Not so Fine Shade (6) – the council decides

The future of Fineshade Wood is becoming a local cause celebre with national resonance. My Guardian blog has, so far, been shared on social media about 2000 times, and received over 150 comments (mostly shocked at what is going on there). The e-petition on this subject has passed 3000 signatures. The chief executive of the…

Quiz

OK – time for another little quiz, thanks to the wonder of Birdtrack. The list below is a birdlist from a site I have visited many times, not primarily to see birds, but then you can’t help but see birds if you have your eyes and ears tuned in. Mallard Pheasant Grey Heron Red Kite…

Not so Fine Shade (5) – privatisation by the back door?

This is a piece I have just had published on the Guardian website which puts Fineshade into the wider political context. Why has the FC allowed Forest Holidays to submit a planning proposal with such inadequate data? Where are those who opposed forestry privatisation when it was proposed by the front door, now it is…

Squeal, squeal, trill, croak – but not a peep.

A walk around Rainham Marshes RSPB nature reserve last week was a great pleasure. The weather wasn’t bad and the birds weren’t bad either. There were supposed to be huge flocks of Marsh Harriers darkening the sky, but I didn’t see a single one. It was a day more for listening than looking, actually. A…

Not exactly how I would have put it, but…

This e-petition is protesting about the back-door privatisation of our forests with Fineshade as an example. It’s not really worded in the way I would have worded it, and I’m not sure that it is aimed at the correct government department either, but the gist is right and I have signed it with pleasure. Maybe…