Guest blog – A Prayer of Protest by Vanessa Wright

Vanessa divides her time between Hertfordshire and the Hebrides and loves to write about birds, butterflies and beachcombing. She gave up corporate life during the pandemic, taking the plunge to follow her passion for wildlife. Recently finishing a Masters in Nature and Travel Writing, she has been announced as a Runner-Up in the BBC Countryfile…

Guest blog – The Cost of Planting by Ian Parsons

Ian Parsons spent 20 years as a ranger. He now writes books and articles on wildlife. He has contributed many articles to this blog – click here and find his guest blogs (in an alphabetical list).   When it comes to establishing new woodland, it is fair to say that I would far prefer this…

Guest blog – Walshaw Turbine 60 by Nick MacKinnon

Nick MacKinnon is a freelance teacher of Maths, English and Medieval History, and lives above Haworth, in the last inhabited house before Top Withens = Wuthering Heights. In 1992 he founded the successful Campaign to Save Radio 4 Long Wave while in plaster following a rock-climbing accident on Skye. His poem ‘The metric system’ won…

Guest blog – Short walks along streets that flood (and roads not taken) by Jenny Shepherd

Ban the Burn rep to the Stronger Together to Stop Calderdale WIndfarm campaign group. On behalf of the group, named creator of the Parliamentary Petition, Ban WIndfarms on Protected Peatland in England – click here . Tend to carry a Grandmothers Against Bullshit placard – covers so much in so few words. Short walks along…

Guest blog – Walshaw Turbine 57 by Nick MacKinnon

Nick MacKinnon is a freelance teacher of Maths, English and Medieval History, and lives above Haworth, in the last inhabited house before Top Withens = Wuthering Heights. In 1992 he founded the successful Campaign to Save Radio 4 Long Wave while in plaster following a rock-climbing accident on Skye. His poem ‘The metric system’ won…

Guest blog – Newts and Housing by Barry Kemp

I am recently retired but have spent the last 20 years working as an ecologist, primarily in the conservation of our native reptile and amphibian species. During this time I had to deal with many housing developers and the message I and other ecologists were always trying to get across was that our biodiversity was…

Guest blog – North Island by David Higgins

David Higgins works in conservation. He has lived and worked in the Falkland Islands, St Helena Island, India, The Skerries, the Yorkshire Dales, the North Pennines and now the Wiltshire Wildlife Trust. He loves islands especially seabird colonies, where he enjoys his main passion of wildlife photography.   Filmed at 120 frames per second I…

New petition about windfarms on peat soils

  Press release from ‘Stronger together to stop Calderdale Wind Farm’: PARLIAMENTARY PETITION LAUNCHED TODAY CALLS FOR A BAN ON BUILDING WIND FARMS ON PROTECTED PEATLAND Today sees the launch of a petition that calls on Parliament to amend onshore wind planning regulations by banning wind farms on protected peatland in England. 100,000 signatures will…

Guest blog – Walshaw Turbine 53 by John Page.

John Page was born in the West Riding, a proud Yorkshireman and was taught to play cricket left-handed “ ’cos it flummoxes t’ bowler, and buggers up t’ field.” He went to university in London and Leeds, and enjoyed (most of the time) attempting to teach young people that there’s a big wide world beyond…

Guest blog – Walshaw Turbine 37 by Nick MacKinnon

Nick MacKinnon is a freelance teacher of Maths, English and Medieval History, and lives above Haworth, in the last inhabited house before Top Withens = Wuthering Heights. In 1992 he founded the successful Campaign to Save Radio 4 Long Wave while in plaster following a rock-climbing accident on Skye. His poem ‘The metric system’ won…