At GGS we are passionate about the future of our planet. We recently explored what climate change might mean for ground gas. As environmental scientists, we also want to protect the planet so we can explore it in our down time.
Getting out in nature can offer so many benefits, whether it be for exercise or to connect with family. Everyone’s connection to nature is personal, so we are sharing our team’s favorite nature spots. Keep reading to discover some remarkable stories about everything nature has to offer, from our team.
Rich – Calderdale Valley
Rich took this gorgeous photo of a sunrise in the Calderdale Valley, a place where he goes walking often. He explains, ‘Calderdale was where I’d come to escape the city when I lived in Leeds. Now that I live in Calderdale, my love of being in the area has not diminished. The hills surrounding the valley are stunning and always changing with the weather.’
The Calderdale Valley isn’t far from our offices in Stockport, found in the South Pennines. It’s an area rich with local history and beautiful scenery, but it is not immune to the impacts of climate change.
It’s an area that is liable to catastrophic flooding such as the Boxing Day 2015 event, which saw the shops and houses inundated by over a metre of water. Rich explains how the community he lives in is responding to these events.
‘There is some resistance to a proposed windfarm in the area due to concerns about wildlife habitats. Reactive measures following 2015 garnered support easily because everyone felt the impact of the flooding; the evidence was tangible and easily understood. While climate change scepticism is fast becoming discredited, the fact that a community profoundly impacted by the environment is not unanimously supportive of green energy projects highlights one of the remaining issues. As part of the scientific community, we need to try and do our bit to tackle these issues.’
David – Isle of Skye
Further north, connected to Scotland’s coast is the Isle of Skye. David has visited the Isle of Skye on several occasions and has shared two different photos. The first picture is a view from Beinn Dearg Bheag looking over the Elgol peninsula, and towards the Isle of Rum. The second picture is a view of the Cuillin Hills also from Beinn Dearg Bheag. Both views look breath-taking.
David is based in Scotland and explains, ‘I first went here for my undergraduate degree and have been back multiple times since because of the views! At GGS we have completed several projects at the Isle of Skye and it’s a great place to visit.’
It’s no surprise these landscapes are famous, but the Isle of Skye is also embracing sustainability, including sustainable tourism and rewilding projects. For example, the Uigshader Living Forest Project works to restore the island’s river ecosystems.
Emma – Brockholes Nature Reserve
Pictured here is Emma’s family at the Gruffalo Trail at the Brockholes Nature Reserve. Brockholes is found just off the M6 motorway, and this former quarry was transformed into a multifaceted home for nature by the Lancashire Wildlife Trust, with wetland, woodland and grassland providing a sanctuary for birds, insects, mammals, plants and amphibians.
Emma visits Brockholes regularly. She tells us, ‘It holds a special place in my heart. With my family I have taken in the sight of cormorants basking like black-winged reptiles, uncovered a rainbow of jelly-like fungi and fairy house toadstools, and constructed dens with sticks twice the size of their builders.’
Emma also says, ‘Since Brockholes opened to the public in 2011 after four years of volunteer led propagation and sustainable construction, its lush landscape has inspired a journey of natural discovery for people of all ages, making it a place of true value in the North West.’
It’s incredibly inspiring to see how earlier industrial areas, especially excavation sites, can be transformed into nature reserves. As time passes, we hope to see conservation efforts increase to preserve our nature retreats.
Louis – New Mills
New Mills is a town found just at the edge of the Peak District. Accessible by train from Manchester, it is a very popular nature retreat close to the city. Louis explains ‘I don’t drive, so finding a space that’s close by and feels like enough of a retreat by train is important. Over the past couple of years, I’ve visited New Mills for the walking loop over the Millennium Bridge, through woodland and the town!’
In New Mills you can visibly see the impact of the North West’s industrial past, as the old mills were used for cotton spinning and printing. As time passes, the mills have been converted into community hotspots or left as landmarks for nature to grow.
New Mills is a place that is passionate about a sustainable future and actively supports nature. The community has set up Transition New Mills, which is all about re-imagining and rebuilding a sustainable future.
Send us your nature retreats and connect with us
As a team of environmental scientists, conversations about sustainability are important to us, and we hope the work we do will protect and manage the impact of climate change to preserve the natural environment our team enjoys.
For regular updates about nature we spot while on site, make sure to follow us on LinkedIn. We would love to see your favorite nature retreats, so do share them underneath our posts.
The following pages include news articles, videos, guidance notes and white papers on a range of ground gas related topics which we hope you will find of interest. Please browse through but if you can’t find something on your particular issue of interest, we’d be very pleased to hear from you so we can put that right.
News
The GGS team share their favorite nature retreats
At GGS we are passionate about the future of our planet. We recently explored what climate change might mean for ground gas. As environmental scientists, we also want to protect the planet so we can explore it in our down time.
Getting out in nature can offer so many benefits, whether it be for exercise or to connect with family. Everyone’s connection to nature is personal, so we are sharing our team’s favorite nature spots. Keep reading to discover some remarkable stories about everything nature has to offer, from our team.
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