a bit of a mystery?, Q41 Do you like surprises?, Q27 Do you like gardening?, Q20 Have your eyes ever deceived you? | No Comments »

27/05/2008 by admin.

A study by scientists at Royal Holloway, University of London shows that roads are very dangerous places for hedgehogs.  They are very poor at dealing with traffic, waiting until a vehicle is about 17m (60ft) away before responding, and even then they freeze rather than try to run away.

The trouble is that hedgehogs find roads attractive places, in part because of their small legs, but also because tarmac is warm and attracts insects - so they get a meal too.

The peril they face may help explain why numbers are down 50% in some areas.  But the ongoing use of once natural countryside for housing and other development, the tidiness of the urban garden, and the reduction of hedges across rural land may also be a factor. 

Posted in Q53 Do you prefer to keep warm?, Q27 Do you like gardening?, Q19 Do you love hedgehogs? | No Comments »

06/03/2008 by admin.

Britain has had the sunniest winter since records began, basking in 196 hours of sunshine in December, January and February.  That’s a scorching 37% more than average and more than any since records began in 1929.  Those clouds must be feeling terribly lonely; no wonder the Daffodils are out early!

A study by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) predicts that the South-East of England will be as dry as the Sahara desert by 2030. The region will be at risk of serious water shortages that could lead to higher bills and rationing within 22 years.  It has been classed as one of the areas at highest risk due to changes in rainfall and population.  An anagram of SAHARA is - A SARAH, which made her smile.

Scientists are warning of a potential food crisis in years to come due to a range of factors, including growing population, changes in dietary habits in some parts of the world, and the impact of globalwarming.  It’s explained here…

http://news.bbc.co.uk/player/nol/newsid_7280000/newsid_7282500/7282572.stm?bw=bb&mp=wm&asb=1&news=1&bbcws=1

Posted in Q51a How many people does it take to fill up the Earth?, Q69 Do you put off to tomorrow what you could do today?, Q36 Should a good life cost the Earth?, Q27 Do you like gardening? | No Comments »

13/02/2008 by admin.

A striking 3o feet fibreglass sculpture of a rearing mustang has been installed at Denver airport in Colorado, USA.

Tragically, the artist, Luis Jimenez died in June 2006 when a prototype of the work fell on him.  The sculpture will look out over the incredible purple moutains. You can view the story below…

http://cbs4denver.com/video/?id=38937@kcnc.dayport.com

We find this piece curious, as it was Albert Thorvaldsen’s intention to shape the ‘Goblin Tree’ in the shape of a horse, ‘Odin’s Steed.’   The Danish sculptor would surely have been impressed by Juis’ work.  Perhaps the mustang can serve as a warning about the need to be reasonable about our love-affair with flying?

Dark, rose coloured magnolia plants are flowering in Britain earlier than ones in their native India, due to the unseasonally warm weather.  Botanists are surprised as the flower - magnolia campbellii - normally blooms in April. Jonathon Jones, of the Tregnothnan Botanical Garden in Truro, Cornwall says, “We here about strange events in nature every day, but these magnolia are among the best I’ve ever seen.”

THE wildlife trade monitoring network TRAFFIC issued a wake-up call to the Indonesian authorities this week: stop the illegal trade in Sumatran tiger body parts or the species will be hunted to extinction.

TRAFFIC claims to have found tiger body parts on sale in 10 per cent of Sumatran shops surveyed in 2006. It estimates that at least 23 tigers were killed that year to supply the trade. That’s down from 52 kills per year in 1999 and 2000, but TRAFFIC fears the decline is the result of the tiger’s increased scarcity, not improved law enforcement. Trade is just one factor contributing to the tiger’s decline, says Tonny Soehartono of Indonesia’s ministry of forestry. They are also being driven into conflict with humans through “land use changes and habitat fragmentation”.

Posted in Q52 Do you believe in miracles?, Q76 Are you going to take action now to save our world?, Haymakers: Watch Wonders, Q48 Have you ever played solitaire?, Q27 Do you like gardening?, Q.2 Are you an art lover?, Q15 Do you sometimes fear the worst?, Q21 Have you ever hugged a tree?, Q.1 Does your life have a purpose? | No Comments »