Guest blog – On natural beauty, a cautionary tale by Andrew Painting.

Andrew Painting, 27, is an ecologist working in the Scottish highlands. He studies human/environment relations at Aberdeen University, and occasionally writes about environmental issues. Life imitates Art far more than Art imitates Life Oscar Wilde, ‘The Decay of Lying‘ A few days ago I was out on the moor and I saw an exquisite little…

From the Guardian

Grouse negligence ‘…the grouse-shooting debate revealed some MPs’ enduring contempt for the masses. An orchestrated procession of tame Tories waxed lyrical about the joys of wild shooting.’ ‘Charles Walker smeared the petitioner, conservationist Mark Avery‘ ‘E-petitions are supposed to reboot parliamentary democracy but, on the evidence of this farce, they are another kick in its…

Guest blog – Media Circus by Graeme Walker

Graeme Walker is a member of the British Dragonfly Society and a lifelong amateur naturalist. Hailing originally from rural north east England, after several decades living in Buckinghamshire, he moved to Orkney in 2013. Graeme is on the committee of the Orkney Field Club and his main interest is Odonata (though that’s not why he…

Forest Enterprise England to dump toxic ammunition

There is, of course, no need for anyone to wait for a legal ban on lead ammunition, or for Defra to stir themselves – they can just switch themselves. The legal move will sweep up the recalcitrant, the uninformed and the bloody minded and selfish. For example, the RSPB made the decision to drop lead…