Words about wildlife & nature conservation
This post was originally written for Bowland Raptor Politics. The thoughts expressed here are those of the author alone and do not necessarily represent my own. Well with clockwork regularity … Continue reading Driven Grouse Shooting: the Bluff’s Been Called, by Les Wallace
A new study, conducted jointly by the Centre for Ecology & Hydrology and the RSPB, has highlighted a catastrophic decline in Scotland’s Mountain Hare population. With numbers suspected to have … Continue reading Mountain Hares crash and burn in Scotland
This week, the depths of social media have been filled with grumblings of discontent aimed at the RSPB for their use of lethal control as a conservation tool on their … Continue reading RSPB criticised for protecting birds… fancy that?
If you live in the North East, doubtless you have noted the recent, and entirely justified, outcry surrounding the unfortunate deaths of a number of Kittiwakes (a globally threatened, predominately … Continue reading Lets talk about the Tyne Kittiwakes
Compassionate Conservation is proposed as a “growing international movement that seeks to build the welfare of individual animals into conservation practice. Achieved by promoting change, acceptance and education to reduce … Continue reading Compassionate Conservation or admirable ignorance?
If you kill raptors and you buy Shooting Times, please desist from doing both. You are ruining our sport and we don’t want your custom. https://t.co/YJN06aKHie — Shooting Times (@ShootingTimes) … Continue reading Shooting Times speaks out over raptor persecution
Just as it is in politics, the cult of personality is alive and well in the environmental field. Just as the charisma, views, values and outlooks of notable politicians – … Continue reading Freethinkers, echo chambers and the cult of personality in conservation
It cannot have escaped your attention that, over the past few weeks, some optics companies (those who produce binoculars, scopes and cameras) have received a large amount of criticism due to … Continue reading Hunting and Optics: should I feel guilty for where I shop?
It surely won’t have escaped your attention that just over a week ago now, the Labour party released what they have branded as a plan for the future of animal … Continue reading Labour’s Animal Welfare Plan with regards to wild animals
Discussions regarding the impact of predators – particularly Cormorants and Goosanders – upon fish stocks are not uncommon in my family. This is due to one particular family members prevailing … Continue reading Goosanders face yet more hostility in Scotland
I am late to the party on this one I am afraid, and there are already many excellent articles out there regarding the rollout of the Natural England sanctioned Hen … Continue reading We really must rethink the bonkers notion of Hen Harrier ‘brood management’
This past week, and to an equal mix of fanfare and apprehension, the government released its long-awaited 25-year plan to improve the environment. A full outline of which can be found … Continue reading A tentative step in the right direction | Some thoughts on the 25-year Environment Plan
The government has pledged £5.7m to kickstart the planting of a great Northern Forest that will span the country from Liverpool to Hull. With the M62 as its spine, it … Continue reading The New Northern Forest | I am not entirely convinced
Like a great many people, I suspect, the June appointment of Machiavellian, boris-slaying, hardline Brexiteer Michael Gove as Secretary of State for the Environment left me feeling more than just a little … Continue reading Reflecting on six-months of Michael Gove
An end to raptor persecution in the uplands In 2018 I want to see an end to the illegal persecution of protected raptors in upland Britain, by any means necessary. … Continue reading 10 environmental wishes for 2018 (Part 1)
I don’t particularly mind the Scottish Gamekeepers Association; sometimes they say quite reasonable things and on other occasions, they produce some exceptional twaddle. As a body, they support (some) practices … Continue reading A touch of hypocrisy from the SGA
