The BBS report covering 2012 is out – here is the link. The results: the results are the most important part of the report. You should look at them, but here are some of the things that struck me, mostly concerning the long-term trends rather than the 2011-12 changes: there are a lot more greylag…
BLOG POSTS
Guest Blog – Why should we care about Jon Snow? by Ralph Underhill
Ralph Underhill worked on planning casework and water policy at the RSPB for seven years, before joining the Public Interest Research Centre where has worked on the Common Cause for Nature report which wss published yesterday. He also draws cartoons for this website. Why should…
Not so glorious… and what about BanGS?
It’s the Glorious 12th! Woohoo! And this year is the first year since the 1960s, according to the RSPB, that hen harriers have not nested successfully anywhere in England. Martin Harper, the RSPB’s Conservation Director said last week: “We are only a few days away from ‘the Glorious 12th’ – the traditional August start of…
Sunday Book Review – Birds Coping with an Obsession by Derek Moore
Derek Moore is a character. This is the story of Derek’s 70 years of working in a bank, playing in a band, playing cricket, birding and being a nature conservationist working for the Wildlife Trusts. I found all the different bits interesting – and that photo of him playing cricket makes him look like quite…
Saturday Cartoon from Ralph Underhill – priceless
I saw blue whales this summer in Monterey Bay, California – they were amazing and I will never forget them. I have seen more butterflies in my garden this year than for years and years – and I sent the details to Butterfly conservation for the Big Butterfly Count (you have today and…
National Trust – well done! Now hold your nerve, please.
I say again – well done National Trust! The long-awaited NT response to the responses to their consultation document on management of the High Peak is out (click here). Despite being under lots of pressure from men in tweed the NT have, so far, held their nerve and make a robust response to people’s views. …
Guest Blog – Saving Nature with Faith Communities by Simon Marsh
Simon Marsh’s day job is Head of Planning Policy at the RSPB, leading a small team which seeks to ensure the planning system in England is good for nature. Wearing another hat, he is also an advisor to the Christian conservation charity, A Rocha UK. Working for an organisation like the RSPB, you sometimes have…
Support WWF’s new campaign – Virunga
I spent some time working with WWF at the beginning of this year. They are a great bunch of campaigners and environmentalists and I had a good time making or renewing friendships whilst I was there. It slightly pains me that WWF-UK is spending less and less time involved in UK conservation issues because the…
Catfield Fen revisited
This blog has touched on the subject of the drying out of Catfield Fen on four previous occasions; 30 May 2012, 22 August 2012, 10 September 2012, 30 September 2012. Whilst this blog, Standing up for Nature, has not paid much attention to Catfield Fen for nearly a year the owner of the site, Tim…
Wuthering Moors 32
Blogs entitled ‘Wuthering Moors’ form a series of articles about the Walshaw Moor Estate and its relationship with Natural England and Defra. Defra were supposed to reply today to my complaint over their late and uncommunicative response to an FoI request. I had an email from them on Friday saying that they have now decided…