The natural Navigation: The Right Course, Naturally

We all see a lot of lichens, but we pay them little attention. They are not endowed with classical beauty and yet their absence can make places distinctly less attractive. What we think of as a typical English country church and yard might look closer to an unsightly modern development than we cared for, if it were not for the long, slow, determined influence of the lichens. Village churchyards form very good habitats for lichens: the choice of stone, the fresh air and the general lack of decorating or other surface tinkering makes for a happy lichen home.

It is their fussiness that can help us deduce direction as one type of lichen is unlikely to favour two sides of anything equally, whether it is a rock, tree or mound of earth. Some find their heaven on the shaded north side of churches, others seek paradise on the west side…

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Yesterday afternoon was spent doing some private training in Angmering Park near Arundel, West Sussex. I did not need to be a native American Indian to realise that this is a very horsey part of the world. There is a stud at the heart of the park and the well churned ground bears witness to a lot of hooves.

We were put through a gentle rinse and spin cycle as what felt like typical cold front conditions mixed things up, sunshine and cold rain wrestling each other throughout an enjoyable afternoon. The skies matured into a more settled pattern towards the end of the day and allowed us a clear view of an incandescent Venus and later the stars, including the ones we needed most: the plough, polaris, auriga, Cassiopeia and Orion.

… better known to its friends as the Traveller’s Palm, thanks to its habit of collecting rainwater (and bugs) in its leaf bases. Navigators and travellers are helped in another way by its leaves, as they are usually aligned east/west. This was one of many treats at the Eden Project which we visited as part of our family trip to Cornwall.