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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
Politician does something – SHOCK!
They do things differently in Scotland (I’m told – and I will be over the border this weekend so I will be keen to find out for myself). In November 2015 (yes! that recently!), the Wildlife Crime Penalties Review Group published its findings on how wildlife crime in Scotland is dealt with by the criminal…
Liz Truss – why are you suppressing the scientific evidence on lead?
It wouldn’t surprise me if Defra made a shockingly bad decision and failed to reduce the environmental risks of lead ammunition – they have been subject to energetic lobbying from the shooting industry and rather limp pleas from the two environmental NGOs who should be making the running (WWT and RSPB). It is clear that…
Ban toxic lead ammunition
Rob Sheldon’s e-petition to ban toxic lead ammunition is making progress without much help from WWT and practically none from the RSPB. It recently passed 12,000 signatures and also received a response from Defra which does not mention that the report of the Lead Ammunition Group, which was submitted in June 2015, still has not…
A good reply from my MP
You may remember I wrote to my MP, Tom Pursglove, a little while ago. He and I see the world differently but I was pleased by his thoughtful reply received last week. He writes ‘I appreciate you taking the time to make me aware of your opinions on the subjects of both the EU and…
Sunday book review – Wild Island by Jane Smith
This is a lovely book about a lovely place – the island of Oronsay. I’ve seen Oronsay from afar but never visited. This book by artist Jane Smith opens the door to the island and its wildlife. Since Oronsay is an RSPB nature reserve I know some of the characters in the pages of this…
Saturday cartoon by Ralph Underhill
It would be nice…
It would be nice if Long-tailed Tits nested in the garden, but they probably won’t. But it would be really nice if they did. I’m trying not to get my hopes up. There has been a pair feeding on fat balls in the garden for quite a while now – always a pair, so I’m…
Guest blog – Curlew calls by Mary Colwell-Hector
Mary Colwell-Hector is an award winning radio, TV and internet producer winning 14 awards over the last 8 years, including a Sony Gold in 2009. She is also a radio presenter and feature writer for The Tablet. She has produced natural history series such as Saving Species and Natural Histories on Radio 4 and was…
Nature Club by E Truss (Senior Prefect) as imagined by Jonathan Wallace
St Margaret’s School (school motto Fides in mercato) Nature Club By E Truss (Senior Prefect) Gosh! Hello everyone! I’d just like to say how thrilled I am to have been put in charge of the school wildlife garden! It’s a great responsibility and I shall do my very best to…