Well, who would have believed it? As Amanda Anderson departs (see here and here), Andrew Gilruth is appointed CEO of the Moorland Association. There is a bit of job title inflation going on here. Amanda succeeded Martin Gillibrand, who had the title of Secretary, whereas I believe Amanda was called Director, but now Andrew is…
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
My personal response to the HSE lead ammunition consultation
A live public consultation by the Health and Safety Executive on the future of lead ammunition is in play until 23:59 on Sunday 10 December. This should see the end of the use, sale and availability of lead shot and lead bullets for shooting at live quarry – also known as live animals. Such regulation…
Guest blog – Lead ammunition, the way forward by John Swift
Mark writes: John Swift is the former boss of the British Association for Shooting and Conservation and from 2010 chaired the Lead Ammunition Group set up by the last Labour government which reported to government in 2015 and which was treated so shabbily by the outgoing Secretary of State for Environment, a certain Liz Truss,…
This blog’s Books of the Year 2023
It seems that I have reviewed 47 books on this blog this year – slightly fewer than in the last couple of years – but a wide-ranging varied selection including many high quality works. If you are looking for a Christmas present for a nature-loving naturalist then this list might give you some ideas and…
Stephen Moss’s 2023 Round-up of Nature Books
Stephen Moss is a naturalist, author and, until recently, a course leader of the MA in Travel & Nature Writing at Bath Spa University. Here is his annual round-up of books about wildlife, nature and the environment which was formerly published by The Guardian but this is the sixth year it has appeared on this…
Press release – Scottish Wildlife Trust
Royal family joins river restoration efforts across Scotland as films launched King Charles and other major landowners have joined an initiative seeking to kickstart recovery of Scotland’s threatened rivers and reverse declines of freshwater species such as wild Scottish salmon. Pioneering river restoration techniques have been employed at the Balmoral royal estate, featured in a…
Sunday book review – A Connecticut Yankee goes to Washington by Will McLean Greeley
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This biography of a very distinguished conservationist and politician was written by the subject’s great great nephew. It charts the journey of George McLean (1857-1932) from the family farm in Connecticut to a political career as a Republican Governor of his home state and an 18-year spell in the Senate (1911-29). Those dates show that…
Sunday book review – The Bone Cave by Dougie Strang
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This is a lovely well-written book, but it is only tangentially a wildlife and nature book so I’ll use a few words to tell you about it and leave it at that. The author walks through some of the most attractive parts of Scotland, although mostly in rather dreary autumn weather, and tracks down places…
Sunday book review – Wild Isles by Patrick Barkham and Alistair Fothergill
This is the companion book to the recent TV series. Reading its pages didn’t really take me back to the wonderful moving images of the TV episodes and, I’m afraid, it didn’t take me on very far. There are many great images, and quite a few moving passages of words, but it seemed to me…
Guest blog – The Geese will tell it in Autumn by Vanessa Wright
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Vanessa divides her time between Hertfordshire and the Hebrides and loves to write about birds, butterflies and beachcombing. She gave up corporate life during the pandemic, taking the plunge to follow her passion for wildlife. Recently finishing a Masters in Nature and Travel Writing, she has been announced as a Runner-Up in the BBC Countryfile…