Last year I had the good fortune to visit the Falkland Islands. The islands are a remote South Atlantic archipelago with unspoilt cliff-lined coasts exposed to wild winds, and forlorn rugged heathlands strewn with boulders and the remnants of war. Their hundreds of islands and islets are home to sheep farms, and diverse shores with
E.O.Wilson, retired Professor Emeritus at Harvard University, defines ‘biophilia’ as “the urge to affiliate with other forms of life”. An increasing body of research is showing that humans have a natural desire to connect with nature and the outdoors, and not only find social and health benefits from being outdoors, but that time spent exposed to
The subjects of Biodiversity and Climate Change are rarely out of the News. While most of us support the active conservation of our beautiful planet, some are confused about what we can actually do to play our part to sustain it. Identifying and trying to understand the relationships between all living things on Earth are
A herb spiral is a garden design element which allows us to grow a variety of medicinal and kitchen herbs in an economical and varied space. They are quite straight forward to build but a good herb spiral with a variety of species which keeps giving out every year takes a bit of forethought. Let’s
Humanure, a conflation between the words “human” and “manure”, is arguably the Holy Grail of off- grid living, and is right up there with recycling of grey (used) water in any homesteading project. You may grow all the luscious vegetables you want in a remote ornamental smallholding, but unless you recycle the main waste products
Hedgelaying Once, in the days before wire, plastic and electronic fencing, nearly all farms used to practice hedge laying in order to keep the fields stock proof. Hedge laying involves partially cutting through the stems of hedge trees and shrubs, then laying them over at an angle, and weaving them together to produce a stock
By Andy Patterson, Tutor at ADL – Academy for Distance Learning If you have tried growing your own fruit and vegetables, you will have noticed that it is unavoidable that a glut of produce arrives in the autumn time. In the days before electricity and powered transport, and facing the bleak winter, remote farming communities
Our world would be a poorer place if there were no bees. They are responsible for pollinating about one-sixth of the flowering plant species worldwide and approximately 400 different agricultural types of plant. Worldwide, bees pollinate a huge range of food crops, and additionally, honey bees play a significant role in the pollination of other
In the UK most of our wildlife legislation does not come from the EU, and therefore cannot be affected by Brexit. For example, the Ground Game Act (1880) controls which species can be hunted, when they can be hunted, and who they can be hunted by. This Act obviously pre-dates the EU, and is very
Education opens doors to success windows of opportunity and in at least one case, gates to new possibilities. Such is the case with ADL success story Annabella Baker. Originally from Italy, but now living in the UK, Annabella faced a tragedy all too familiar to many when she lost her airline job during the Covid
Gardens are hard work.  Behind every immaculate lawn and carefully tended flowerbed is a never-ending struggle between nature and gardener. Of course simply leaving the garden to its own devices isn’t really an option; Untended, plants will grow freely for the whole of spring and summer and even into autumn. Worse yet, an uncared for
Some stories of educational achievement soar into the heavens. Of individuals who through hard work and toil overcame the challenges in their life to achieve. Certainly, at ADL we’ve seen and helped many individuals achieve their dreams through completing a course which helped them get a place at university or begin a new career. This,
If you’ve been in the UK over the past weekend you might have noticed you had a day off on Monday (or looked on enviously as other people had a day off). The coronation of a new monarch in Charles the Third means a new era. One that the Monarch is especially keen does not
If you’re looking for a side business or career that combines a love for fitness and a mentoring role. personal training might be for you Personal training is at it’s heart all about being able to help people live healthier, happier lives. By combining physical exercise with essential lifestyle changes like diet they help their
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