Young tree, grey sky

DAY 8 (13 APRIL) – Spring maple? (The Lightbox, Woking)

This young tree looks fragile against the cold sky. Its leaves appear to recoil (the wind is so icy today). Am going for a spring maple – or could it possibly be a baby oak? I’ve just seen a picture of young oak leaves and they are pointed like these.

Red pads with mallard

DAY 7 (12 APRIL) – Red lily pads (Guildford Castle)

These red lily pads caught my eye. I think they’re normally green?

Googling ‘red lily pads’ brings up a mobile installation at the Guggenheim Museum in New York by Alexander Calder OR images from a tropical botanical garden in Florida. So what are they doing in Surrey?

Extra prize for identifying the tree in the reflection!

Tree stump creatures

DAY 6 (11 APRIL) – Mystery mushrooms (North Downs Way)

I’m finding tree stumps quite interesting. Like individual Petri dishes offering up whatever has taken there.

Can anyone identify these reptilian shapes lurking side by side? They were hard as rocks when I tapped them. Fossilised mushrooms perhaps?

Letting it all hang out

DAY 5 (10 APRIL) – Horse chestnut (Farnham Park)

Underneath the spreading chestnut tree / I loved him and he loved me …

This bud’s like a sloshed ageing actress flirting with a younger man. Gorgeous, darling!

Yes, everyone recognises a horse chestnut, even me. So I was shocked to find they aren’t native. Introduced from the Balkans in the 16th century…

Unloved tree in library gardens

DAY 4 (9 APRIL) – Wild cherry in the rain (Farnham)

A tall and twiggy tree on the edge of a damp field. Looks very old. Presumably a cherry, but what kind?? I’ve gone for wild cherry because of horizontal lines on the bark. They can live up to 60 years. But could it be sour cherry or bird cherry instead? Do say …

Join me on my journey

DAY 1: (6 APRIL) – Starting out: an alternative to spreadsheets

While others buckle down to tax returns, I’m embarking on a visual tour through nature.

One photo (or two) a day, for a year. Something new discovered or observed each time. It’s an excuse for mindfulness. For noticing the silent cycle of the natural world that I’ve so far taken for granted.

All photography is my own. Copyright Jenny Rivarola.

DAY 2 (7 APRIL) – Grey Willow with male catkins (Exeter)