Readers have expressed sadness and appreciation following the publication of Phil Gates' final country diary column on 19 September. The column had run for nearly 40 years.
Jim McManners from Trimdon Grange, County Durham, stated that he would check for Gates' column daily and consistently learned new information about the natural world. McManners also noted that information from the column often found its way into his teaching, recalling a lesson where 10-year-olds calculated jumps after learning about springtails from Gates' writing.
Ann MacAskill from Sheffield also thanked Phil Gates, stating an intention to adopt his method of observing and marvelling at nature during walks.