Whenever I hear the word culture applied to the landscape I reach for my Manchester Rambler rather than my Wordsworth. Talk of cultural landscapes is usually code for ‘landowners know best and always have done’ and an argument against necessary change. And so it seems to me to be here in the Glover review. Natural…
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The Glover review (3) – disappointing on wildlife
How can I possibly be disappointed with the Glover review when it gives nature top-billing (depending on how you read the report) and contains many useful passages such as those below? In our call for evidence, the message was clear: more than any other single thing, people and organisations agreed that our landscapes should do…
The Glover review (2) – the National Landscapes Service
The fairly new idea of a National Landscapes Service is poorly sketched out here – I’m attracted by the idea but I’m mostly attracted by my idea of what it should be as I am not at all sure what this report is recommending. In various places (see most particularly pp138-39) the NLS is setting…
Remarkable Birds published in Russian
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For the same wonderful images, and the same words in English…
The Glover review (1) – worth the wait
The much-awaited Glover review into protected landscapes was published on Saturday morning and is a serious, imaginative and important document. The review is well worth a thorough read, and several re-reads (that’s what I have already done) but can be summarised in part by these two paragraphs from its summary; Our country is changing fast….
Sunday book review – On the Marsh by Simon Barnes
Review by Lyn Ebbs When I see that the subtitle of a book contains the word ‘year’, especially a book about wildlife, I’ve come to expect a 12-month chase around the country (or the world) in pursuit of a complete list of some type of animal or a heroic battle against a deadline to create…
Tim Melling – Falkland Steamer Ducks
Tim writes: the Falkland Steamer Duck (Tachyeres brachypterus) is a flightless duck that is endemic to the Falkland Islands. They are called Steamer Ducks because they paddle across the water surface using their wings in the manner of a paddle-steamer. Charles Darwin described this movement much better in his Voyage of the Beagle (1833) “These…
Fake news (5)
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Shooters must give up lead shot for the environment’s sake – The Times
When the establishment’s newspaper calls for change then it is clearly not just time, but probably long overdue. That is the case with the use of lead ammunition in the UK. The Times opinion piece last week did not say anything new, it just said it in a different place, here are some quotes: Shooting…
Press release – Campaign for National Parks
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Ambitious proposals in “biggest shakeup” – findings of the Glover review renew vision for National Parks Major changes to the running of National Parks have been proposed today in an independent review of England’s designated landscapes led by Julian Glover. Campaign for National Parks, the only national charity that campaigns to protect, enhance and promote…