Atmos argues this is bad for science and society. "Duke University is closing its century-old herbarium—a legendary plant collection and training ground—to the outcry of many."
I'm watching #WinterWatch. Which generall] I love.
But Chris Packham's discussion of fern lifecycles was rubbish. Gametophytes are pretty common - you don't need to go to temperature rainforest. There are loads in my garden (which has a sheltered damp spot). In Edinburgh, they're easy to spot along the Water of Leith between Stockbridge and the Dean Bridge.
Ok, I'm not the target audience - I grew Pteridium gametophytes and sporophytes too when I was doing my PhD, but still.
Incidentally, fern gametophytes are easy to grow. They will be found in most warm, damp greenhouses. If you've got ferns growing, they started as a gametophyte.
I've a potted Polypodium aureus (sporophyte) which is either the original, a clone of, or the offspring of a plant which grew by accident in a pot of bracken. (So it's nearly 40 years old.)
It produces a lot of spores, and from them grow gametophytes - and thence sporophytes.
Very few trail scenes beat the look and feel of running thru a silent and still misty forest. It's like all the rest of the universe drops away, and all that remains is my body, the trail, and a small bubble of peace and tranquility that moves with me through the cool, gray void 🌲🩶
I like how the water looks almost like ice in this still; more, I like the lesson that even the smallest waterfall is mighty from a certain perspective 💦
I wasn't sure I would share this photo because it's a scene that feels common in the forests I love, but then I realized that's exactly why I should share:
Not all the magic of life is extraordinary—sometimes we live with magic all around us. It's important that we remember to pause and be grateful for everyday magic 🙏💚
Also:
Here's another example of Sol's mighty power, the light of our life so bright that its radiant orb occludes a tree trunk set between the sun and the camera. I love that ☀️😮💛