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Ahlyah Ali

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Posts posted by Ahlyah Ali

  1. Welcome, @Marc van Grieken, and thank you for sharing this introduction to yourself - it sounds like you've had a fascinating journey thus far! And thank you also for that moving obituary for Peter, and condolences for your loss. This line particularly resonated: "His simple but most enduring message was that you cannot do anything to improve the landscape if you do not understand how it got to be the way it is." 

    I look forward to your contributions to the discussions on LVIA and elsewhere on Connect. 

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  2. It sounds lovely during the day, @Antonella! I live close to a hospital and a high school, and often hear helicopters overhead as well, but nice to have the garden to occasionally see what stars are visible. Was so elated in March this year having seen and identified my first constellation (Orion, with help from an app!) right over the point of the roof in the garden, belt dazzling. I think it had been cloudy earlier that night but then had cleared enough to see, so perhaps there's more opportunities than I thought for 'backyard astronomy' 🙂 

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  3. Very inspired by Vestre's ethos on the right to roam and democratic design, and their explicit, very practical, stance against hostile design.

    “Some may think it’s a little naïve to believe that a bench can change the world, but we’ve seen it work – time and time again. This proves that everyone has the power to do something. As more and more companies realise this, a strong, global movement for change will be created,” says Jan Christian Vestre.

    You can read more about some of these principles in this blog: https://vestre.com/uk/news/the-right-to-roam-and-democratic-design.

    Looking forward to the webinar!

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  4. This was very inspiring to listen to, particularly Dr Jala's focus on using the landscape approach for post-conflict recovery & healing, how this is more than just 'reconstruction' as you must look beyond the buildings. "Once you accept an expansive definition of landscape, then the potential for addressing ruptures - political, cultural, social - to address issues of marginalisation and displacement, is immense." 

    Would love to hear others thoughts. 

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  5. That sounds beautiful, @Abi Palmer-Greenwood, thank you! Would love to visit Dartmoor one day. The darkest skies I remember were on a visit to Kashmir as a young child, as my grandmother lived in a village with much less light pollution (though also, I think much more precarious access to electricity). Memories of lying down outside on this woven bed/chair gazing up at all the stars. 

    And yes - sounds like a good use for the map 😉.

    I found it interesting how there are areas with much darker skies comparatively to where I live which don't look too far on the map (although as non-driver will have to research how feasible they are to travel to) which might be good to explore in winter when possible. I was aware of places like Northumberland International Dark Sky Park for truly dark skies, but good to know there are closer places which are at least darker than what I would normally see.

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  6. For all you lovely walkers on here sharing what you've seen on your COVID walks, you might find the Slow Ways of interest. It's an initiative to create a national network of walking routes connecting our towns, cities and villages in the UK: https://beta.slowways.org/  

    "The slow map seeks to elevate the position of walking in our national conversation, to be seen not just as a worthy, healthy hobby but part of our national transport infrastructure. Coronavirus is changing life in many unexpected ways and those who think more walking should be part of our lives now have a new tool. Maps do not just describe the world, they can often help change it." https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-54562137

    Happy walking! 

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  7. Light and sound have such an impact on our experience of a place. I live in a town in an area with lots of light and noise pollution. Just last night in the garden left in awe at the brilliance of the Blue Moon (and trying, though failing, to spot the Perseids or trace out constellations) despite the glare of lights from homes, thundering helicopter circling overhead, wail of sirens, and the odd fireworks shattering the night. Even so, in Spring the evening chorus can be heard over it all, and the odd fox might visit briefly. And the moon shines, even if much of the tapestry of the night is hidden.

    There's an interesting map by CPRE of England's light pollution and dark skies, which helps visualise this in more detail. How dark are the skies near you? https://www.nightblight.cpre.org.uk/

    What do you see looking up, and what do you hear in the dark that uplifts you? Or - and it is a privilege to have a safe space to observe the night sky -  what do you hope to see/hear? One night, I hope to see the Milky Way stretched out with my own eyes, and hear the song of a nightingale...

    657429082_FullMoon.thumb.jpg.09d02fe8464f6e0f72f380265b2e5e40.jpg...

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  8. So much to discover on local walks, small anchor points of beauty. From the way light filters through the forest; the intricate structures of mushrooms bubbling up on a path; the hues and textures of tree trunks (the idea of 'forest bathing' is lovely, so much more attuned to the space!); to stumbling across the near dry bed of a chalk stream, one of our ecological marvels (there are only 210 chalk rivers worldwide, most of which are in the UK).

    What have you noticed on your walks, what made you pause to stoop down, look up, reach out to touch, or listen out for? 

    Chalk River.jpg

    Forest light.jpg

    Forest.jpg

    Mushrooms.jpg

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  9. On 4/23/2021 at 8:49 AM, Abi Palmer-Greenwood said:

    They are adorable!!!! I used to have rats!

    I have a maine coon cat (Thea) and a chow chow (Bjorn). Typical cat v dog scenario in my household, she hits in with her tail to wake him up, he chases her and then she screams the house down! Always good fun 🙂

     

     

     

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    Thea definitely brightens our video calls, and Bjorn looks irresistible to hug! Thanks for sharing them here Abi ❤️.

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  10. On 4/1/2021 at 11:39 AM, Louis Varley said:

    I'll start,

    10 Gambian Pouched Rats! (i believe i keep the most in the UK)

    Probably due to madness. Clare (my wife) and i breed them and run a society for them https://nprs.org.uk/ and https://www.facebook.com/groups/nprsoc aiming to ethical breeding, and stopping their exploitation in the exotic pet industry.

    150953336_10158721788061590_8013770531551565080_n[1].jpg

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    Baby pouched rats 😍 - and fabulous that you're running a society to help protect them.

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  11. Hi all, 

    I’m Ahlyah (she/her) in the membership team at the LI, and in our EDI working group. I also volunteer with a group campaigning for climate justice. What drew me to the LI was seeing the focus on fairness and equity in its Greener Recovery policy and a commitment to anti-racism, along with a sense of the key role of landscape professionals in addressing the climate and biodiversity crises. On a more personal note, I love spending time outside immersed in the dawn chorus and under the stars whenever possible. Looking forward to getting to know you all better through Connect!

     

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