EARTH CORNER
Corner Earth Corner Living in the heart of the Peak District, I have always worked tirelessly in order to reverse the damage caused by those who relentlessly harm the wild places around my home.
So what does hope look like for you? Is it financial? Is it to do with having more time? Is it to do with trying to be a better human somehow? We’re all such different creatures (the vast expanse of our differences never ceases to amaze me) that hope must look very different in each of us. What resolutions did you make in January? Is it time to dust those off and take stock of how this year is going so far? Do you even think about hope ever? I noticed with some interest this year that Cadburys have changed the beloved time old slogan I remember (how do you eat yours) to the hugely unique and imaginative… how do you NOT eat yours. It’s all linked to a £10k giveaway and finding a white egg. I’m sure someone in marketing got paid a decent sum for coming up with that beauty. Now I’m a big fan of chocolate – and do enjoy me a crème egg or three. But did you know that more than 80 million Chocolate eggs are sold in the UK each year and not one of them mentions anything to do with hope? Until last year that is, when a group of guys decided to launch ‘the real Easter egg’ with the Christian understanding of Easter printed right there on the box. It’s even fair-trade AND it’s plastic free. This article isn’t designed to be an advertisement for the egg, and I’ve got to confess I’ve never bought one – but it’s worth a thought. When you end up spending (at least) £7 on what amounts to less chocolate than you get in a dairy milk (plus a cheesy mug) it might be worth spending £4 on the ‘real Easter egg’, especially when you discover that last year they gave £25k of their profits to charity. Not bad.
I’d love to hear about it, so come over for a chat – I’ll even make you a brew. I’ll see you there.
The lack of respect for these places is astonishing, and I have become to understand that although this problem may never come to a full stop, we can continue to supress the damage and create huge change by taking away anything we see that doesn’t belong in nature whilst out on our walks. Our rivers, forests, mountains and wildlife rely on us in this more than ever vital time to protect them. I use the majority of my stand down days to continuously work across the Peak District, either alone or by organising events where others can come together and share the workload. The amount of damage reversed over the years due to littering, fires, tree felling and more has been enough to realise that both the Peak District would look like a very different place without it, and that although sometimes it may seem a losing battle – the changes made are enough to keep me motivated to continuously apply the pressure to keep doing what I can to stop it.
SA C Jos h Stra w, Sta tion Ope rati ons
©Philip Steury Photography/shutterstock.com
Spring is an important time regardless of your personal beliefs or your opinion about eggs – don’t waste it. Spend some time thinking about how far you’ve come. Focus on your successes and reflect on your failures. Be kind to yourself and consider what brings you hope, and do more of it.
W
ith my conservation efforts, dating back many years, I now understand that this is a constant fight, but my aim is to educate why taking care of our wild places is vital for future generations and our planet. Inspiring many others to do the same, I document my work on social media @PeakDistrictCleanUp – which I also use to share the efforts of others who have been inspired to make positive change.
Pa dre Ma tt Ste ven s RAF Northolt Approach SPRING 2022 7
