October

Position

The nine-ten o’clock segment (270 – 300 degrees from the centre). You can explore the area through this map (which also gives you the chance to add your thoughts about place).

Landscape

The October segment stretches out from the Under Helm Sycamore to Helm Crag, just above the tree, which is an easily recognised marker on the skyline above Grasmere and one of those high points that’s not too high but rewards with spectacular views. Beyond this rocky top, Far Easedale stretches towards Calf Crag and high expanses of grassy and often-boggy land before dropping into the Langstrath Valley. The land climbs once again, reaching its high point at the summit of Glaramara, and falls to the Seathwaite Valley and the River Derwent. One of this segment’s few roads climbs from Seatoller up and over Honister Pass, which gives easy access to feels such as Brandreth and Fleetwith Pike. The Honister Slate Mines offer guided tours and, if you’re up for a climb, there’s a via ferrata. Beyond Honister Pass, the lower land holds Buttermere and Crummock Water and, separated from these two lakes by the high rise of Red Pike, Starling Dodd and Great Borne, Ennerdale Valley. This valley, dominated by its lake and dense woodlands, is also known as Wild Ennerdale – a vision for a place determined by natural processes more than human interventions.

Weather

June embraces the year’s longest day and what’s generally called ‘midsummer’ because of the extensive light, but it’s not always the warmest month. We’ll take what we get, and certainly spend longer days out to enjoy the light. 

The October Issue ~ Biodiversity

Biodiversity is a broad issue, which we’ll be considering at a local level and in a wider national and global context. Put simple, biodiversity brings together two terms – biology and diversity. It refers to the variety of living things and the systems of life, including communities of similar species and communities where different species rely on one another, to the habitats that support life in all its forms, and the genetic diversity within species. Biodiversity could also be described as the infrastructure that supports all life on earth.

Globally, wildlife populations have declined by 60% in the last 50 years*. In the UK, many species are endangered and numbers of some animals and birds have fallen as much as 97% since the 1970s. It’s a frightening reality that some species and habitats may struggle to improve or even get back to sustainable levels. It’s also a reality that the choices we make as humans will impact the chances of other species surviving. It’s not all doom and gloom though: there are positive stories, and depending on the area, some rare animals and birds are doing well. 

Like other areas of the UK, Cumbria has mixed fortunes. We’ll be finding out more about the good news and the more concerning stories in this region, both within and outside the boundaries of the National Park. Much of what we’ve considered through the year will feed into our learning about biodiversity, and we’ll build on this in October through conversations with people whose focus is on caring for rare or vulnerable habitats and species, championing research and action, and aiming for a better future. 

{*For more, take a look at the WWF Living Planet Report.}

Camping & the Canvas

For more detail on our camp and the canvas, head over to the blog.