Wild Nature Diary and Calendar 2020 Review
Reviewed by Allison Bretherton
The Wild Nature Diary 2020 in partnership with the John Muir Trust would be a wonderful gift choice for an older family member (someone who still uses an actual pen to record appointments instead of pinging dates into their phone!)
Spiral bound, it is in a large format, displaying the photo on the left side and a week to view on the right (one full page per week.) The whole month is also printed at the top of each week’s page, which I find useful, saves flicking back and forward! The usual Bank Holidays and Saints’ Days are marked in, as well as the phases of the moon and the equinoxes and solstices.
The pictures are absolutely stunning, showing a range of places and creatures from all over the UK. Each photograph is accompanied by a map showing the location of the shot. Animals, birds, fish, beaches, rivers, mountains and moorland – the editor has chosen a wonderful combination of breath-taking images to lift the spirits. I think my favourite is Ross Brown’s shot of the Scottish bluebell or harebell, so delicate. The detail in the photographs is amazing; you can see the outline of the feathers and the fur, imagine your fingers stroking the lichens and fungi and feel the cold air on the wintry landscapes
The changing seasons are reflected in the weekly choice of picture: you will find bleak snowy landscapes for the Winter months and blossom erupts on the Spring pages, along with a Summer sunset and the long shadows of Autumn. Each photograph has a short Nature note giving some information about the subject; I liked this, as it always feels good to be learning a little something new each week.
There is a full year planner for 2020 at the front of the diary, and one for 2021 at the back (very useful). You will also find interesting notes about the photographers whose shots were chosen for this beautiful diary.
The companion piece to the diary is the Wildlife Nature Calendar 2020, which is laid out in a similar format, with the nature notes and location maps for each photograph.
A great deal of thought has gone into the production of both of these items, resulting in two quality products. The diary pages are printed on silky paper, feels more like thin card, which will be a delight to write on with your favourite pen.
For any nature lover, or someone like me who appreciates beautiful stationery, either the diary or the calendar (or both!) would make a very welcome gift. At the start of a new year, opening a beautiful diary or calendar gives one a sense of hope and anticipation for the year ahead.
(The John Muir Trust is a conservation charity based in Scotland dedicated to preserving and improving wild places and their inhabitants. It is named in honour of John Muir, a Scot who emigrated to the USA and wrote extensively about nature, establishing the first national park in Yosemite).
Rating: 5/5
RRP: £15 (Diary) / £12 (Calendar)
For more information or to buy visit www.wild-nature.co.uk.
