A New African Savannah?

The Christon 'Heart of Africa' development, which started in 2022, looks to be very substantial. This £28m, 9 hectare project near the city of Chester, is apparently intended to replicate the African savannah of Uganda and Kenya. It will have 57 African species, including antelopes, giraffes, meerkats, Naked mole rats, ostriches, rhinoceros, vultures and zebras. There will be warming stations for some animals likely to feel the cold  (https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cdxqx156r13o). By zoo standards, Christon has a very large area and limits itself to animals from a distinct location. It isn't, however, anything like the African savannah. The area is, by African standards, miniscule. There's no possibility of large-scale migrations. No big predators (e.g. lions, cheetahs, hyenas etc.) are, for obvious reasons, included. There will, consequently, be no natural population control. Humans will be in charge. Having said all this, it does seem an interesting development. 

Seeing the Changes 2131

More flowerings around Bynea with Spanish bluebell (Endymion hispanicus); Red clover (Trifolium pratense); Ground ivy (Glechoma hederacea) and Red bartsia (Odontites verna).

A Lawn Isn't Just For Christmas?

Like a pet, a lawn has to be kept year-round. The immaculate UK lawn of yesteryear, has now gone out of vogue. Celebrity gardener, Monty Don, is consequently working with the Royal Horticultural Society to design a hardy 'robust lawn' for the coming Chelsea flower show. Its resulting grassy area, is intended to be occasionally mown but still be resistant to trampling by dogs. A working formula, consists of combining a hard-wearing rye grass variety with daisies, clover and dandelions. The intention is to produce areas usable by humans and their pets but that also support insect pollinators, such as bees and butterflies  (https://www.inkl.com/news/rhs-develops-robust-lawn-that-works-for-people-pollinators-and-pets). The old, monocultured lawns basically suppressed many other organisms. The hope is that these robust lawns will facilitate biodiversity. Any lawn, however, is better than gardeners replacing their grass with hard-standing for cars. This makes areas more flood prone, as drainage is prevented.

After the Fall

 

Adults, when reaching 65, tend to fall once a year (like leaves). Risk of falling is increased by both internal and external factors. Internal factors include drops in blood pressure, often linked to medication or dehydration. Low blood pressure can cause dizziness, blurred vision and even fainting. These all increase the risk of falling. Getting up too quickly from sitting or laying positions can also increase the chances of a fall. External factors include uneven pavements (sidewalks) or steps. Most falls occur in the home, a place often littered with risks. If a person falls, chances of a subsequent fall are magnified. Folk can reduce their risk of falling. They can have their balance and strength assessed. Being able to stand on one foot for at least 6 seconds, dramatically reduces risk. Inactivity increases the probability of a fall. For example, walking slower than 1 metre/second increases the likelihood of falling. Simple and relatively cheap modifications can be made to homes. This can include improving lighting, putting in strategic hand rails, shower chairs etc. Folk also need to be educated on how to safely get up after falling. In the home, this may involve crawling to a sturdy piece of furniture. Fallers may need subsequent medical assessment  (https://www.theguardian.com/global/2025/mar/31/falling-how-to-avoid-and-what-to-do). I was told, several years ago, that the most dangerous activity in the house is putting on a pair of trousers or tights. 

Seeing the Changes 2130

Cowslip (Primula veris) blooming near Loughor Foreshore.

Seeing the Changes 2129

After my first successful moth trap of 2025, a freshly-emerged Green-veined white (Artogeia napi) in my Loughor garden.

Seeing the Changes 2129

 

A modest catch from my first Loughor moth trap of 2025. An Early thorn (Selenia dentaria); a Hebrew character (Orthosia gothica) and a couple of Early greys (Xylocampa areola). Better than last year?

Going to the Seeds?

 

The seeds of many plants are rich in oils. These oils provide plants with the energy for germination. Sunflower; soya bean; corn; grape seed; rice bran; sesame and safflower oils are marketed as 'Vegetable oils' in the UK and 'Canola' in the US. The current US Health Secretary has swallowed many of the conspiracy 'theories' about seed oils. He claims that the US population is being 'unknowingly poisoned' by seed oils. He advocates folk reverting to 'traditional' fats (butter; lard and beef dripping) for better health. He even suggests that the current obesity epidemic can be linked to increasing seed oil in the diet. These conspiracy 'theories' have claimed that hexane, used along with pressing, to extract some oils, persists in the sold products. It doesn't, as it's easily removed. It's also maintained that seed oil lineoleic acid  is 'inflammatory'. This is simply untrue. In deed, a study showed that replacing a spoon of butter by rape seed or soya bean oil, reduced death risk by 17%. This substitution also reduced cancer risk. Since the 1950's seed oils have been increasingly used in human diets. Over the last 70 years, the use of seed oils has increased 200 fold.  Claimed associations with ill health are, however, generally correlational rather than causal. There's been many changes in human diets over this period. Seed oils only appear to be problematic, when converted, by adding hydrogen, into trans-fats. This is the case in the production of some margarines and many 'ultra-processed' foods  (https://www.theguardian.com/science/2025/mar/29/rfk-jr-says-they-are-poisoning-us-influencers-call-them-unnatural-but-what-is-the-truth-about-seed-oils). The elephant in the room is the distinction between saturated and unsaturated fats. The 'traditional' fats are saturated with hydrogen, making them solid at room temperature. Seed oils are unsaturated, making them liquid at room temperature. Saturated fats greatly increase the risk of arteriosclerosis. Arteriosclerosis is the build up of plaque on blood vessel interiors. These occlusions interfere with blood flow, increasing the probability of clotting. Coronary heart disease and stroke risks are correspondingly increased. Replacing seed oils by butter, lard and beef dripping, will consequently increase ill-health and premature death.

Albedo on the Brain

Teaching Environmental Awareness has a weird effect on you. You can't cross new Tarmac without thinking 'that's got a much lesser albedo than the old surface'.

Seeing the Changes 2128

 

Herb Bennet (Geum urbanum) in flower in Loughor. A Red fox (Vulpes vulpes) ambled across the cycle track in Bynea.

Bringing Them to 'Eel?

 

The migratory European eel (Anguilla anguilla) is on the red list as a critically-endangered species. In spite of this, for 50 years, the UK Glass Eels Company have exported these transparent larval eels from the Severn estuary to Kaliningrad  (Russia). Glass eels are the earliest stage that hatches from eggs and  transform into elvers (the next developmental stage) as they return to the ocean. European eels are thought to mature in the Sargasso sea before returning to the river left by the glass eel. In 2024, the UK company exported circa 3 million glass eels to Russia. These were supposedly to help a reintroduction programme in the river around Kaliningrad. Glass eels are, however, a delicacy in some restaurants. Fifty years is also a very long time for a reintroduction programme. The UK government has finally banned the export of eels to Russia. What took them so long? (https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2025/mar/28/export-of-endangered-eels-to-russia-ends-after-uk-government-ban). Red-list species need all the help they can get! The UK ban only seems to have materialised after extended pressure from environmental groups.

Slaaping Down Greenpeace?

 

Steven Donziger was an observer at the recent Greenpeace trial in North Dakota. Greenpeace were accused of being responsible for  losses incurred by the Energy Transfer Pipeline Company. That company wanted to build their Dakota Access pipeline partially across ancestral land owned by the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe. The pipeline was intended to carry crude oil from the Bakken oil fields in North Dakota, to Patoka in Illinois. The Standing Rock Sioux and environmentalists were concerned about the strong possibility of contamination to water courses. Greenpeace were briefly consulted about organising peaceful opposition to the pipeline. After what some expert observers have described as "the most  unfair trial ever initiated", Greenpeace have been fined $667 m. Energy Transfer Pipeline Company executives have effectively admitted that the trial was a SLAPP. They claim they were sending a message to Greenpeace. A 'Strategic Lawsuit Against Public Participation' is a device used by rich companies/individuals, to effectively deter their opponents by threatening them with bankruptcy. This dubious ruling has  been described as "a direct attack on the climate movement, indigenous peoples and the first amendment" (the right to free speech). SLAPPs have been used to try to prevent journalists revealing the truth about rich folk. This appears to be a really bad case of their current effectiveness  (https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2025/mar/28/greenpeace-verdict-pipeline-north-dakota). It's strange how opponents to the climate movement are very selective in their interpretation of  the US's first amendment. The law shouldn't be used to encourage them. Legal costs and the lengths of trials, however, make it a very effective device. Perhaps the practice of law needs to change?

Vaccine Cuts to the World's Poorest?

 

The cuts in USAID will have devastating effects on vaccination programmes in many parts of the world (https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/mar/26/trump-vaccine-aid-funding). These cuts come hot on the heels of the UK's  aid budget, to pay for increases in defence spending (https://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2025/mar/05/cross-party-group-of-mps-express-deep-concern-over-cuts-to-uks-aid-budget). A study in Lancet HIV estimates that almost 3 million more folk will die before 2030 as a consequence of these and other aid cuts. These cuts will also impact on vaccination programmes for malaria and tuberculosis in children. Reducing vaccination programmes won't just impact on countries in the developing world. Failure to vaccinate will provide pathogens with opportunities to spread to developed nations via tourism. Climate change will also bring these infectives (and their vectors) nearer.

The Best Thing to Do With Oyster Mushrooms?

 

You wouldn't be able to do this in space. My Earthly pleasure, however,  is putting Oyster mushrooms into an omelette

Feral Miniature Dachshund

 A Miniature dachshund (Valerie), that escaped in 2023 from a campsite on Kangaroo Island (Australia), is apparently still at large some 18 months later. Folk appear to be amazed at the resilience of the little (4 kg) dog, who reportedly rarely went outside. Valerie seems impossible to catch. Dogs, however, are very resourceful, opportunistic animals. It's thought that she may be surviving on road-kill and dam water (https://www.msn.com/en-au/news/australia/experts-amazed-at-survival-of-valerie-the-miniature-dachshund-on-the-run-on-south-australian-island-for-more-than-a-year/).This story reads like an adventure yarn. It's generally not a good idea, however, to have companion animals roaming the Australian scrub. Dogs (and cats) can constitute problems for indigenous wildlife. 

If Space Is Your Oyster?

 

The Fram2 SpaceX mission will carry an an Oyster mushroom culture into space. These fungi, grown in microgravity, will be compared to counterparts remaining on the ground in Florida. Mushrooms require no special fertilizers and relatively little water. Each day, they also double in size. Mushrooms, especially when exposed to UV light, are one of the few foods, naturally containing Vitamin D. This vitamin is important for astronaut bone health, compromised by weightlessness. Mushrooms are good sources of potassium (as are vegetables) but also of selenium and copper (found in nuts and seeds). Growing them in space, could provide astronauts with a reliable, nutrient-dense food source  (https://www.theguardian.com/science/2025/mar/26/perfect-space-crop-australian-company-to-attempt-to-grow-first-mushrooms-in-orbit). It's obviously important to establish potential sources of fresh food, especially for longer space flights. Oyster mushrooms appear to have lots of potential. Anyone can grow them in kitchen kits! 

It's Not Tackling Climate Change That's Going to Cost an Arm and a Leg!

 

Critics of net zero policies often rail against their costs. A joint Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development and UN Development Programme report, however, notes that one third of global GDP could be lost this century if the climate crisis is allowed to run unchecked. The report concludes that taking strong action to tackle climate change will increase economic growth rather than damage a country's finances. It predicts a net gain of 0.23% by 2040.  The report also notes the gain would be greater by 2050, if one adds the benefit of avoiding the devastation caused by runaway climate change. Benefits would be seen in both advanced economies and in lower income countries (https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2025/mar/26/tackling-climate-crisis-will-increase-economic-growth-oecd-research-finds). A problem has been the seductive power of politicians who can't (or won't, because they can see votes in it) see the difference between running the economies of a country and that of a household. Add to the equation the well-financed propaganda of consortia who benefit from fossil fuels, and you have the conditions for stasis. 

A Plague On All Your Houses!

 

The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has named 24 microorganisms that pose an increasing threat to the country. These include the viruses causing Dengue, Ebola, Marburg and Zika, as well as the bacteria causing Anthrax and Plague. UKHSA believes that climate change. increasing drug resistance and, in some cases, the spread of mosquito vectors, make UK outbreaks more likely. Foreign pandemics could also cause the UK problems. Developing vaccines, tests and treatments now, could  greatly improve the current situation (https://www.theguardian.com/science/2025/mar/25/uk-experts-urge-prioritising-research-into-24-types-of-deadly-pathogen-families). The UKHSA list seems entirely logical. The difficulty, however, will be getting finance to develop vaccines, tests and treatments. Pharmaceutical companies tend to put their money into projects where there're predictable short-term profits. Governments also spend their limited available funds on current medical emergencies. We've never been good at preparing for possible future problems, even when the risks are growing.

Seeing the Changes 2127

In Loughor, saw a Buzzard (Buteo buteo) being mobbed by gulls. Also, spotted my first butterfly of the year in Penclacwydd: a tattered Peacock (Inachis io).

Life On Mars?

 A mudstone sample was taken from Mars's Gale crater. This rock was billions of years old, from what may have been an old lake. A location with conditions for life. Mass spectrometry revealed the long-chain ketanes, decane, undecane and dodecane, in the rock. They have respectively 10, 11 and 12 carbons. Such molecules can be produced by abiotic (non-living ) processes. On Earth, however, they are generally breakdown products of fatty acid components of membranes around and within cells. On contact with water, these phospholipids (fats with a phosphate group) self-assemble into bilayers. These double membranes, control what goes into and what leaves cells (https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/40127274/). These mudstone ketanes are longer than others found elsewhere on Mars. The evidence isn't, by any means, definitive but it suggests that, billions of years ago, there could have been life on Mars.

Seeing the Changes 2126

In Bynea, noted the flowerings of Meadow buttercup (Ranunculus acris), a yellow crucifer, a white umbellifer and Ribwort plantain (Plantago lanceolata).

Animals and Medication

 Zoopharmacognosy is the use of plants, soil and other natural substances by sub-human animals, to treat ailments, prevent illness and maintain general health. In Tanzania, for example, Common chimpanzees eat Veronia amydalina leaves. This plant contains compounds effective against intestinal parasites. In Uganda, Red colobus monkeys eat charcoal, helping to neutralize dietary toxins. Some parrots also eat clays, basically for the same reason. Mother elephants lead their calves to specific trees, known for their medicinal properties. Scientists think zoopharmacognosy is produced by combinations of instinct (pre-programmed behaviour transmitted in the genes) and learning (behavioural change, produced by the  individual experiences of animals). Fairly obviously, the contributions of instinct and learning will vary greatly from animal to animal. They may also be different in varied local populations of the same species (https://myanimalmatters.co.uk/zoopharmacognosy-how-animals-use-plants-as-medicine/). It's argued that exploiting this wild animal 'know how', could benefit companion animals and livestock. We may be able to identify factors, that would help improve health and recovery in 'our' animals.

Bird 'Flu: Ewe Too?

 After contracting the H5N1 variant of bird 'flu, many Mammals have subsequently died . Now, the first case of this viral infection has been recorded in a female sheep (Ovis aries)' The animal concerned was based on a farm in northern England. Birds on that farm had contracted bird 'flu (probably from wild birds). None of the other sheep in the flock (including the ewe's own lambs), had antibodies to the virus (https://www.reuters.com/world/uk/uk-detects-bird-flu-sheep-first-time-2025-03-24/). Many of the wild Mammals, contracting this virus, have been carnivores, who may have eaten dead birds. Herbivores, including US dairy cattle are, however, becoming infected by H5N1. The addition of sheep, suggests the pandemic risk to humans is growing. 

Science and Finance

 

Reports of a possible 'reverse brain-drain' from the US to France, has made me think again about  science and its funding (https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2025/mar/24/french-university-scientific-asylum-american-talent-brain-drain). Science, in its pure form (if there is such a thing), attempts to explain the world around us. It does this by looking at natural phenomena and considering what could underpin them. Science operates on the basis of potential tangible explanations, rather than on faith or superstition. It essentially asks 'If this is true, what would happen, if  'x' occurred/was applied?' It's the testing of hypotheses, to see which can be supported and which need to be dropped or modified. The nature of scientific relationships, means it deals with probabilities (rather than absolutes). Scientists are humans. As you might expect, there's been good science and poor science. Science generally costs money. Some science costs an awful lot of money. There's, consequently, little point in pretending that scientists are totally dispassionate, operating in 'ivory towers'. Some science gets supported by governments and/or commercial bodies. Other science can be easily unsupported, when it doesn't fit the aspirations of potential funders. Making science entirely dependent on pre-ordained views of non-scientists, however, has never worked out well. Look at the example of Trofim Lysenko. USSR government support (because it fitted their philosophies) for his epigenetics ideas, put back Soviet and Chinese agriculture for decades. Obviously, science and finance are linked but governments should be very wary (unless there are clear scientific or ethical reasons) of proscribing what research can and cannot be done. Scientists also have to be very clear, where the financial support for their studies comes from. 

Food Security

Food security is the state of having reliable access to sufficient quantity of affordable, nutritious food. The World Food Programme (WFP) 2025 Global Outlook estimated that, as of November 2024,  343 million people were food insecure  across the 74 countries with WFP presence and where data was available. There will be locations, of course, where this doesn't apply meaning that food insecurity is more widespread (https://www.wfp.org/stories/food-security-what-it-means-and-why-it-matters). Around 50% of produced food is wasted. So it really comes down to equitable distribution. Even in the UK, folk are starting to be concerned about food security. Wars and pandemics can test even the status of island populations (https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2025/feb/06/urgent-action-needed-to-ensure-uk-food-security-report-warns). The UK is very dependent on imports, with 'just in time' provision for many food items. It's been argued that the climate crisis could also have a serious impact. Some better off folk are advocating storing provisions but this isn't an option for poorer folk.

Seeing the Changes 2125

Common vetch (Vicia sativa) flowering in Bynea.

The UK's Covid Amnesia?

 

It's now 5 years since the Covid-19 pandemic hit the UK. A number of experts now claim the key scientific lessons of that event are being lost. The UK's National Health Service is currently no better prepared. Each winter, as seasonal infections grow, its hospitals totter on the edge of collapse. There arn't enough beds, doctors or nurses for the aging population size.  It's also clear the lockdowns had serious psychological impacts on many sections of the community (especially children). There's been, however, no attempt to work out better ways of minimising the negative impacts. The pros and cons of so-called 'non-pharmacological interventions', like social distancing and wearing facial masks, have also remained largely unconsidered. This will vary with the mode of disease transmission (https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/mar/23/key-lessons-of-covid-are-being-forgotten-uk-scientists-warn). We Brits have long regarded ourselves as major players in the Sciences. Our leaders , however,  always seem to attempt to deal with crises by 'flying by the seat of their pants'. Making up policy and preparations de novo isn't, however, an effective way of dealing with any crisis. The next pandemic will seemingly still 'take us by surprise'?

Seeing the Changes 2124

In Bynea, Herb Robert (Geranium robertianum) was blooming.

Climate Deafness?

 

In 2024, the UN World Meteorological Organization recorded an 'unprecedented' 150 extreme weather events across the globe. These included floods, heatwaves and intensely violent storms. The planet's climate is currently the hottest human society has ever known  (https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2025/mar/19/unprecedented-climate-disasters-extreme-weather-un-report). It seems extraordinary that so many 'movers and shakers' seem deaf to what their lived experiences are telling them!

A UK Academic Knows He's Getting Old, When?

 A student (Carl Jones), he supervised for Masters and a PhD, is featured on the BBC's 'Desert Island Discs'. Carl worked on conserving the endangered Echo parakeet; Mauritius kestrel and Pink pigeon on the Island of Mauritius. 

Fast Glacial!

 

A UNESCO report notes there's an 'unprecedented' global glacier loss, driven by the climate crisis. Two thirds of irrigated agriculture is affected by this. That means that food and water supplies for 2 billion folk are at risk (https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2025/mar/20/glacier-meltdown-risks-food-and-water-supply-of-2bn-people-says-un). Glacial loss is even occurring in countries, whose rulers deny the climate crisis is real. This melt's occurring much more quickly than intelligence can ever change their minds. Food insecurity is starting to worry folk in parts of the world where it rarely seemed a problem. 

Old King Coal

Fine particles of coal washed up on Swansea Bay. They seem to be having a detrimental effect on marine life.