James Borrell is a biodiversity scientist and science communicator researching how people and nature can adapt to environmental change.

Mountains and Molehills

If you’re tired or hungry or fruitlessly laboring, it’s easy to make mountains out of mole hills. Take a baking hot climate, the bitter cold, or just a busy office, and your tolerance threshold might be lower than normal. That’s why on the top of any expedition kit list is a sense of humour, with several spares. It’s saved the day on a number of occasions.

 

Pimms O'clock!

With temperatures topping 36 degrees even by 9.30am, and half a lake left to survey, emergency measures were called for. An imaginary Pimm’s O’Clock.

Trendy Camel

A camel willing to wear my cap might raise the odd ethical issue, but brought much needed comic relief after a hard mornings hike.

Dung Beetle
Sometimes the situation demands you take a dung beetle to the face.