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.
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
I thought I could get away with it. Remain objective, unemotional even, coolly and scientifically detached about change in the countryside. But I was wrong. (updated 4.23, 2.24, 11.24, 2.25) It was working on interviews with Professors Tim Benton and Charles Godfray. The enormity and range of issues on which change and disruption is happening … Continue reading a Gutenberg moment in time
Just how tricky it is to design new agricultural and environmental policies. Simultaneously. When the Soil Association goes nuts with Defra over a picture of a combine, the Commons Enviro Committee feature an elephant as twitter cover for a report on consumption, Clarkson’s a policy influencer and laconic popstars front up COP26 on food – … Continue reading Curate’s egg
Talking. Thinking. This is an experiment. An adaptive blog page linked to my 60 sec vlogs. Here’s an intro vlog. It’s a space to explain thinking, tease out nuance, refer to evidence, apologise for mistakes, link to articles, a place for pushback and feedback – brokering towards diverse dialogues not ideologues. Tribal pollinator Tribalism is … Continue reading Typing…
Time to get off the mountain. Close the gap between years’ of telephone conversations and direct messages. A road trip around East Anglia listening, face to face, to what people think rather than what they say. A brief history to ‘field intel’ trips. My first one was along The Marches via train and bike. The … Continue reading Field intel east
#WoodofStones – a year’s worth of tweets of a tiny National Nature Reserved in Wales