Start your week with some wild-ness
The Ragged Optimist 107
No long introduction this week - but these beautiful photos from Milton Creek, Sittingbourne instead. You’ll find it behind Sittingbourne’s Steam Railway at Kemsley Down.
Maidstone Borough Council has become the first council in the UK to formally adopt a Rights of Nature framework. This means the council will embed the principle that nature has an intrinsic right to exist, thrive and evolve across its governance, decision‑making and service delivery.
And wild beavers in the Rover Lowther in Cumbria. Cumbria Connect confirmed rumours of the animals being spotted in the first wild population of beavers in the county.
Scientists are improving apples’ resilience to wild temperature swings and drought. “We need to be mindful that the rootstocks we select are adaptable. It’s not that they’re adapted to a future climate, but that they’re adaptable.”
A group of prominent people are leading a National Conversation, to find out what the UK’s really all about. It’s a bit like the ongoing Agora project, only without the personal connections.
There are some rather lovely pieces in Ikea’s PS furniture collection, which is only available initially in store. Remember when you had to go to the shops to buy things? The Ragged Optimist would like the birch folding chair, if anyone’s near an Ikea.
And the company are opening a Museum of Furniture in 2027.
Warwickshire Wildlife Trust are offering women a chance try a range of bush craft skills including traditional fire lighting, knife skills, shelter building and woodland crafts.
Headphones for children, made from recycled plastic, that arrive unassembled - so children learnt to make and to repair their own kit. Wonderful idea.
As always - The Ragged Optimist kindly requests that you share this week’s post with one friend who might need a little hope and optimism to start their week. Thank you.