Isles of Wonder

That opening ceremony of the Isles of Wonder was amazing but now the "greenest Olympics ever" have finished many will be assessing that claim and judging the results by more than the fireworks. I'll be one of  them too, but not for a few days yet - watch this space.

I was interested to watch the opening ceremony not just because it was very exciting but also to see what the  organisers feel makes us distinct from other nations. There were lots of green fields and countryside at the start, but I didn't notice any wildlife in the show. Being fair, it would have been very hard to include life wildlife, but it's interesting to note that the countryside is central to our national self-image but perhaps the creatures that frequent it are not.

I spend many of my blogs on how green issues are central to all aspects of our lives, if you think about it long enough. It's not just the weekly recycling, it's remembering to buy the recyclable products in the first place too.

I travelled from Leeds back to Preston yesterday (hence the lateness of this blog) and I was amazed at the amount of interesting topics that I saw pass my window as we travelled. Heather in bloom on some moorland reminded me of the lack of hen harriers there, and the importance of preserving species and the work needed between conservationists and the shooting community. Solar panels on houses show which people have taken the leap to produce their own power. Magpies and wood pigeons frequented the railway banks and in their natural habitat looked lovely. I wish I could show them to all the people who say they are terrible pests. Even inside the train, when I looked down at the back of my book, I realised it was FSC certified paper and buying it had supported the Woodland Trust. 

There were many moments that made me wonder, and there were lots of wondrous things to discover on my journey. To be honest I was surprised and slightly in awe of all the things that grabbed my attention. It was (unexpectedly) a fantastic journey and for me that showed the Isles of Wonder, and the magic within them, much better than any opening ceremony. And it's a good reminder that wildlife never needs an opening ceremony with fanfare and trumpets, it's there, waiting patiently to be discovered.