National Trust – High Peak

At last week’s conference at Newton Rigg, the Director General of the National Trust (and former top-mandarin at Defra) Dame Helen Ghosh spoke. I know Helen just a little, having met her in her Defra role but the longest time I have ever spent in her company was when I showed her around the RSPB…

Peaceful protest against Hen Harrier persecution

There will be a peaceful protest against Hen Harrier persecution somewhere in the north of England on or around (probably before) the ‘Glorious’ 12th August this year. Let me know if you would be interested in taking part and wish to be kept informed by emailing  mark@markavery.info The number of people expressing an interest is…

That flame should be fizzling out

Natural England are in a bit of a mess over the uplands – you might say they have been bogged down. NE had to dump their vision for the uplands of England because landowners – perhaps including their Minister at the time (Richard Benyon) – didn’t like it.  They went back to basics and looked…

LEAF – turn over a new one

On Monday I went to the Linking Environment and Farming President’s conference in the headquarters of HSBC in Canary Wharf.  I have a lot of time for LEAF, although there were a few moments on Monday when I thought I might have stumbled into an NFU conference instead of a LEAF one. How long should…