Today I’ve packed away the last of the Halloween decorations, and since it’s Friday the 13th I thought I’d get away with a summary of how I celebrated my favourite holiday this year.
I absolutely love Halloween, I always have. My childhood bookcase was littered with books featuring witches, I was a dedicated Buffy the Vampire Slayer fan in my teens and communed with goths in university. These days I’m finally brave enough to watch horror films, and have developed a soft spot for supposedly ‘scary’ species.
Last month I let my dark side take over my twitter account, sharing facts, photos, quizzes, news stories and features (almost) every day via #SpookySpecies! Here are a few of my favourites:
There was an interesting debate at the end of the month when a lot of news outlets were discussing the rediscovery of a spider species thought to have been on the brink of extinction. Predictably, some of the coverage used cliches and arachnofans were quick to complain. I agree that calling a vulnerable species ‘creepy’ isn’t helpful to conservation. Broadcasters and editors have a responsibility to acknowledge phobias without perpetuating negative stereotypes. That said, I believe the word ‘spooky’ connotes a sort of enjoyable fright, and there’s no argument that people are drawn to this experience – just look at the popularity of the Harry Potter stories. So, I’ll continue sharing my enthusiasm for our spectacular spooky species if it helps people engage with the natural world.
Out in the wild, after perusing some maps for Cheshire’s most spine-chilling place names, I had intended to take a series of walks but with restrictions brewing and some really wet weekends, I only ticked off Dead Lake in Delamere. It’s an atmospheric spot, where dead trees rise out of the dark mirror of water, the damp air heavy with the scent of freshly felled pine trees and barely another soul around… until you spot the fake rose petals, beer cans and broken bong littering the ground. Though I suppose such waste tells its own desolate tale. Personally, I hope the lake took whoever left the mess behind.
