A message from Pitcairn

Last week I met two islanders from Pitcairn; Melva Warren Evans and Simon Young. We met in London and I asked them about their hopes for the Pitcairn protected marine area which their community wants to see the UK government establish. Melva was born on Pitcairn and is one of the descendents of the crew…

RBBP – a treat

The report of the Rare Breeding Birds Panel is a treat, a delight, a pleasure. That’s partly because the Panel does a very good job in compiling the records and writing them up, and partly because British Birds does a good job in publishing them but largely because birds are brilliant! In each of these…

Controversial?

Last week I spent an enjoyable Monday evening at the Royal Society listening to four really good speakers at an event organised by the World Land Trust and entitled Controversial Conservation. Chris Packham was the star turn – and he is a star.  Chris’s talk ranged widely over the state of wildlife and the environment….

Do you tweet? – revisited

Back in April I listed the Twitter followers of a range of individual organisations (and myself). In almost exactly six months, how have the rankings changed? The answer is – not much! Here are a range of organisations and their current followers, their rank in terms of followers back in April, and the % change…

And so we say farewell…

…to Peter Kendall, the President of the National Farmers’ Union, who has decided not to seek re-election next February. Farmers Weekly quotes Kendall as saying he isn’t looking for a career in politics – so I expect that’s where he’s heading. Peter Kendall has been a very popular NFU leader amongst farmers – he has…

Naff new name – great new(-ish) magazine

I’ve been told to expect good things from the first issue of Nature’s Home – the new name for the RSPB magazine. Mine arrived yesterday and I’ve enjoyed reading quite a lot of it already – more than I have for quite a few issues of the magazine. I don’t like the name Nature’s Home,…

The Minox Challenge(s)

When I wrote about my 37-year-old binoculars being repaired I didn’t expect this to happen.  I didn’t expect an email from Zeiss thanking me for my loyalty – and I didn’t get one, so that’s OK.  And I didn’t expect an email from Minox saying: At MINOX GB we keep an eye on the media…

An open letter to the new Defra Ministers

To George Eustice and Dan Rogerson. Dear Ministers Congratulations on your new ministerial appointments.  You have an unpredictable time, but no more than 568 days (less holidays, the run up to the General Election, time off sick and being moved on or sacked) to make a difference.  Given the uncertainties of Ministerial tenure you can’t…