Restoring nature-rich habitats helps offset UK carbon emissions The RSPB has identified how much carbon is being stored in areas important for wildlife Much of these areas is in poor condition and unprotected, however restoration could lead not only to reduced emissions but actually to higher levels of sequestration Restoring these areas to good condition…
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Guest blog – Things I would like to be different by Paul Fisher
Despite being bought up in the wilds of Lewisham, SE London, I seem always to have had a love for the great outdoors. Giving up the London commute at 28, we spent twelve years in the Lake District and then moved to Lincolnshire. Two small businesses later, I’ve now retired to run our mini wildlife…
Paul Leyland – White Ermine
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Social Distancing Week 12. White Ermine Moth Paul writes: I don’t have to travel far to find moths. It’s at this time of year that, in the evening, I start to leave lights on in rooms, with the curtains and blinds not drawn. Many moths are drawn to light and on calm warm nights, especially…
The Well-read Naturalist
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I’ve been catching up with John Riutta’s recent book reviews on The Well-read Naturalist. I read all of his book reviews even those that are rather local to his part of the world, of northern Oregon. I read them because they are so thoughtful and so well written. I think of John, who I will…
Sunday book review – Into the Tangled Bank by Lev Parikian
This is as much an exploration of how we, people, interact or not with nature as it is about nature. The author talks to people and observes them as he watches nature and visits places associated with former greats such as Peter Scott, Gilbert White, John Clare, Etta Lemon, Thomas Bewick and the tangled bank…
Tim Melling – Cirl Bunting
Tim writes: Cirl Buntings are one of Britain’s most localised breeding species. In the 1930s it bred on farmland in North Wales and much of the south Midlands of England. But in the second half of the twentieth century the population started to collapse. Even at the time of the first Breeding Atlas (1968-72) they…
Saturday cartoon from Ralph Underhill
Something for a rainy weekend
Many of you were very enthusiastic about the idea of a GCSE in Natural History – and some were less enthusiastic. Whichever you are, then you have the opportunity to add your views to the consultation, and it looks like rain this weekend so maybe now is a good time (although you have until 19…
Garden birds
The Blue Tits fledged from the nestbox in our garden last week – I miss watching the adults them rushing in and out. It was partly watching the adults take feathers into the nest that made me think about feathers (see here and here). For a few days I could occasionally see the face of…
Do you have the energy?
A Guardian article has led me to find some new-to-me sources of information. But the story was about the fact that the UK is on a record run of coal-free power days – 56 days and counting. That is quite a transformation, but let’s not get too cocky as there are plenty of European countries…