All tagged Hampshire
Three days walking across the Hampshire landscape by following The Monarch’s Way proved a great time to catch up with ‘old’ friends. It was reminder of how easy it is, with just a little effort, to still find tranquility and interest in Southern England, along with meeting the unexpected! It was also a reminder of the need to value and preserve our access to Britain’s dense footpath network.
It’s often easy to undervalue the riches of the natural world that lie short distances from our homes. The chalk downland of Stockbridge Down, near Winchester in Hampshire, is one such jewel which also has some ancient history as a bonus. After the easing of lockdown this summer, visits to witness the varieties of wildflowers and butterflies present, certainly lifted the spirits. The Down is a superb place to wander at any time of year.
At a time when the world faces both a climate and nature emergency, Hampshire and Isle of Wight Wildlife trust (HIWWT) has launched its ambitious Wilder Strategy for the coming decade to confront the challenges faced in the county. It aims to increase both the numbers of people getting active in supporting nature’s recovery and the amount of land and water environments where nature is given priority.
Maybe we easily take it for granted because it’s all too familiar, but one can usually discover an astonishing amount of interest in and around one’s local area with a little bit of effort.
