Coastal
Paths ... so many to choose from now: ... see Wiki Long-distance footpaths in the UK...
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| Worms Head, horses grazing on heather - Gower Peninsula |
Gower
Peninsula, Wales ...
Robin
Hood’s Bay to Boggle Hole, North Yorkshire ... undemanding section of the
Cleveland Way ...
 |
| Portree harbour, Isle of Skye |
Portree,
Isle of Skye, Scotland: short circular stroll around Portree Bay, up to the
headland that juts out into the Sound of Raasay ...
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| Lecanora Tartarea |
Painted
Rocks ... rocks around and above the high-tide mark often bear fine growths of
coloured lichens. Each type has specific
likes and dislikes to the amount of light, spray or exposure they receive ...
Grey
mosaic of Lecanora Tartarea – this was probably the Viking dye-moss, from which
the English word litmus derives ...
 |
| Ramalina Siliquosa |
Greyish-green
tufts of Ramalina Siliquosa
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| Xanthoria Aureola |
Yellow
branches of Xanthoria Aureola
Then
there’s Protection, Preservation and Pollution ... all essential words
appearing in the P Post ... no time for a Promenade on the Pier, or for
painting beautiful coastal flowers ... eg Scurvy Grass, or Sea Lavender ...
 |
| Different ways of protecting our coastlines ... c/o SlideShare.net |
P for
Protection ... is for looking after all aspects of our coastline ... only
collect and remove litter (always people leave that lying around), don’t pick
flowers, or trample in pristine areas ...
P for
Prevention of coastal erosion ... up until 2013/2014 we were preventing the sea
eroding ... but the costs are very high .. and now the idea is we should work
with nature and adapt to change ...
 |
| Mute Swan on a nest made out of pollution |
This is
a difficult one – let alone the human cost – but for the mud-flats that provide
a specific habitat for migratory birds – where the flats are wet, but not
necessary too salty ... along the Norfolk coast there were storm breaches this
year ...
P is
for Pollution indicators – some types of seaweeds react quickly to pollution
and are termed “indicator species” ...
 |
| Samples c/o Smithsonian Museum |
Records
of preserved or pressed seashore plants, combined with population surveys of shore
inhabitants, help scientists monitor changes over time ... amazing what
essential information can be obtained from those early records.
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| Early flower press |
Life is
in the balance ... we cannot see any of the dissolved chemicals in the seawater
... but plants, fish and organisms react to polluted waters and those levels
can mean life or death for shore creatures ..
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| Hydrometer: Stevenson Reeves kit - hadn't noticed the whisky?! |
Testing
kits reveal amounts of nitrites and nitrates, which indicate the degree of pollution
present in the seawater ...
...
large amounts of artificial fertilisers, sewage and chemical spills are washed
into the sea through overflow pipes, or by rivers carrying soil eroded from the
land ...
The
hydrometer measures the density or “heaviness” of the seawater, which reveals
the concentration of dissolved salts as the river waters flow down ...
 |
| Ballast clear out mid Ocean |
Oil
spills and chemical spills – often from ‘rogue’ ships ... we need to improve
the need to protect all aspects of this earth ... by co-operation, better
adherence to safety standards, and agreed rules and regulations that nations
comply with ...
How to
help Protect and Preserve our life as present and improve it for future
generations, as best we sample of human beings can ...
Thinking
7 generations ahead in everything that we do ...
 |
| An Alaska Native tribal iniative see here |
Do not
disturb plants and animals = enjoy looking only ...
Over-fishing
... there is a need for fish populations to be able to breed and maintain their
numbers (our food stock) ...
Protect
our coastline from pollution – help by taking away all your rubbish and don’t
leave anything ... fishing line, bits of plastic, food wrappers, food waste,
tissue, nappies ...
 |
| South West Coastal Path |
Tourism,
Commercial Operations: ports and harbours, and extensions ... need to be
carefully thought about ... Nature matters as much, if not more than human
habitation and life ... without nature, we will disappear too ...
... set
standards for others to follow ... encourage education ... so that others learn
and appreciate sea-shore life ...
 |
| Picturesque streets of Robin Hood's Bay |
Let’s
leave our shorelines as pristine as possible and be happy to realise that
everything we do has an impact on the next generation ... let’s leave them with
a full house ... and with lots of discoveries to be made ...
That is
P for promenading paths, a picturesque palette of panoramas, petrifying, palsied, polluted patterns of
patina ... across these Aspects of British Coasts ...
Some new information that's come to light from Bish Denham's blog " Random Thoughts" on plastic in the ocean - here's the link .. and the TED talk by Boyan Slat, a Dutch youngster, is amazing - he's pursued his dream through sheer determination, giving up his studies and his social life, crowd sourced ... and is engineering to clean the oceans of plastic ... very well worth watching the 17 minute video.
Some new information that's come to light from Bish Denham's blog " Random Thoughts" on plastic in the ocean - here's the link .. and the TED talk by Boyan Slat, a Dutch youngster, is amazing - he's pursued his dream through sheer determination, giving up his studies and his social life, crowd sourced ... and is engineering to clean the oceans of plastic ... very well worth watching the 17 minute video.
Hilary
Melton-Butcher
Positive
Letters Inspirational Stories
38 comments:
What a fabulous selection as always. Wonderful Hilary. x
Booo to pollution!! :-(
The coastal area has had such a battering lately that I do hope they'll be loved and cherished even more so now that we know just how utterly vulnerable they are!
Wishing you and yours a beautiful Easter! Take care
x
Pleased to see you included the Cleveland Way and a photo of Robin Hood's Bay.
We used to do beach clean-up in Florida when the boys were in Boy Scouts (the older boys). Those were fun mornings! :)
We do destroy so much with pollution. Lovely photos and very interesting information.
Beautiful pictures. I really miss England. You're right, we have become a lazy race, throwing our trash about without a care in the world. People need to be more responsible and take care to keep their world full of beauty.
Jamie Dement (LadyJai)
My A to Z
Caring for My Veteran
HI, Hilary...
Your post really highlights some very IMPORTANT issues here.
Pollution of waters and land is a travesty. This has been going on for DECADES... since the 70's the world was informed of the horrors and death of innocent creatures from pollution.
Yes, many advocates got the word out and tried to make the necessary changes. But somewhere along the line pollution is growing again. People are JUST NOT GETTING IT!
When I walk the lakefront in Chicago, I see so much carelessness. Garbage everywhere, collection along the shore and inside the parks. WHY? And the sad part is that many of the rich are doing it. They should know better. The harbor's litter issues are abominable. They party on their yachts and dump their trash in the water. I DON'T GET IT!
There are so many ducks, birds, geese, squires and rabbits who live here. They need to be protected against such carelessness.
Anyway... I'll get off my soapbox now... lol. You are amazing to point this out. This is a GLOBAL issue.
Trouble is, when I was a kid, we had no idea what we were doing with allowing all kinds of sewage to be vented into the sea.
In the aquarium near us in North Carolina, they had a display of trash picked up on the local beaches. Horrifying and so much of it.
We used to think the seas and rivers were great big garbage dumps. At least a lot of people are wising up, not enough though.
Great post again Hilary.
We used to visit the tide pools on the Oregon coast when I was a kid and the rule was look but never touch or disturb.
Protecting our nature is of utmost importance. It really is devastating what pollution can do, what we can do when we don't take care of the world around us.
Very nice post Hilary. I always enjoy them and learn something new.
LittleCely's Blog
I love the painted rocks. I didn't expect natural paint when I read the title. Beautiful!
It's amazing to me that people litter. I can't understand the arrogance of just throwing your garbage anywhere and the total disrespect for the land is infuriating.
Wonderful post, Ms. Hilary. We're hoping to enjoy a bit of the Gulf coastline ourselves this weekend, mindful of the BP disaster that occurred four years ago. A news report I heard last night was encouraging, though. An oceanographer who has been studying the effects of the oil on animal life on the floor of the Gulf says that species she has never seen before (vampire squid) are showing up along with an abundance of more common species. Nature rebounds in remarkable ways.
Some lichens are so incredibly beautiful aren't they, and such a hardy composite organism.
Coastal paths are amazing things - there are some great ones up on the top of the Dover cliffs. I really wish I could walk long distances because I miss our summer holiday walks in Somerset.
There is a fantastic path in Tintagel, up to the ruins.
It is so important that we protect our coast line and waters for all the dangers of modern living. Great post.
Tasha
Tasha's Thinkings - AtoZ (Vampires)
FB3X - AtoZ (Erotic Drabbles)
As usual another brilliant post. The photos are beautiful and I love there is a village called "Robin Hood's Bay!" We have much the same problem when it comes to protecting and preservation here in Georgia and Florida. I wish more nations would truly work together to keep our planet happy and healthy.
Give me a path or a promenade and I'm in heaven, especially of either of these take me along the coast.
Glad you mentioned protection in this post, Hilary. We must protect our seas and our coastlines. If for no other reason than they're vital to our own lives.
Makes me furious to find plastic bottles and bags washed up on the coasts.
Don't even get me started on pollution, particularly plastic and the great garbage patch in the Pacific. I just don't understand how people can throw their trash on ground. Do they throw it on the floors of their homes? Can't they see the Earth is also their home?
Don't get me started...
If people would just pick up their trash, that would be half the battle.
I'd rather take a promenade on the Pier....but I do pick up my own trash
It really bothers me when people litter. I was driving in the city the other day, and someone just opened their window and dropped a bag of fast food garbage right there on the road--like that's what you do with your trash. My jaw hit the floor. I was totally ready to go tap on their window, point to the trash and stare daggers until they picked it up. But then the light changed.
True Heroes from A to Z
Thinking seven generations ahead reminds me of that Native American saying I used to have posted on my blog. "We do not inherit the Earth from our ancestors, we borrow it from our children." The wisest thing I have ever read about this planet and our responsibility to it. Again, a very wonderful post, Hilary. You really work so hard on them.
You've touched on many important P's in our protection post here, Hilary. I do hope we can protect, preserve and live in peace with our surroundings. Happy Easter! Have a lovely weekend!
Careless and arrogant--someone else will pick it up, not me seems to be the attitude. We have been given so much, to be so careless with our gifts from nature, but what is amazing is how it can come back.
I'm glad you spent a large part of the post on protection. You have so many lovely pictures and I fear here in the states we don't do enough to preserve our shorelines.
I love costal paths that lead one up high to a breathtaking view and then down to the depths on the shoreline. Above all, the pristine seaside is all-inviting.
I'm catching up on your posts. Marvelous pictures and tales. I long to go overseas to these places. Have a lovely Easter weekend!
I do wish we would all pay attention to these important things, peservation, protection...wonderfully highlighted as usual...at one time we seemed to work and live more in tune with nature and we respected her, how sad that we need to teach people how not to trample on beauty.
Great post as always.xoxo
Loving the A to Z Challenge Maggie@expatbrazil.
Protection - especially of anything on the coast - always gets my attention. Nice to wander the coastal paths with you Hilary.
Another interesting selection of post where you have done lots of research. Your posts are very informative. Have a good Easter, Diane
It's our duty to protect our precious possessions, from pollution other potential harm, and preserve it!
Cheers ~ Kaushik
I loved the photos in this post. And a good reminder to try to leave every place a little nicer than how you found it!
Living in a state surrounded by water...well almost, I was particularly taken with the thoughts about Protect and Preserve. We, also are moving more towards nature's way of protecting via keeping our sand dunes healthy and creating more distance regarding building. I'm all for it. Sure it's nice to really close to the beach, but usually the beach/water will make you pay eventually.
I remember after one hurricane, they showed this picture of house being washed to sea. I couldn't stop watching, even as my stomach clinched to see how quickly the entire structure disappeared, until only a few boards and random stuff was left, floating. It certainly gave me pause.
The idea of knowing seaweeds that notify about pollution is kind of cool. The picture of Mute Swan was sad...you hope the babies don't get caught up in the plastic.
But, on a more positive note...I liked your words...
"Let’s leave our shorelines as pristine as possible and be happy to realise that everything we do has an impact on the next generation ... let’s leave them with a full house ... and with lots of discoveries to be made ..."
So much beauty in this world, Hilary, makes me wish I could travel more, but those places are so far from here, the U.S. West coast. Good that they have ways of testing the water ... but of course, wonder if they always use it.
I very much enjoy coming in here ... even if I'm a bit behind commenting ... but this far in the Challenge, we're doing okay, I think.
@ Madeleine – many thanks ..
@ Old Kitty – hope all is going well your end of the world .. moving etc. Exactly – we really need to cherish our shores after all the appalling storms we’ve had ..
@ Bob – I thought those places would go down well! Glad you approve.
@ Rosie – we have similar volunteer groups here and the Scouts and the Guides are great exemplars ... so pleased to see Florida is doing the same ..
@ Mason – I’m afraid we try and help and seem to create more damage ...
@ Jamie – thank you for coming by. There’s a lot to be said for this little land and I missed it when I was in South Africa. Sadly as you note we are a lazy race ... so true: thanks for highlighting this point.
@ Michael – thank you for endorsing my thoughts. Also for setting aspects out more appropriately – it’s so sad that people can’t see what we do now affects the next few generations .. if we cared, we would look after them – we’re very selfish.
I’m sorry to read about the rubbish in both lake, rivers and land ... I’m afraid some people with money are very lax too, as are other members of society – if only we could work together ..
Your soap box is fine – it’s very appropriate ... and I wish, like you, we’d all take much more care of our environment, let alone other peoples ...
@ Jo – sadly that’s true – but we know now and it just simply should be happening ... there are not enough safeguards in place for accidents or spillages. Highlighting rubbish can help and reminders everywhere .. but we should all be responsible and wise up –as you say ..
@ Diane – that’s definitely the way to bring children up – not let them run amok anywhere, and value all things ... I’m glad you had wise parents, who gave you good husbandry ..
@ Cely – many thanks – its that constant wearing away of nature by forces that aren’t natural .. that’s so wrong. Really appreciate your comment ..
@ Julie – delighted you approve of my paintings! You, like many readers, totally agree with the arrogance of many and the complete disrespect of life in general ... it’s very sad ..
@ Walk2Write – good to see you ... and yes Nature does rebound doesn’t it .. sadly we blame one organisation, yet others were involved – but that’s the way it comes out. I’m glad you’re getting down to the Gulf and it’s good to know the Ocean is recovering .. and interesting that new species are there too ...
@ Tasha – absolutely .. lichens are amazing –I wish I understood them more as I’ve been wanting to write a post on them for a while ..
Like you I can’t walk as far as I’d like now ... and when I visited Tintagel it was very cold and very damp – so I opted out of walking to see the ruins .. I must go back.
If we can get protection across – first perhaps by making sure our towns and villages are kept clean .. might bring the message home for the country and the seas ... but how? That is another question ... glad you agree though.
@ Lisa – I’m trying to be inclusive of Britain as a whole! I just loved the sound of those places too – and would love to visit sometime.
Pollution unfortunately is world-wide as you mention and if we could get nations to work together .. if we could get enlightened leaders in all countries that would help .. and work together ...
@ Lee – pristine paths and promenades are just wonderful with their vistas and the quiet we can find .... if we’re lucky! As you so rightly say we are dependent on a clean healthy planet – as much as the earth and seas are dependent on us to keep it that way ...
Littering is terrible ...
Part 2 following ...
Thanks everyone – so appreciate your reading and commenting – the Challenge is a great idea and we can’t all be everywhere .. we just do what we can ... Hilary
@ Bish – yes that garbage patch in the Pacific is enormous .. I don’t think people realise how huge it is ...
You’ve raised a very good point ... how do we treat where we live – do we just throw stuff on the floor ... I can’t believe it ...
@ Alex – exactly if people wouldn’t throw it on the floor in the first place, but take it away with them disposing of it properly ...
@ Paula – a promenade is such a lovely way of saying ‘let’s take a walk’ – and I’m sure we take our rubbish with us – and think of others ..
@ Crystal – it is just amazing what people do without thinking – totally irresponsible ... the awful thing is when you reprimand them or suggest they do otherwise – they become aggressive ... and won’t take responsibility for their actions ...
@ Inger – I keep remembering the 7 generations ahead scenario – it just makes so much sense to me ... and that phrase “We do not inherit the Earth from our ancestors, but borrow it from our Children” – is so so true ... thanks for reminding us all about this ...
@ Val – living on the water as you do, and in a harbour ... you will understand more than most of us how pollution affects our waters ... and exactly I hope we can protect, preserve and live in peace and harmony with our environment and our peoples ..
@ Natalie – Careless and arrogant – exact words ... people are just amazing at how selfish they are about life ... and we have been given so much.
Nature is amazing at the way it comes back ... yet it shouldn’t have to ... and one day the balance may be when it doesn’t come back ... or tips us over too ...
@ Susan – I’m just very appreciative that people have picked up on my post and appreciate the contents ... sadly we seem to be same wherever we live in the world ... we really need to realise the value of land and seas ..
@ Manzanita – we have some wonderful coastal paths here – and where they are still pristine ... it is brilliant and so all-inviting, as you say ...
@ Christine – thank you .. and I hope you both can bring your son over to the UK and Europe sometime and see our world here ..
@ Maggie – as you say we need to realise how important things are ... and yet still there are idiots out there vandalising our countryside, shorelines and seas ...
The concept of protection and preservation ... seems to be over-ruled by selfishness and me needs ... As you mention, Maggie, people seemed to understand their environment and respected it .. that it was there for us all to enjoy and appreciate ...
@ Juliet – you love your countryside around the Auckland shores ... and I’d love to ramble now ... but tend to do it mentally, as the body dictates ..
@ Diane – many thanks .. and I appreciate the support you give me ...
@ Kaushik – you’ve confirmed my post – very succinctly ...
@ Matt – many thanks .. the photos somehow make it easier to absorb the message ...
@ Sara – I’m glad to read that you in the States are building in that awareness of protection and preservation ... and keeping our shores healthy – and as you say ... Nature will strike sometime if she’s not given her leeway to do her thing ...
We had the same this year .. with houses falling into the North Sea – but geologically they’d been built far too close to a disappearing shoreline ...
The scientists can at least monitor the shores using nature to highlight potential problems ... as happens in rivers too ... The mute swan nest is a big reminder about rubbish .. so sad to see ....
Thanks re my words about leaving a full house for future generations .. I sincerely hope we do!
@ Silvia- yes you are rather far away .. but you’ve lived in Romania and understand much that many of us westerners don’t or never could ...
We have more regulation and testing now than ever before ... but things will always get through, or new organisms will arise – we just need as individuals to do what we can for life and our futures ..
Happy Easter today ... Hilary
Preservation is definitely key. We want future generations to be able to see the abundance of examples we can. Let's not let anything else go extinct!
As to the trash left behind: some people's behavior just baffles me. How could someone do that? "Oh, there's a nightly beach maid who comes and picks it all up." Stubborn, selfish, self-centered idiots...
Tina @ Life is Good
A to Z Team @ Blogging From A to Z April Challenge 2014
This is good, Hilary. I would think that coastal erosion is indeed a problem there, and the issue of pollution needs to be at the forefront for us all. We can no longer ignore this growing problem.
Shells–Tales–Sails
A great selection here.
Pollution is a global problem, and one that can be sorted out if humans just behave more responsibly.
@ Tina - Preservation and Protection we need to do much - to keep this earth as pristine as we can .. let's lead by example ..
I know - one wonders why they can't take their rubbish home ..
... and yes S for Stubborn, Selfish, Self-centred peoples .. so true Tina ...
@ Sharon - everywhere sadly we pollute, struggle to preserve, seem unable to understand ...
As you so rightly say we cannot ignore the growing problem ...
@ Michelle - thank you .. pollution is a global (major global) problem - the oceans circulate and we all get the pollutants eventually ...
Cheers everyone - thanks so much .. we need to lead by example and we need to start leading .. let's do it - - - Hilary
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