city centre
the chatter of a charm
of goldfinches
Sunday, 12 February 2012
Thursday, 9 February 2012
The Island of the Colour Blind by Oliver Sacks
There are actually three short books in one volume here. The Island of the Colour Blind focuses on the tiny Pacific atoll of Pingelap, where a very high number of the residents are totally colour blind. Sacks is a neurologist and visits the atoll to investigate the condition, try to work out what is causing it and helping people to overcome the worst effects of the condition. The worst effect for most people is not the lack of colour vision (there are wonderful descriptions here of how people with the condition have a much better visual sense of texture and movement than most people with full colour vision), Much worse is the extreme sensitivity to light and the lack of detailed vision in daylight. While sharing his findings about the condition, Sacks gives us an intimate portrayal of life on the atoll and the sealife surrounding it. It's an incredibly fascinating account.
The middle part of the book is set in Guam, where Sacks looks at the lytico-bodig neurological condition that affects a lot of people on that island. This account is also fascinating, but I sometimes found there was too much medical information for me!
The last part of the book Cycad Island takes us to Rota, an island where Sacks is particularly interested in the cycad trees. He's interested in them for two main reasons, firstly because they are an ancient and long lived type of tree (that Sacks himself grows in his greenhouse at home) and also because there seems to be a connection between the cycad trees and the colour blindness of the people on Pingelap. Cycads are known to be poisonous, yet their seeds are used in food throughout the areas where they grow. The cook has to follow very precise instructions for detoxifying the seeds before they are ready to eat but it seems likely that not all seeds are always fully detoxified. This part of the book is particularly fascinating with a wealth of information about cycads and an interesting exploration of their toxicity.
Overall, this is a compelling read for anyone interested in our relationship with the natural world.
The Island of the Colour Blind and Cycad Island by Oliver Sacks, published by Picador.
I reviewed this book for Brighton Blogger's 2012 Reading Challenge. I also recently reviewed Le Ton Beau de Marot by Douglas Hofstadter.
The middle part of the book is set in Guam, where Sacks looks at the lytico-bodig neurological condition that affects a lot of people on that island. This account is also fascinating, but I sometimes found there was too much medical information for me!
The last part of the book Cycad Island takes us to Rota, an island where Sacks is particularly interested in the cycad trees. He's interested in them for two main reasons, firstly because they are an ancient and long lived type of tree (that Sacks himself grows in his greenhouse at home) and also because there seems to be a connection between the cycad trees and the colour blindness of the people on Pingelap. Cycads are known to be poisonous, yet their seeds are used in food throughout the areas where they grow. The cook has to follow very precise instructions for detoxifying the seeds before they are ready to eat but it seems likely that not all seeds are always fully detoxified. This part of the book is particularly fascinating with a wealth of information about cycads and an interesting exploration of their toxicity.
Overall, this is a compelling read for anyone interested in our relationship with the natural world.
The Island of the Colour Blind and Cycad Island by Oliver Sacks, published by Picador.
I reviewed this book for Brighton Blogger's 2012 Reading Challenge. I also recently reviewed Le Ton Beau de Marot by Douglas Hofstadter.
Wednesday, 8 February 2012
Frosty
No snow in Edinburgh but plenty of frost as I walked along the Water of Leith this morning! I like how the harts-tongue fern in the above photo stands out so clean and green against all the frost! You can clearly see the brown spore cases on its fronds too. I took several photos of the moss below, but not sure any of them were really sharply enough in focus.
Tuesday, 7 February 2012
Edinburgh International Science Festival 2012
I was at the launch of the Edinburgh International Science Festival today. The programme looks brilliant with some expansion of the adult programme compared to previous years. Here's just a taste of the environmentally related events that are coming up:
Children and Family Events
Shearwater, Seabirds, Stories, Songs and Science - a musical and storytelling exploration of the manx shearwater. Friday 6 April 2pm (£4)
Eating on the Wild Side - a beginner's guide to foraging - Saturday 7 April 11am, 12.30pm, 2pm, 3.30pm
Street Science - the street science team (demonstrating their show at the launch, above!) will be out and about during the festival at locations across Edinburgh.
Adult Programme
Emergency 2012 - is climate change even more of a threat than we thought? Tuesday 3 April, 5.30pm. (£10 / £8)
Catalytic Clothing - clothes that can purify air! Wednesday 4 April, 5.30pm. (£8/£6)
On Extinction - an evening of poetry, reflection and conversation about extinctions of cultures, languages and species. Wednesday 4 April. 5.30pm. (£10/£8).
The Secret Life of Scottish Seals - Wednesday 4 April. 5.30pm (£10/£7.50).
The Case for Young People and Nature - Edinburgh Medal Address. Tuesday 10 April 7pm (£10/£8).
Our Climate Future - Wednesday 11 April 8pm. (£8/£6).
Fixing the Planet - How can we solve the climate crisis? Thursday 12 April 5.30pm. (£8/£6)
Biofuels: An Ethical Solution? Saturday 14 April 3.30pm. (£8/£6)
For more information about any of these events or the many others that are taking place, please see the Festival programme here. There are comedy shows, film screenings, a strand of events on food and one on movement, dance and sport. You'll notice, just from the listing above for 5.30pm, 4 April that sometimes you'll be spoilt for choice so book your tickets early!
Blurofwoodsmoke also blogged (in more detail!) about the launch, you can read her post here.
Children and Family Events
Sustainable Sea Fish - Thursday 5 April 11am, 12.30pm, 2pm, 3.30pm. (£3)
Shearwater, Seabirds, Stories, Songs and Science - a musical and storytelling exploration of the manx shearwater. Friday 6 April 2pm (£4)
Eating on the Wild Side - a beginner's guide to foraging - Saturday 7 April 11am, 12.30pm, 2pm, 3.30pm
Street Science - the street science team (demonstrating their show at the launch, above!) will be out and about during the festival at locations across Edinburgh.
Adult Programme
Emergency 2012 - is climate change even more of a threat than we thought? Tuesday 3 April, 5.30pm. (£10 / £8)
Catalytic Clothing - clothes that can purify air! Wednesday 4 April, 5.30pm. (£8/£6)
On Extinction - an evening of poetry, reflection and conversation about extinctions of cultures, languages and species. Wednesday 4 April. 5.30pm. (£10/£8).
The Secret Life of Scottish Seals - Wednesday 4 April. 5.30pm (£10/£7.50).
The Case for Young People and Nature - Edinburgh Medal Address. Tuesday 10 April 7pm (£10/£8).
Our Climate Future - Wednesday 11 April 8pm. (£8/£6).
Fixing the Planet - How can we solve the climate crisis? Thursday 12 April 5.30pm. (£8/£6)
Biofuels: An Ethical Solution? Saturday 14 April 3.30pm. (£8/£6)
For more information about any of these events or the many others that are taking place, please see the Festival programme here. There are comedy shows, film screenings, a strand of events on food and one on movement, dance and sport. You'll notice, just from the listing above for 5.30pm, 4 April that sometimes you'll be spoilt for choice so book your tickets early!
Blurofwoodsmoke also blogged (in more detail!) about the launch, you can read her post here.
Saturday, 4 February 2012
bird haiku
Thursday, 2 February 2012
Brilliant Birds
I have to say Musselburgh is becoming my favourite place for birdwatching in the winter! In my last two visits I've seen five lifers as well as numerous species that I have only occasionally seen before.
Today the weather was breathtakingly freezing, but it was so dry that there was no ice and very little frost on the paths (though puddles were frozen and grass was frosty). The sun was shining and the sky was clear so once I'd been walking for a while I barely noticed how cold it was!
I've found the best route to walk is to start by the main road bridge over the River Esk, walk downstream to the estuary then turn right onto the John Muir Way along to the Lagoons.
On a good day there are brilliant birds all along this route. Today I saw a lot of wigeon (such pretty ducks!) at the mouth of the Esk; a fair number of eider and more goldeneye than I've ever seen before in one place. There was a small group of red breasted mergansers, the males looking resplendent. Both mergansers and goldeneye were starting their courtship displays, well worth stopping to get a closer look! From the John Muir Way, I saw my first ever Slavonian grebes (not as spectacular in winter plumage as they will be in the summer, but still very impressive birds!), a shag (looking a bit like a greenish cormorant having a bad hair day!) a little auk (an adorable relative to the puffin) and five velvet scoters. Flying around the grass by the path was a small flock of twites. Today the lagoons were empty except for a small flock of curlew (beautiful waders with a wonderful haunting call), but really I was already more than happy with the birds I'd seen so far (and I've only mentioned the highlights!)
Once you get to the John Muir Way, there are generally very few people (or dogs!) around and most of the people who are around are birdwatchers. Most of them are more than happy to share their sightings (that's how I found out about the Slavonian grebe and the shag!).
Foolishly I had forgotten my camera, otherwise there would be photos.....
As ever, test in red contains hyperlinks that take you to other webpages where you can find out more.
Today the weather was breathtakingly freezing, but it was so dry that there was no ice and very little frost on the paths (though puddles were frozen and grass was frosty). The sun was shining and the sky was clear so once I'd been walking for a while I barely noticed how cold it was!
I've found the best route to walk is to start by the main road bridge over the River Esk, walk downstream to the estuary then turn right onto the John Muir Way along to the Lagoons.
On a good day there are brilliant birds all along this route. Today I saw a lot of wigeon (such pretty ducks!) at the mouth of the Esk; a fair number of eider and more goldeneye than I've ever seen before in one place. There was a small group of red breasted mergansers, the males looking resplendent. Both mergansers and goldeneye were starting their courtship displays, well worth stopping to get a closer look! From the John Muir Way, I saw my first ever Slavonian grebes (not as spectacular in winter plumage as they will be in the summer, but still very impressive birds!), a shag (looking a bit like a greenish cormorant having a bad hair day!) a little auk (an adorable relative to the puffin) and five velvet scoters. Flying around the grass by the path was a small flock of twites. Today the lagoons were empty except for a small flock of curlew (beautiful waders with a wonderful haunting call), but really I was already more than happy with the birds I'd seen so far (and I've only mentioned the highlights!)
Once you get to the John Muir Way, there are generally very few people (or dogs!) around and most of the people who are around are birdwatchers. Most of them are more than happy to share their sightings (that's how I found out about the Slavonian grebe and the shag!).
Foolishly I had forgotten my camera, otherwise there would be photos.....
As ever, test in red contains hyperlinks that take you to other webpages where you can find out more.
Wednesday, 1 February 2012
Humphrey the Superhero Hamster!
One of the perks of being a tutor for the University of Edinburgh's Office of Lifelong Learning is that I get to attend one evening class a year for free! This year I'm doing a class on writing Children's Fiction, tutored by the brilliant and inspiring Janis Mackay. (I'd definitely recommend this class to all writers, whether you're an experienced writer of children's fiction or even if you think you don't really want to write children's fiction but just want general inspiration for your writing).
Of course as part of the course we need to read children's fiction. Janis has recommended the Humphrey books by Betty G Birney. Recently I picked up Friendship according to Humphrey in a second hand shop and read it immediately.
Humphrey is a school classroom hamster who gets to go home with a different pupil every weekend. He has been recently joined in the classroom by Og the Frog, who he finds it difficult to understand. Not a problem he has with people! Humphrey watches and listens from his cage and finds ways to help the pupils and staff to solve their problems in the classroom, on the school bus and at the pupils' homes. He is a wonderful character, engaging and thoughtful, clever and observant. He's even ready to admit to his own faults!
This term the class are learning about poetry. Humphrey of course worries about the lack of words that rhyme with Humphrey or hamster and the large number of words that rhyme with frog! He even writes his own poetry (in his sleeping quarters with a broken pencil he found).
This is a wonderful book, full of insights into life, with pet care tips seamlessly woven into the narrative. And yes, Humphrey and Og eventually become friends!
I'm now looking forward to reading the other 6 books in the series!
Friendship According to Humphrey by Betty G Birney published by Faber Kids.
As ever, text in red contains hyperlinks that take you to other webpages where you can find out more.
Of course as part of the course we need to read children's fiction. Janis has recommended the Humphrey books by Betty G Birney. Recently I picked up Friendship according to Humphrey in a second hand shop and read it immediately.
Humphrey is a school classroom hamster who gets to go home with a different pupil every weekend. He has been recently joined in the classroom by Og the Frog, who he finds it difficult to understand. Not a problem he has with people! Humphrey watches and listens from his cage and finds ways to help the pupils and staff to solve their problems in the classroom, on the school bus and at the pupils' homes. He is a wonderful character, engaging and thoughtful, clever and observant. He's even ready to admit to his own faults!
This term the class are learning about poetry. Humphrey of course worries about the lack of words that rhyme with Humphrey or hamster and the large number of words that rhyme with frog! He even writes his own poetry (in his sleeping quarters with a broken pencil he found).
This is a wonderful book, full of insights into life, with pet care tips seamlessly woven into the narrative. And yes, Humphrey and Og eventually become friends!
I'm now looking forward to reading the other 6 books in the series!
Friendship According to Humphrey by Betty G Birney published by Faber Kids.
As ever, text in red contains hyperlinks that take you to other webpages where you can find out more.
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