Standing up for Nature
Day 6 – the morning after! 30 March The teams, and not just the international teams but Israeli team and childrens’ teams too, assembled on the beach for a group photo at 10am and then there was an awards ceremony in a local hotel. Here are the final standings of the teams –…
ban driven grouse shooting e-petition stands at 15,800 signatures – please sign and promote to others. This e-petition is still in its first month. ban toxic lead ammunition e-petition stands at 15,500 signatures – please sign and promote to others. This e-petition is in its last month and deserves far greater support from our major…
Day 5 – race day! 29 March I was driving to start with, and actually did so all day. We left just after 2am and, despite a flashlight incident, made good progress, picking up Greater Flamingo in the adjacent saltpans within five minutes. This was easy! The next bird was a Barn Owl an hour…
The RSPB included a note in its April e-newsletter asking its members to sign Rob Sheldon’s e-petition on banning toxic lead ammunition. this was wittily called ‘Last chance to take the lead’. If this heralds a month of frantic activity on this subject from the RSPB, whose agreed policy is that there should be a…
I’m not entirely sure I understand how this flood re thing works – it’s either because I’m a bit thick or because these explanations don’t quite do it for me (Association British Insurers, Defra, Aviva). You’ll notice that everyone is stressing the benefits to those living in flood-prone areas – which is nice, but I…
Day 4 – Monday 28 March The day before race day. Beginning to put on our game faces. One of the really lovely elements of the Champions of the Flyways events is its friendliness. Teams are encouraged to share information and expertise – and most did through WhatsApp. We both benefitted from this and contributed…
It’s very obvious that there are a lot of signatures coming our way from Scottish constituencies. This is wonderful! And, entirely appropriate. Although our e-petition to ban driven grouse shooting will eventually receive a response from Defra and not from Scotland, Wales or Northern Ireland, its aims are not country-specific. If we were to reach…
Day 3 – Sunday 27 March I’ve long wanted to visit Eilat in migration time and here I am! Eilat is a holiday resort on the Red Sea – most people are here to relax and soak up the sun. A couple of hundred of us are here to take part in a Bird Race. …
15,000 signatures on Day 14. Last time it took 5 weeks not two weeks: the time before, it took almost 12 weeks. Momentum! Thank you very much – all of you who have signed and spread the word.
Britain’s wildlife is going down the pan, isn’t it? Yes, it is! But it isn’t all bad. In this personal account of the fate of our wildlife Stephen Moss visits a wide variety of places and habitats – and sees species on the up as well as on the down track. It’s an entertaining journey…