How are local wildlife (around Settle), climate change and the survival of the human species linked?
This may see a very "local" post - but I am amazed as I put up these posts how quickly the world is changing - and at an accelerating rate.
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| Pholiota: Scaly-cap (or maybe Gymnopilus) |
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| Green Wood-cup - Chlorosplenium aeruginascens (young cups c 5mm) |
On the first of the month at Settle a walk is held and the sheets from the "Pray and Fast for the Climate site (a UK website)" are used. Last night (30 Sept) I emailed the producer of the prayer/info sheet and asked to be sent it a day early so that I could print it out. The draft sheet was emailed to me and can be read here. (The final sheet will be put up on their website sometime soon, but it often misses the first day of the month so I am very grateful it was sent to me early)
The prayer for today included a section about the election in Brazil taking place tomorrow 2 October. In the few years that the current president has been in power vast amounts of the Amazon forest have been destroyed, as he encouraged people to remove the forest. (Crazy. And O so sad)
Brazil’s election
On Sunday, October 2nd, Brazilians will elect their president. The election, which is being contested by the incumbent Jair Bolsonaro and his predecessor, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, has been described as one of the most significant elections in the world for the climate. During his time in office, Bolsonaro has presided over a sharp increase in deforestation, and analysis done for Carbon Brief and based on the two candidates’ stated policies and actions, suggests that a win for Lula could reduce Amazon rainforest loss by over 75,000 km2. Please pray for wisdom for all who are voting – and that whoever wins, the Brazilian government will take action to preserve its forests.
Losing this forest (I was informed over 30 years ago, at a Right Livelyhood Award Ceremony in Bradford - when JOSÉ LUTZENBERGER - 1988 received the award ) can upset the currents in the Atlantic Ocean - and if we lose the Gulf Stream, Britain will become a much, much colder place.
(Whilst the rest of the world will get hotter) -
Also, Climate change from increased CO2 and methane and other greenhouse gases will give increased heat which will mean that crops cannot be grown so by 2050 lots of people will be starving and coming into northern countries as climate refugees.
It is only now (2022) as Pakistan floods and storms with 150mph winds in Florida that the BBC and newspapers are beginning to talk seriously about climate change. I am heartened to hear lots of good programs now on the radio .. But why could we not have had them 10 years ago?
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I write these blog posts - mostly about nature - but it is amazing look back - at the rate of change of opinion. So that is heartening.
Back to our walk.
I went to the meeting point in Settle but no-on turned up.
Two people are on holiday, one person is going on the "Visit different faiths walk" at Bradford (excellent - I recommend it) , two more couples looked at the weather (wind and showers and slippery on the ground) and said they would give it a miss, and also said 9.30 was rather an early time to start.
In some ways I was relieved - I had actually printed out a risk assessment for this walk - broken branches dues to the strong wind, slippery ground and a big drop at Scalebar Foss, and wet grass underfoot elsewhere
So I just went by myself (and arranged to meet three others later).
I had visited Scalebar a week earlier to check and knew there would be two fungi there. In fact I went to the same fallen tree at the top (did not go to the dangerous slope) and found 5 fungi. It is worth recording this - just so that next year I can say how many extra fungi appeared in the week leading up to 1 Oct.
Shaggy cap - Pholiota
Green wood Chlorosplenium
Pleurotus
White Cap )need to look it up
White mycelium in log.
Orange jelly fungus
I also photographed a few mosses and lichens:
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I went to my friends in Upper Settle. I was shown White Spindles in their garden.
We sat on the seat in the adjacent play area and looked at the Climate Prayer sheets.
Two people walking up the steps past us agreed to take our photos
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| With Fungi books and Sally's apple picker. |
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| Sitting with Climate Prayer sheets, Fungi book and White Spindles. |
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We discussed the difficulty of getting younger people to join and hep run organisations - from Craven Conservation Group to Churches Together in Settle, from U3a to the Yorkshire Naturalists Union.
Maybe It is because young people spend so much time online that there is no time to do anything else.
(Digression - for my own education:
of Generation z spend so much time online that there are not any hours left in the day to do anything else. Generation Z is those born between 1997 and 2012 - i.e. 10 - 25 year olds.
Generation Y is those born between 1981 to 1996 - also known as Millennials, i.e. now aged 26 -41.
Generation x - 1961 to 1981
Baby boomers - born 1943 to 1960
Silent Generation – people born before and during the Second World War (1925 and 1942). They valued stability, sought after corporate jobs, and married early.
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Sally and Keith told me they were going to support Settle Parish church's monthly fundraising lunch (Best: acronym for -Bacon, Sausage, Egg and Tomato butties) . sounded good. I followed them down - but first
I made survey of trees in the churchyard and found the following starting from the lych gate and walking to the left. (counting.. 20 altogether including a few shrubs.
Elderberry (1), Bramble (2), Ash (3), Yew(4), Two unknown garden shrubs, Holly(5). Sycamore(6), Raspberry (7)
Corner near viaduct.
Privet (8), Ivy (9), Elm (10), Ash, Horse Chestnut (11), Elm, Goat Willow (?Hybrid?) (12), Laburnum (13), Lilac(14), Long leaved Cherry (15), Ash, Sycamore, Apple/pear (16),
Corner (now at "step" between two parts of the churchyard)
Currant (17), Yew, Hawthorn (18), Silver Birch (19),
Corner
Two ornamental Cherry and Cypress(20) in centre
Box (21), Holly (now next to Church)
Horse chestnut, Palm (22),
Corner
Holly, Cherry, Yew
Lych gate. Path to Church:
Yews, Holly, Conifer.
I met a lady carrying some flowers to put on the grave of her mother and father. She had lived at Settle Junction till she was 8 and missed the railway. (The house had been pulled down since then).
I went in and had lunch - giving up my bacon in my hot sandwich as they were running short - and still felt guilty because of the sausage but thoroughly enjoyed it.
I met a couple of young, well youngish, people who were on the way up to Penrith as one of them was entering at Whinlatter with their dog the race:-
https://www.timeoutdoors.com/events/lakeland-paws
https://lakelandpaws.com/events/
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Back home and sorting my pictures. Well, I must stop doing this now and print out some posters for the coffee morning we are holding at Church for the Rainforest Fund on Wednesday 5 October, so that they can display them at the Giggleswick and Settle Brass Band Concert Tonight.
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