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…
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
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 – Walshaw Turbines: 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.
Happy birthday, Chris!
Sunday book review – Future Rural (various authors) edited by Adrian Cooper
The Campaign for the Protection of Rural England is 100. Happy Birthday CPRE! If CPRE were a person then its centenary would be marked by paeans of praise and with the knowledge that there was little time to add to the lifetime of achievement. But for an organisation this is just a significant milestone between…
Iceland whaling 2026
The Icelandic media are reporting that the single whaling firm on Iceland plans to resume hunts for Fin Whales this year. Government has announced that the quota would be 150 Fin Whales this year (less than last year, but then none of it was used last year). A new conservation/welfare NGO, Friends of the Whales,…
How to respond to consultation on shooting seasons
This is my advice on responding to the consultation on changes to shooting seasons for a variety of bird species across England, Wales and Scotland. The consultation can be found – click here. The closing date is Sunday 17 May so you have nearly four full weeks and all of four weekends to get…