Hen Harriers in The Times

Our e-petition to ban driven grouse shooting in England is going really well – yesterday (we are still in Week Four) it passed 4500 signatures. Thank you to all who signed it and to Chris Packham, Tony Juniper, Brigit Strawbridge, The League Against Cruel Sports, Birdwatch magazine, Birders Against Wildlife Crime and Rare Bird Alert…

Dr Debbie Pain recognised by Marsh Award

Dr Debbie Pain, the Conservation Director of the WWT, was recognised by the Zoological Society of London last week with the Marsh Award for Conservation Biology. Debbie worked ‘for’ me (in fact I appointed her) and then with me at the RSPB for 16 years before heading off for WWT. Debbie has done ground-breaking and influential…

What a hoot! #owlsforall

This morning I did a little interview on the Today programme (1hr 21 minutes into programme) – about Labour’s new policy of an owl for everyone. What a hoot! Yesterday the Labour Party Press Twitter account was hacked (by the Provisional RSPB or the Provisional Barn Owl Trust or the Provisional Hawk and Owl Trust?)…

Today programme

Listen to the BBC Radio 4 Today programme between 0730-0800 and you may hear me talking about Labour’s new wildlife-friendly owl policy . WHAT A HOOT!   But while you are here, please sign my e-petition to ban driven grouse shooting – thank you.  

Talking Point from British Birds

The following article appeared in the May issue of British Birds and I am grateful to them for permission to reproduce it here.   We are outnumbered – but we shouldn’t give up! In response to Iain Robertson’s editorial in the March issue of BB, I contend that bird conservationists in the UK actually have a…

Hay, hay, hay

I had a listen to the programme of Shared Planet, of which I was a small part, after watching the end of Brazil v Mexico which I just caught after getting back from lunch and dinner with friends in London. Not bad – a couple of bits I was keen that they should make the…

A month today…

…A Message from Martha is published. Here is a sneak preview… Here is the list of chapters…   Chris Packham says: ‘This hugely thought provoking and important book is the kick up the arse that every complacent conservationist needs right now‘ and ‘This heart-wrenching saga of extinctions, old and new, is as much about us…

Guest Blog – 1000 miles for Martha by Tristan Reid

1000 miles in memory of Martha Update – 500 Miles and Five Marathons! Back in January I wrote a post here detailing my challenge to run 1000 miles including 14 marathons to raise funds for and awareness of Operation Turtle Dove. My project names ‘1000 miles in memory of Martha’ not only intends to raise…

My friends in Greenpeace

The headline caught my eye ‘Greenpeace loses £3m of public donations after currency gaffes‘. ‘Crikey!’, I thought, ‘How awful!’. Then I read the piece, and the similar piece in the Guardian, and relaxed. Greenpeace International (not Greenpeace UK) has cocked up on some currency deals and sacked the person responsible. OK – not clever, but…