Open Source Salon with Stephen Moss

British Naturalist, Author, and TV Producer, Stephen Moss joined us for Open Source Salon on 15 March 2017.  Moss is the President of the Somerset Wildlife Trust and a Course Leader in Travel & Nature Writing at Bath Spa University. He has written over 20 natural history books, including bestselling titles on birds and British wildlife, and most recently ‘The Accidental Countryside’ a journey of discovery through Britain, where he goes in search of the hidden corners where wildlife survives against the odds. Sharing personal anecdotes and readings from his books, in this talk, Moss revealed his deeply personal relationship to the natural world and why we should all look after it. ‘Like many naturalists, I keep regular lists and diaries.

This may seem the height of pedantry, after all, who cares when you saw your first swallow of the year or last dragonfly. Over time personal records such as this allow us to spot patterns and changes. Only when climate change became a reality around the turn of the millennium. Did we realise just how important these personal records are: going back through time enabled scientists to chart the way springs are earlier than they used to be.’ Stephen is an advocate for re-wilding the countryside and a specialist on the Somerset landscape. His words provide inspiration for how to better connect with our wild places and wildlife, and how important our connection to the natural world is.