The Forgotten Kingdom - A Bioblitz Adventure

From www.ironammonite.com

Searching for the strange life forms that lurk in the dark, damp places of Blaise Castle estate, Bristol. A Bioblitz adventure in Fungi by Paul Williams & Donna Dixon.

Although expectations were low due to the late spring and recent dryness, 19 species were discovered including Puffballs, Earth Stars, Brackets, Slime molds & Oyster Mushrooms… yum, yum.

Filmed as part of the live media from Bioblitz Bristol 2010. Visit the Bioblitz Blog.

A beautiful Oyster Mushroom, Photo by Donna Dixon

Short Film: 'Plastic Bag' from Supermarket to Sea

http://futurestates.tv/episodes/plastic-bag

This short film by American director Ramin Bahrani (Goodbye Solo) traces the epic, existential journey of a plastic bag (voiced by Werner Herzog) searching for its lost maker, the woman who took it home from the store and eventually discarded it. Along the way, it encounters strange creatures, experiences love in the sky, grieves the loss of its beloved maker, and tries to grasp its purpose in the world.

In the end, the wayward plastic bag wafts its way to the ocean, into the tides, and out into the Pacific Ocean trash vortex — a promised nirvana where it will settle among its own kind and gradually let the memories of its maker slip away

Ideas wanted for BBC British Wildlife series #AnimalsGuide

Request for ideas from Paul Williams, www.IronAmmonite.com

We will look at this green and pleasant land through the eyes of the animals, to produce a televisual 'rough guide' for wildlife living in modern Britain.

We are looking for interesting ways that wildlife has adapted to live in less traditional habitats. E.g. Foxes moving out of woodland to live on rubbish dumps, bats roosting in lofts, peregrines using skyscrapers as if they were cliffs, rooftops allowing safe places for ground nesting birds. Stories which may be a bit anthropomorphic but allow us to reveal something about the nature of britain. The ornithological opera of the dawn chorus, birds visiting on their summer holidays, criminal grey squirrels stealing the nuts of reds - reds being trapped in conifer forests. You get the idea!?


If you know of wildlife which is fairly predictable to find in the summer months, and which has an unusual way of living then please get in touch. You can leave a comment to this post or @reply on Twitter

We are ideally interested in charismatic animals which we think of as being typically British, but we are open to suggestions. The programmes are curretly divided into 'woodland animals' including species such as squirrels, crossbills, hedgehogs, badgers, deer, woodpeckers etc, we also have programmes focussing on 'coastal animals' 'freshwater animals' and 'grassland/heathland animals'.

Thanks for reading.
Best wishes,