Thanks to a dry summer - the mushrooms are out in force at the moment in the UK. I have just finished traipsing around my lawn, crouched over and with wet knees and elbows! That’s right, I have been finding fungi to take great photos of! You should be out there too checking out your (untreated) lawn or nearby woodlands for some great mushrooms and tree fungi! After a long dry summer and these past few weeks of heavy rain - the fungus living undergrown have started to bloom.  Be quick th... Read Full Story

Just because you want a great eco vacation - you don’t have to pay full price for it! Everyone likes to know that they aren’t paying too much for their winter vacation - especially this year when things are a bit tight for most families. So, why not hunt around for something great but at less than full price?  That way you can still afford an eco holiday without having to compromise to fit your budget.  I do it all the time, and have found some really fantastic deals.  There’... Read Full Story

Right, here we go with a fun-packed Latest Inventions Autumn Blog Carnival; John Laugherton starts us off with a short article in the Top 50 Web Design Resource Blogs for those of your in the industry, and Katy Unitek takes us to another industry - the renewable energy industry with her post: Moving Away from Oil-Powered Energy - Boots on the Roof Next we have an interview with an inventor: so Surbhi Bhatia offers us An Interview with Dr. Iqbal Ahmed, Creator of World’s Smallest Steam Engine.... Read Full Story

A friend recently fell in love with my bathroom after a nights sleep-over! I have underfloor heating in there, and she just loved stepping out of the shower and onto a lovely warm floor!  The heating was installed in the bathroom and the kitchen after we moved in, and I love it! We originally had it installed when we moved into an old Victorian terraced house - with little space for a modern kitchen - and no discernible bathroom!  The bath was sitting in a lean-to at the back of the property,... Read Full Story

Going into caves that support beautiful wildlife could actually be destroying it! We all know that many animals live in caves, whether it’s the obvious bats or the not so obvious creepy crawlies, but could we be damaging the very environment that they evolved to live in? I recently read a report on the fact that groups of people who pay to go into giant caves to see the nesting bats are actually driving the bats away and making the cave inhospitable to other creatures as well. What Is T... Read Full Story

Llamas, Alpacas, Camels and other camelids are offering the world of medicine something real special!  They possess an anti-body totally different to any other mammal, alongside the ‘normal’ ones that we already have - and it could change the fight against disease! So, What Is It? Well, during some random research in the 1980’s, a group of students were given a project to investigate camel antibodies.  All mammals have a standard type of antibody type - the heavy and light c... Read Full Story

Welcome to this Fall’s Traveling with Kids Carnival! The weather out there is perfect for some great days out with the kids! Get those wellies on and your woolly hat and go see some great colors in the trees out there. Find fallen seeds, busy squirrels and plenty of leaves to throw about! I must admit it has been a bit wet around here, but then more puddles to squelch in and more mini-beast to find in the undergrowth! And I hope the kids all had a great Halloween last week, with firewor... Read Full Story

The old fashioned way of washing the dishes can really make a difference to your water use! I know that there are many eco friendly dishwashers on the market, and they can well be more eco friendly in the busy family kitchen than filling up the sink all the time (if you use the economy setting, use eco friendly low-phosphate, low-chlorine detergents and stop the machine before the dry cycle). However, for those of us with too small a kitchen for an A-rated dishwasher or not enough dirty dishe... Read Full Story

I know it’s early yet - but keep the date clear in your diary! I have been to this show for several years now - and I love it!  It has got everything from volunteering, gap year advice, great products, specific seminars and great food! This show has inspired us to finally travel to Costa Rica for a month to watch the wildlife - which was one of my best travel experiences yet - as well as numerous other trips and ideas! I remember sitting in the Overland tours bus that was rolled into th... Read Full Story

It doesn’t have to be an Eco Holidays Show - but there are people there to answer your questions! These large-scale travel shows are a fantastic place to get some real info on eco holidays and adventures! But also to get some opinions out there. Not only will you have all day to wander around asking all the eco questions you ever wanted to ask, and to buy some fantastic gifts or equipment at discount prices, and to speak to people who have already been there - done that, but you will be... Read Full Story