environmental commentator
It’s not a tribal blog, it’s a dialogue
Every so often, I aim to produce a pithy (under 800 words) piece always with links to references.
Do apply to do a guest blog – note same word count and references if possible. Be prepared for ‘light touch edit’ to ensure positive, rather than divisive, engagement with the widest range of views.
I met with Professor Tim Benton in a tiny cafe at Victoria station, London. I was on my way to Kent from Wales to talk with farmers, whereas Tim was between high-level meetings. Neither of us knew quite what was about to unfold, nor how pertinent today, three years on, the overarching contents of this … Continue reading the Benton interview
Forty years ago, on a winter’s dawn, I went down to the foreshore with my father. Whispering wings of unseen ducks, two in the bag as light broke and a barn owl hovered for a minute feet above my upturned 16 year old mud-smeared face. Thirty six years earlier, the celebrated conservationist, Sir Peter Scott, … Continue reading Mobilising conservation
Being eyeballed by dragonflies patrolling tree-lined rivers and watching hen harriers hunting over heather moorland, brought small joys on my recent field intel trip north. North by north west My reason for heading north from the hills of Wales was an invitation to fish a river in Sutherland. But what a distance! But what an … Continue reading Walking with dragonflies
I’m getting unbridled joy from my new purchase, a pair of second hand binoculars, which I bought to reward myself after undertaking a tough session of environmental dialogue brokering in Brussels. Hardware harm Using binoculars can be a badge. I’m a nature watcher. I’m a hunter. Though of course you can be both (I wrote … Continue reading Rose-tinted glasses
The flash of sparrowhawk wings alerted me to the raptor’s presence in my woodland. I then notice feathers, the headless corpse of a song thrush. I hesitate. Will the hawk return its kill? In the hushed post-raptor air of tension, I pick up the body, still warm to the touch. Shall I leave it to … Continue reading Why I ate a songbird
When travelling on some highways, you can feel hemmed in. That’s because of the fencing erected to prevent wildlife from colliding with humans. In other areas, wildlife helps itself to unprotected spaces. Biodiversity Intactness Index In another country, way down in the southern hemisphere, Namibian wildlife roams free over highways. Not in protected areas, but … Continue reading Hunting bio-intactness
In south-west Scotland, there’s a patch of moorland surrounded by sheep grazed hills, conifer forestry and an old industrial milling town called Langholm. I first visiting it in 2014 when it was the site of a demonstration project comprising of a partnership between GWCT, RSPB, NE, SNH, Buccleuch Estates. They had commissioned me to write … Continue reading Landscape resilience context
Humans have a tendency not to do something unless it’s easy. From bread-makers, recycling rules, planting trees or engaging with environmental media; we want it fuss-free. Obtuse nature “Some of the stuff you write is impenetrable, Rob”. And perhaps surprisingly, I agree. While unsurprisingly, it’s easier to scroll a twitter feed and editorialised media headlines, … Continue reading Nature-based chainsaws
Chopping wood this week made me think about parallels on writing my blog to reflect the past year while looking forward to the next year (2022). Celebrate what’s been learned. Acknowledge the knotty stuff. Not take for granted any sweet spots. Reading the grain to cleave out workable pragmatic solutions. All of which, not surprisingly, … Continue reading Green axe challenge
My trip north to northern fields, moors, forests, streets and COP26’s Green Zone is mainly in pictorial form. There’s much to glean from between the lines: beyond the pic, click the link Updale An old friend puts me up for the night in Swaledale. We talk about curlews and 30 years working in land. I … Continue reading COP, field and moor
#WoodofStones – a year’s worth of tweets of a tiny National Nature Reserved in Wales