#ScenicSaturday 4th November 2023

On By stuartakenIn Author, Creative Writer, Nature, opinion, Photography

My photos in this continuing series show our beautiful world. Maybe they’ll encourage viewers to help save it from human carelessness.


As I rarely travel in November, this months’ series will concentrate entirely on the forest where I live. That’s not restrictive for me, but those who love the seas or oceans may feel a little left out. I’ll try to compensate for that next month!


Trees are a fundamental part of the natural infrastructure that keeps our atmosphere in balance. They ‘inhale’ carbon dioxide and ‘exhale’ oxygen. They’re not the prime contributors, as that honour lies with the plankton that fills our oceans and they contribute around 50% of the oxygen and are almost certain to be the reason humanity exists at all.


But, on land, trees globally contribute significant quantities of a vital element without which we would cease to be. Another important source is peat bogs. Much of the world was once effectively covered in trees. Various natural events (ice ages, droughts, floods, etc) have had a hand in depleting those blankets to form a patchwork of isolated and decreasing plots of forest. But humans have been the major destroyers of trees, either through deliberate clearing for agriculture or commerce, or through the more recent efforts of our inability to curb our numbers and reduce our impact on the environment. That has caused huge ‘natural’ fires, which we refer to as wildfires, to impact on the world. Had we been a little more respectful of the natural world, of which we are an intrinsic part, the conditions for wildfires would not have become as devastating as they have.


So, I’ll present here, for this month, a weekly photograph to display the natural beauty that could surround so many more of us if we only took the time and care to nurture it. I hope it brings pleasure and ignites a call to action for all to do what they can to save our wonderful, small, blue marble from our self-destructive greed.

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Feel free to comment, like, and share the post so the joy of natural beauty is spread to as many people as possible. It will help.


I post every Saturday here, but also post a picture of natural beauty at the end of each day, with the hashtag , on FaceBook and Twitter. Join me there and comment, share and like if you wish.

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28 thoughts on “#ScenicSaturday 4th November 2023”

  3. Pingback: #ScenicSaturday 4th November 2023 | In the Net! – Pictures and Stories of Life

  4. Such a beautiful picture, Stuart! That sunburst is spectacular.

    Yes, there’s a lot of recovery needed from the forest fires that devastated huge parts of this country in the west and north. Reforestation plans are in the works now with attempts to mirror the previous forest make-up. However, some of these fires are continuing to burn underground; we need lots of continuously slow rain throughout the winter and spring.

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    1. Thanks, Lynette.
      That underground burning is so often a problem when the land is parched. As you say, some persistent rain would be a blessing. Pity you can’t have some of ours! But at least that’s refreshing and nurturing our forest.

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      1. We managed to get through the drought in our local area (50 km or so radius here in the Okanagan Valley) as we were fortunate to get occasional showers through the spring and summer. Now we’re getting real damp weather with sustained slow rain, but other parts of the country aren’t doing nearly as well.
        The Northwest Territories went from sun to snow almost overnight. Huge areas there hadn’t seen rain in at least 90 days, and snow definitely won’t be enough. I would love to get some of your rain and send it north!

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        1. The weather all over the globe is turning more extreme with each passing year. Today, at least, we have the promise of sunshine all day. Yesterday, on our forest walk, we had to find ways past large puddles on well-worn paths. And more rain is forecast.

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    1. Good to know, Noelle. I’ve no more room for trees in mine, with five mature hazels there already. But I’m currently nursing six crab apple trees that will hopefully be planted in the village recreation field next spring.

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            1. True. But our particular problem is the house is built on a mound of quarry and mining waste with only a relatively thin layer of topsoil, so the pollutants are still accessible to the roots of plants. But, as with everything, time is doing its job and slowly leaching those away, so who knows, perhaps one day we’ll be able to grow something a little more exotic.

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                1. Unfortunately, I’d have to hire a digger, and there’s no access for that, to dig a big hole, as the ground beneath the 6 inch layer of soil is mostly loose medium sized rocks!

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