Latest Inventions

posted by admin on Dec 16

Just a quick update about the National Geographic/Vattenfall competition.

It was a competition for children across Europe to come up with a great project to help combat climate change locally to them, but with international possibilities.

The winners were a group of young people from Copenhagen, Denmark who headed up the project:  Biogas: The Best Solution.

Their idea revolved around the concept of creating energy from an existing method, but by using the fuel from their local zoo.  Basically, the animal waste was burnt to create the energy needed to run the zoo itself.  A perfect circle.

The judges felt that this was ‘the most holistic’ project submitted from hundreds of entries from 21 countries.  Not only does it reduce the need for the zoo to import energy from other sources, it also plays a role in preserving the habitats needed for wildlife so that fewer species become endangered in the first place. 

The zoo already has a great reputation for helping existing endangered wildlife - and now it is helping other species before there is a problem - and it may be the model that leads other zoos and wildlife sanctuaries to do the same.

To find out how the project develops in the future follow the progress at www.nationalgeographic.com/combatclimatechange

posted by admin on Dec 4

To be honest, I am a bit fed up with wandering around stores for Christmas looking for gifts for people I know, but who never seem to really appreciate their gifts.  I almost end up buying them something that they either specifically told me to buy (great surprise) or getting vouchers.

But my ideas are changing.

If they aren’t going to really love my gifts - and it is estimated that over 50 million UK pounds worth of Christmas gifts are thrown away each year (!!!!!!!!!!!) then I am going to buy them something I want, or something that cannot be discarded - something that will make a difference.

And I don’t care if that difference is to someone else entirely - even someone I don’t know, or someone on a completely different continent infact!

What Gifts Are They?
Well, they are the gift of wildlife sponsorship, domestic animals such as a goat, pencils for 100 children, training teachers for schools, etc.  They are not the non-convincing offers of buying a tree in a rain-forest that you can’t verify - these are serious gifts that will really make a difference with companies that are known world wide 

Now these types of gifts have been around for a while, but they were always a bit dull sounding or were very expensive - but times are changing and there is a lot more to choose from and at more reasonable prices.

Why These?
Well, there are many benefits to these gifts, and not just to the cause they are supporting.

1) These gifts are good for the environment - they will be supporting communities around the world who are ‘in charge’ of wildlife or environmental areas that should be preserved and cared for.

2) They cannot be thrown away and wasted.  The money you spend on these gifts will instantly go to work on your chosen cause whether your friends or family like it or not!

3) There is no wrapping involved, so less sticky tape, shiny non-recyclable wrapping paper and bows, etc are required, therefore even less waste and less time and energy spent on the whole thing.

4) They are totally different - a talking point.  Get others to think about the causes that interest you across the globe, and maybe get your charity or cause more support.

5) They really will make a difference - a positive one.  Rather than just lining big high street retail stores pockets with your reasonably impulsive purchases of gifts and wrapping, create a safe, healthy environment for people and animals in another country.

6) Feel good about yourself and the moeny you have invested.

Below are a few websites to get your search started.   There is still time to get these to your friends before last post! 

www.goodgifts.org- supporting African schools
www.worldlandtrust.org- protecting rain-forests
www.presentaid.com - supporting farmers worldwide
www.oxfamunwrapped.com - everything you could imagine

Alternatively, think of your favourite charity and just visit their site - I’m sure they are offering something as a gift.

posted by admin on Jul 4

Protect Your Chickens With An Alpaca!

This is no joke - alpacas really do prevent livestock and poultry deaths just by being around.  Even Prince Charles has taken them on board at his organic farm according to the Sunday Times.

What Are They? 
Alpacas are a relative of the Llama (and more distantly - the camel) and are bred for their wool.  They grow up to 6ft tall at the head and will apparently walk towards foxes once sighted and chase them away - kicking and stamping on them if given the chance! 

They also have a strong herding instinct with whatever animal they share their fields with if they sense danger - be it sheep or chickens - and they will round them up until the danger passes.

Many farmers lose stock to foxes (a steady population of around 250,000 reside in the UK - but this increase to over 600,000 when cubs are born) so in this eco-driven environment they needed a natural alternative.  The alpaca fits that niche perfectly, and there are currently about 17,000 in the UK today (mainly on wool farms) - from almost none just over 10 years ago.

But because of the re invention of the lucrative alpaca wool industry in the UK, many are just not lowly enough to be ’chicken protectors’ as they are just too valuable as breeding stock.  A breeding female could fetch £3,500, with an excellent stud male stacking up a huge price of £30,000!!  For the ’non-worthy’ common little alpacas, the price is closer to £500 each - with males providing the best bouncers…..

So, be more like royalty yourself and choose the latest natural remedies for your farming worries rather than old-fashioned hounds and guns!
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posted by admin on Jun 18

Buy a lasting present this year!! 

These days we are all a bit fed up with the whole ‘commercial’ present giving, and in recent years I - along with many others - have started offering alternative gifts to people. Something more useful or fun than your ordinary gift voucher or consumer, over-priced, over-packaged, action figure.

My gifts last year included a skiing lesson, binoculars and magnifying glass set for the nephew and a set of vegetable and herb seeds for my mums allotment.

Now this one is great - and cute - and good for the environment. It’s a baby duck!

According to the Wildfowl & Wetlands Trust (WWT) - our wetland habitats are being destroyed faster than any other ecosystem resulting in a 41% decline in the birds found there! That is unbelievable really - as it’s not just the birds who benefit from the wetlands - it’s us too.

So, this year I am offering 2 of these baby duck adoption packs to some young kids I know as their presents - getting them interested in the natural world from a young age.

So rather than another ‘In The Night Garden’ sticker book covered with wrapping paper and sellotape to clog up a landfill, I’m going to welcome them into the world of animals with a cute little soft toy and a free entry voucher to a WWT centre to see the real thing for themselves.

What do they get? 
You can choose from 5 birds to adopt, including a Bewicks swan, a Nene goose or a Flamingo! And at only £24 for the year including newsletters, fact sheet and poster, magazines and access to the forums and other special offers, they can enjoy this gift for 12 months - and savour their environment for years to come……

Click on Adopt a Gift Bird for more details about this great idea, and to buy your little ones (or slightly bigger ones if you want) a fantastic and alternative gift.

And by ticking the Gift Aid box when you order (if you are eligible), you can give the WWT another 25p for every pound you spend, so with 1 adoption you could raise WWT an extra £6.00 - so 2 adoption packs gives the WWT a total of £60 to spend on wetland projects.

What are you waiting for????

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posted by admin on May 17

Ever wanted to know what bird that is singing in the trees? Ever wondered where that amazing bird call is coming from in the bushes? Well now you can have your answer instantly with the Bird Voice (BV) Pen.

This new product is a clever extension of the new world of MP3 and flash technology, as it harnesses recorded sounds for instant recall.

How It Works:
Basically it stores the sounds of over 270 bird calls and songs (as well as further habitat information etc) on the ‘pen’, with room to spare for music tracks or further bird sounds.

This pen however, is nothing special on it’s own really (apart from it’s use as an MP3 player) - and of no use to you in the field - but this is where the clever part steps in.

This company have developed a picture set of common British Birds and assigned a ‘code’ to each picture. This is activated by the Bird Voice pen passing over it - a bit like a bar-code and associated reader - but rather than the bird flashing up a price - the BV pen instantly plays the song of that bird to you.

Whether you buy their waterproof field guide (with just basic pictures) or their entire organiser of birds with habitat icons, distributions maps and much more, you will have instant access to 270 bird calls at the swipe of your hand.

As this company know that most birders will already have their own field guides and reference books and know their way round them very well, they have also come up with stickers of their bird calls, that you can peel off and place on your own guides rather than having to learn the layout of a new book.

The Company: 
Their website is rather plain and basic (www.birdvoice.co.uk), but it does allow you to listen to some of the calls before you buy, and shows you a list of all the birds on the recordings. It covers all the details of each item including sizes, organisation of species, special features and costs.

The most expensive item is, of course, the BV pen full of all the data (currently £99.95), and this pen doesn’t work without the field guides (£15 and £35) or stickers (£15), so expected costs will be over £115 for the bird songs to come to life.

It is however, a fantastic concept and makes tracking bird calls very easy in the field - and instantly. There’s no messing around, searching for the right sounds amongst everything else - they can be listened to straight away. Something that was impossible before.

Of course, it can also be used at home like any other recorded bird song software or Cd’s so you can practice identifying common calls before setting off into the woods……

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