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As inspired by the song Cinderella by Steven Curtis Chapman
She spins and she sways
To whatever song plays
Without a care in the world
And I'm sitting here wearing
The weight of the world on my shoulders
It's been a long day
And there's still work to do
She's pulling at me
Saying "Dad, I need you
There's a ball at the castle
And I've been invited
And I need to practice my dancing
Oh, please, Daddy, please?"
So I will dance with Cinderella
While she is here in my arms
'Cause I know something the prince never knew
Oh, I will dance with Cinderella
I don't want to miss even one song
'Cause all too soon the clock will strike midnight
And she'll be gone...
She says he's a nice guy and I'd be impressed
She wants to know if I approve of the dress
She says, "Dad, the prom is just one week away
And I need to practice my dancing
Oh, please, Daddy, please?"
So I will dance with Cinderella
While she is here in my arms
'Cause I know something the prince never knew
Oh, I will dance with Cinderella
I don't want to miss even one song
'Cause all too soon the clock will strike midnight
And she'll be gone
She will be gone
Well, she came home today with a ring on her hand
Just glowing and telling us all they had planned
She says, "Dad, the wedding's still six months away
But I need to practice my dancing
Oh, please, Daddy, please?"
So I will dance with Cinderella
While she is here in my arms
'Cause I know something the prince never knew
Oh, I will dance with Cinderella
I don't want to miss even one song
'Cause all too soon the clock will strike midnight
And she'll be gone
Copyright© 2009 Kamoteus/RonMiguel RN
This image is protected under the United States and International Copyright laws and may not be downloaded, reproduced, copied, transmitted or manipulated without written permission.
20190613IT Friend of mine had a Lambretta painted like this in our Mod days, a snazzy dresser but yet another mystery - does anyone know what this is? Badia a Ruoti Italy #denizen #hedgerows #10 #nature #savetheplanet #savetheearth #blueplanet
A conceptual artwork depicting wildlife without a home after the forest was clearcut by those who said they were restoring the forest.
When I was a kid we pulled weeds as one of our chores and I remember my dad used this long pointed spade to dig dandelions out of the lawn. Then somewhere along the line people decided to just spray everything with chemicals.
In our neighborhood residents pay a monthly fee to have the landscaping of common areas and our front yards cared for by an outside company. Due to the use of pesticides and herbicides we have decided to mind our own garden. We still have to pay the monthly fee even though we don't take the service but knowing that my children and dogs are not rolling in chemicals makes it worth it.
First we noticed that we had more bugs and weeds but we had more wildflowers as well. Then lizards, frogs and birds came to eat the bugs. The tortoises came to eat the weeds and a mouse even came to eat the crumbs the kids dropped under the table so I no longer had to sweep. In a short time we reached a nice balance. And we all lived happily ever after.
Nikon D7000 ~ Nikkor 50mm 1.8G ~ Exposure 1/600 ~ Aperture f/8.0 ~ ISO Speed 400
ODC - DIY
© Image by Laurarama - All rights reserved. My Images may not be used on websites, blogs or other media. Do not use, copy or alter in any way without my written permission.
Bali often reminds me that in the midst of corruption, rubbish, tourist traps and patriarchy, beauty can still be found. This picture, this moment, I feel conveys that.
With the influence of money, westernisation, fear and control, the locals that aren't hypnotized struggle to keep their basic, unadulterated way of life.
After returning home for more than a decade, it saddens me that the change I see in Bali is not a change for good.
I can't honestly say that I'm doing my part to make a difference. Rarely do I support local businesses, buy produce from labouring farmers or cease my use of plastic bags.
Your right to say that I'm a hypocrite, because my actions don't match my true feelings. A struggle I've faced all my life, it's something that dearly needs to be corrected If I want to love, if I want to make a difference.
To any reader of this passage, I encourage you to sincerely reflect upon the same issue, a global issue that most of humanity faces. A global awakening that can make a difference. What's that I hear you say? "I'm no hypocrite". You may be right, you also may be wrong. Isn't that worth pondering upon?
All those promises you broke to your child, the people you lied too, the lies you tell yourself. If that isn't a source of hypocrisy, of pain , than I don't know what is.
Those who want to save the earth, first save yourselves. See that the pain and suffering around us is a direct reflection of our own unloving condition, our own unwillingness to change.
A wise man once said “Be the change you wish to see in the world”. That wise man has now passed, but his words, his actions apply today just as much as they did before. Who knows, in 10 years time, it could be you that I’m quoting, it could be you that’s left a legacy.
This picture was taken in Ubud, Bali.
N627JB
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translucent leaves of a week old sapling are caught in light reflected from a passing car on the street
#alaska #alaskaairlines #savetheearth #american #boeing #737 #airplane #airline #aircraft #plane #planes #avgeek #aviation #aviator #aviationgeek #a321 #airbusa321 #airbus #nikon #nikond3500 #d3500 #a321neoa321neo #jfk #kjfk #newyork #kennedy #newyorkcity #ny #n927va
How to Support🙌 Renewable Energy (and Why You😃 Really Should) ow.ly/hu0f30dLa93 by Sabrina Stierwalt✏ #ScientificAmerican📰
"Earlier this month came the news that China🇨🇳 plans to invest $361 billion💵 into renewable energy projects over the next three years. A few days later..."
(Renewable energy is no longer the future🚀, it is NOW!)
@scientific_american🔬
#RenewableEnergy🌀
@renewourplanet🌐
#SaveTheEarth🌍
@openheartsopenhands👐
#ForOurChildren👶
@cobrandsocial🙏
#WorkTogether👥
@jmconsulting7📊
#ManageExpectations📈
The increase of population spurs technological progress and creates that anxiety which sets us against our environment as an enemy; while technology both facilitates increase of population and reinforces our arrogance, or "hubris," vis-à-vis the natural environment.
The attached diagram illustrates the interconnections. It will be noted that in this diagram each corner is clockwise, denoting that each is by itself a self-promoting (or, as the scientists say,"auto catalytic") phenomenon: the bigger the population, the faster it grows; the more technology we have, the faster the rate of new invention; and the more we believe in our "power" over an enemy environment, the more "power" we seem to have and the more spiteful the environment seems to be.
(for the diagram see: www.colorado.edu/AmStudies/lewis/ecology/sick.htm )
... The ideas which dominate our civilization at the present time date in their most virulent form from the
Industrial Revolution. They may be summarized as:
(a) It's us against the environment.
(b) It's us against other men.
(c) It's the 'individual (or the individual company, or the individual nation) that matters.
(d) We can have unilateral control over the environment and must strive for that control.
(e) We live within an infinitely expanding "frontier."
(f) Economic determinism is common sense.
(g) Technology will do it for us.
We submit that these ideas are simply proved false by the great but ultimately destructive achievements of our technology in the last 150 years. Likewise they appear to be false under modern ecological theory. The creature that wins against its environment destroys itself.
Gregory Bateson, "The Roots of Ecological Crisis" (1972)..YES 1972 !!!!!
This salsify popped up under a big tree in my front yard, somehow escaping the weed-eater and lawn mower, then braving the early snow to reward me with its splendor.
N595JB
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We must protect our wildlife, big and small. Feed birds, put up birdhouses, plant shrubs and trees, go organic, .... Save the POLLINATORS!
"
The real wealth of the Nation lies in the resources of the earth soil, water, forests, minerals, and wildlife. To utilize them for present needs while insuring their preservation for future generations requires a delicately balanced and continuing program, based on the most extensive research. Their administration is not properly, and cannot be, a matter of politics. "
Rachel Carson
CC, Week 17, Earth Week
n645jb #nikon #jetblueairlines #flyjetblue #embraer #airline #airplane #aircraft #avgeek #aviator #aviation #aviationgeek #plane #planes #savetheearth #a320 #airbusa320 #airbus #photography# #A320family #a320Ceo #ewr #kewr #newark #newarkliberty #newarknj #nj #n645jb
George Bernard Shaw quotation . It refers to my belief that we can, we must.....believe for a healthy Earth, more highly evolved Earthlings. Expecting the worst never brought good results for me, and I am determined now to believe for good things, expect good things. It's so easy to look around and see with our eyes the Earth getting sicker, the end getting closer. But we are "little pieces of God" (Wayne Dyer) , even as a drop of our blood contains our makeup (DNA). If we call upon our Creator, who loves us and all the Earth, and determine to have faith "as a grain of mustard seed".....we can turn things around! Let's try it. Let's envision a healthy planet, people who care about each other and all living things. Let's speak words of faith and positivity. Let's see the essence of God in a sunset and a tree; be still and feel HIs Presence.
I'm not a churchgoer, but I am a Believer. Who senses the impossible miracle of life, and is very grateful.
Copyright warning: All the pictures in my stream are my exclusive property and not to be used by any other person , business or entity without written terms and permissions. Please contact me if you are interested in this photo.
A One World Religion is needed to unite all the religions of the world. This must be done in order to bring in a One World Government. This One World Region will say: we must not marry or procreate in order to save the earth. We must abstain from certain foods like meat; it’s for the good of the planet. We must eat plant-based diets, bugs, and 3D printed meat. Speaking about the last days, the Bible says: “They will teach that it is wrong to marry and to eat certain foods.” They will also say: we must work together to fight climate change, in order to save Mother Goddess—Mother Earth!
Obey the prostitute who sits on the beast—Mystery Babylon and the Tower of Babel. The first organized religion, that ancient Babylonian religion, that false religion, the first from which all stem. Build a tower (ziggurat), build a temple, and worship Mother Goddess. Later in history there comes a church, born out of a great empire, caught up in idolatry, who worships the Queen of Heaven. “The children gather wood, the fathers light the fire, and the women knead the dough and make cakes to offer to the Queen of Heaven. They pour out drink offerings to other gods to arouse my anger (Jeremiah 7:18; Jeremiah 44:17–25).” This empire faded away, yet its religious branch remained. In the end, this church branched out farther than the empire that gave it birth. Ten Toes: a dead empire will arise once again; its religious branch will be the umbrella for all the regions of the world. Seven Hills is where the prostitute resides: “Babylon the great, mother of prostitutes and of earth’s abominations.” Drink from the gold goblet in the prostitute’s hand, for it is filled with all the filthy abominations of her prostitution. She boldly proclaims: let’s join together, let’s commit fornication and become spiritually united. In oneness and love we will work together. We will address the issues facing humanity. After all we are forms, imitations and projections of the ancient enlightenment. We must abandon our differences and unite mankind, awakening them to a higher consciousness. We will be light bearers; we will work towards universal justice and equality. Once this is accomplished, we will truly live in peace and harmony.
Eventually the prostitute’s demise will come: “The Beast and the Ten Horns you saw will hate the prostitute. They will bring her to ruin and leave her naked; they will eat her flesh and burn her with fire.” Then a False Prophet will come forward, performing great signs. He will tell the people to commit idolatry with another. Therefore, the inhabitants of the earth will worship the Image of the Beast. Indeed, they will worship the prostitute’s pimp—that ancient Serpent, that ancient Dragon. “They worshiped the Dragon who had given authority to the Beast, and they worshiped the Beast, saying, “Who is like the Beast? Who is able to make war with him?”
Some 80% of Scotland’s land mass is under agricultural production, making the industry the single biggest determinant of the landscape we see around us. Scotland’s farmers, crofters and growers produce output worth around £2.9 billion a year, and are responsible for much of Scotland’s £5 billion food and drink exports. The export target for 2017 is £7.1 billion.
Around 67,000 people are directly employed in agriculture in Scotland – this represents around 8% of the rural workforce and means that agriculture is the third largest employer in rural Scotland after the service and public sectors. It is estimated that a further 360,000 jobs (1 in 10 of all Scottish jobs) are dependent on agriculture.
The agri-food sector is now the UKs largest manufacturing sector.
Around 85% of Scotland is classified as Less Favoured Area. This is an EU classification which recognises natural and geographic disadvantage.
There are large numbers of farms in north west Scotland, but these are significantly smaller in terms of the numbers of livestock/area of crops grown than farms elsewhere. Sheep farming is the predominant type of farming in the north west and there are also many sheep farms in the south of the country. Larger cereal farms are concentrated in the east. Beef farming takes place throughout Scotland, but is particularly common in the south west. This area also has the bulk of the dairy industry.
20190614IT Gecko watching me watching him Badia a Ruoti Italy #denizen #hedgerows #9 #nature #savetheplanet #savetheearth #blueplanet
N351UP
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I was taking a nap under the pine trees in Yosemite National Park. What a lovely place we need to preserve for many generations. Give generously to your national park funds, take kids to visit nature's wild places and do what you can to help solve global warming. Turn the AC up a little , support clean energy industries and take some deep clean breaths. Blessings.
Collieston is a small former fishing village on the North Sea coast in Aberdeenshire, Scotland. The village lies just north of the Sands of Forvie Special Protection Area, between Cruden Bay and Newburgh.
The earliest recorded history of Collieston is of the arrival of St Ternan, a Columban monk on a mission to convert the local picts to Christianity. There is, however, evidence that people lived here during much earlier times.
Collieston was established as a fishing village by the 16th century, and it provides the first safe harbour in over fifteen miles of beachesand dunes stretching north from Aberdeen.
Fishing for herring, haddock, whiting and codflourished in the 17th century and 18th century and was the foundation of Collieston's economy. The village became known for 'Collieston Speldings', salted and sun-dried haddock and whiting, a popular delicacy throughout Britain. As drift netting developed during the mid 19th century, the fishing began to decline and the focus of the industry shifted to places like Peterhead because the harbour at Collieston was too small to safely accommodate the larger boats needed.
The numerous sea caves in the nearby cliffs, and small coves with shingle beaches provided ideal terrain for smugglers. In the late 18th century it was estimated by the Excise that up to 8000 gallons of foreign spirits were being illegally landed in the area every month. In 1798, the notorious village smuggler, Phillip Kennedy, was killed by a blow from an exciseman's cutlass. His grave and tombstone still stands in the village graveyard.
A ship from the Spanish Armada, the Santa Caterina, carrying arms for the Earl of Erroll is said to have sunk just off the rocky point of St Catherine's Dub in 1594. In retaliation for the Earl's involvement in the Catholic plot against him, James VI blew up the Earl's castle which stood on the cliffs, a mile north of Collieston. The Earl went on to rebuild Slains Castle, six miles further up the coast, in 1597.
Collieston is now mainly a commuter village serving Aberdeen, and is largely given over to tourists during the summer months.
I revisited Donmouth Nature Reserve today 2/3/2018, prompted by the severe weather conditions that the so called "Beast From The East" has brought to the UK in the past few days, I decided to visit and capture any impacts it may have had along the coastline.
I found that the walk paths have eroded due to the heavy tides and tall waves that have battered the shore over the past few days, you can see the pathway clumps of grass that previously sat above the coastline now laying on the shore waiting for the sea to drag them off to the bottom of the North Sea.
Today was bitterly cold, the sea raged though I enjoyed a magnificent walk along the shore capturing what lay before me.
Check out my photos previously posted to appreciate the impact this "BFTE" has had on this beautiful nature reserve.
Coastal erosion is the wearing away of land and the removal of beach or sand dunes sediments by wave action, tidal currents, wave currents, drainage or high winds (see also beach evolution). Waves, generated by storms, wind, or fast moving motor craft, can cause coastal erosion, which may take the form of long-term losses of sediment and rocks, or merely the temporary redistribution of coastal sediments; erosion in one location may result in accretion nearby.
The study of erosion and sediment redistribution is called 'coastal morphodynamics'.
It may be caused by hydraulic action, abrasion, impact and corrosion by wind, water, and other forces, natural or unnatural.
On non-rocky coasts, coastal erosion results in dramatic (or non-dramatic) rock formations in areas where the coastline contains rock layers or fracture zones with varying resistance to erosion.
Softer areas become eroded much faster than harder ones, which typically result in landforms such as tunnels, bridges, columns, and pillars.
Over time the coast generally evens out. The softer areas fill up with sediment eroded from hard areas, and rock formations are eroded away.
Also abrasion commonly happens in areas where there are strong winds, loose sand, and soft rocks.
The blowing of millions of sharp sand grains creates a sandblasting effect. This effect helps to erode, smooth and polish rocks.
The definition of abrasion is grinding and wearing away of rock surfaces through the mechanical action of other rock or sand particles.
Examples
Small-scale erosion destroys abandoned railroad tracks
A place where erosion of a cliffed coast has occurred is at Wamberal in the Central Coast region of New South Wales where houses built on top of the cliffs began to collapse into the sea. This is due to waves causing erosion of the primarily sedimentary material on which the buildings foundations sit.[2]
Dunwich, the capital of the English medieval wool trade, disappeared over the period of a few centuries due to redistribution of sediment by waves.
Human interference can also increase coastal erosion:
Hallsands in Devon, England, was a coastal village that washed away over the course of a year, an event directly caused by dredging of shingle in the bay in front of it.
The California coast, which has soft cliffs of sedimentary rock and is heavily populated, regularly has incidents of housing damage as cliffs erodes .
The Holderness coastline on the east coast of England, just north of the Humber Estuary, is one of the fastest eroding coastline in Europe due to its soft clay cliffs and powerful waves.
Groynes and other artificial measures to keep it under control has only accelerated the process further down the coast, because longshore drift starves the beaches of sand, leaving them more exposed. The White Cliffs of Dover have also been affected.
Fort Ricasoli in Kalkara, Malta already showing signs of damage where the land is being eroded Fort Ricasoli, a historic 17th century fortress in Malta is being threatened by coastal erosion, as it was built on a fault in the headland which is prone to erosion.
A small part of one of the bastion walls has already collapsed since the land under it has eroded, and there are cracks in other walls as well.
Wave action
Hydraulic action
Hydraulic action occurs when waves striking a cliff face compress air in cracks on the cliff face. This exerts pressure on the surrounding rock, and can progressively splinter and remove pieces. Over time, the cracks can grow, sometimes forming a cave. The splinters fall to the sea bed where they are subjected to further wave action.
Attrition
Attrition occurs when waves cause loose pieces of rock debris (scree) to collide with each other, grinding and chipping each other, progressively becoming smaller, smoother and rounder. Scree also collides with the base of the cliff face, chipping small pieces of rock from the cliff or have a corrasion (abrasion) effect, similar to sandpapering.
Solution
Solution is the process in which acids contained in sea water will dissolve some types of rock such as chalk or limestone.
Corrasion
Corrasion or otherwise known as abrasion occurs when waves break on cliff faces and slowly erode it. As the sea pounds cliff faces it also uses the scree from other wave actions to batter and break off pieces of rock from higher up the cliff face which can be used for this same wave action and attrition.
Corrosion
Corrosion or solution/chemical weathering occurs when the sea's pH (anything below pH 7.0) corrodes rocks on a cliff face. Limestone cliff faces, which have a moderately high pH, are particularly affected in this way. Wave action also increases the rate of reaction by removing the reacted material.
Factors that influence erosion rates
Primary factors
The ability of waves to cause erosion of the cliff face depends on many factors.
The hardness (or inversely, the erodibility) of sea-facing rocks is controlled by the rock strength and the presence of fissures, fractures, and beds of non-cohesive materials such as silt and fine sand.
The rate at which cliff fall debris is removed from the foreshore depends on the power of the waves crossing the beach. This energy must reach a critical level to remove material from the debris lobe. Debris lobes can be very persistent and can take many years to completely disappear.
Beaches dissipate wave energy on the foreshore and provide a measure of protection to the adjoining land.
The stability of the foreshore, or its resistance to lowering. Once stable, the foreshore should widen and become more effective at dissipating the wave energy, so that fewer and less powerful waves reach beyond it. The provision of updrift material coming onto the foreshore beneath the cliff helps to ensure a stable beach.
The adjacent bathymetry, or configuration of the seafloor, controls the wave energy arriving at the coast, and can have an important influence on the rate of cliff erosion. Shoals and bars offer protection from wave erosion by causing storm waves to break and dissipate their energy before reaching the shore.
Given the dynamic nature of the seafloor, changes in the location of shoals and bars may cause the locus of beach or cliff erosion to change position along the shore.
Coastal erosion has been greatly affected by the rising sea levels globally.
Donmouth Local Nature Reserve is a beach site in the historic Old Aberdeen part of the City where the River Don meets the sea.
A great place to see seals and a range of interesting birds. The beach area has changed over time as the river has changed its course. There are lots of interesting plants in the dunes and beach area. Bird hide is an excellent shelter from which to watch the wildlife. The paths run across King Street to the Brig 'o Balgownie., the original bridge in to the City from the North, then down the other side of the river to the sea.
The site was designated a Local Nature Reserve in 1992
Paths are good although wheelchair access to the beach would be difficult as the boardwalk can get covered with sand.
There is plenty of free car parking on the Beach Esplanade and at the car park in Donmouth Road. There are cycle racks on Beach Esplanade
Bridge Of Don has five spans of dressed granite, and rounded cutwaters that carry up to road level to form pedestrian refuges. The spans are 75 feet (23 m), with a rise of 25 feet (7.6 m).
It was widened in 1958-59, from 24 feet (7.3 m), to 66 feet (20 m) by the construction of a new concrete bridge adjacent to the old one.
It now carries four lanes of the A956 road, and is the last bridge on the River Don before it meets the sea. The bridge is just downstream from a substantial island in the river. Around the area of the bridge is the Donmouth Local Nature Reserve, designated as a LNR in 1992.
Near to the bridge are a number of World War II era coastal defences, including a pill box.
Mudflats
Mudflats are formed when fine particles carried downstream by the river are deposited as it slows down before entering the sea, and to a lesser extent by fine particles washed in by the tide. The sand spit at the mouth of the Don provides shelter from the wind and waves allowing this material to build up. The mud flats are a very rich and fertile environment. Despite their rather barren appearance they support a surprisingly diverse invertebrate fauna which includes; worms, molluscs and crustacea. These invertebrates are vitally important to wildfowl and wading birds within the estuary.
Salt marsh
Along the upper shore of the south bank saltmarsh has developed. This habitat would once have been much more extensive prior to the tipping of domestic and other refuse in the area and the formation in 1727 of an artificial embankment to prevent flooding of the river into the Links. This habitat is now reduced to a narrow strip of vegetation along the river margins upstream from the Powis Burn.
The species composition of the salt marsh varies according to the salinity of the water i.e. the proximity to the sea. Close to the Powis Burn this habitat is dominated by reed sweet-grass (Glyceria maxima) with reed canary-grass (Phalaris arundinacea), sea club-rush (Scirpus maritimus), spike-rush (Eleocharis palustris), hemlock water-dropwort (Oenanthe crocata) and common scurvygrass (Chochlearia officinalis).
Further inland reed sweet-grass continues to dominate but hemlock water-dropwort is more abundant with meadowsweet (Filipendula ulmaria) and valarian (Valariana officinalis),
Sand dunes
Sand dunes are found in the more exposed parts of the estuary at the river mouth. Again, this habitat was once much more extensive in this locality with dune grasslands stretching from Aberdeen Beach inland as far as King Street, southwards from the estuary of the Dee, northwards to the Sands of Forvie and beyond. Many of the dunes formed part of Seaton Tip, and following tipping the area was grassed over. Other areas have been formally landscaped to form golf courses or planted with native trees in 2010 to create a new woodland area.
Some remnants of the natural dune flora can be seen in the 'roughs' on the Kings Links golf course and near the mouth of the river.
Above the high water mark, fore dunes with thick clumps of the pioneer grass species including sea lyme grass (Elymus arenarius) and marram grass (Ammophila arenaria) occur. Few other species are able to cope with the shifting sand. The largest area of these young dunes is to the north and west of the headland. Further inland where the dunes are sheltered from the actions of the wind and waves, and soils are more developed, more stable dunes are present supporting a more diverse grassland habitat.
Strand line plants which are able to tolerate occasional coverage by sea water include sea rocket (Cakile maritima), frosted orache (Atriplex laciniata), sea sandwort (Honkenya peploides) and knotgrass (Polygonum aviculare). Bur-reed (Sparganium sp.) has been recorded; presumably washed down by the river.
Marram grass (Ammophila arenaria) and sea lyme grass (Elymus arenarius) dominate the fore dunes. The latter species is not native to this area but appeared in 1802. It is thought to have been unintentionally introduced into the area by fishing boats. For a number of years it remained uncommon but from 1870 onwards it spread rapidly along the coastline (Marren, 1982).
In the more stable dunes red fescue (Festuca rubra), sand sedge (Carex arenaria), yellow rattle (Rhinanthus minor), wild pansy (Viola tricolour), harebell (Campanula rotundifolia), bird's-foot-trefoil (Lotus corniculatus) and lesser meadow-rue (Thalictrum minus) are abundant. Small amounts of kidney vetch (Anthyllis vulneraria), valerian (Valeriana officinalis) and spring vetch (Vicia lathyroides) are present.
Scattered willows (Salix sp.) and sycamore (Acer pseudoplantanus) have seeded into this area. Gorse (Ulex europaeus) scrub has colonised the dunes in some areas and appears to be spreading.
Scrub
This habitat is almost entirely artificial with only the gorse scrub on the inner dunes being a semi-natural habitat. Alder and willow were planted along the south bank of the river in about 1970 and these shrubs are now generally well established. Further shrub planting on the south bank was carried out in 1990.
Willow (Salix sp.) and alder (Alnus glutinosa) were planted in the 1970's along the south bank of the River Don eastwards of the Bridge of Don. The trees to the west of this strip are doing considerably better than those to the east. More recent planting was carried out in 1990 with hawthorn (Crataegus monogyna), blackthorn (Prunus spinosa) elder (Sambucus nigra), goat willow (Salix caprea) and alder.
Underneath the scrub neutral grassland is present with cocksfoot (Dactylis glomerata), false oat-grass (Arrhenatherum elatius), cow parsley (Anthriscus sylvestris), sweet cicely (Myrrhis odorata), hedge woundwort (Stachys sylvatica) and hedge bindweed (Calystegia sepium).
Grassland
Much of the grassland within the reserve is formed on imported soil and is intensively managed. This includes grassland on the north and south sides of the Esplanade. Daffodils are present in the grassland on the north side of the road. On the north bank to the east of the Bridge of Don is rank grassland on a steep south-facing slope. This is unmanaged and contains some patches of scrub.
Rough grassland is present on the headland. This area has been modified by tipping, with rubble to the east and with grass cuttings to the west. The grassland contains a mixture of neutral grassland, dune grassland, ruderal, and introduced garden species. This area attracts flocks of seed eating birds in late summer and autumn.
Improved grassland is present on the headland and along the south bank of the estuary downstream from the bridge of Don. Much of this vegetation has developed on imported soil and contains a high proportion of ruderal species and garden escapes. On the headland, broadleaved dock (Rumex obtusifolius), nettle (Urtica dioica), coltsfoot (Tussilago farfara), spear thistle (Cirsium vulgare), cow parsley (Anthriscus sylvestris), hemlock (Conium maculatum) and hogweed (Heracleum sphondylium) are abundant. Sweet cicely (Chaerophyllum bulbosum) is widespread and in late summer fills the air with the scent of aniseed.
To the south of the Esplanade the grassland is managed with an annual cut.. The grassland does flood to form pools. Early in the year cuckoo flower (Cardamine pratensis) is common, meadow foxtail (Alopecuris pratensis)is known to occur around the margins of these pools.
Woodland
Semi-mature woodland is present on the steep sided south bank of the river upstream from the Bridge of Don. Most of this woodland has been planted in the mid 1930's though some older oak and elm trees are present. These may be relicts of former woodland cover. The woodland in the reserve is part of a strip of woodland along the River Don corridor which continues upstream from the Brig 'o' Balgownie.
Woodland is present on the south bank upstream from the Bridge of Don.
Much of the woodland consists of even aged stands with willow (Salix sp.), sycamore (Acer pseudoplatanus), ash (Fraxinus excelsior), beech (Fagus sylvatica) and alder (AInus glutinosa).
At the top of the slope mature oak (Quercus sp.) and elm (Ulmus glabra) are present. The ground flora contains tufted hair-grass (Deschampsia caespitosa), red campion (Silene dioica), ramsons (Allium ursinum) and lady fern (Athyrium felix-femina) .In a few areas dense shading is caused by the trees and in these areas the ground flora is poor.
On the north bank scattered trees are present, mainly willow and sycamore with some scrub.
As winter approaches and the majority of deciduous leaves have fallen, in a dark and shady corner of the garden, this twig still radiates colour and life, almost glowing again the darkness!
www.rmhc.org/ Ronald McDonald House Charities keep families with sick children close to each other and the care and resources they need.
A fish ladder, also known as a fishway, fish pass or fish steps, is a structure on or around artificial and natural barriers (such as dams, locks and waterfalls) to facilitate diadromous fishes' natural migration. Most fishways enable fish to pass around the barriers by swimming and leaping up a series of relatively low steps (hence the term ladder) into the waters on the other side. The velocity of water falling over the steps has to be great enough to attract the fish to the ladder, but it cannot be so great that it washes fish back downstream or exhausts them to the point of inability to continue their journey upriver.
To keep the earth from suffocating due to commercial fertilizers, use natural/organic fertilizers such as eggshells and coffee grounds. Eggshells, for example provide a natural nutrient, Calcium ( lime). Lime is important for plants such as
Clematis and Hydrangeas.
CC, Week 17, Earth Week
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This sculpture is sited at Grandholm Village, Aberdeen.
Grandholm Village was built by Cala Homes on the site of a former mill Aberdeen City Council instructed Cala Homes to provide a suitable artwork for the area.
The commission was awarded to Andy Scott Public Art of Glasgow. The sculpture was created by Andy Scott and his assistant at the time, George Potter, and took around 6 months to complete, being installed on site in 2005.
The theme chosen was one of a female figure to represent a kind of 'Mother Earth ' figure. She is draped in a steel 'fabric' to represent the cloth weave of the Crombie Textile Mills, which once occupied the site.
The big cats or leopards are representative of those incorporated in the city of Aberdeen's coat of arms. The work involved a welded steel technique, using a variety of different bars and plates, including profile cut 'spots' for the leopards
Earth Day
my heart is with all those who are suffering in Japan.
Sometimes, it's not in our hands.
Earth photo by NASA
Some 80% of Scotland’s land mass is under agricultural production, making the industry the single biggest determinant of the landscape we see around us. Scotland’s farmers, crofters and growers produce output worth around £2.9 billion a year, and are responsible for much of Scotland’s £5 billion food and drink exports. The export target for 2017 is £7.1 billion.
Around 67,000 people are directly employed in agriculture in Scotland – this represents around 8% of the rural workforce and means that agriculture is the third largest employer in rural Scotland after the service and public sectors. It is estimated that a further 360,000 jobs (1 in 10 of all Scottish jobs) are dependent on agriculture.
The agri-food sector is now the UKs largest manufacturing sector.
Around 85% of Scotland is classified as Less Favoured Area. This is an EU classification which recognises natural and geographic disadvantage.
There are large numbers of farms in north west Scotland, but these are significantly smaller in terms of the numbers of livestock/area of crops grown than farms elsewhere. Sheep farming is the predominant type of farming in the north west and there are also many sheep farms in the south of the country. Larger cereal farms are concentrated in the east. Beef farming takes place throughout Scotland, but is particularly common in the south west. This area also has the bulk of the dairy industry.
Collieston is a small former fishing village on the North Sea coast in Aberdeenshire, Scotland. The village lies just north of the Sands of Forvie Special Protection Area, between Cruden Bay and Newburgh.
The earliest recorded history of Collieston is of the arrival of St Ternan, a Columban monk on a mission to convert the local picts to Christianity. There is, however, evidence that people lived here during much earlier times.
Collieston was established as a fishing village by the 16th century, and it provides the first safe harbour in over fifteen miles of beachesand dunes stretching north from Aberdeen.
Fishing for herring, haddock, whiting and codflourished in the 17th century and 18th century and was the foundation of Collieston's economy. The village became known for 'Collieston Speldings', salted and sun-dried haddock and whiting, a popular delicacy throughout Britain. As drift netting developed during the mid 19th century, the fishing began to decline and the focus of the industry shifted to places like Peterhead because the harbour at Collieston was too small to safely accommodate the larger boats needed.
The numerous sea caves in the nearby cliffs, and small coves with shingle beaches provided ideal terrain for smugglers. In the late 18th century it was estimated by the Excise that up to 8000 gallons of foreign spirits were being illegally landed in the area every month. In 1798, the notorious village smuggler, Phillip Kennedy, was killed by a blow from an exciseman's cutlass. His grave and tombstone still stands in the village graveyard.
A ship from the Spanish Armada, the Santa Caterina, carrying arms for the Earl of Erroll is said to have sunk just off the rocky point of St Catherine's Dub in 1594. In retaliation for the Earl's involvement in the Catholic plot against him, James VI blew up the Earl's castle which stood on the cliffs, a mile north of Collieston. The Earl went on to rebuild Slains Castle, six miles further up the coast, in 1597.
Collieston is now mainly a commuter village serving Aberdeen, and is largely given over to tourists during the summer months.