Nature
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The woodlark: the British songbird that is the ultimate masked singer
Its melody is sweeter than the nightingale's, yet the elusive woodlark seems destined to delight only a fortunate few.
By Jack Watkins Published
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John Lewis-Stempel: The beauty of the beach in winter
On a dull February morning, John Lewis-Stempel is consumed by childhood memories of the allure of the seashore, from the rhythmic, cresting waves and slippery seaweed of all shapes and hues to the shell-studded sand.
By Toby Keel Published
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'The equation is inescapable. Our rich societies will simply have to pay the proper price for food'
Country Life's columnist Agromenes urges us to take a cold, hard look at the way we grow and consume food.
By Country Life Published
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Opinion: Why the 'threat' of a new National Park has Galloway farmers up in arms
Galloway farmer Jamie Blackett on duck dating, snowdrop splitting, welcoming avian visitors and manning the barricades against an unwanted national park.
By Jamie Blackett Published
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Going wild for daffodils: 'Nothing beats daffodils as a symbol of spring... they tell us that winter is gone and will not come again'
The season of daffodils is upon us.
By Toby Keel Published
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Curious Questions: What really happened to the Flying Dutchman?
Tales of phantom ships are as old as time itself, but the story of the Flying Dutchman has haunted sailors for generations.
By Martin Fone Published
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Six of the most beautiful waterfalls in Britain, from Devon to the Isle of Skye
Surging, foaming, trickling, crashing, cascading or flowing, waterfalls paint the landscape with rainbow-scattered spray and misty plumes. Here, we celebrate these streaks of molten silver, from wild moor to woodland dell, as picked out by our picture editor Lucy Ford.
By Lucy Ford Published
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Waxwings: The winter visitors which come to Britain so rarely they may never see a human again
Once thought to have presaged the First World War, these exquisite European songbirds are a blessing to our shores, says Mark Cocker.
By Mark Cocker Published
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'Disconnected from our heritage' — conservation charity warns that more must be done to tackle light pollution
According to CPRE, The Countryside Charity, most of us can't see the stars correctly, and is calling on government to help fight back.
By Annunciata Elwes Published
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From the Box to the Yox — how did our rivers get their names?
British river names trip off the tongue like nonsense of Edward Lear, but the meanings behind these great watercourses run deep.
By Vicky Liddell Published
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What it's like to live and work in a National Park
Cumbrian farmer Douglas Chalmers weighs the pros and cons of living in a national park.
By Douglas Chalmers Published
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'The countryside can pull us together, a connecting point for a nation that sometimes feels as though it is falling apart'
After 75 years, the job required of national parks has changed. They now need to be hothouses of Nature recovery, and it’s time we got on with it, says Julian Glover.
By Julian Glover Published
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Meet the dry-stone wallers who restored a 300-year-old sheep pen in Cumbria
Craftsmen Steven Allen and Trevor Stamper hope restored this historic sheepfold as part of a wider campaign to help support and promote common-land grazing
By Annunciata Elwes Published
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Organic farmed salmon is a 'misnomer' and certification should stop, claim fish conservation charities
In an open letter to the Soil Association, WildFish and more than 30 other organisations have questioned the organic certification schemes for farmed salmon in Scotland.
By James Fisher Published
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83% of England's rivers show 'high pollution' levels as sewage and agricultural waste flow into the waterways
Data collected by more than 640 anglers across the country have found that our rivers are in a perilous state.
By James Fisher Published
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Far better than its bite — what's really going on in the secret world of tree bark
A vital source of food, a pharmacy and a haven for wildlife, a tree's living skin is a surprisingly sophisticated surface.
By John Lewis-Stempel Published
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The vegan farce that is 'bee-free' honey will spell disaster for bees, farmers and all of us
Our columnist Agromenes ridicules the notion the bee-free honey is a kindness to bees.
By Country Life Published