Standing up for Nature
This is not a cheap book, nor is it a small book, but it is a very useful and impressive book. It consists of fairly standardised accounts of the approaches to and the state of nature conservation across 26 countries, 25 of which are still members of the European Union (Luxembourg and Malta…
There are 19 species of tern (if you count a couple of noddies and a skimmer, as this book does) in North America. I’ve seen all but one of these species (Aleutian Tern) somewhere or other, and almost all of them in North America, but also almost all of them in Europe and almost all…
I’ve been to Yellowstone twice, and spent about a dozen days there so I’m hardly an expert but I can tell you that few people go there to see the birds. We all go there to see geysers (and the wonderful Grand Prismatic Spring), Grizzly Bears, Black Bears, Grey Wolves, Moose and Bison. But…
I wrote to Anglian Water – see below in blue – and they responded very quickly. How do you think I should reply? Good morning Mr Avery Thank you for your contact and your request for information regarding sewage discharges into watercourses. Our Manager of Quality Regulation and Enforcement has advised that Storm overflows…
Dear Anglian Water, I’m a customer of yours. Each year you send me a new bill for the year ahead and I glance at it, shrug, and you collect my money by direct debit. This year, you and I are going to have a little chat about that bill because I will be looking at…
Not strictly, or even loosely, speaking an environmental book, but now that Henry Morris has come out as the author of this and the side-splitting predecessor Diary of a Secret Tory MP (reviewed here) you can see why it deserves a review. There is the odd word or two about wildlife and how much the…
This is the smallest, least consequential, big announcement you will ever see. Alex Sayer claims that she has been working with some of ‘the top people in government’ to launch a new group at the Tory Party Conference in Manchester (aka ‘the end of the line’ conference). She claims that she has got friends –…
The elegant and beautiful Autumn Lady’s-tresses, Spiranthes spiralis, an exquisite orchid with a delicate spiral of flowers, has been discovered for the first time in Northern Ireland – by a young botanist out walking with his mum! Jake Dalzell, a third-year plant ecology student at University of Cambridge, was out walking with his mum Judith…
I was in two minds about whether to say yes to the publisher about sending me this book as I’m no expert on marine issues – but obviously I’m interested. The three things that persuaded me were (in no particular order); the cover (looks serious and beautiful), the words ‘past and present’ in the subtitle…
This is a smallish book, Ladybird book in size, of 80 pages, over 20 of which are occupied by Maxime Beck’s attractive illustrations. The text, by Elvira Werkman, covers a lot of ground very clearly in such a short space. I read most of the book, with pleasure, in one sitting. There is a useful…