Birding is good for you?

Waves on beach Photo: Karen MacKelvie RSPB press release: GPs in Shetland are now able to prescribe nature to their patients thanks to a pioneering partnership project A partnership project between NHS Shetland and RSPB Scotland, which is thought to be the first of its kind in the UK, has been extended following a successful…

A week ago…

Photo: Luke Dray/Woodland Trust The sun is shining where I am this Saturday lunchtime but the rain didn’t make any difference to the feelings of hope and happiness that I felt as one of the #soddententhousand last weekend.  What a great event it was. There have been a whole lot of discussions and inititiatives started…

Walk for Wildlife – take the next step

Photo: Luke Dray/Woodland Trust If you were one of the 10,000 people who walked through London on Saturday, soaked but happy, you were acting politically.  You were using your freedom of speech in a democracy to call on your government to do more for wildlife.  And thank you for doing so – your action, combined…

Letter to my MP

Dear Mr Pursglove I didn’t see you at Saturday’s Walk for Wildlife but as there were around 10,000 attendees we could easily have missed each other.  I didn’t actually notice any Conservative MPs and Michael Gove decided that he was unable to meet Chris Packham and some of the younger participants in the rally and…

RSPB: BirdCrime report

Pole trap on Brewlands Estate, Scotland.  RSPB’s Birdcrime report reveals 68 confirmed incidents of bird of prey persecution in the UK during 2017, but many illegal killings are going undetected or unreported. Incidents occurred in all 4 UK countries with England having the highest number of confirmed incidents The RSPB believes the introduction of a…

Just a stroll in the park…

Photo: Luke Dray/Woodland Trust. A couple of folk dodging the cars in Piccadilly? Well the Guardian says that ‘hundreds’ of us marched to Downing Street, which I guess is true, since every thousand is made up of hundreds (and scores and dozens)[Guardian later ‘updated’ its headline to thousands].  The police at Downing St told Chris…

RSPB press release

Somerset’s farmers make hay when the birds fly The picturesque hay-meadows of the Somerset Moors and Levels are the largest wetlands in England home to many waders and some of the rarest birds on Earth A quarter of the global population of curlews can be found in the UK, but breeding numbers have dropped dramatically…

National Trust press release

Globally endangered Large Blue butterfly enjoys best numbers for 80 years Large Blue Butterfly. Photo: NT/Matthew Oates A previously extinct butterfly has had its best summer on record with the south west of England recognised as having the highest numbers anywhere in the world. The exquisite Large Blue Butterfly – officially recognised as having died…