Press release from the RSPB in Scotland.

Starts General licence system used as cover for criminal destruction of birds of prey RSPB Scotland has expressed concern at Scottish Natural Heritage’s response to their recent consultation on the ‘general licences’ that permit the killing of some species of protected birds under certain circumstances. We do not believe that this approach will contribute to…

Guest blog – Wildlife politics by Lizzie Wilberforce

Lizzie gained her enthusiasm for wildlife from her family during her childhood, growing up  in Bristol. Conservation volunteering soon became a passion, and she then moved to Wales in 1996 to study at Aberystwyth University. Since 2003 she has worked in nature conservation in the voluntary sector in Wales.   It was Politics with a big ‘P’ that…

Nature Directives are saved – but not for us…

It’s great that pressure from the EU population has meant that the Birds Directive and Habitats Directive have been passed as fit for purpose.  A staggering 520,000 people signed up across the EU to save these nature-saving pieces of legislation – more than have ever supported any similar EU petition in the past.  I signed…

Defra’s year

            I asked a bunch of NGOs what they thought were Defra’s greatest achievements of 2016; The GWCT, BASC, Butterfly Conservation and Plantlife were, apparently, stumped as they couldn’t come up with anything.   I also asked Defra themselves and they said they’d get back to me – but they…

Turtle Doves are everywhere

According to the Daily Express the Turtle Dove is making a massive comeback and you only really need to look out of the window, right now, to see one, or two, or probably a few. Happy Christmas Daily Express picture editor! Coo!