People say that wildlife protection should not be a political matter – by which they usually mean a party political matter. But it is, and it should be. Let’s examine the protected status given to Mountain Hares in Scotland by the Scottish Parliament yesterday after a vote of MSPs. First, it was a great result!…
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
Press release – Langholm Initiative
First £1m secured for community’s dream of huge nature reserve The Scottish Land Fund has awarded the Langholm Initiative charity £1 million towards the purchase of 10,500 acres of Langholm Moor in the south of Scotland, which would see the local community creating a vast new nature reserve. The charity hopes to buy the wildlife-rich and culturally…
Press release – Scottish Rewilding Alliance
SCOTTISH PARLIAMENT VOTE A BLOW TO ENDING BEAVER DEATHS The Scottish Rewilding Alliance welcomes the attempt by Mark Ruskell MSP to amend the Animals & Wildlife (Penalties, Protections and Powers) (Scotland) Bill to require the government ensure ‘favourable conservation status’ for Scotland’s beavers before issuing lethal control licences. The attempted amendment followed the announcement by…
Information request to Natural England
The following information request has been sent to Natural England: Dear Natural England.I write to request information under the EIR/FoI regulations.My request is in relation to individual licences issued by NE for the purposes of killing bird species such as Carrion Crows, Jays etc.My request is in response to information that has been obtained by…
Guest blog – Natural England licences; a cover up? Part 2 by Bob Berzins
Bob Berzins is a campaigner and activist. His novel Snared is available now. His previous guests blogs here all focus on the management, or mismanagement of upland areas such as the Peak District, Walshaw Moor and the North York Moors. Continued from Part 1 – click here. Continuing my efforts to find out what individual…
Brood meddling – you can’t make…
Dear Natural England You know that you’ve had to release the advice of the Scientific Advisory Group on brood-meddling under EIR regulations. That means that many with an interest in this project have seen the advice and are chatting about it between themselves. You should expect that some of this information will emerge over the…
I’m looking to you for help
Over 21,000 people have signed a petition supporting better protection for Mountain Hares. The Scottish Parliament will vote on the amendment tabled by Alison Johnstone MSP this afternoon/evening. Please add your signature to increase the pressure for change.
Guest blog – No Further Action by Anonymous
This account is by a raptor worker who witnessed the illegal shooting of a Hen Harrier near Bowland Knotts in October 2019 within the Forest of Bowland Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. Understandably, he wishes to remain anonymous although his identity is known to the police, the RSPB, myself and a few others. NO FURTHER…
Sign this petition today please
Tomorrow Scottish MSPs will vote on whether to make Mountain Hares a protected species. Mountain Hares are killed in large numbers on so-called sporting estates, largely grouse moors. The main reason, or excuse, is that Mountain Hares carry a tick which carries a virus which affects all sorts of other wildlife but including Red Grouse….
Guest blog – Natural England licences; a cover up? Part 1 by Bob Berzins
Bob Berzins is a campaigner and activist. His novel Snared is available now. His previous guests blogs here all focus on the management, or mismanagement of upland areas such as the Peak District, Walshaw Moor and the North York Moors. After Natural England’s sudden announcement on 23 April 2019 of the withdrawal of General Licences…