A Newsy One: books, ambassadorship, SO much reading, writing tips to ReWild Yourself … and a tease; keeping my powder dry, just a little. August into September, 2024.

This blog (with apologies) is necessarily a newsy update, rather than my more usual Nature Notes, with lots of links to what I’ve been up to. It might be one to skim. Normal Nature Notes will resume in a couple of months’ time!

I had a great time at Global Birdfair in Rutland last month. So many great discussions to be had and so many friendly faces. It really is a great weekend, I do recommend it. I joined Nadia Shaikh and Amy-Jane Beer on stage to talk all things Right to Roam and Wild Service, spiritedly chaired by Lucy Lapwing (Hodson.) I am in awe of these three women, and what they’ve done and do for nature, and nature engagement. Always deeply thoughtful, considering, sensitive and bold – not to mention hugely knowledgeable and funny; what a privilege. They are women that have made and continue to make change. And really quite a triumph to have four women on a panel like this. Lovely Kit Jewitt (aka YOLO Birder) said on Twitter we were all ‘on firebrand form.’ I’ll take that! One of the many highlights of Birdfair for me was the hilarious and brilliant live recording of Nature Room 101, part of Into the Wild Podcast with Nadia Shaikh and Ryan Dalton: irreverant, reverant and relevant. I’m sure my sides are still aching with laughing so much. You can find it here: https://intothewild.podbean.com/

On Thursday, 6th September at 6.30, it’s my turn at the Wild Service Book Club. These discussions are brilliant and varied and if, like me, you’ve got a few to catch up on, they can be found on You Tube. I’ll be discussing my chapter Community with the brilliant Sophie Pavelle, adventurous science communicator and author, and our chat will be chaired by none other than Guy Shrubsole, author, activist and campaigner. The link is here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g3_bPAGv7IM

I’ve just finished reading Guy’s new book (out next week!) The Lie of the Land and it is scorchingly good. We had a walk on Gallows Down recently after he filmed an excellent podcast up there with Paul Whitewick – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-HZ8J61zC4M and as you might imagine, we had A LOT to talk about!

I’m thrilled to be an Ambassador for a brand new wetland that has been bought by our local and very ancient (but also, clearly, very modern-thinking) Town and Manor of Hungerford. The Kennet Valley Wetland Reserve is underway: with funding for over 30 surveys in place and progress, it is currently awaiting planning application. This is community environmental action at its best and I’m really proud to support it in any way I can, so do watch this space! https://townandmanor.co.uk/wetland-reserve/

I’m also really proud to be one of 12 Champions for ReWild Yourself this year. This month, you can find some of my writing tips and prompts for engaging with nature through an emotional lens, as well as much more from other incredible champions and supporters. https://rewildyourself.com/time/. I also recorded a conversational podcast for Rewild Yourself on the theme of emotional connection with nature. David Urry led the conversation between myself and Dr Carly Butler, researcher in Nature Connectedness in the Nature Connectedness Research Group at the University of Derby and Dr Panu Pihkala, an expert in interdisciplinary eco-anxiety research from the University of Helsinki, who also hosts the excellent podcast, Climate Change and Happiness, together with Dr. Thomas Doherty. I wholeheartedly recommend that! It really felt like an extraordinary conversation to be part of, and I’m certainly going to be paying close attention to Carly and Panu’s important and fascinating work. Here is a link to the podcast page https://rewildyourself.com/time/video-podcast-emotions-pathway/

I’m deep into my reading as one of the judges for the inaugural Climate Fiction Prize (here are some of us at Hay Festival) and oh my goodness – I am utterly blown away. Obviously I can’t give ANYTHING away at this stage, but I’m loving this deep privilege, and it just makes me want to read harder and write better. More about the prize here: https://climatefictionprize.co.uk/

Speaking of books and reading, I got to chat to Jamie Wyver, Supporter Communications Manager at the RSPB around my latest column for the RSPB Magazine – we recorded a nature-book literary chat around the books that inspire us and why; what we’re reading now, and what reading books about nature, whether fiction or non-fiction, can do for us. It’ll be available on the online magazine shortly.

The second of three anthologies I’m in this year will be out at the end of the month – and I’m also very proud and humbled to have a few pieces in it.

It’s Under the Changing Skies, the Best of the Guardian’s Country Diary, 2018-2024. I’ve been a reader for decades and am honoured to feature here among friends and writers I’ve long admired. To top it off, the wonderful Ian McMillan’s deeply poignant intro is a work of art in itself. ‘These words feel more important, more monumental, more crammed with possibilities than the space they take up.’ It’s out on the 26th September, 3 days before the ‘new agricultural year’ of Michaelmas, appropriately. You can pre-order here with 20% off: https://guardianbookshop.com/under-the-changing-skies-9781783353101/

And, if you’re still with me (sorry, so much news, so many links!) then I am well into writing another book… not going to say too much, as I need to keep my powder dry for a bit, and of course, it’s a work in progress, but I’m loving it and it’s taking all my spare time and energy right now! It’s a tribute to an incredible farmer, a women in her 40’s, in the ’40s who farmed the land that washes up to and includes Gallows Down. It’s also a bit of a memoir, too. About a rural life, trying to be a farmer, working with horses, and the connections, coincidences and fine threads that flow between us. Those friendly rural ghosts. A haunting.

I’ll post little snippets every now and then, perhaps some teases, some progress on Twitter (and wherever else I get to on on Social Media.)

Here is a little photographic teaser …

So, my more usual Nature Notes will return, but it’s going to continue to be a very busy end of year – you can find my latest turns on The Guardian Country Diary here: https://www.theguardian.com/profile/nicola-chester; a visit to a childhood homeplace, of the Cottingham Ironstone rural town of Rowell and, upcoming, apples, wasps and hornets. My latest Countryfile Magazine columns (their website is a bit behind!) are on how we engage children with nature and sustain that, and what we do with ideas we have about the countryside after we have got together and shared them in inspirational spaces, and gone back to work. This was inspired by the lovely, lovely Food, Farm and Literature Festival jointly run by FarmEd https://www.farm-ed.co.uk/ and Chelsea Green Publishing (who incidentally have a 40% sale on fantastic books right now https://chelseagreen.co.uk/ .)

And in the meantime, thank you so much for your support and patience, it means so much. Enjoy your reading, your writing, your nature noticings and connections.

Bye for now!

https://ko-fi.com/nicolawriting