Tuesday, April 24, 2007

There May Be Trouble Ahead......

Challenging Times for the Moors and Sturdy....

Been on a bit of an anti-climax this week after returning home from Yorkshire. Had to go back the routine of the 9-5 and after the sense of space and freedom I experience 'Up North' found it really difficult to get back onto the London Underground to go to work. Oh well, bills have to paid and pennies saved if I'm to make the big escape and follow my heart to the hills sometime soon.....

Didn't really get to do any walking at the weekend but have been keeping up the general fitness and stretching routines so thought I'd share a few observations on the possible fate of the Yorkshire Moors.

Walking around Ilkley Moor at Easter we were all shaken and upset but the devastation caused to the Moors last year by the fires which swept across the area. You may have seen coverage on the news as these were some of the worst fires too date. A vast area was affected and not just on the surface, but at root level as the peat bogs also ignited and, as you probably know, once the peat catches it burns for a very, very long time. The beautiful, deep, heather which used to cover the area is now nothing but stubble and no longer can the Emperor Moth (the only silk moth in the U.K), Northern Egger Moth, Merlin, Hobby, Golden Plover, Snipe, Red Shank, Whimbril, Ring Ouzel, Fox Moth or Wheatear find food or shelter in this once abundant site. Whilst walking around Piano Rock we spotted two pairs of grouse trying to protect their nest on the burnt ground with only a few random sprigs of surviving heather to offer shelter to their eggs. There are some signs of re-growth and nature will, in time, recover but when one thinks of how long it has taken this moor to mature, and how quickly it can be lost, one wonders what the future holds in store for our moorlands. The cause - the excessive heat last summer meant many areas were subject to 'forest fires' and many consider these events to be another clear indication of the threat caused by global warming. Accordingly to local 'experts' it may be at least 10 years before there is recognisable improvement to this part of the moors and it may take as long as 30 years for the site to recover fully, providing it is not affected again and again but the increasing temperatures and dry seasons. Let's hope not. We, as walkers, can help to 'do out bit' to protect our beautiful and precious landscapes by making sure we all take our rubbish home with us, especially glass items and I don't know about you, but I tend to carry a spare rubbish sack with me now in case I find things lying around which could cause harm to the wildlife or risk igniting fires in the sun.

So that's the challenge to the moors, but what's the challenge to Sturdy I hear you cry (yes...I can hear you....) well, as you know, my 'quest' is to be able to climb (er - walk!) to the summit of Ben Nevis by the end of the year. Now you know I'm not interested in ego and it's not about the 'me, me, me' but more about how I can help inspire others and make a difference to the world in some small way. So what better way to complete my quest than to do it as a charity challenge! So, here we go, it's official - I'm going up Ben Nevis and I'm going to do it for Marie Curie Cancer Care. I know several people who have been affected by Cancer, my own family included, am I'm really chuffed that they have accepted me on one of their charity challenges. So, a date for your diary - I will be making my summit attempt (well, I've got to make it sound brave and daring!) on September 15th and I'll know that every step, lunge, slip, slide, blister and tear - hopefully ending in smiles and a pint or two - will be helping to raise funds for this excellent charity. You can help support me and Marie Curie by visiting: www.justgiving.com/sturdygirl

I'm off to Somerset this weekend for a walk in the Mendips and then some partying - hope you all get a chance to get out and do some walking - the weather is great, the blossom trees are beautiful and boots are definitely made for walking.

See you out there.

Sturdy Girl :-)

Posted by Admin @ 3:26 pm