In response to this morning’s announcement by Defra of tighteneing of reguations on vegetation burning on peat soils, Beccy Speight, RSPB chief executive, said: “Extending the ban on burning over peat in the English uplands is a hugely positive step forwards towards protecting these precious habitats and reducing carbon emissions. Peatlands are one of nature’s greatest superheroes,…
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
Defra press release – a move forward on burning on deep peat soils
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Burning banned on England’s deep peat to protect wildlife Ban on burning heather and grass on deep peat extended to improve air quality for local communities, reduce flood risk and protect wildlife. Local communities are set to benefit from improved air quality, following an announcement that the government will extend the ban on burning vegetation on deep…
The new Defra, all female, team
Following the departure of Angela Rayner, and a smallish reshuffle, the new Defra team is led by Emma Reynolds (in place of Steve Reed) and in comes Angela Eagle as Minister of State (replacing Daniel Zeichner). Mr Reed directly takes the place of Angela Rayner at Housing, Communities and Local Government – let’s hope he…
Guest blog – Taking a stand for marine protection by Chris Corrigan
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Chris Corrigan is CEO of the Sussex Wildlife Trust and has worked in nature conservation for almost 40 years. He spent most of his career with the RSPB, most recently as Director England, but has also worked for BirdWatch Ireland and Butterfly Conservation and is a trustee of the South Georgia Heritage Trust. He is…
Sunday book review – The Highland Cow and the Horse of the Woods by Roy Dennis
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This is the latest wonderful book by the wonderful Roy Dennis. I have reviewed three of them here; Cottongrass Summer (my book of the year in 2020, click here), Restoring the Wild (click here for review) and Mistletoe Winter (shortlisted as a book of the year for 2021 (click here)). I reckon this book is…
Wild Justice wins judicial review against Pembrokeshire Coast National Park
The decision of the Pembrokeshire Coast National Park Authority (PCNPA) to grant planning permission for an outdoor centre at Moylegrove, Pembrokeshire was deemed unlawful and quashed in a judgment handed down by Justice Eyre yesterday. This was as a result of a legal challenge brought by Wild Justice on which I worked whilst I was…
Guest blog – Walshaw Turbine 18 by Ali West
Ali West has lived in the Hebden Bridge area for more than 40 years and has walked extensively in the surrounding hills over all of that time, including on Walshaw Moor, a favourite spot. She has a science degree and has been self-employed for all her working life. Since her early 20s she has also…
First Hen Harrier for Barbados?
I posted some photographs of a ringtail harrier a few days ago (click here) without being very forthcoming about their origin. Such birds are difficult to identify as there are quite a few options, and the probabilities of seeing the different species vary depending on where in the world you are. These photographs came from…
Passenger Pigeon Day, 111 years gone
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The pigeon was known as Martha, and the species was the Passenger Pigeon. Amongst all extinctions, this example remains unusual in two respects: the precision with which the timing is known and the overwhelming abundance of the species just a few decades earlier – for, just a few decades before Martha died, the Passenger Pigeon…
Sunday book review – Just Earth by Tony Juniper
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Tony Juniper is arguably the leading UK environmentalist of his generation so his latest title raises hopes and expectations. This is, in my opinion, his best book and provides a detailed analysis of our failure to make enough progress with environmental issues such as biodiversity loss and climate change. He provides a compelling argument for…