5 THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW THIS MONTH

1 Nature needs your help

‘Make no mistake, we are angry. The new UK Government has launched an unprecedented attack on nature and the laws that protect it.’ These words from the RSPB are unusually forceful, but they reflect the gravity of the threat facing Britain’s wildlife, and all of the major nature and conservation charities – The Wildlife Trusts, WWF, BirdLife, The Ramblers, The National Trust, Buglife, CPRE – are appealing for your help.

Recent Government proposals include scrapping or amending crucial environmental laws across the UK; the introduction of ‘Investment Zones’ in England which could trash planning rules; and possibly scrapping a scheme in England that would support farmers to enhance nature. You can help by writing a letter, sending a postcard or tweeting your MP and local councillors to voice your concerns. Find out more at rspb.org.uk or through any of the charities above.

2 Plants may be cleverer than you think

Did you know tomato plants being chewed by caterpillars can release a chemical that turns their assailants into cannibals? That some plants can remember where the sun comes up and turn their leaves ready for first light? That Venus flytraps can be anaesthetised like animals, so they no longer respond? In Planta Sapiens: Unmasking Plant Intelligence, Professor Paco Calvo, with Natalie Lawrence, writes about mindboggling discoveries: some ideas are contested, but it will make you look at flora with new eyes.

3 ANOTHER BOAT TAKES THE NAME ENDURANCE…

For over a century Ernest Shackleton’s Endurance was lost beneath the Antarctic ice, its wreck only found this spring. In that time, no other vessel has carried the name – but Anna Shackleton, the explorer’s great-great niece, has been granted permission to use it for her narrow boat. Moored on the Thames at Sutton Courtenay, it’s also a seasonal cafe, serving up coffee and cake to passing walkers. See facebook.com/enduranceboatcafe

4 These pubs are peerless

The Great British Pub Awards have just announced this year’s winners and many are in top walking country. The best rural pub is The Three Hills in Bartlow, Cambridgeshire, named after the nearby group of huge Roman burial mounds; the best for food is Shibden Mill Inn on the edge of Halifax in West Yorkshire; the community hero goes to The Lion at Treorchy* in the Rhondda Fawr valley of south Wales; and the best pub garden goes to the Tamworth* Tap in Staffordshire. The best for families is Ye Olde Bridge Inn at Oxton in rural Nottinghamshire; the best for dogs is The Bellflower at Garstang* in Lancashire; the best sustainable pub is The Riverside in Aymestrey, on the banks of the Lugg as it weaves through Herefordshire. And best of the best, Great British pub of the year, is The Gun Inn at Findon (pic right) in the Sussex Downs, with Cissbury and Chanctonbury Rings* (below) on the doorstep.

5 A man has crawled the Three Peaks

Paul Ellis has become the first person to crawl to the top of the highest peaks in Scotland, England and Wales.

Double amputee Paul conquered all three summits in a year: Snowdon first in August 2021, Ben Nevis this April with snow at the top and a wild camp on the descent, and Scafell Pike this August. People he met on the Lakeland peak donated almost £500 on the day and in total Paul has raised nearly £40,000 for AmpCamp Kids, to send children who have suffered amputation on the holiday of a lifetime. See theampcamp.com