Caps, Crafts, Clare

I think the first time I came across the word forage was as a child, when my Dad put on his Boys' Brigade Officer's Uniform - he added badges to his suit lapels and put on a navy woollen cap, which he referred to as a forage cap or Glengarry. The word  comes from the Old French fourrager - which meant 'plundering, or hunting for fodder'. Soldiers would wear a soft fabric cap rather than a fancy military helmet when they were away from the battle and doing other jobs, particularly looking about for food for their horses. Being soft, these caps could be folded and put in a pocket or backpack. A Glengarry was the name given to this popular style of forage cap developed by a regiment of Scottish 'fencibles' at the end of the 18th C. It was adopted by the BB who began in Glasgow in 1883.
But I later learned that forage could mean 'to hunt about for things' or 'to scavenge'. To look for 'wild' food [eg mushrooms], or for things to use - often at no cost, because they have no value to others. 

So when I spotted this book on the library shelf, I grabbed it. Firstly it is by Clare Youngs, one of my favourite craft authors, second, I love recycling, and finally, if the foraged resources are free that is even better!
There are 35 projects in three sections - foraged 'natural' materials, paper & card, fabric & thread. Clare makes decorations, clothing, gifts and useful objects - using new ideas, fresh twists on old techniques, and traditional skills.

 

covered buttons, boro stitched jeans, painted pebbles, stitched denim sashiko coasters, pressed seaweed cards, foiled leaf garlands, and loads more... coasters, cushions, dolls, gift tags, stationery...with CYs precise instructions, clear illustrations and accurate templates

Lots to copy, or to inspire you - adaptable for all ages and skill levels. Another *****
Have you read any good CY books, and would you recommend them?

Cockles And Mussels, Alive, Alive Oh!

We used to sing "Molly Malone" at school in music lessons. Did you?

When I was a child, we would visit the family in Leigh On Sea, and my Mum would treat herself to a pint cup of cockles down at the sea front. They were dressed in vinegar - and she loved them. I found the whole idea awful, and refused to taste them.

I never wanted to eat mussels either. Then I married Bob, and he is half Belgian. He loves "moules et frites" - somewhere in the last 40 years I finally tried them, and now I too really enjoy a bowl of mussels [with chips, and mayo, and a hunk of baguette to mop up the broth] 

I read that the Essex cockle fishers are trying to revive our interest in their shellfish. About 45% of their catch is exported to Spain - and the UK cockle industry is valued at about £10M annually, half of which comes from the Thames Estuary. Should we all be eating more of these? 80% of the fish we eat is from the "Big Five" - cod, haddock, tuna, prawns and salmon, says the Marine Stewardship Council. They want  to prioritise 'locally sourced' fish. They're putting blue 'ecolabels' on sustainably sourced products and running a campaign called "Buy Blue, Protect Dinner" This started last September apparently, and promoted Norfolk Brown Shrimps [sorry, MSC that one completely passed me by!] and other fishy dishes

Maybe I should ask the Bunnings Man on Dereham Market. They sell cockles caught off the Norfolk Coast. Mind you, this fish doesn't come cheap - cockles are £18 per kilo, twice the price of Scottish Mussels. 

If I stick to the Flemish speciality, which we both enjoy, am I being shelfish?

I Brought My Own Bag...

Usually when I go out to do a proper supermarket trip, it is planned in advance so I have the bags. But sometimes I am out, and buy something unexpectedly. More than 30 years ago, my SIL went to Oz to visit her family, and brought me back a nylon folding tote bag.

It packs up very small [credit card size] and so I carry it around in my handbag. But last week I realised it is really wearing out - all the seams are on the point of giving way. I have a couple of other folding bags, but they are nowhere near as compact as this one.
Barbara's son and his family are now living in Australia. She sent me this birthday gift

This cheerful kookaburra print bag is a few inches square when folded into itself, but opens up into a full size tote bag.

What perfect timing! I can discard the dodgy old one, and tuck the new one in my handbag for my Manchester trip today

And that means fewer plastic bags or bags-for-life being purchased. Good for my wallet, good for the planet. Thank you Barbara!

When you were at school, did you sing the song "Kookaburra sits in the old gum tree" as a round in your music lessons? We did, but I don't think I had the faintest notion as to what a kookaburra looked like

SORRY ABOUT LATE PUBLISHING. Just realised it didn't post.  currently catching up whilst sat on a train which is held up outside Grantham!

Let's Raise A Glass...

 ...to Simple Things magazine, and the Friends of Glass UK [here] who just sent me a very generous shopping voucher.

The story began in December. I read Simple Things online, and noticed they had a feature promoting the benefits of glass. It is infinitely recyclable, and much better for the planet than single-use plastics. They asked readers to nominate businesses local to them which make good use of glass, and said FoG were going to give some prizes.

 I decided to nominate Dann's. They are the local dairy farmers who make splendid ice cream, and also sell delicious milk in refillable glass bottles from a wonderful DIY dispensing machine. It is five years since I first blogged about them I was astounded to get an email saying I was one of the winners!
Not that my answer was any better than any other - they had so many entries they just selected five at random. 

"Look out for the April edition when we will have a further feature on this" they said. Well the latest edition is just out. They have the promised article, but have only mentioned five largish companies [Yet again, Gü Desserts, who were in the original article] I had hoped Dann's would get a promotion. The ice cream is yummy, and their cows are very photogenic!

The shopping voucher arrived, and has already been spent. Thank you to the FoG, and to the magazine. A lovely surprise

They've Bin And Dunnit!

They've dealt with my wheelie bins, that is! When we got Cornerstones in 2009. we had two bins - regular, and recycling. The regular one was 20 years old [it said 1989 on the top] but in good working order.

The recycling was slightly newer, but had a couple of small cracks in the lid. We started paying for a garden bin. Four years ago, I stopped paying for that, as I was getting into composting properly, and felt it was £60 p.a. I didn't want to spend! I pushed that bin out of the way. Recently I realised those cracks were major splits, and my recycling bin was filling up with water in all the rainstorms. So my 'clean&dry' recycling was useless.
Last week [3rd March] I rang the helpful woman at Breckland Council. She made a note that I wanted the redundant garden bin collected, and a replacement for my damaged bin. "Don't worry if there is anything in them, they will deal with that, Should be dealt with inside 10 working days" And sure enough, early on 9th March, I got up to find the garden one gone, and a smart new recycling bin outside.

This was made in Telford [I remember Pauline telling me once that many of the UK bins are made there] and has 2026 imprinted on the lid. All I need to do now is stick my spare "4" numeral on the front, and spray-paint a recycling symbol on the lid. It can be quite confusing for visitors from other parts of the UK, when they helpfully offer to put stuff in the bin. 
One site lists "Common UK Recycling Bin Colours" thus...

blue Commonly used for "dry" mixed recycling, including paper, cardboard, and sometimes cans/plastic.
green Often used for garden waste, but in some areas, it is used for dry recyclables.
red/orange Often designated for plastic bottles, pots, and, in some cases, food waste.
brown: Typically used for garden waste or organic waste. 
But then it says "It is essential to check with your local council for the specific, definitive colour system in your area, as they can vary significantly."
Here in the Breckland region of central Norfolk, regular is green, recyclable is black, and garden is brown - totally  different from both Leicester and Dorset. I wonder what colour our food waste bins will be when they arrive?

What colour are your bins?

 

A New Word For A New Year

Last years #word365, proved a good choice - there were things which had a real impact on our world, and on our communities, as well as on ourselves.
And there were certainly many times where I was aware that my choices were making an impact on myself, my loved ones - and other people, and the planet. I was stuck for a word for 2026, and I had the germ of an idea, so I asked Bob. His suggestion chimed perfectly with my thoughts [which had been something about "putting things right"] He said "What about RESTORATION?" Perfect! thank you

There are lots of aspects of this - the dictionary offers these ideas

1. the act or process of returning something to its original condition [by repairing, cleaning etc]
2. the act of bringing back something that existed before [eg peace, a monarchy, a relationship, good health, animals in a habitat]
3. the act of returning something that was stolen or taken
4. [theological] the act of bringing a soul back to God

And so there seems plenty of scope here - I love The Repair Shop - the way things are restored 'to their former glory'."Please can you make it as it was when my Grandad first saw it?" they say, as they hand over the shabby cap, damaged instrument, smashed pot or filthy, painting. Sometimes just a little TLC, more often, hours of painstaking craftsmanship - but the team do create remarkable restorations. Mending, fixing, making things useful again - these are skills I enjoy practising.
Things that existed before - I am sure every one of you longs for peace in Ukraine. But there are other things to try and bring back. Four weeks ago, people in Norfolk were celebrating the sighting of a wild beaver for the first time in 500 years!

Personally I would like to restore my body to a slimmer, fitter state than it is right now. 
I'm not too sure how restoring 'something stolen or taken' fits in with my personal blog. But I know issues will arise this year on that one.
The theological one - as a preacher, I love the opportunity to point people to Jesus - but also know that I must keep my own 'spiritual walk' moving in a good direction too.

Restoration is such a positive word! In what way does "restoration" resonate with you?

One Potato, Two Potato...

Wednesday dawned bright but very cold. Bob was organising the Shed Christmas Mardle [A 'mardle' is an informal get together to chat - it is an old Norfolk term] So out early, to put up the big gazebo, and another bring-and-share event. Bob had his little gas BBQ stove, and was warming up mulled wine, Another guy had an extension cable and an airfryer- and was heating up sausages, arancini and cheese balls in the back of his SUV!  I was too cold to take any pictures. Louise invited me to the farmhouse to show me her front door.

She'd been to a workshop and made a decoration with foraged greenery [holly, ivy, rosemary, bay etc] Years ago, people got moss and wired it to a frame, or wrapped a wire hoop with straw, to make the basis for a wreath. Then everybody bought 'oasis' floral foam and it was easier. Then this plastic, non-bio degradable product rightly fell out of favour

I was intrigued to discover that this decoration is made with a potato at the centre. It was placed with its flattest side down on the table and then holes were made [with a bbq skewer] and gradually more and more greenery was added. What a clever, moneysaving idea- and it can all go straight into the compost bin after Christmas! Here's a video showing you how to do it. Louise's daughter had also used a spud as the base for a lovely table centre [ easy to bore a hole for a candle if you wanted to]

Sweet Smells Of The Season

A while ago I put an autumnal display on the coffee table - a wooden platter, lined with fabric maple leaves, with piled up with various cones and some shiny conkers. I moved it out of the way when I put up the Christmas decorations. Then last week, when I felt I needed some Vitamin C, I ate loads of 'easy peelers'. I left the peel to dry out on the window sill. I cut some star shapes [and threw the trimmings into the compost bin] I used it to make a seasonal pot pourri.

There were bits and pieces from my spice drawer, and from the garden. Cinnamon sticks, star anise, cloves, rosemary sprigs and sage leaves.

I lined a small bowl with four leaves, adding conkers and smaller cones, scattering all the other herbs and spices over, and finally tucking in rosemary sprigs and my golden citrus stars. So much nicer, cheaper and prettier than a chemical air-freshener!

No Plastic Tat Here!

Every time we have been over to our little chapel recently, we passed signs about the Hindolveston Craft Market. H is a little village a few miles on from the chapel - less than 20 minutes from Cornerstones. So we pootled over on Sunday afternoon after lunch.  Entry and parking were free.

Every stall was run by a local person with proper handmade crafts - knitting, sewing, quilting, cardmaking [various] jewellery, basketwork, ropework [various] woodturning, glasswork, pewterwork... Nothing that was an 'assemblage' of bits from China, or plastic and produced on a 3d printer.

It was brilliant, and run by the Hindolveston CIA [Crafts In Action] This is their 25th year [how have I not heard of it before?] and they do a 2 day event in December, and in August a 'workshop' event, where the craftspeople demonstrate their crafts and allow the visitors to have a try.

The Village Hall was beautifully decorated and they have gorgeous little stalls with striped awnings - plus hot drinks and cakes. And everyone was so friendly, and prices were reasonable. We enjoyed it so much - and everyone was really friendly

One woman had a few knitted baubles, all the same design. We got into conversation and I showed her my review of the book by Arne and Carlos. She took a photo, and said she would like to check out the book, as she only had the one bauble pattern!

The best Christmas Market I have been to this year, and on my radar for next year now! 

Oh Christmas Tree...

The girls were fantastic on Saturday evening, helping to decorate the tree. Bob erected the tree whilst we sorted everything on the coffee table, into groups: round, wooden, soft, china, big, tiny, bells, angels etc.  Rosie stood on the sofa, I stood on the stool, and Jess handed us items to hang. Then Bob put the angel on top. We have three new decorations this year: The tiny bead angel  I made at craft group, a keyring which Ro and Liz bought back from Copenhagen in the spring, and a red plastic star. 

I think I may change the gilt chain on the Little Mermaid for some pretty ribbon. 

The star is just a red plastic one about 4cm across. It came from Wastesmiths in Great Yarmouth.  It is made from recycled plastic. Do check out their website. I was very impressed with their team I when met them in October. We cannot realistically expect to live in a world without plastic-  but we can do our best to deal with it responsibly. Rosie told me on Saturday that only 10%  of plastic which could be recycled is recycled. She also asked me to explain why I have a plastic Christmas tree, and not a real one! We do have a couple of real trees [OK, shrubs] outside the front door. We've decorated them with red "berry" lights. [Saved from the staircase garland - which went to a CS when we moved to a bungalow]

They look very festive, don't you think? When do you dec9rate your tree?

Poppy Sunday

As a small child, Remembrance Day meant standing with Mum in the cold, damp, misty weather, watching the solemn procession to the War Memorial - the military band, followed by men in uniform, then the dignitaries from the council with heavy overcoats and gold chains, and the local clergy [Dad being the only one not in clerical robes!] and finally the Scouts and Guides. Poppies were wire and paper, with a black bitumen centre and held on with a regular pin.
In my teens, I was marching with the Boys' and Girls' Brigade companies [in my smartest uniform, diligently keeping in step] They started putting plastic stems on poppies in 1967, and the paper leaf disappeared. In 1982 there was the Falklands War. There was a resurgence of support for the poppies. In 1987, the leaf was returned [by popular demand] and in 2000 they introduced large poppies to fix onto cars.

Then we had 9/11, and wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. Previously the veterans had been mostly from WW1 and WW2 - but now there were young men marching, or being pushed in wheelchairs, and young widows, proudly wearing the medals their husbands had won, posthumously. We were not just remembering distant past conflicts, but conscious of very recent sacrifice. More people turned out to walk down to the Memorial in Kirby Muxloe, Rachel played the Last Post, Bob and the Vicar led the Act of Remembrance together

2014 was definitely the Year of the Poppy - 100 years since the beginning of WW1, and the Tower of London had a display of 100s of ceramic poppies, entitled "Bloodswept Lands and Seas of Red". I went to see it with Liz. Adrian gave me a poppy for Christmas.
Back at church in Kirby Muxloe, we had a huge picture of the local castle. and people added their own messages of remembrance written on paper poppies

And that was the year I worked in the Autism Unit, and helped the girls to sew their own poppies, using four red felt hearts [love] with a black button centre[ sadness]

Now the British Legion poppies are 100% paper, and 100% recyclable. And there are far more public poppy displays than ever

But whatever these red flowers on our lapels are made from, however many knitted poppies adorn our churches, shop-windows, lamp-posts and pillarboxes, the message remains the same...throughout the years, so many have paid the price for our freedom - and we honour their memory, their sacrifice will not be forgotten.

We WILL remember them

Not Tempting Fete?

I am going to have a rant. And I am not going to apologise for it. I feel that village fetes generally aren't quite what they used to be. There is little I am tempted to buy at the stalls round the edge of the field.

I have been to a few this summer, and come away with the same question every time.  

Why are so many people selling small plastic animals ?

Every colour under the sun, some multi coloured rainbows, some shiny iridescent, others sparkling glittery finish...And why are people shelling out so much money for them [many cost £2+] when they cost about 4p each online?

At our village school fete, it was one of the most popular stands. At the event we dropped in on last Saturday there were three different stands,  all selling these horrid things.

They have no purpose, many are poorly made, and some are downright ugly. And they are all made of plastic - so will be littering our planet for centuries.

These items seem popular with children in Primary School. But they are a choking hazard for toddlers and small creatures.  Their popularity will not last long. Unlike Lego bricks and Playmobil figures, they are quite cheaply made, with limited play value and do not fit together as part of a larger creation. They cannot be recycled.

One stall holder was explaining that the dragons she was selling were unique, they were her own design made on her 3d printer at home, which is why they were £6.99 each. I hate to think how long her printer was running, and how much energy it consumed to produce these items. 

I know it is hard to be consistent, and we cannot avoid every piece of plastic - nobody makes wood and metal pcs, phones, or TVs. Unlike George Washington, who had wooden teeth, I am smiling because I have a synthetic dental implant. And the front of my car is plastic to make it safer for pedestrians in the case of RTAs. But surely these bits of tat are quite unnecessary?

What is the point of encouraging my grandchildren to think about litter, and landfill, and the pollution of the oceans if I then give them a handful of plastic lumps which they will tire of and discard within days [if not hours?] 

There were other 'craft' stalls at the last fete I attended - 3 with crochet items [I recognised two of the grannies and their products from other local events] a couple of 'wax melts' stalls, and a lady with handmade cards. I was not tempted by any of their items.

A teenager was selling friendship bracelets in aid of Breast Cancer. She told me her Mum died two years ago. I gave her a donation, but declined the bracelet, and told her to sell that to somebody else. She seemed slightly surprised that someone would give without expecting an item in return. 

If the fetes' food stalls have changed policy and now use recyclable cups and biodegradable paper napkins, why is it still acceptable for other stalls to churn out all these plastic items?

Is this an unreasonable rant? How can we make a better impact? 

Making More Of Less

Back in February, I reviewed Patrick Grant's book Less. I really enjoyed the library copy - so bought my own [2nd hand, naturally] His book ends
"Having less but better would be a path to a healthier, more equal society, a source of hope for a better future for the many people of all ages living in what we call our post-industrial communities. Living with fewer , better things is an act of goodness and kindness to people and the planet, and it would make us all happier."

I was so excited to discover he was coming to Norwich to deliver the annual Patricia Clabburn Memorial Lecture and booked a ticket immediately. The event was on Saturday, I took my book... Look at it now! [he has his own Sharpie for signing, a bit like the President] He began by asking who has read the book [surprisingly few of us, I thought] and said there were some on sale in the Foyer*. The talk was, not unexpectedly, a rehash of the ideas in the book, with a few fresh anecdotes thrown in. 
He was urbane, and amusing, and the hour went very fast - then there was a Q&A session - but only time for three questions. I am sorry, I cannot remember the first was "if we buy clothes in charity shops, are we contributing to the Fast Fashion problem?" he said that Charities need our support, and if we are delaying the stuff going to landfill that has to be good. The second was "what about the environmental impact of polyester and synthetic fabrics, you haven't really mentioned that" he replied that he'd run out of time [true] but yes, we should be much more concerned about the fabrics used in our clothing. 30% of the microplastics in the ocean come from clothes**. The third was "I ran a sewing club in my village, because the girls had asked for one - but then they said 'why bother to make clothes, when it takes ages, and you can buy a garment cheaper in Primark and wear it the next day' - so how do we convince our children and grandchildren that fast fashion is a bad idea?" Patrick replied that it was difficult, we had to hope that buying ff will become uncool. He pointed out that vegetarians and vegans were niche groups until quite recently, but now it is more common and more acceptable. Hopefully attitudes to fast fashion will start to change among the younger generation... [Yes, that question was mine, I was really pleased to get his answer] Maybe we older people can make an impact if we try
When we arrived, the woman at the door said 'Patrick is over there and can sign books if you buy one' So I took mine out of my bag [nb mine is hardback, today's were the newer paperback version] After he'd signed I looked behind me, there was nobody else waiting, so I asked for a selfie. A steward stepped forward and offered to take it. It took her quite a few attempts

I am not sure about his expression here. I can't decide if he is thinking "oh dear another mad woman" or "she is as short as Esme" or [hopefully] "I hope this attempt at a photo works"

It was a good afternoon, the women on either side of me were extremely pleasant to chat with, and it was certainly worth the £10 ticket. 

* He also asked who the favourite was to win GBSB - the popular vote was Kit 

** Informative article about microplastics and school uniforms in Saturday's Guardian here

Throwaway Comments

It is fifteen years since the start of this annual campaign, but I think I only really picked it up in 2019. Aiming to be 'part of the solution to plastic pollution'
I know that lots of you are already working hard at this - Taking your own containers to the local chinese takeaway, buying loose fruit and veg, having milk delivered in glass bottles, wearing pee-pants instead of plastic-based sanpro, using waxwraps not clingfilm, taking reusable cups to Costa ...
the list of good alternatives is really long - but we still have a long way to go. I hadn't realised the new kitchen would affect my thinking about recycling, but it has.

Under the sink I now have two IKEA 'hallbar' bins alongside my yellow compost bin [i'm still awaiting the Council to sort out a food waste collection] These are labelled general and recycling. I have found myself being much more careful about putting packaging in the correct bin lately.

Many people think these triangle labels on plasdtic automatically mean you can put it in domestic recycling. You can't! If you can see the number, you are usually safe with 1-5, possibly not 6 & 7. But honestly, how often do you squint at the clear plastic as you prepare a meal, and can see the triangle, but not the number? So you recycle and hope [aka wishcycling]
So well done to the OPRL company [On Pack Recycling Labels] who have been working incredibly hard to make it easier for us, to recognise easily what we can and cannot recycle, with labels like this

This independent company is getting lots of big brands on board

And it seems that their efforts are paying off. Their latest report "What consumers want" involved consumer insights taken from a study in spring 2025 involving over 5000 UK consumers. They covered six areas

I find their conclusions encouraging - I do check packs for guidance on recycling, and prefer simpler instructions. I think labelling is improving - but I am aware of friends and social media spreading misinformation, usually through ignorance.
Now my bins are adjacent, it is much easier to put things in the correct one. I am not sure if there are any massive changes I can make this July, I shall just keep plodding away. Recycling, but more mindfully [and hopefully in a better way] Looking out for the informative OPRL swirls, in preference to the old three arrow triangle. 
I have to come clean here - the company conducting the Consumer Insights Study for OPRL is a small one in Manchester, called Tangible, and my Steph is now the boss. I am incredibly proud of her, and her company, for this research. These small changes in labelling really are having a big impact on the amount of thoughtful recycling. And that makes for a better world for us to live, and our grandchildren to grow up in.

Of Viagra, Heartbreak And Current Affairs

Out there in the Gulf Of Mexico* there are many turtles- Kemp's Ridley Sea Turtles to be precise. These little creatures were first identified by a guy called Richard Kemp in Florida and sent off to Harvard to be properly classified. 
Nobody is sure about the Ridley bit of the name - before that these poor things were known as "the bastard turtles". From 1946-1986 there was a huge decline in their numbers. Then their breeding ground was discovered, a beach along the Mexico Coastline . Sadly the locals were stealing the eggs in vast numbers. People paid well for them - because "A turtle egg with a shot of tequila" was believe to combat impotence in Mexican males. In a brilliant co-operative project, the Texas Parks and Wildlife Service got together with local conservationists to collect eggs and set up a new breeding ground along the Padre Island Seashore.

This began in 1986, and when Viagra came along, a social awareness advert was produced in Mexico suggesting that the little blue pill was a better alternative than the eggs. The strapline was "My man does not need turtle eggs" It was surprisingly successful! Numbers of the breed really improved. But it remains a critically endangered species, and TPWS continue their work. The video below lasts 7 minutes but is really informative [and full of cute baby turtles]

But unfortunately, global warming has affected the temperature of the waters, and some turtles are getting a little bit lost, confused by warmer currents. In November 2021, after Storm Arwen, one was washed up on a beach in Flintshire. It was taken to Anglesey Sea Zoo, nicknamed Tally, and after months of intensive care, was nursed back to health, then flown home to the US in September 2023.  A few months later, another turtle was washed up, nicknamed Rhossi. ASZ started working with the Americans in their Turtle Conservation Programme.

All good stuff - for the Kemp's Ridley, Bastard, or 'Heartbreak Turtle' as it has been variously named. Apparently sailors witnessed the creatures having 'turned turtle' [flipped on their backs] and dying. The sailors maintained the turtles' hearts were broken, hence the nickname.

But here's the latest heartbreak - Rhossi was due to be flown home in March, but is stuck in Anglesey. By order of Donald Trump. On his first day in office, that man signed an executive order requiring a freeze on all foreign development assistance. Which meant the US Fish and Wildlife Service stopped funding various projects, including the Marine Turtle Conservation Fund. In February, 400 USFWS workers lost their jobs as part of Trump's cutbacks. So there is currently no way of flying Rhossi home to the Gulf of Mexico. Frankie Hobro, director of ASZ continues to look after him.
Martha Williams, former director of USFWS said the impact on conservation projects was "heartbreaking". "I didn't expect this administration to necessarily be friendly towards conservation. I have been surprised at the speed and the degree to which they have undermined decades of goodwill and work in the conservation sphere…International work involved so little money, you know in the big scheme of things, small grants with enormous impact - enormous impact to communities." Williams described the cuts to promised funding for projects such as marine turtle conservation as "cruel". Ms Williams said the message was "don't give up. Speak out - tell the stories, explain why this work is so important, and that it does impact people in a positive way,"

So here I am, speaking out, telling the story, trying to make a positive impact. These are precious, beautiful creatures. They are part of God's Creation, and as a Christian, I believe I am called to be a good steward of the earth.
God bless the turtles, Frankie and co at ASZ, and what remains of the conservation services in the USA. There is a link here if you want to find out how you can help ASZ with their sea turtle recovery programme.

* As far as I am concerned it is still the Gulf of Mexico