This time next week I will be on a ship setting sail from Longyearbyen! There is a website called Marinetraffic where you can see the progress of the Antigua as we sail around the islands. Apparently the ice is still quite thick for this time of year so I don’t know how far North we… Continue reading Arctic Preparations.
Printmaking
As a printmaker I usually make pictures using metal plates and acid, the acid eats away the metal and leaves grooves. I rub ink into the grooves and then squish the ink into white paper in a big metal printing press. Whilst I am in the Arctic Circle I won’t have any metal plates or acid… Continue reading Printmaking
What will I do in the Arctic Circle?
I’m going to Svalbard. Svalbard is an archipelago – that means a group of islands - in the far north of Norway. I’ll travel there by plane, stopping off at Oslo in Norway, then flying on, nearly up to the top of the planet. I will land in a town called Longyearbyen, which is… Continue reading What will I do in the Arctic Circle?
Conodonts
Have you been to The Natural History Museum in London? It is my favourite museum and last week I went into a part of the building where I’ve never been before. This is the part where there are microscopes and labs, and piles and piles of books, boxes of stones and bags of bones and… Continue reading Conodonts
Join The Gang!
Hello! My name is Beatrice and I am going on an expedition to the Arctic Circle. Whilst I am on my adventures I will be making an illustrated book for children all about what I discover in the far north. During workshops in schools I have had some great conversations with children about what they… Continue reading Join The Gang!
Love Darts, Snails 2
I decided to keep Snail World going for a while in the hope that once the inmates had got used to their new surroundings they might feel inclined to get to know one another better, and maybe have some babies. There were soon signs of romance and I was lucky enough to have the chance… Continue reading Love Darts, Snails 2
Snails
Down the sides of curb stones, along the cracks of paving stones, tucked between bricks and under pebbles there are little creatures all around us, going about their lives. Creepy crawlies, mini beasts; ants, beetles, mites and molluscs are all there right beside us. It amazes me every time I pause and look closely, just… Continue reading Snails
Scatology.
Did you know that you are sharing your home with wild animals? Whether it’s city or countryside, wild creatures share our habitat, our gardens, roads and routes to school. Some animals such as pigeons and squirrels are easy to see and we can all identify them, but many animals are nocturnal or just difficult to… Continue reading Scatology.
Owl Pellets.
For years I’ve been prodding about by fence posts and farm buildings, searching for an owl pellet, a package of goodies first brought to my attention in childhood nature books; to no avail. A few months ago I went to stay with some friends who were showing me some buildings they are restoring. We were in… Continue reading Owl Pellets.
Beatrice von Preussen
The Winston Churchill Memorial Trust have awarded me a travel grant to go to Svalbard this June. I am very proud to be a Fellow as you can read here in the Brighton and Hove Independant, I intend to be a very good one. After a lengthy application process I was offered a place on The… Continue reading Beatrice von Preussen
