Until recently, David Hodd was Countryside Operations Manager on Purbeck for the National Trust. He and his team had the privilege of caring for places like Hartland Moor, Studland Heath and Dancing Ledge. His original inspiration to work in conservation came from a childhood playing at Sharpenhoe Clappers and Barton Hills. David is now working…
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
A national species? It’s got to be the bluebell!
BBC Wildlife is running a poll for Britain’s national species. The species that makes most sense to me is the bluebell (championed by Plantlife). The bluebell is found just about everywhere in the UK and we hold a larger share of the world’s bluebells than any other country (it’s also found in Ireland, the Netherlands,…
Guest Blog – Why I don’t submit records to Birdtrack by Keith Bennett
Keith is an academic at Queen’s University Belfast, living in Kircubbin on the Ards peninsula, Northern Ireland. His research and teaching focus on ecological and evolutionary responses of organisms to the climate changes of the ice ages (the last couple of million years). He enjoys watching birds anywhere, any time, from the first bird he…
I will miss…
I set off for the USA on Thursday. I will miss: bluebells, orchids, black hairstreaks, Duke of Burgundy butterflies (again), spotted flycatchers, May blossom, cricket, decent beer, the Today programme, Desert Island Discs, the NGO State of Nature launch and the Derby. I will not miss: Defra, George Osborne, cutting the grass, rain stopping play…
Ralph Underhill cartoon
Nigel Lawson thinks that we should leave the EU. Wouldn’t it be simpler if he got on a plane and left the EU? If you think that you should take much notice of Nigel Lawson then read this taking-apart of his book on climate change.
I hope they sink (VII)
Yesterday East Cambridgeshire District Councillors voted by eight votes to three to approve a boathouse complex at Ely (although subject to addressing ecological conditions via conditions and with the approval delegated to the Head of Planning). It is exceptionally unusual for a planning decision to go ahead in this way when the statutory advisor on…
Scottish Birdfair
This weekend it’s the Scottish Birdfair and it looks like a good programme of talks and events (although the weather might not be so good on Saturday). Some have criticised the choice of venue for the event because of links between Hopetoun House and the Leadhills Estate where various dark deeds happened and others were…
I hope they sink (VI)
Today is the day when the planning committee will decide on the proposal to damage an important wildlife site on the edge of Ely (see previous blogs). Very surprisingly, the Planning Officer has recommended that the plan should be approved despite the weight of local objection and informed nature conservation objection. Maybe it’s because the…
Birds in the Bath
I was in London last week and had my first ever look inside Westminster Abbey. The price of entry almost put me off – £18! And as we all queued to pay, everything paused for a prayer to come over the public address system – it’s good that the Church makes Mammon wait for God…
The UK and Environmental democracy – the Aarhus end of nowhere?
Carol Day is a solicitor at WWF-UK. She originally trained as a nature conservationist and worked on policy with The Wildlife Trusts and WWF-UK, but converted to law in 2002. She now advises in-house policy staff on the law around marine and fisheries, species and habitats, freshwater and access to justice. She often ponders the…