Nature

A life without plastic: Why it's going to take more than a few incremental changes to save our planet

Climbing Ben Stack: A perfect, conical mountain whose paths are adorned with bluebells, violets and orchids

Fiona Reynolds takes time out during a trip to Scotland to climb one of its most beautiful little peaks: Ben Stack.

How a pair of Yorkshire landowners created a woodland wildlife haven

With help from the Woodland Trust, Christopher and Helen Neave turned their blank canvas into a veritable haven for wildlife.

The history of the elder tree: From deities and dryads to Shakespeare and J.K. Rowling

Does our love of a tall glass of elderflower cordial speak of an ancient connection with the tree itself, wonders Ian Morton.

Country Life Today: The astonishingly simple solution to making our canals litter-free and beautiful

Today we look at why our canals have become rivers of plastic, but it needn't be that way; the scrapping of the M4 relief road in South Wales; and the first baby crane hatched at Wicken Fen in half a millennium.

Re-wilding: 'There’s still so much to love and treasure in the countryside that it blinds us to how much more there once was'

The gentle creed of re-wilding, with its fierce name and fiercer advocacy, is more needed now than ever. Our weekly columnist, the countryside crusader Agromenes, explains why we must reward sustainable farming and re-establish the fecundity of the countryside.

Country Life's guide to England's 10 breakthtaking national parks

One year on from Michael Gove's consultation on our nation's national parks, we round up the reasons to visit the places which inspired some of our country's most famous and talented poets, writers and painters.

Country Life Today: How elk could save the Scottish countryside, a recent outbreak of disease in bee hives and the enduring appeal of a fixer-upper

The play of light on Britain’s countryside: ‘This is the light Debussy knew in Clair de Lune, the light that lets the poetry through’

Jay Griffiths bathes in the warm glow of the early-morning sun and delights in the cool calm of twilight–all the while reflecting on how light dances with and enhances our landscape.

Curious Questions: Do the disguises of hoverflies really keep them safe from predators?

Hoverflies mimic bees, wasps and all manner of other insects in order to put off predators — but does their subterfuge really work? Simon Morton finds out.

Curious Questions: What actually is a Blue Moon? And is it really blue?

It's a phrase which gets bandied around all the time, but what does a 'Blue Moon' actually consist of? And does it really look any bluer than a normal moon?

The £5 million expansion of the Broads National Park called a 'unique opportunity’ by Sir David Attenborough

Thanks to the National Lottery Heritage Fund and an incredible fundraising effort from the public, Carlton Marshes will be expanding by 348 acres over the next six months.

Rhododendrons: A beautiful excuse to lose the battle against invading flowers

Charles Quest-Ritson explains why these gorgeous purple flowers are not such a bad thing, really.

Curious Questions: How are hailstones formed? And how big can they get?

Inspired by the recent wacky weather, Martin Fone — author of 50 Curious Questions — turns his gaze to what is undoubtedly the strangest form of precipitation: hail.

Curious Questions: Do bees really need to be kept in artificial hives?

Beekeepers have kept their bees in filing cabinet-style hives for ya that we've long since ceased to question whether they actually need them. Yet why would such a simple, natural creature need such an obviously man-made home? Vicky Liddell speaks to one man who has found an alternative.

Female farmers: 'It doesn’t matter what sex you are – it’s about whether you’re good at the job'

Female farmers are far from being a rare breed. Not only are they getting their hands dirty but plenty of them are running the show as Anna Tyzack finds out.

An economist's blueprint for the countryside that ditches 'flawed romanticism', but still offers hope

Dieter Helm's latest book, Green and Prosperous Land, offers a radical blueprint for rescuing the British countryside. Clive Aslet takes a look.

Jason Goodwin: How legginess, though desirable on humans, is the devil in seedlings

Tibetan terriers: Friend to the famous, lovably lively and perhaps the Kennel Club's best-kept secret

They have a starry following, but characterful Tibetan terriers are still a well-kept secret. Emma Hughes meets the best dog of which you’ve never heard. Photographs by Sarah Farnsworth.