Dr Therese Coffey is the junior minister at Defra. When Gavin Gamble’s e-petition in favour of banning driven grouse shooting passes 10,000 signatures then Dr Coffey will need to sign off a government response. In order that she does not make Defra look even more foolish than they do already I am providing a reading…
Tag: Natural England
Guest blog – At the Gates of the Supreme Court by Chris Murphy
Chris Murphy has lived in Northern Ireland since arriving on the ferry from Liverpool in 1984 as the RSPB’s first, and last, Assistant Regional Officer. Together with his German wife, Doris, he’s known to shout HALT! when special places are threatened like the Belfast Harbour Pools and the Bog Meadows – once zoned for development,…
Dr Coffey – do the right thing
Dr Therese Coffey is the junior minister in Defra and some time fairly soon will be asked to sign off a government response to Gavin Gamble’s e-petition to ban driven grouse shooting assuming that it passes 10,000 signatures (which it will). Dr Coffey closed the debate on grouse shooting almost a year ago in a…
Guest blog – Natural History in the national curriculum by Chris Baker
Chris is a science teacher of nine years and a former country park ranger. He began his teaching career in London before taking up posts at British schools in Vietnam and China. He is a Biology specialist and currently Head of Science at the British School Bucharest. My previous guest blog post was…
Objection to planning proposal
Sent to East Northants Council last night. See two previous blogs (and the well-informed comments on the second of them)(Local issue – Higham Ferrers and Rushden – Northants 30 September 2017; Not just a local issue, 5 October 2017). Today is the closing date for comments (unless ENC decide yet again to change the…
Hawk and Owl Trust – don’t mention the Hen Harrier!
Rather bizarrely, the Hawk and Owl Trust does not mention the Hen Harrier in its Annual Report covering the period April 2016 – March 2017. Surely one of the H&OT’s project was, and still is, one of satellite-tagging Hen Harriers – didn’t they satellite tag two Hen Harriers at Langholm in the summer of 2016? …
Natural England EIR request – Hen Harrier data
Dear Natural England In 2008 Natural England published an excellent, interim, report on its Hen Harrier study entitled ‘A future for the Hen Harrier in England?‘. In that report you state that ‘In three incidents nests had been destroyed by illegal burning‘. Please tell me: In which county/ies did these incidents occur? Were these incidents…
Natural England EIR request – Hen Harrier Mick
Dear Natural England, You issued a press release about a Hen Harrier called Mick on 7 February 2017 in which you stated that Mick’s disappearance had been reported to the North Yorkshire Police. Your director, Rob Cooke, said ‘The disappearance of a hen harrier is deeply concerning to all who appreciate these rare and impressive…
Ban the burn on bogs
While I was swanning around in Yorkshire on holiday there was an important conference event held in Edale talking about the future of blanket bogs in the South Pennines (although its findings seem equally to apply to the North Pennines and other areas I guess). Interesting reports reached me of unlikely events such as plates…
Natural England 11 years old on Sunday
Natural England is a failing organisation. It is no longer a champion for the natural environment and it is no longer a leader in environmental thinking and it is no longer doing its job. The statutory nature conservation agency in England is now highly politicised (ghastly word for a ghastly impact) and no longer trusted…