As winter sets upon us all, we withdraw into our homes to seek shelter from the bitter cold. The wildlife outside our windows is also rarely fond of the cooling climb and seeks shelter of its own. While those that can (typically Birds) leave, those that can’t have to make do with the frosty season
For those who celebrate it, and those who get swept up in it, Christmas can be a challenging time of year.  Between presents, work events, holidays and all the seasonal food it can be a little overwhelming. But such difficulties also present a fantastic learning opportunity unlike any other time of year. Here’s a list
The world is in dire need of more conservationists. Is it a well paid profession? No. Is it difficult to get paid work? Yes. Are those working in conservation or ecology some of the most experienced, highly qualified workforce out there? Yes. If you're reading this and you still get a little thrill of excitement
Rhododendron is a very popular genus of shrubs for gardens due to its clusters of flowers, which can cover the surface of the shrub, most often in spring. They are generally evergreen (except the deciduous Azaleas) and the individual flowers are concave (tubular, funnel, trumpet or saucer shaped) with long filaments (unlike flatter Hydrangeas). They
The angel shark (Squatina squatina) is a flattened kind of shark which looks a bit like a sting ray. It usually grows to about 1.8 m long (about as long as a human is tall) and it lives in sandy and muddy areas. It specialises in ambushing fish at night while buried on the seafloor
Photograph by Aelwyn, Licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0. The Wryneck (Jynx torquilla) is a kind of woodpecker. It looks a bit like a sparrow with a speckled belly like a hawk. It has an unusual habit of raising its crest, extending and twisting its neck around at odd angles like a cobra when it
For my final year Ecology degree project, I chose the unlikely subject of using lichens as pollution monitors. Whilst the subject sounds as dry as an old ball of tumbleweed, I have to say it turned out to be a very interesting and worthwhile study. The first thing to realise is that lichens are not
Many of you will know me as your tutor for many courses with ADL and some of you will be wondering where I have got to recently. I took a sabbatical from my tutoring because I have travelled to Ecuador – not on a holiday but to volunteer as a teacher in the University in
This week the media has been buzzing with discussion of EU animal welfare standards. The story started when Caroline Lucas of the Green Party asked that the UK accept one of the provisions of the EU Lisbon Treaty into national law (that animals are sentient and laws about them should take that into account). Lucas’
Walking within a walled garden, you may have been fortunate to have come across a small recess, or series of recesses, about 30cm high, with a small ledge, and maybe half a metre of so deep. If you are anything like me, you may have thought "thats an uncomfortable hiding place", or marvelled at the
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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