In the end it was close, but the winner was: the rspb. The total 1352 votes cast were as follows: rspb 311 The Wildlife Trusts 274 Buglife 264 Butterfly Conservation 231 BTO 128 Plantlife 75 MARINElife 69 Well done to the rspb – but well done to all. I hope that being able to…
BLOG POSTS
Sunday Book Review – Bird Atlas 2007-11 by Dawn Balmer et al.
I’ve seen Andy Clements quoted as saying that this is the ‘most important British and Irish bird book for two decades‘ and once or twice thought – well, we’ll be the judge of that! And you must judge for yourself, but I would find it difficult to argue. And not only is this book important,…
Saturday Cartoon by Ralph Underhill
Ralph Underhill writes: I passionately believe that the planning system needs to do more for wildlife, particularly areas that currently have no protection. However, I do not think “Biodiversity Offsetting” is the right mechanism, even if existing proposals aren’t too bad it is the principle and precedent setting that we should really be worried…
The Minox Challenge – you decide
Seven organisations took up the Minox challenge on this blog; they each wrote a Guest Blog on why they should get your support. All made their cases strongly and clearly. Here are the links to the individual blogs: Joanna Bromley/Plantlife Mike Clarke/rspb Andy Clements/BTO Stephanie Hilborne/The Wildlife Trusts Andrew McLeish/MARINElife Matt Shardlow/Buglife Martin Warren/Butterfly…
Birdwatching as a political act – Guest Blog by Matt Adam Williams
Matt Williams is a conservationist and photographer. He is spending 2013-14 working in Indonesian Borneo for the Orangutan Tropical Peatland Project. Matt is also an ambassador for the A Focus on Nature project, and a freelance writer for the Good Men Project and The Ecologist online. Starting his conservation career early, he has been a member of the RSPBsince the…
Guest Blog – The Age of Can Do by Miles King
Miles King has been causing trouble in nature conservation for over 25 years and is currently Senior Ecologist at Footprint Ecology. He has been variously, head of conservation at Plantlife, The Grasslands Trust and Buglife. At other times Miles has worked for English Nature, Natural England, Dorset AONB and as a freelance conservationist. Miles lives…
Minox Challenge – Buglife by Matt Shardlow
Make Buglife part of Yourlife Assumption – you think wildlife is worth conserving. If not, don’t carry on reading this blog. If you think that bumblebees, grasshoppers, beetles, snails or other little animals are amazing and fantastic, or if you understand that they are essential to ecosystems and us (e.g. pollination = £510 million worth…
Minox Challenge – the Wildlife Trusts by Stephanie Hilborne
You and I both know that the natural world is of immense value. Anyone who has watched the sun rise over a Caledonian pine forest, or who has been enthralled by the acrobatics of a tern will know that nature is amazing in its variety and inspiring in a multitude of ways – from the…
Minox Challenge – the RSPB by Mike Clarke
Bins are central to the way a birder views the world – literally and metaphorically. I remember the thrill when I first acquired my pair of ‘Dialyts’ (on joining RSPB staff). But the symbolism of binoculars risks becoming a deterrent to those who think enjoying birds and other wildlife is the exclusive pursuit of a…
Minox Challenge – Plantlife by Joanna Bromley
Iris Murdoch once wrote ‘people from a planet without flowers would think we must be mad with joy the whole time to have such things about us.’ I couldn’t put it better myself but I have a feeling that Mark is looking for a few more words so I’ll soldier on. This is a discerning…