Science, Nature and Tech

CURIOUS CREATURES 2 – The Stag Beetle

 

The strangest creatures are, to me,

The ones I love the best.

The creepy, crawly and the odd

Are cooler than the rest…

 

These magnificent beasties are the armoured vehicles of the insect population and the largest terrestrial-dwelling beetles in the UK. Their common name is a reference – unsurprisingly – to their antler-shaped “mandibles” or jaws, which they use to fight over territory, but not, perhaps surprisingly, to win the respect of female Stag Beetles..!

 

These Curious Creatures have intrigued me ever since I found an expired female stag beetle (see below ) in a south-west France many years ago. I drew it next to a blackbird’s feather, captivated by the different tones of black, the textural contrasts and inky depths of colour. I found it – and still find them all as a species – fascinating and beautiful, particularly the males, with their extraordinary maroon-red mandibles.

 

 

 

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Written By You

The Adventures of Cha-Cha the Dragon – Part 1

A chapter story by Iona…

 

Once upon a time, in ancient China, there lived a wise and mighty dragon. His name was Cha-Cha. He being a magical dragon, he had many enemies. Among these were an ancient race, whom battles with Cha-Cha had all but killed off.

Only one remained. He was the great ”Earth Traveller” or E.T. for short. E.T. could take many forms, including a long pink one that he had to fill in for the birth of his 100th son.Other than these he could take the forms of fearsome animals, such as a tiger, a snake or a badger.

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Art & History

Amazing Outdoor Art

A few weeks ago on Twitter we shared a picture of an electrical tower that German students had turned into a stunning 3D stained glass window. This got us thinking about other amazing outdoor art a little bit closer to home. Read on for some inspiring examples that you can go and see for yourself…

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News & Politics

Let Toys Be Toys

Have you ever noticed that children’s toys are often labeled as “Boys” or “Girls” toys?
Very often, the girls’ toy area will be a sea of pink and glitter with a lot of beauty, cooking, fashion and baby doll items.  The boys’ area will have action figures, construction and science kids, plastic guns and dinosaurs.  Even board games can sometimes be separated in this way. Tina takes a closer look at why this is unfair for all kids, and what a group called Let Toys be Toys are doing about it.

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