Evie's Journal

   The Lighthouse Keeper The lighthouse stands sentinel against churning seas; he watches from within its walls, as pleated waves fold against the rocks below and the wind carries the whistles of a siren's song As he climbs the corkscrew stairs, his joints echo the wood's creak, and then he reaches the beacon - it's glow sweeping across the darkness - illuminating the ships making their way to shore. Although they cannot see him, he imagines he's friends with these sailors Because his light provides them solace through the night.

Infection, malnutrition and eventual death. This is the reality that our wildlife faces and little is being done to stop it. A growing amount of single use plastic is being abandoned by billions of people, poisoning our planet and the fragile ecosystems within it.   Since its invention 110 years ago, it has become an integral, interwoven part of our everyday life. This magical substance offers industry an effective, cheap, sterile material and it hasn’t been used sparingly. Your water bottles, your food packaging, your polyester clothing, your plastic bags, your reading glasses and so many more items you use daily: they will all continue to plague our planet long after you have disposed of them, never fully decomposing. Although these products allow us to lead a life of convenience, our planet devastatingly is forced to pay the price.  Theresa May recently proposed a strategy to eradicate all avoidable plastic waste. Seems great right? Except for the part where th...

  The Mole   Down in this hole — this place I call home — I am cold, tired, and alone. I feel the clotted earth congeal between my webbed toes clawing at the walls towards the sweet scent of Worm. Encased in darkness, I smell its body writhe, taunting me with the fruit of its flesh. My nails dig deeper, deeper, as my hunger grows. That ambrosial odour so close, so close yet the strength in my short arms is dwindling. Each desperate shovel through the soil is weakening.   I take my last swipe of the dirt and the mud walls narrow. I curl into myself: aching and heavy, cold, tired, and alone.

  An exotic pet craze has Minecraft to blame. Minecraft is at the root of the rise in the purchase of the endangered axolotl which families can’t properly care for. The RSPCA have voiced their rising concerns with the increased popularity of the unusual amphibian due to Minecraft. The creative video game, popular amongst teenagers and children, has recently added the rare Mexican salamander in the playable world. Many children and teenagers have decided that just owning the creature virtually isn't enough and interest in the purchase of axolotls has been on a rapid increase since Minecraft’s update. However, despite these little pink creatures’ cute smiles, their trendiness amongst kids and teens comes with great risks.   With Christmas soon to be around the corner and children desperately pleading for this trendy new pet, animal welfare officials are anticipating careless purchases of the animal with fears that they may end up with a surplus of axolotls in rescue centres...