Little did I think that after reviewing the CNHS’s 70th anniversary book (click here) I’d be revisiting them again so soon but this book, describing the wildlife of Middlewick Ranges is now rather topical. In the recent Wild Justice report (authored by Kiera Chapman, Malcom Tait and Rob Davies – click here), Middlewick Ranges is…
Author: Mark
Born Bristol, UK
Educated: Cleeve House School Bristol, Bristol Grammar School and Downing College Cambridge
Ph.D. University of Aberdeen, Winter activity of pipistrelle bats.
NERC post-doctoral Research Fellow, Edward Grey Institute, Oxford University
Former Conservation Director of the RSPB, 1989-2011
Sunday book review – Whale by Asha de Vos
Who doesn’t like whales? If you’ve seen whales I would guess that the memory remains strong in your mind and that it brings you pleasure. I’ve seen a few whales in my time, from Iceland to the Azores, and off the Pacific coasts of the USA and of Australia. I’m really glad that I’ve seen…
Exmoor’s eagles
Exmoor is an upland area of almost no value in terms of food production – that’s why the recently produced England Land Use Framework – click here – had it shaded as an area for above average land use change. Exmoor is also a National Park. If we can’t put hook-beaked biodiversity back in a…
Natural England, Knepp and storks
On Wednesday morning, the BBC Radio 4 Today programme aired a short chat (click here – in the last five minutes of the programme) about White Storks between Tony Juniper, the Chair of Natural England and Isabella Tree, author, rewilder and leading light in the Knepp project. I guess this was scheduled because even Today…
Wild Justice’s latest report – Unprotected Nature
The two most important recent reports on the operation of the SSSI mechanism in the UK have been published by Wild Justice, which is a bit odd when you think about what that means about the rest of the wildlife conservation movement. The first, A Site for Sore SSSIs – click here, demonstrated that English…
Eagle Rock Ranch to Receive Colorado Leopold Conservation Award
Eagle Rock Ranch of Park County has been selected as the recipient of the 2026 Colorado Leopold Conservation Award®. The award honors ranchers, farmers and forestland owners who go above and beyond in their management of soil health, water quality and wildlife habitat on working land. Dave and Jeannie Gottenborg are cattle ranchers and owners…
Wexford Ranches to Receive Texas Leopold Conservation Award
The Wexford Ranches of South and West Texas are the recipient of the 2026 Texas Leopold Conservation Award®. Leopold Conservation Awards honor ranchers, farmers, and forestland owners who go above and beyond in their management of soil health, water quality and wildlife habitat on working land. The O’Connor family will be presented with the award…
Guest blog – Substation of CEP (240 MW) by Nick MacKinnon
Nick MacKinnon is a freelance teacher of Maths, English and Medieval History, and lives above Haworth, in the last inhabited house before Top Withens = Wuthering Heights. In 1992 he founded the successful Campaign to Save Radio 4 Long Wave while in plaster following a rock-climbing accident on Skye. His poem ‘The metric system’ won…
Guest blog – White-tailed Eagles and sheep. A Norwegian perspective. by Roger Morgan-Grenville
As a soldier, Roger Morgan-Grenville served in 5 continents, including the sub-Antarctic. After running a small housewares business, he turned to full time writing and campaigning in 2016. He has published 7 books of which the most recent is The Restless Coast (reviewed here), and was a founder member of the charities Help for Heroes…
Seven years in the garden – on 23 April
Seven years, for two trees/bushes, photographed on the same date.