land, farm, food, tree, nature, ‘social nuance’ – in circa 60 secs
Here’s an intro vlog on why I do these. A space to tease out unfashionable nuance, different ways to think, question evidence, apologise for mistakes
A place for pushback, feedback by brokering dialogue rather than reinforcing ideologue.
as Spike Lee said:
“people going to make up their own mind. My approach is put the information in the movie and let people decide for themselves. I respect the intelligence of the audience.“

Here’s an early warm up….circa 60secs on my reaction to an IPCC report (Aug 21 update).

Farming
Adaptive hybrid thinking on managing wildlife. Do simple ‘nature-friendly’ soundbites stifle diversity? Even as hedgerow wildlife is ‘hungrily‘ evolving. Are policy proposals such as the Sustainable Farming Incentive being mis-framed. Explaining different narratives around farm, food, enviro standards. Mixed farming requires more people to move livestock. Grant options for ‘primary industry’ slurry, while harnessing livestock as ecosystem engineers.
War-triggered responses to soils and fertilisers. Giving space to ‘adaptive farmers’ without having to be a label. Two books and one tough paper – wider thinking on land and food.

Forest, woodland
There’s space for trees in all their forms. Media blossom orchard trees without fruit farmers, though no need to fear sound of chainsaws. A mention of trees, especially conifers, stirs a reaction (13k views). Calmer, though pointy, a 30 sec reflection on 10 years of my woodland (blog on wood here)
Birds, curlew, harrier, science
No clear and simple solutions to curlews as in this vlog or do we even dare talk about hen harriers. Adaptive informed thinking around uncertain evidence.

Land use in all its diversity
Think interdisciplinary on Agric and Enviro Acts. Perceptions of farming or forest are often old ones. Tighter water regs are coming. But planning regs must leave room for creative innovative land use. How to get scientists to connect with land practitioners (16k views). Wet habitat is required for carbon and curlew.
Mea culpa in daring to take on a national park. A cool v hot burn wildfire – too hot to handle! Wild nature and honeypots for public access. Room for more land use diversity over dogmatic idealism. As well as public access to ordinary countryside. Landscape recovery is for all – not just rewilders – and read the land so it ‘expresses‘ itself.

Food, farmed and wild
Food is the lens (as we “breakfast before we go look for butterflies” via a food plan thread) Veg mayhem!! Room to harvest more wild meat. But not fresh skylark meat in London markets – in 1890! While this rotten-tomato vlog reflects Spike’s thoughts above. On mental health in rural areas. Working out how to factor in ideology around sustainable agriculture is a tough nut.

Investing in knowledge for land managers.
Media and new ways of dialogue
Beware overplaying enviro-doom tropes. A blast at BBC sloppy journalism. Frontline Enviro – a new way to debate environmental issues. Keeping humans, part of nature, managing various ecosystems. Will we hear all the voices unfiltered, unaffiliated at COP26? (my outtake on COP). Semantics for difference ‘cute’ audiences in rural policy, matter. Listening to communities with big beasts. On the Death of Eco-nuance.

Social nuance
We also require polarised views to disrupt groupthink. To listen to ‘quiet’ local communities and let’s not lose our face-to-face skills, as we go online.
Here’s a vlog on seeking nuance within tribalism, Here’s to bipartisan hybrid partnerships! Beware social media dopamine hits. Why face-to-face agric and shows (and Game Fairs) are key during big change.
see this blog for intro to these vlogs, and my first ever vlog back in May 2017
….here’s that apology vlog for ever daring to utter the phrase ‘wicked problem’.