< Previous70 LINCOLNSHIRE TODAY AN INTERVIEW WITH… who did the survey said it is probably one of the best sites in Lincolnshire for grassland butterflies. It is astonishing to me that we went from being one of the worst sites for arable farming in the county to one of the best sites for grassland butterflies. It was an indication that we’re doing the right thing.” One of the most exciting reappearances on the farm for Hannah, however, is orchids — now rare in our countrysides — due to the unique conditions it takes for them to grow. Hannah shared: “Last year we had common spotted orchid, pyramidal orchid and southern marsh orchid all growing on the farm. The reason that’s so exciting is because orchids produce seeds that are absolutely tiny. They’re like dust and they don’t have any resources within the seeds, so in order to be able to germinate they have to find a particular type of mycorrhizal fungus in the soil and then it forms this symbiotic relationship where the fungus feeds the seed and allows the plant to grow, and then as the plant becomes bigger, it can then supply sugars to the fungus. So, you can imagine when land is being farmed intensively it destroys the fungus within the soil and destroys these relationships. Starting to see the orchids growing on the farm again is an indication that that soil is starting to heal and some of those relationships are able to develop again.” These wildlife wins are showcased in Hannah’s new book, A WILDING YEAR, the writing of which came naturally. “What we’re doing on the farm has provided so much more inspiration for my artwork,” she shared. “I find myself out there often with a sketchbook and recording what’s happening on the day- to-day basis on the farm through the art. That naturally then led to writing down some of those experiences and gave me Skylark illustration taken from A WILDING YEAR Bringing Life Back To The Land by Hannah Dale, published by Batsford in hardback at £14.99. For a chance to win one of five free copies of A WILDING YEAR: Bringing Life Back To The Land by Hannah Dale, send an email to competitions@blmgroup.co.uk answering the following question: What animal has Hannah recently introduced to the farm, the first to return to Lincolnshire in 400 years? LINCOLNSHIRE TODAY 71 AN INTERVIEW WITH… the idea that actually this would make a really nice book. It’s part journal and part sketchbook and is filled with illustrations and lots of personal anecdotes and experiences of a year on the farm and through our rewilding journey.” Hannah hopes the book will encourage people to see more beauty in wildness and understand that gardens don’t have to be neat and tidy spaces: “If we can leave our grass to grow a little bit longer, leave wild areas around the margins, stop using pesticides in the garden, it would make such a big difference to wildlife and we’d start to see more and more butterflies, hedgehogs and birds in our domestic spaces.” She added: “If I can play a little part in trying to restore nature and inspire people in Lincolnshire to do something similar, what a legacy. I’d be so proud to be able to do that.” For those who may want to follow in her footsteps and begin their own rewilding project, Hannah advised to “just go for it.” She said: “It doesn’t matter what scale you do it on, just follow the general principles of embracing wild, native plants and letting things grow and look a little bit untidy. It will absolutely encourage more wildlife into those spaces. There aren’t any hard and fast rules — that’s the other great thing about rewilding.” With the rewilding of the farm well underway, Hannah is stepping back and letting nature take its course — for the most part: “The principle of rewilding is trying to let nature take the lead, but as we’re on 300 acres there are always going to be interventions that we need to do; playing those proxy roles of the animals that are missing from the landscape, like the large herbivores that once roamed and shaped it.” This includes digging holes as a proxy for a bull pit for when there were big aurochs, an extinct type of wild cattle, roaming the landscape. Hannah continued: “Largely it is a project where we can sit back and see what happens. We introduced beavers into the site just over a year ago and it’s exciting and interesting to see what they’re able to do in terms of creating wetlands and shaping the landscape, so there’s a lot of standing back and watching everything happen.” The introduction of the beavers marks the first in Lincolnshire in 400 years, having been native to the country but eradicated for meat, fur and castoreum. The progress on the farm is “just the tip of the iceberg in terms of what is to come,” however. Hannah is enjoying the journey rather than aiming for a goal or endpoint: “I’m sure that there’ll be surprises, you never know what’s going to come next, which is really exciting.” An inspiring account of how, in a time of climate breakdown, nature can thrive when given the chance, A WILDING YEAR: Bringing Life Back To The Land is out now, with all the royalties Hannah receives from writing the book going back into the nature recovery project. Roe Deer illustration taken from A WILDING YEAR Bringing Life Back To The Land by Hannah Dale, published by Batsford in hardback at £14.99.72 LINCOLNSHIRE TODAY SUDOKU competition Closing date for entries is: 20th APRIL 2025 To enter just email the numbers that appear in the purple squares to: competitions@blmgroup.co.uk Win a £20 voucher to spend with any of our advertisers in this issue. Last month’s solution Lincolnshire Today’s guide to the astro month ahead... Aries Mar 21 - Apr 20 You will find yourself questioning the state of your life and the situation you have found yourself in. You’re not the kind of person to do things in halves, so if you decide to do something different, you must go all the way. Taurus Apr 21 - May 21 Tell a loved one what they need to hear and make a few compromises instead of being so stubborn and inflexible. In a new romance, are you afraid to admit that you have more in common with your partner than you suggest? Gemini May 22 - June 21 Put on your best smile because there are people to meet and new partnerships to form. You’ve a pile of work to get through and arrangements to make, but nothing you cannot deal with efficiently. Cancer Jun 22 - Jul 23 At long last some much needed good news arrives and a bit of respite from all the recent dramas. Although you have had more than your fair share of difficulties, they could be the making of you. Leo Jul 24 - Aug 23 Is someone insecure and possessive? Are they behaving unreasonably and slowly driving you mad? If so, you have some important decisions to make. Leopards do not change their spots, but what has to change are your actions. Virgo Aug 24 - Sep 23 You are finally getting your mojo back. You are beginning to find yourself after what has been one very long journey, but never again will you allow anyone to get away with manipulating you into using you to benefit themselves. Libra Sep 24 - Oct 23 For some time you have not quite known which direction to go in but now you are being given all the pointers and if you don’t take up the challenges, you are going to miss out on some fantastic opportunities that don’t normally come your way. Scorpio Oct 24 - Nov 22 If you are patient, the truth regarding a certain person will always emerge. Once someone has blotted their copy book, avoid the mistake of allowing them back over your threshold again because leopards never change their spots. Sagittarius Nov 23 - Dec 21 Pay attention to detail at work because you are going to need every ounce of concentration that you can muster. Beware of professional rivals who will stop at nothing to trip you up, causing you to make expensive mistakes. Capricorn Dec 22 - Jan 20 At last you are realising just where you have gone wrong in the past and are now ready to make those all important changes in order to avoid finding yourself in a similar position. You want to put your life in order and only one person can do this. Aquarius Jan 21 - Feb 19 It’s interesting that you refuse to face facts, preferring to sweep the truth under the carpet. Catching up with old friends proves delightful, but so does a budding new romance that is rapidly developing into an all-out passionate affair. Pisces Feb 20 - Mar 20 It is suiting you down to the ground to feel powerful and in charge of situations both professionally and domestically. People who underestimate you, thinking you are a soft touch, are in for a big shock. D2E2C 258374169 914862537 367195284 592436871 731528946 846917325 179683452 685249713 423751698 971253846 643789215 825146739 562394187 714628953 398571462 487935621 256817394 139462578classified British Classics Heritage Motors Parts 1948 to date Retail Trade Export Special Projects Restorations Manufacturing Modifications Country Workshops Risegate, Nr Spalding, Lincs, PE11 4EZ Classic Landrovers Tel/Fax 01775 750223 www.british4x4centre.co.uk Motors Stuart Wilde Photography Ltd The best photography is about much more than taking a picture. It’s about capturing a moment, telling a story, preserving a memory. Sometimes it’s about looking at things a little bit differently. Tel: 07974 695626 www.stuartwildephotography.com fortheBid The essentialgu d o Gr f LINC. WWW otb COLNSHIRETODAY WEDDINGS/ NET.Y If you are getting married then this guide is your must have accessory. It’s full of advice, hints and tips from the county’s top wedding specialists and will provide you with inspiration for your big day. To receive a copy of the county’s most prestigious, full colour Wedding Guide, send a S.A.E. to: Lincolnshire Today Wedding Guide, Armstrong House, Armstrong Street, Grimsby, North East Lincs DN31 2QE Alternatively visit: Weddings To Let • Superb Location • Secure off street parking • High speed internet availability • A range of affordable office sizes Armstrong House, Armstrong Street, Grimsby DN31 2QE Tel: (01472) 310301 Email: s.fisher@blmgroup.co.uk LINCOLNSHIRE TODAY 73 Ground floor offices to let - prime location in Grimsby Photography Is this how work makes you feel on a Monday morning? We’re looking for those with a zest for life to join Lincolnshire Today’s sales team! You don’t have to be an adrenalin junkie to work here but it helps… Contact Angie Cooper on 01472 310310 © stock.adobe.com/indomercy Victoria Young HeadVictoria Jubilee Head Victoria Veiled HeadEdward VII George VCommon Reverse Dates Vary from 1880 to 1935 GOLD SOVEREIGNS Coins bought and sold for investment and collections. All gold and silver items bought in any condition. Call David on 01673 857 497 or 07939 087 757 for a free quote Gold bought and soldYour own paranormal investigation Fans of the spooky and supernatural will descend on Louth this month for a day of the strange and mysterious as the ‘Not of this Wold’ festival heads to the Town Hall. Full of the weird, eerie and enigmatic — from The Market of the Weird in the Ballroom to ghostly talks — the event will also see amateur paranormal investigators unleashed on the Town Hall’s haunted sites into the night. Soul seekers will be looking out for the spectre of a suffragette in the roof void who disrupted a speech by Lloyd George, ghosts of members of the Louth Rebellion roaming in the cellar (where tunnels were rumoured to originate to the market square and church), the ghost of an airman thrown from the landing of the main stairs, and the ghost of a young boy in the Chamber, amongst other spectres. Mirror, mirror A Lincolnshire school has taken all the mirrors out of its toilets, pointing to their role in late class arrivals and attracting crowds to the loo. The headteacher at William Farr Comprehensive School in Welton told the BBC that mirrors were encouraging students to spend too much time in toilets, often in large groups, adding that the academy was facing punctuality issues for lessons. A parent however called the decision silly and “a bit extreme,” noting “we have mirrors at home, why can’t we have them in school?” While the school has said when students require a mirror for medical purposes they can request one at reception, it does beg the question of what a pupil does when they want to do something as simple as remove something from their teeth. watercooler 74 LINCOLNSHIRE TODAY LincolnshireToday @lincstoday lincolnshiretoday.net Have we missed anything? Send your rib-ticklers to m.fisher@blmgroup.co.uk By the Thou shalt not steal In a concerning and disappointing but ironic crime, paintings from a Lincolnshire church have been stolen, including one of the Ten Commandments reading “thou shalt not steal.” Three paintings in heavy wooden frames of the Lord’s prayer and Moses giving the commandments were taken from St Andrew’s Church in Little Steeping, along with, rather randomly, an extension cable. A church warden has urged the return of the Victorian murals, telling The Independent: “Isn’t it ironic? One of the murals was the Ten Commandments which says ‘Thou shalt not steal’. It’s absolutely crazy.” © stock.adobe.com/robu_s © stock.adobe.com/Krakenimages.com © stock.adobe.com/pixelrobot*limited time offer, usually £29 a month. £25 a month pricing available to new customers only when toob home900 product is ordered between 00:00 on 4th March and 11:59pm on 2nd June 2025. T&Cs apply, see toob.co.uk/legal.Next >