Category Archives: Conservation
Badgers: the debate continues
Badgers: the debate continues The threat of bovine TB to cattle is still as great as ever, with the latest statistics release from Defra highlighting its continued presence. The use of badger culling to attempt to reduce the incidence of … Continue reading
Safeguarding the Jewels in the UK's Biodiversity Crown
The investment needed to conserve biodiversity in the UK’s Overseas Territories (UKOTs) is three to five times higher than that spent by the UK Government currently to protect the endemic species and threatened habitats in these unique ecosystems. That is … Continue reading
Checking the Progress of Government on the Natural Environment
The Government could try harder on the natural environment. That was the conclusion of ‘Nature Check 2012′, an overview of the Government’s progress against the commitments made in the Coalition Agreement, launched by Wildlife and Countryside Link, and endorsed by … Continue reading
Is this 'Bird Armageddon'?
Since 1966 UK bird population has decline by 44 million which amounts to just under a million birds a year (over 45 years), which is dismal November news indeed. Yesterday the RSPB published their most extensive survey of the UK’s … Continue reading
Ash update a positive spin
It was no surprise to the scientific community when Secretary of State Owen Paterson announced on Friday that “It will not be possible to eradicate ash dieback” but members of the public and tree enthusiasts may well be shocked at … Continue reading
Government's 'school report' shows 'must try harder' for water
Ministers, MPs, NGO’s and members of the Water Sector met this morning for the launch of the Blueprint for Water Scorecard. The Chair of the Blueprint for Water coalition, Carrie Hume, Head of Conservation Policy at the Wildfowl and Wetlands … Continue reading
Sandy’s trying to telling us something
With ‘Sandy’ raging for all she’s worth across the pond, flooding the streets of New York and making the headlines for the all the wrong reasons; we should remind ourselves of the increasing frequency at which extreme weather events have … Continue reading
Importation of Ash trees is now banned in the UK
The subject of tree health within the UK is now gaining a heightened media profile and increased governmental attention, but is it too late for our beloved woodlands? The Ash tree ban has captured the nation’s attention and a segment … Continue reading
The partners in crime that could solve the case…
One of the strongest ecological structuring forces the world has ever known, that has influenced the genetic make-up of every organism on earth, is that of the partnership between parasite and host. The term parasite may evoke images of tapeworms … Continue reading
The 200 year old debate… to cull…or not to cull?
Badger culling to prevent TB transmission is a topic that has been debated back forth for since the 18th century and it is no different today. Do scientific facts play a big enough role? Or are we just divided by … Continue reading