The new shed we finished in the autumn has proved useful over the winter for some extra shelter, especially during the snow for the younger cattle. The youngstock were able to shelter while feeding through the worst of the weather.…

Since the last Grazer update the calendar has been full of school visits, youth visits and residential trips. It is always such a pleasure to hear the screams and squeals of delight when children help collect their first chicken egg,…

Summer is officially here, and the weather certainly seems to have taken notice! Indeed the heat and the sunny days are attracting the trail wanderers and the picnickers – and though while this may be a pleasant break from the…

Since the Neolithic times, the Summer Solstice (21st June) has been marked and celebrated as a day of significance. As the longest day of the year, in many places the solstice is still observed with gatherings of people sharing folkloric…

Tell us a bit about your life away from Fordhall. Do you work? What hobbies or pursuits do you have? I work part-time for a charity working in environmental sustainability, but that’s my current career. Previously I was an accountant…

The ‘eyes’ markings on a peacock butterfly’s wings so resemble those on a peacock’s tail feathers that they make it easy to recognise the butterfly. They are used as a means of defence if the butterfly is threatened by a…

In general, it certainly seems day to day life is only getting busier, and it may seem impossible to fit volunteering along side everything else. However, it can be a wonderful and fulfilling way to step away from the everyday,…

This year I again joined in with No Mow May. I let my already weedy lawn grow uncut and this is the result on the 20th June. The lawn is visited by lots of insects and I have noticed several…

Tomorrow is the first Sunday in May, and this day celebrates nature’s very own free musical performance. Dubbed International Dawn Chorus Day, it is set aside for nature lovers to rise early and bask in all the melodic twitterings our…

With those April showers giving way to the warmer temperatures of May, the wildflowers are really starting to take hold – something I’m sure hasn’t escaped the notice of my fellow hay fever sufferers! Of course, while I may be bemoaning…