I've handed the reins of my blog over to Mark Avery for most of June. Mark's sharing the successes and challenges of saving nature around the world in the run up to the Rio+20 Earth Summit.

This time last year, I drove west through the USA, and near the 100^th meridian, soon after I crossed the Missouri river, I started to see a new species of bird beside the road. They were black, occurred in small flocks and…

I've handed the reins of my blog over to Mark Avery for most of June. Mark's sharing the successes and challenges of saving nature around the world in the run up to the Rio+20 Earth Summit.

Twenty years ago when the world last met in Rio, the UK Prime Minister, John Major, and his Environment Secretary, John Gummer, came back to the UK full of enthusiasm for conserving nature. Let’s hope that the deputy prime…

I've handed the reins of my blog over to Mark Avery for most of June. Mark's sharing the successes and challenges of saving nature around the world in the run up to the Rio+20 Earth Summit.

As far as we know Earth is the only place with life in the universe. At any rate, we can be sure that it is the only place ever to have provided a home for Tyrannosaurus rex, passenger pigeons, a beetle called Aglyptinus …

I am about to go north to our hut on the Northumberland coast with the family for half term. So, as a special treat over the coming 20 days, guest blogger, and my predecessor, Mark Avery will be sharing his thoughts on the global challenges we face ahead of the Rio+20 Earth summit. I know he'll be watching the outcomes of the summit closely. I also know he'll welcome your questions along the way so please do share your…