The silver birch, one of the first tree's to regrow in unmanaged area's. I wonder when this area was last a forest? When will it be a forest again? Where are the large herbivores to keep clearings open and allow the heather to grow? What will control the herbivores? Will I see any of this? So many questions.

Johnson Park, Northcote, Victoria

I think that this a Sticky Everlasting (Xerochrysum viscosum), an indigenous species found on the basalt plains in the north and west of Melbourne. These are part of a rewilding project in my local park and seem to be thriving.

In hope of butterflies.

Credit where it's due. Two years ago this bank was shorn lawn but our local council is now encouraging wildflowers and the bees love it. Location: Navan, Co Meath, Ireland.

The European tree frog (Hyla arborea) is a small tree frog. As traditionally defined, it was found throughout much of Europe, Asia and northern Africa, but based on molecular genetic and other data several populations formerly included in it are now recognized as separate species (for example, H. intermedia of Italy and nearby, H. molleri of the Iberian Peninsula, H. meridionalis of parts of southwestern Europe and northern Africa, and H. orientalis of parts of Eastern Europe, Turkey and the Black Sea and Caspian Sea regions), limiting the true European tree frog to Europe from France to Poland and Greece.

Description

European tree frog (Hyla arborea) in Kapıçam National Park, Kahramanmaraş

European tree frogs are small; males range from 32–43 mm (1.3–1.7 in) in length, and females range from 40–50 mm (1.6–2.0 in) in length. They are slender, with long legs.[4] Their dorsal skin is smooth, while their ventral skin is granular. Their dorsal skin can be green, gray, or tan depending on the temperature, humidity, or their mood. Their ventral skin is a whitish color, and the dorsal and ventral skin is separated by a dark brown lateral stripe from the eyes to the groin. Females have white throats, while males have golden brown throats[7] with large (folded) vocal sacs. The head of H. arborea is rounded, the lip drops strongly, the pupil has the shape of a horizontal ellipse, and the tympanum is clearly recognizable. The discs on the frog's toes, which it uses to climb trees and hedges, is a characteristic feature of H. arborea . Like other frogs, their hind legs are much larger and stronger than the fore legs, enabling the frogs to jump rapidly.

Distribution and habitat

Members of the H. arborea species complex are the only representatives of the widespread tree frog family (Hylidae) indigenous to mainland Europe. and are found across most of Europe (except Ireland), northwest Africa, and temperate Asia to Japan. This species complex is native to these countries:

Albania; Armenia; Austria; Azerbaijan; Belarus; Belgium; Bosnia and Herzegovina; Bulgaria; Croatia; Cyprus; the Czech Republic; Denmark; France; Georgia; Germany; Greece; Hungary; Israel (found in the Ayalon Valley); Italy; Liechtenstein; Lithuania; Luxembourg; Macedonia, the Republic of; Moldova; Montenegro; the Netherlands; Poland; Portugal; Romania; the Russian Federation; Serbia; Slovakia; Slovenia; Sweden; Switzerland; Turkey; Ukraine.

It has also been introduced to the United Kingdom, although the species status is contested, with at least one British population, now thought to be extinct, may have been native.[11] Historical evidence suggests that the species could have possibly perished due to over-collection for medicinal use.Celtic Rewilding have proposed a reintroduction to the UK. It has been reintroduced to Latvia.

European tree frogs can be found in marshlands, damp meadows, reed beds, parks, gardens, vineyards, orchards, stream banks, lake shores, or humid or dry forests. They tend to avoid dark or thick forests, and they are able to tolerate some periods of dryness; therefore, sometimes they are found in dry habitats.

The three White Stork chics are almost ready to leave the nest...there is barely any room for the parents there now. Someone earlier had seen the male here feeding them grass snakes. I wasn't so lucky!!

A big thank you to all of you who visited, faved and commented, it is very much appreciated! ...

This started off as a design thought that then got to a photo shoot of just a plain bottle ... I then shot a plain white tag alongside the bottle ... and then layered all the additional bottle layers, bottle-top strip and tag photography through photoshop. None of what you see is real apart from the bottle and tag ...

... cooling in the shade

Knepp Wildland Estate (UK)

Knepp is a 3,500 acre estate just south of Horsham, West Sussex. Since 2001, the land – once intensively farmed - has been devoted to a pioneering rewilding project. Using grazing animals as the drivers of habitat creation, and with the restoration of dynamic, natural water courses, the project has seen extraordinary increases in wildlife. Extremely rare species like turtle doves, nightingales, peregrine falcons and purple emperor butterflies are now breeding here; and populations of more common species are rocketing.

The vision of the Knepp Wildland Project is radically different to conventional nature conservation in that it is not driven by specific goals or target species. Instead, its driving principle is to establish a functioning ecosystem where nature is given as much freedom as possible. The aim is to show how a ‘process-led’ approach can be a highly effective, low-cost method of ecological restoration - suitable for failing or abandoned farmland - that can work to support established nature reserves and wildlife sites, helping to provide the webbing that will one day connect them together on a landscape scale.

knepp.co.uk/home

TNC Commons, home of The Nature Collective, is a beautifully immersive destination where nature and community come together—featuring a unique blend of urban charm, green space, forest trails, and so much more. It’s the perfect place to pause, breathe, and rewild your spirit and learn more about The Nature Collective!

We hope you will visit today!

maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Itame/88/103/91

Between the weather, family and lots of work demands I've had almost no time for photography or walking lately, so it was a real treat to grab a couple of hours at Knepp Estate last weekend.

I heard plenty of bellowing stags although they were well hidden. This lovely young buck stopped briefly and gave me enough time to press the shutter though.

Scentless Mayweed a wildflower that is in bloom in the UK now on waste ground where this flower was photographed. Similar to a daisy flower except that the head is rounder and bulbous.

Although called scentless it does have a slightly sweet smell.

.

A personal project inspired by a Guide to Wild Flowers published in 1979 which belonged to my grandparents and a wish to photography each plant in the book. A hope that adults and children may take the time to look for native wild flowers in a time when rewilding interest is high. Share your findings #guidetowildflowers .

.

To find out more go to www.quirkyjunket.com or click on the link on my profile.

.

No 20 of 157 plants to find and photograph - Scentless Mayweed

Purple Emperor butterfly seen at the Knepp Estate on a hot June evening. With the butterfly perched low on a west-facing branch to escape the heat and easterly wind, I had an ideal opportunity to photograph this elusive species from just a few metres. See more of my butterflies: www.alanmackenziephotography.com/2020/07/the-sussex-butte...

HFF

A tranquil aerial view of a rewetted peatland, where lush greenery meets still waters under a dramatic sky. Once drained, this restored ecosystem is now a thriving habitat and a key ally in climate mitigation. The mirrored clouds on the water’s surface contrast with ghostly tree stumps, symbolizing past exploitation and current hope.

One of Knepp's beautiful Exmoor Ponies enjoying the shade of the woodland within the Estate's rewilding project.

Thanks for those commenting, saying hello and looking at the two posts since I've been back on Flickr. I haven't had a chance to get to people's streams yet and say hello myself but I'm looking forward to it.

This image is of Asa when he was living at about 3000m. I used to visit him every few days to check and do a food drop, simulating what a mother leopard does in the wild.

As the first successfully rewilded leopard in Nepal using the strategies I employed we have set a template for the future. There are details at wildtiger.org which links to the LEOPARD REWILDING PROGRAM at wildleopard.net

I will be telling more of the story here on Flickr as time goes by.

BTW... the date is wrong, the image was taken last winter here, I'll correct it soon.

Little Owl photographed in the sunset on the Knepp Rewilding Estate, Sussex.

Fuji X-E3 plus Helios 44M-7 wide-open. You would be forgiven to think that the care for the preservation of the diversity of life forms must be a demand coming from those most affected. Well, it also and most definitely comes from big business and the speculative investment interests of the super rich. The reason is simple: there is a lot of money to be made from conservation biology. Using genetic engineering to de-extinct the extinct woolly mammoth for example and reintroducing them to the Arctic tundra and thus "re-balancing" the original habitat surely is a publicity winner. Why worrying about climate crisis, urbanisation and countless animals and plants going extinct when there is a multi-billion $ company promising to recreate sound habitats including their diversity of animal life? Am I a bit satirical here? I'm afraid not.

The bright orange trumpets of the orange honeysuckle (Lonicera ciliosa) glow in the leafy understory of Ravenna Park, Seattle, Washington. This pretty native is one of many that are making a comeback thanks to parkland restoration/rewilding efforts throughout the state.

A common frog in the Highlands of Scotland

One of the most beneficial things I've done over the years is to create a couple of garden ponds for nature. For a modest outlay and a couple of days of digging, it has paid back in satisfaction as you watch each pond begin to quickly populate with a variety of plants and wildlife.

Elwha River

Clallam county, Washington

The 45 mile long Elwha, one of the five major rivers that drain the Olympic mountains, was un-dammed in 2014 after 103 years. It is the site of the largest river restoration project ever attempted by the National Park Service. The aim is to restore the salmon population. The project was and is massive - besides knocking down two dams with water behind them, acres of silt washed downstream had to be diverted and managed, newly dry land revegetated and a hundred other both expected and unexpected contingencies dealt with. So far the results are very encouraging - the project is now the template for how to rewild a river.

That’s Beth at the extreme right, trying to get a shot of Common Mergansers resting on a gravel bar.

At one time, this area was part of the Great Wood of Caledon. For 2000 years it has been felled, upsetting the balance of nature. Much has been rightly made of the landowners evicting the population to make way for sheep farms, but part of that transformation was also the removal of the forest. There are still sheep on the land, preventing the forest from re-establishing itself and the few ancient trees that are still hanging on are dying out. There are plots of alien trees being grown up there, Sitka Spruce, Lodgepole Pine and Japanese Larch but these do not provide the same habitat, have no vibrant understorey or wildlife. Until the landowners are forced to rewild then these wonderful vibrant woods will soon be lost forever.

Two of the Poppy fields on a large (4000 acres) local estate this morning. Estate is going through an interesting period. they have just started rewilding roughly one third of the land with the rest given over to regenerative agriculture with minimum use of chemicals, the poppy fields will be part of that system & there are other fields with poppy's in. The rewilding side has already introduced a trial Beaver pair to a 50 acre enclosure. Distant view of the Sea in 1st photo & there is a Country Park marsh down there

Here in Sussex at The Knepp Estate are the first known breeding pair of White Storks in the UK since 1416. There seem to be three chicks in the nest and it was wonderful to see them stretching their wings and waiting impatiently for the female to arrive back with their food. So, very exciting days for all of those involved in this reintroduction! The White Stork Project are leading the way and here is what they say about their project:

"These large birds, symbolic of rebirth, are native to the British Isles and evidence suggests that they were once widely distributed. Whilst it is unclear why this spectacular and sociable bird failed to survive in Britain, it is likely that a combination of habitat loss, over-hunting and targeted persecution all contributed to their decline. A contributory factor may be that it was persecuted in the English Civil War for being associated with rebellion. The white stork is a migratory bird species, and there have been many sightings in the UK over recent years, but conservationists identified that the species would need a helping hand to re-establish a breeding population in Britain.

The White Stork Project is led by a pioneering partnership of private landowners and nature conservation organisations, who are working together to restore a population of at least 50 breeding pairs in southern England by 2030 through a phased release programme over the next five years."

“When you think about it, we are completing a journey. Ten thousand years ago, as hunter-gatherers, we lived a sustainable life because that was the only option. All these years later, it’s once again the only option. We need to rediscover how to be sustainable. To move from being apart from nature to becoming a part of nature once again.”

~Sir David Attenborough

(As the narrator in the documentary film ‘David Attenborough: A Life on Our Planet)

Sir David Attenborough recently made headlines for his wildly popular Instagram account, which reached one million followers in record time after only four hours of being active. Such popularity of the man reflects the impact of his work in broadcasting and environmentalism for the past 60 years. In his sensitively made recent documentary, “David Attenborough: A Life on Our Planet” (on Netflix) –which the 93 years old conservationist calls his ‘witness statement’ for the environment– David Attenborough narrates a persuasive case in support of sustaining wilderness and biodiversity to save humanity from its own doings. Laced with top notch wildlife and landscape videography, the documentary simmers in deep humility arising from Attenborough’s decades of fieldwork and his prescience that’s gloom and hope in equal parts. Early on, Attenborough reminds us that the human race has '…broken loose from the restrictions that have governed the activities and numbers of other animals'. Today, we are 'replacing the wild with the tame' where we 8 billion humans and our livestock account for majority of animal biomass on this planet. ’The rest, from mice to whales, make up just 4%’. That is a sobering piece of data for biodiversity or lack thereof. Indeed, Attenborough hauntingly laments, The human beings have overrun the world… completely destroyed the world…’.

Take for example the amount of carbon in the atmosphere. An increase in atmospheric carbon has always destabilized life on earth– yes global warming… y’all must have heard about it. Excess carbon in the atmosphere'was a feature of all five mass extinctions (on earth). In previous events, it had taken volcanic activity up to one million years to dredge up enough carbon from within the earth to trigger a catastrophe. (By burning coal and oil)… we have managed to do so in less than 200'. If humanity remains on its current course, in the next few decades –Attenborough predicts with the grimness of dark dungeons– the warming earth will become largely unhabitable for most, including pollinating insects, thrusting us into a perilous food crises. ’A sixth mass extinction event is well underway. This is a series of one-way doors'. Irreversible.

But all hope is not lost. ‘To restore stability to our planet, we must restore its biodiversity… We must rewild the world.’ Attenborough then goes on to suggest several means of doing so in the next few decades, most of which you may have already heard of. If we do our parts right, ’we will finally learn how to work with nature rather than against it… This is not about saving our planet. It’s about saving ourselves… We have come this far because we are the smartest creatures that have ever lived. But to continue, we require more than intelligence. We require wisdom.'

Arguably, among all the living organisms, human beings are the only ones able to imagine the future full-scale. Additionally, thanks to our technology and scientific prowess, we also have the unmatched ability to frame and design the future, at least partially, to our liking. But do we have the wisdom and –more importantly– the will to rise above our shallow egos and short-term gains to choose the best future for our unborn generations?

PS: While processing the above Navajo landmark's image, I was admittedly influenced by my friend Sandra Herber's rich oeuvre, relevant parts of which depict ruins in a minimalist and poignant way to tell how a place looks when gods and humans evacuate it. Thank you, Sandra.

Two of the group of Exmoor pony's who are now helping to keep the vegetation down in the Wild Ken Hill re-wilding area. nice of them to pose for me yesterday.

A backlit birch at the waters edge on a late summers morning. A low mist above the water added to the atmosphere. I loved the ancient tree roots in the foreground.

While exploring the village of Kam Tin in Hong Kong’s New Territories I stumbled upon a housing complex that seemed to have been completely abandoned. The houses were modern and, as I wandered around, I began to get a little creeped out, wondering why exactly the complex had been abandoned. After exploring a couple of the houses I decided it might be best to depart, leaving behind the rest of the complex and many unanswered questions.

River Brent walk

Autumn teasel

Sunrise through the trees at Fritton Lake. Stitched panorama constructed from 7 vertical images stitched together using Microsoft Image composite editor (ICE)

Taken on the 08/05/2023 at 06:08:33Hrs using a NikonD3100 with a Sigma 18-300mm F3.5-6.3 DC MACRO OS Lens, through the open patio doors of woodland lodge No. 43.

Fritton Lake is in the heart of a thousand-acre Norfolk rewilding project and is a private holiday club in Norfolk, East Anglia.

View large for more detail.