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Jonathan Self: The simple key to a life full of joy and happiness and free of care
An encounter with a 21st century goatherd makes Jonathan Self wonder if things might one day again be simpler.
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Why has it been a bumper year for British berries?
The sunny, yet wet summer might have been a dampener at the time, but the resulting autumnal berry haul is a feast for mice and men, says John Lewis-Stempel.
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The six most beautiful lonely trees in Britain
The untimely and shocking felling of the Sycamore Gap tree prompted a national outpouring of grief. Here, we salute the proud and lonely sentinels of Britain.
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You might think a book about the birds that lived in London 75 years ago would make for gloomy reading. Nothing could be further from the truth.
75 years ago, Richard Fitter published the seminal book 'London’s Birds'. Jack Watkins takes a look inside to see what it tells us about the changing face of the capital’s avian population — and comes away marvelling at how our winged friends have thrived despite the march of metropolitan progress.
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Jason Goodwin: How to fill the Sycamore Gap
Our columnist on how some good might come out of the felling of the sycamore in the gap.
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Curious Questions: How to win at conkers
Few games rival conkers for sheer excitement. Simon Lester ponders the merits of round-topped nuts versus flat-sided cheesers and exposes the nefarious tricks some use to win at all costs.
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John Lewis-Stempel: Why autumn is the time to go nuts
Whether enjoyed as a healthy snack or deployed as the playground weapon of choice, nuts are versatile, abundant and plentiful now, says John Lewis-Stempel.
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A complete guide to the sharks you'll find in the seas of Britain (and the one you'll be glad isn't here yet)
From elusive angelsharks to chunky, sprinting shortfin makos and glow-in-the-dark velvet belly lanterns, award-winning marine biologist Helen Scales gets up close and personal with the sharks that swim in British waters.
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Collective nouns for birds: Why we call it a murder of crows, murmuration of starlings and a conspiracy of ravens
We celebrate our favourite collective nouns for birds, from the weird and the wonderful to the most curious.
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Why are there so many magpies?
Magpies seem to be flourishing, so much so that seeing 'one for sorrow' is more often closer to '11 for a football team'. Martin Fone looks at why these hugely intelligent birds are thriving, and considers why they're so often at the centre of our superstitions.
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England’s chalk downlands: 'The European equivalent of a tropical rainforest'
Every summer, England’s chalk downlands are embroidered with a patch-work of wildflowers — from the horseshoe vetch’s yellow plumes to sainfoin’s pink spikes — all serenaded by an army of butterflies, says Vicky Liddell.
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The 2023 Big Butterfly Count is almost here — and it'll be the most important for a generation
The Big Butterfly Count always gives a vital snapshot of Nature in Britain, but this year more than ever thanks to the extremes of hot, cold and wet we've been through in the past year. James Fisher explains more.
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My 40-year odyssey turning a field into a wildflower meadow that's a buzzing, humming, fluttering world
Country Life columnist Agromenes started turning a field from intensive agriculture to wild flowers four decades ago — a decision which has been proven spectacularly worthwhile.
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Puffins: The clowns of the sea
It might look adorable, but the stumpy and dangerously endangered puffin is a ruthlessly efficient fish killer that’s so hellbent on finding its family a home, it will chase rabbits out of their own burrows, observes Ian Morton. Photographs by Drew Buckley.
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Curious Questions: Why do stars twinkle?
'Twinkle twinkle little star' isn't just a nursery rhyme: it's an astronomical phenomenon. But what causes it? Martin Fone takes a look at why stars twinkle.
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Peacocks: Everything you need to know about 'the limousine of the avian kingdom'
Graceful peafowl have never been shy about coming forward, although most of us admire the males’ flamboyant tail feathers — long a vibrant and striking motif — far more than their grating cries, says Harry Pearson.
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Patrick Galbraith: 'And so I found myself totally naked, walking 12 miles with a bunch of IT consultants, retired teachers and a Frenchman in a little red hat'
Can you truly understand the countryside if you've not walked through it in the nude? Well, probably, but our columnist wasn't taking any chances as he strips off to find out for certain.
