Can I start with a slightly belated ‘happy new year’!
I started this blog in September 2009 and set myself the target of a minimum 8 posts a month – and only once, in April last year. It came in just under with just 7 posts!
In the early days, I wrote the majority of the posts but thankfully many others are now adding diverse stories from around the RPSB both from the UK and from around the world.
In fact 19 colleagues have contributed to the blog in 2013 – a huge thanks to them all. A leading contributor is Simon Marsh, RSPB’s head of planning policy, his insights are well worth following, here’s his planning review of 2013.
We've used many images to illustrate this blog - here's my pick of an image to sum up 2013. Taken by my colleague, Rolf Williams - it's an aerial view of the Thames estuary, a true bird's eye view!
Certain places have featured prominently in 2013 as they have been at the heart of intense campaigns to safeguard their future. Dungeness has been a regular throughout the four years this blog has been running – and the story of Kent’s shingle peninsula took a turn for the worse this year when the outcome of a public inquiry into plans to expand nearby Lydd Airport found in favour of the proposed development. This will be a story that will continue into 2014, but more of that later.
Aviation, especially in the south east of England has been a big issue in 2013 with the Airports Commission publishing their interim report and shortlist at the end of December. Expanding airports is never good news for the environment or for the communities directly affected but at least the report signalled the likely end of plans to build a new airport in the Thames – probably. The Commission hedged its bets and while damning the proposal with faint praise didn’t quiet kill it off opting instead to add more evidence to the 60 years of failed attempts to justify similar proposals.
Staying in the south east – in fact still in Kent which seems to be under the cosh of threats to its best wildlife sites at the moment – we welcomed the decision by Natural England to confirm the designation of Lodge Hill as a Site of Special Scientific Interest recognising the site’s importance for nightingales and distinctive habitats especially its grassland. Designation alone does not save the site and its nightingales from the threat of housing development, but at least it levels the playing field.
Estuaries will always be a rich source of stories for this blog; they are amongst the most important wildlife sites in the UK because of the role they play in the migrations of millions of wildfowl and wading birds. They are often vital spawning grounds for fish and their natural ability to absorb the force of weather and tides is an essential element in tackling the increasing storminess that now seems a feature of our climate.
The Thames leads the way, not least because of the airport threat, but also because of the range of projects that highlight that nature conservation is so much more than just trying to stop bad things happening. Our Wallasea Island Wild Coast project goes from strength to strength and our work with many partners around the Thames gives real hope for the future.
Less good news came from the Humber at the end of the year – when we could have no confidence in the plans to compensate damage caused by a port development on the south side of the estuary.
The Thames is one of the key areas we’ve identified as ‘Futurescapes’ – our programme of landscape scale conservation initiatives – including Morecambe Bay and the Inner Forth. One of the welcome innovations on this blog in 2013 has been the contribution of staff from our Futurescapes programme some examples include Sherwood Forest, the South Downs, the Dearne Valley in South Yorkshire, the Cairngorms, Winterbourne Down, the Brecks and Loch Leven.
The issues that affect the future of our special places have been diverse – we’ve looked at the science that underpins our conviction of the important role ‘protecting the best’ plays in the future of nature conservation and also the role these places play in supporting our lives – ‘ecosystem services’ in the jargon. I blogged live from the launch of ‘State of Nature’ at the Natural History Museum – a personal highlight for me as I got to meet Sir David Attenborough before he launched the report, brought together by 24 organisations.
Housing and aviation have been to the fore as direct threats, more indirectly attempts to reduce the effectiveness of the laws and regulations that form the front line of safeguarding special places remain a concern.
We’ve done our bit to highlight and support a variety of RSPB projects from the traditions of Big Garden Birdwatch to the innovation of Big Wild Sleepout – and of course the launch of Giving Nature a Home (this blog really does go from garden to global)
And speaking of global we’ve been to Bulgaria’s Black Sea coast, vital for red-breasted geese and to Romania and efforts to protect the Danube. Kenya’s Tana River Delta and Dakatcha woodlands are at the heart of positive and successful efforts to protect vital areas and local communities from the impact of the biofuels industry. In addition the unique wildlife of Sao Tome, India’s greater adjutant stork and China’s vital role in safeguarding the future of the critically endangered (and uber-cute) spoon-billed sandpiper have all featured.
If you’ve added your voice to any of our campaigns – thank you. I’d be delighted to know what your particular memories of 2013 are – I’ll be back soon with a look forward into 2014.
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