Tag Archives: Nature

I Just Found Out Millipedes Aren’t Insects, And I Can’t Believe Their Relatives

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Entry-level “fun fact” commenters like to mention that tomatoes are technically a fruit. Intermediate obscure info lovers, meanwhile, will know bananas are technically berries.

True trivia fans, on the other hand, will know that strawberries are neither a berry nor even a fruit and that the “seeds” on the outside are actually the fruit, each of which contains the actual seeds.

But not even the most successful pub quiz participants I know were aware that technically, millipedes (and centipedes) aren’t insects.

Instead, the Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) says they belong to a group called myriapods, a type of arthropod.

What’s the difference?

Arthropods account for 84% of animal life on Earth, the online encyclopedia Brittanica says.

They’re distinguished by their jointed skeletal covering made from chitin, which is bonded to a protein.

“The body is usually segmented, and the segments bear paired jointed appendages, from which the name arthropod (jointed feet) is derived,” Britannica adds.

Arthropods can be insects, but the natural history-based Australian Museum in Sydney says: “Centipedes and millipedes are not insects as they have more than six legs.”

The nonprofit conservation, education, and advocacy organisation National Wildlife Federation (NWF) agrees that millipedes “are not insects — they’re actually more closely related to lobsters, shrimp, and crayfish”.

What?

Likening a millipede to the kind of sea creatures I like to see on my plate is pretty stomach-churning, but the onslaught of new info doesn’t end there.

The NWF says that some millipedes in the genus Motyxia are bioluminescent, meaning they grow in the dark.

Giant African millipedes can grow to 30cm long (oh, good), and though their name (“milli” meaning “thousand”, and “pede” meaning “feet”) might suggest otherwise, they typically only have between 40 and 400 legs.

Still, the RHS points out that “millipedes feed on decaying organic matter and are part of a healthy garden ecosystem”, adding they “should not be controlled.”

Looks like I’ll just have to live with those odd little prawn bugs for the sake of my soil…

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Oh Good – Rat-Sized, Fish-Eating Spiders Are Having A UK Comeback

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“It’s a good thing. It’s a good thing.”

That’s what I have to chant to myself when reading the news ― fen raft spiders, previously on the brink of extinction, have had their best year on record in 2024.

The spiders, which are the UK’s biggest, are “huge” and “skilled predators.”

That comes from none other than the RSPB, which has brought the species back in its thousands (apparently on purpose).

With a span of about 8cm, fen raft spiders are big enough to hunt stickleback fish.

They’re about the size of your palm; common rats usually reach 6-9cm long, for reference.

Why are they back?

The spiders ― which can walk on water (no, I love this, I’m fine) ― were all but wiped out by 2010.

They don’t hurt humans.

They love marshes and wetlands, but those had become drained and fragmented.

The British Arachnological Society, Natural England, the British and Irish Association of Zoos and Aquariums, the University of East Anglia, and the RSPB teamed up to boost their numbers in 2010.

In 2012, they released some onto the Cantley Marshes. By 2020, they were spotted in Strumpshaw Fen.

“We’ve seen the fen raft spider does really well in grazing marshes with ditches with a lot of vegetation in, this is the area they seem to thrive in,” Tim Strudwick, the reserves manager for the RSPB in the mid Yare valley in Norfolk, shared.

“A lot if it is down to food. They’re a generalist predator, taking a lot of different invertebrates, so if we have a lot of those around, like dragonflies and damselflies, that’s the sort of habitat they really like.”

The RSPB says breeding female numbers are now around 10,000 on Tim’s mid Yare valley patch in Norfolk alone.

Their increased presence improves the biodiversity of the area. (Which is good. This is good news. Aaaah).

How can I spot one?

More to the point, how can you miss them?

Actually, that’s a bit facetious. They’re shy, and adults can be hard to spot.

But they seem to be thriving at multiple spots along the River Yare, and may be especially visible when the mothers build their nurseries above the water’s surface.

Tim said of their nurseries: “They catch the dew and if you come on a morning, a sunny morning, the light goes through them, and they glow – you can see them with the naked eye 20m or so away.”

They’re especially visible in the summer months.

Adults have a brown body with white stripes along their abdomen and upper half (they are also massive. I think I would know one immediately by whether I fainted or not).

“We really do want people to see them now, it is a great story to tell,” Tim added.

“Go back ten years or more and there hadn’t been many translocations of invertebrates and most of them had been failures, or not had a great success rate. So it’s great to see one that is really succeeding.”

Even I, an arachnophobe, have to admit that the growth is impressive. (Though perhaps my distance from the hotspots makes that easier to say…)

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Why This Iconic English Tree Is Facing Particular Pressure From Climate Change

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The National Trust has warned that an iconic English tree is already struggling due to climate change.

Yes, the English oak, which pops up repeatedly throughout our national history, is said to support more life than any other native tree species in the UK and creates one of the hardest timbers on the planet, is under strain due to our shifting climate.

In fact, climate change is exacerbating a phenomenon already known as acute oat decline, caused by a non-native pest.

The oak processionary moth damages the tree’s foliage and increases its susceptibility to other diseases – and climate change means the pest is sticking around for much longer these days, due to shorter winters.

John Deakin, head of trees and woodland at the National Trust “cold snaps [are] just not long enough to kill off diseases such as oak processionary moth, whose caterpillars infest oak trees, leaving them vulnerable to other threats.”

And the moth’s spread northwards through Europe away from their traditional home in the Mediterranean “is a tangible consequence of our warming climate,” Deakin added.

Deakin explained that growing any new trees – not just oak – is especially difficult in periods of drought, too, with up to 80% of saplings dying in some areas of the country.

While experts have devised techniques using wood mulching and sheep fleeces to help keep moisture in the soil and prevent grass growth, they are now looking at how trees will need different environments in the next 50 years.

For instance, beech trees and woodlands – typically found in the south – may soon only suit the north of England.

Deakin explained: “Our traditional thinking of where certain species like English oak and Sessile oak may thrive geographically is also likely to change as we are already seeing the huge impact of Acute Oak Decline on English oak in the south east and midlands, previously their stronghold, now being compromised.”

Ben McCarthy, head of the Trust’s nature and restoration ecology, also noted that shifting weather patterns in the UK mean many trees were constantly under stress.

Sometimes they can end up producing too much berries and nuts, without the chance to “rest”.

And while these are “incremental shifts”, these changes build up over a decade to cause serious changes in our wildlife.

McCarthy said: “It’s these baseline changes that we’re seeing that are really worrying and what we should be taking more notice of, particularly when combined with extreme weather events, which makes things even more challenging.”

Meanwhile, the national climate change consultant at the Trust, Keith Jones, said the UK must not be “lulled into any sense of false security” when it comes to our weather.

“We are likely to experience a combination of drought and high temperatures as well as high rainfall and floods – and we need to get ready for this new ‘norm’,” Jones explained.

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New Shoots From Felled Sycamore Tree Offer Hope For Nature Fans

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Green shoots of hope emerged this morning among nature fans, after specialists suggested the famous, felled, tree which stood at the Sycamore Gap may one day return to its former glory.

The solitary bit of foliage was known for growing at a natural trough between two small hills at the Roman-era Hadrian’s Wall, creating quite the picturesque scene.

The tree was often named after the 1991 film it starred in, Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves, and was a real tourist attraction.

The Northumberland icon was even named Tree of the Year in 2016 by Woodland Trust.

Its exact age was unknown, but it was believed to be around 300 years old.

However, it was found cut in two in a reported act of vandalism on Thursday morning – prompting an outpouring of sadness on social media.

Aerial view of the 'Sycamore Gap' tree on Hadrian's Wall lying on the ground.
Aerial view of the ‘Sycamore Gap’ tree on Hadrian’s Wall lying on the ground.

Jeff J Mitchell via Getty Images

Still, the National Trust general manager Andrew Poad told BBC Breakfast that the stump which remained was “healthy” and so could be used to grow new shoots – a technique known as coppicing.

He said: “It’s a very healthy tree, we can see that now, because of the condition of the stump, it may well regrow a coppice from the stump, and if we could nurture that then that might be one of the best outcomes, and then we keep the tree.”

However, the estate manager at the Woodland Trust, said it would take a few years to develop into “even a small tree” – and up to 200 years “before it is anywhere close to what we have lost”.

He added: “Once a tree of this age has gone, the sad truth is you can’t replace them within any visible timeframe. It takes centuries.”

A 16-year-old boy was arrested on the suspicion of criminal damage as part of a police investigation into the incident on Thursday.

Police said at the time that he was in custody and helping with the investigation.

Northumberland National Park Authority officials have also concluded that the tree was “deliberately felled”.

The high sheriff of Northumberland, Diana Barkes, said the incident was a “huge loss” to everyone, according to the BBC.

She added: “Whether we can create something out of the wood for people to come and remember the tree and remember their loved ones, I don’t know, but maybe.”

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Gardening Expert Shares The Plant Every New-Build Owner Should Grow

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For a nation of people who really seem to enjoy nature, it doesn’t seem like most Brits are getting anything like enough of it. Research from house-builders Redrow found that roughly “One in four (Brits) haven’t seen worms (27%), a butterfly (26%) or snails (24%) in the last month.”

In a way, it makes sense. “9.7 million people were estimated to live in rural areas in England in 2020, compared with 46.9 million people in urban areas,” Government figures from March 2023 show.

It can be hard to find the space to grow a gorgeous green garden in a bustling city – and even if you have a bit of room, new build gardens can feel impossible to sow and grow in.

The shallow, compacted soil can seem hard to work with, and identical fences and smooth, flat lawns can make newer lawns look a little same-y (as well as discouraging all-important biodiversity).

HuffPost spoke to gardening expert Arthur Parkinson about the best plants to grow avoid the “cardboard box” look of new-build gardens. Here’s what he had to say:

Climbers are the secret to making new gardens look established

When most of us think about growing a flourishing garden, our minds automatically go to the ground. But Parkinson shared that when it comes to new builds, it’s important to think vertically, too.

“Just going back to what a new build garden normally is, you’re overshadowed by other housing. And also the worst thing is just that typical cardboard box feeling of fence panels,” the gardening pro told HuffPost.

“So what one thing I would say to anyone when they’re thinking about what the first plants to plant? Always think about dressing the fences, because that’s almost like putting wallpaper around your garden.”

“Things like honeysuckle and climbing hydrangea, things that are very fast to grow” are a great idea for newer backyards, Parkinson stated. “It’s all about making the garden feel established in a shorter time frame as possible,” he said.


Not sure which plant in particular to go with? Parkinson especially recommends sweet-smelling honeysuckle.

“Honeysuckle is one of the best plants for pollinators – moths can smell it from miles away at nighttime,” he said. “It’s very fragrant, so it’s lovely for us as well. And it then gives a berry in the autumn for birds.”

Whatever you do, though, Parkinson recommends you don’t neglect your fences. ”If you don’t dress the fences, no matter what you do, it will always look like a fairly new garden because those fence panels are just there, very bare-looking, like they need to be dressed,” he warns.

The Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) says that honeysuckle is surprisingly easy to grow, provided it has space, additional support from twine, lattices, or trellises, and ideally some dappled shade.

“Climbing honeysuckles can be bought and planted all year round. You’ll get the best results, however, if you plant deciduous ones in winter and evergreens in spring or autumn,” the RHS adds.

Don’t mind me, just off to the garden centre…

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Video Shows Woman Nearly Hit By Giant Boulder As It Crashes Into Her Hawaii Home

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Terrifying home security footage shows a woman narrowly escaping a massive boulder that came crashing through the walls of her new home over the weekend.

Caroline Sasaki of Honolulu told local NBC affiliate “Hawaii News Now” that the incident occurred just before midnight, as she was walking toward the couch in her living room to watch TV. (Different outlets have variously described the event as taking place Saturday and Sunday night.)

Authorities told “Hawaii News Now” that the boulder, which is five feet high and five feet wide, scraped a family car before it barrelled through the cinderblock wall of Sasaki’s home. It then crashed through the living room and another wall before coming to rest in a bedroom.

Fortunately, none of the four people who were in the home were injured — though Sasaki told ABC’s KITV 4 that she’s been told if she had taken “one more step, I probably wouldn’t be here.”

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“I heard the loud boom, and apparently, the boulder passed right in front of me, which I didn’t know,” Sasaki told “Hawaii News Now.” “I didn’t see it. All I heard was the boom and then somebody asking me if I was OK.”

Sasaki was still shaken by the incident when she spoke to Honolulu news channel KABC.

“Basically, I’m in shock,” Sasaki told KABC. “I refuse to look at the videos, so I — I’m not sure how close — but everybody’s telling me I’m lucky.”

The Sasaki family told local news station KHON that they’d just moved into the newly built home in Honolulu’s Palolo Valley earlier this month.

Sasaki told KHON that she grew up in Palolo Valley and large rocks don’t often come rolling down hills — even in “heavy rain and hurricane warnings.”

She told KITV that she and her neighbours suspect the rock came down because of excavation work for a planned development on a mountain close to her property.

“I was in fear of this happening from before, from when they started,” Sasaki told KITV.

KHON spoke to the development’s owner Bingning Li, who insisted his project is not to blame.

“Not at all, this is from way above, I looked at one of those rocks about 50 feet away from on top of the property and landed over there and then made its way down here,” Li told KHON. “So it hit one of the cables that was supposed to stop it and the cable snapped. That took a lot of energy away otherwise this damage would be way more.”

“Hawaii News Now” reports that the incident is still being investigated by authorities. The outlet said that as of Monday, the boulder was still in Sasaki’s home.

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