The Tree That Ate a Bicycle
My thanks to Michael for coming to my talk in Royal Scottish Geographical Society talk on reading trees in Glasgow last night. And for sharing…
Latest from Tristan
Giant Viper’s-Bugloss and Natural Navigation
Giant Viper’s-Bugloss, Echium pininana, is a tall flowering plant in the borage family, native to La Palma in the Canary Islands. It shows a strong…
Ants Build Landmarks
Humans are so accustomed to using landmarks that we usually don’t even realise when we are doing it. “Turn left at the post office.” “Meet…
Morning or Afternoon in Lyme Regis?
I recently took this photo in Lyme Regis, Dorset, on the south coast of England. But what time of day was the picture taken, morning…
Quite Frankly Navigating with Nature Interview
Really enjoyed this chat about navigating with nature with Frank Val of Quite Frankly podcast. It was a wide-ranging chat and we covered a lot…
Reading Trees for Navigation – A Tip
I recently returned from a natural navigation exercise in the New Forest, Hampshire. On leaving a patch of woodland I was reminded of a common…
What are Rill Marks in the Sand?
Rill marks are distinctive patterns formed on sandy beaches as water flows downhill after the tide has fallen. As the tide rises over a sandy…
Red Fruits on the South Side of Plants and Trees
In late summer many plants and trees come into fruit. The fruits have come from flowers and these flowers are more common on the south…
Woodland Trust
I’m honoured and delighted to have accepted an invitation to become an Ambassador for the Woodland Trust. I look forward to continuing to support their…
Back from Iceland
I’m back from an intense and rewarding research trip to Iceland. I’ve just added some of my favourite clues, signs and other observations to The…
New Sunday Times Series
Starting today, with Weather Signs, I have written a series of six weekly articles on nature’s signs for the Sunday Times Magazine. It is available…
Choose Lichens Over Mosses for Effective Navigation
Mosses get all the press, but lichens are the stars when it comes to effective natural navigation. In the video above I look at the…
Clouds That Warn of Storms
There are certain clouds that warn that storms are likely. The shape of clouds is very important. The timing is too. The general rule is…
What Does a Lightning Strike on a Tree Look Like?
When lightning strikes a tree, the high-voltage electricity flows through any water on the bark and through the sap under the bark. This heats the…
New Podcast Interview: How to Read a Tree
There is a new podcast interview available. In this episode of the excellent Art of Manliness podcast, host Brett McKay, asks Tristan Gooley how can…
How to Use Your Hands to See Underwater
When we look at water angles are important. Looking across the water, at shallow angles, we see mostly reflections – the colour of the water…
How Can I Tell If A Cloud Will Bring Rain?
Is it going to rain? What a popular question. The key to longer-term forecasts lies in studying changes in clouds and fronts over hours, but…
June Solstice Question
Happy Solstice! Time to celebrate with a micro puzzle… If you walked towards sunrise for ten minutes this morning, then waited and walked towards sunset…
Reading Trees on Sunday Brunch
It was great fun chatting with Tim Lovejoy and Simon Rimmer on Sunday Brunch on Channel 4 (UK) yesterday. If you sign in you can…
What are Fallstreak Holes in Clouds?
Fallstreak holes form when a part of a cloud falls out, leaving a hole. This happens when part of a cloud made of very cold…
What are the vertical marks and scars on tree bark?
An explanation for some of the mysterious vertical marks and scars we find on trees.