The revelations over the 23-year old events at Hillsborough have been shocking – deeply shocking. But I wonder how many of us felt a little personal guilt for moments when we thought ‘It’s a long time ago’ or ‘Let it go’? This week the obstinacy and determination, and passion (there was lots of passion), from…
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For heaven on Earth’s sake
An interesting poll was reported yesterday. Young people are more likely to cite ‘caring for the environment’ as their top moral issue than ‘having a religious faith’. Admittedly there wasn’t much in it, and both of those answers were way below ‘looking after your family’ which headed the list. There is a strong moral element…
Maybe that’s why
I didn’t see many eagles on my holiday in Scotland. I did travel down the A82 through Bridge of Orchy, and very pretty it was too. Last week a farm manager from Bridge of Orchy was convicted of possessing Carbofuran, an illegal poison whose use has been banned since 2001. A dead golden eagle had…
Mmmmm! Yummy!
I tell the story in Fighting for Birds of staying at the house of a grouse moor manager and being given grouse to eat for dinner. I quite like grouse but I prefer pheasant on my plate. There was a bit of an expectant hush as my host and some other guests waited to see…
Catfield
I have sent the following to PSC-WaterResources@environment-agency.gov.uk referring to applications Mr A W Alston NPS/WR/007223 & NPS/WR/007224. You could too and the closing date for receipt of such views is Wednesday. Catfield Fen is drying out, and has been for several years. There doesn’t seem to be any doubt about that. Catfield Fen is…
Thank you WWT
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Thank you to the staff, visitors, volunteers and wildlife of the WWT London Wetland Centre for giving me a good day yesterday. An audience of 45-50 folk heard me talk about nature conservation issues from reintroductions to raptor persecution, and from protected areas to farmland birds. The talk seemed to go well and there was…
Working at home and away
Today I am giving a talk at the London Wetland Centre at 230pm – I’m looking forward to it and maybe I’ll see you there. However, I have experienced the joys of working at home this week. One day a nice man brought me a lovely book to read (now, admittedly I had ordered it…
Interesting slip
In Prime Minister’s Question Time on Wednesday the Prime Minister said that he wants all government departments to be departments for growth. The Agriculture Department should be promoting British food, apparently. Sounds like a good idea perhaps, except you don’t have an Agriculture Department PM – you don’t even have a department with agriculture in…
Book review – Wild Hope by Andrew Balmford
I count the author of this book as a friend and therefore you might want to discount all the good things I am going to write about his excellent book – please don’t do that. Professor Andrew Balmford FRS is one of just a handful of UK academics who understands nature conservation through doing it,…
Reshuffling the cards
Let us start by wishing Caroline Spelman well and thanking her for being a champion of biodiversity during her time at Defra. The outgoing Secretary of State did a good job on international biodiversity protection – and was notable for her own personal successes at the Nagoya meeting. Spelman lacked charisma and had the air…