The Ventilator

Is the Solent the most expensive ferry crossing in the world?

9th September, 20169th September, 2016 The Virtual Ranger 4 Comments costs, expensive, ferry, floating bridge, hovertravel, iwcp, prices, red funnel, solent, wightlink

Moaning about the price of Solent crossings is a national sport on the Isle of Wight. “The Solent is one of the most expensive stretches of water in the world.”

Spiders

Are spiders afraid of conkers?

20th July, 20164th August, 2016 The Virtual Ranger 3 Comments chestnuts, competition, conkers, school

I doubt there’s a spider enthusiast who is not familiar with enquiries about how to keep spiders out of the house. It hardly needs to be pointed out that spider-lovers

Promotions and competitions

Review: Hi-Tec Trek Plus Activity Tracker

23rd February, 2016 The Virtual Ranger 0 Comments fitness, hi-tec, review, tracker

These days I’m out and about a bit, so I got myself a fitness tracker from Hi Tec to see how that worked. I had a rival tracker last year

Health and Safety Promotions and competitions Wildlife & countryside news

The Ranger re-booted

17th January, 20162nd May, 2017 The Virtual Ranger 0 Comments boots, clothing, hi-tec, review, walking

I’m hoping to spend a lot more time out patrolling the countryside this year, and so I have been on the lookout for a new pair of boots. And given

Naturenet news Wildlife & countryside news

Back to rangering for me: joining Gift to Nature

6th December, 20156th December, 2015 The Virtual Ranger 5 Comments

I’m being outsourced. The Isle of Wight Council can’t pay for a full countryside service any more, so some time early in 2016, I’m taking a load of the council’s

Guided walks Isle of Wight

Angry acid-spitting creatures in Parkhurst Forest

28th September, 201528th September, 2015 The Virtual Ranger 0 Comments ants, education, gift to nature, parkhurst

The refurbished red squirrel hide at Parkhurst Forest was launched this weekend by Gift to Nature. I was there to take a guided walk and also a group of children

Wildlife & countryside news

Save living wildlife from the Natural History Museum

26th September, 201526th September, 2015 Rowan Adams 0 Comments gardening, natural history museum, petition

by Rowan Adams, the Climate-friendly Gardener Yes, you read that right. Please help to save living wildlife not just at the Natural History Museum, but from the Natural History Museum

Evolution

Why do dolphins have to hold their breath?

10th May, 2015 The Virtual Ranger 0 Comments cetacean, dolphin, shark, whale

This splendid infographic by Justin Stuart summarises the development of modern dolphins from earlier land mammals, and answers some great questions such as why dolphins have the genes to smell things

Ranger Rants

Unemployed will have to do community work under Tories, says Cameron

17th February, 201517th February, 2015 The Virtual Ranger 2 Comments chain gangs, politics, unemployment

All 18- to 21-year-olds who have failed to find a job or a place in training would no longer be able to claim jobseeker’s allowance under a Tory government, but

The Ranger's surfing highlights Videos

A slug using an exercise wheel

4th February, 2015 The Virtual Ranger 0 Comments exercise, slug

Abandon your hamsters, friends. Enjoy this footage of a slug using an exercise wheel. Go, slug!