This week I began a Masters degree in Wildlife Management at Newcastle University - a course that quite honestly, I never expected undertake. Mainly because, on a personal level, the term "management" seems at odds with everything a younger me hoped to achieve. Standing in direct conflict with the predefined, pristine image of the countryside … Continue reading Internal Conflict and Future Decisions
Sometimes it is necessary to simply sit back and wait for wildlife to come to you. To forsake the tendency to travel, far and wide, in search of wildlife, and simply wait in one place and allow nature to spring forth around you. This is what I have done on a number of occasions this … Continue reading Autumnwatch without taking a step
This week, Chris Packham, no doubt feeling rather chipper following his exoneration by the BBC Trust over claims of bias put forth by the Countryside Alliance, launched a new petition. One calling for a moratorium on the shooting of critically declining species of wading birds, such Snipe, Golden Plover and Woodcock, in the UK. Stopping short … Continue reading Time to take wading birds off of the menu
As soon as I ride out of town on my bike, I am surrounded by meadows and canals. There are no elevations in the landscape, there are no forests near. As far as the eye can see, it is just meadows. This might seem a little boring and not very interesting to cycle through, but … Continue reading On the Ecological, Economical and Aesthetical Value of Species – Willemijn Heideman
Cats have featured heavily in the media this week, though not for the usual reasons. Indeed, following the publication of Cat Wars, a new book by American author Peter P. Marra, our feline friends have found themselves at the epicentre of a heated debate regarding their supposed ecological impact. With British conservationists downplaying the authors comments that … Continue reading Catgate: Some Personal Reflections
One of the most common questions raised whenever someone stumbles across this blog, particularly from those of a non-environmental background is: why bother? Surely it takes up too much time, provides very little in the way of a reward and is generally rather tedious. A good question actually, though one I struggle to answer on a … Continue reading Nature Blogging: Why Bother?
Well, it certainly has been an interesting few days! Full of trepidation and excitement in equal measure. The main cause of which stems from the premature departure of Sam Manning, the visionary behind the #Wilder movement we have been trying to set up for the past few months. Sam has filled the role of chair … Continue reading Chairman. Wait, what?
