At the end of his hugely entertaining talk to the RSPB’s Members’ Weekend on Saturday night, Stephen Moss, showed a film montage featuring memorable moments from programmes made over 50 years by the BBC Natural History Unit. 

In it was a clip of Sir David Attenborough looking straight into the camera and saying “we have a responsibility to leave this planet healthy and habitable for all species”.…

On Good Friday, the sun shone and it was possible to believe that spring had arrived.  The sky above the fields near home were alive with the sound of skylark while bees were sleepily exploring the hedgerows which would soon be bursting into flower.  Nature seemed to be reasserting itself after the torpor of winter and it felt great to be alive.  

My enthusiasm was not dampened by the weekend storms as we escaped to the…

In this second blog about the pressures on nature paper published yesterday (here), I move from farming to climate change.

The new analysis shows that climate change is already the second biggest factor affecting wildlife across the UK. Yet the detail may be a surprise to some – climate change seems to be benefiting as many, if not slightly more, of our UK species than it is disadvantaging – hence this headline in today…

Cast your mind back to May 2013. Summer was just beginning and I had the pleasure of being at the stunning Natural History Museum in London, with colleagues from across the nature conservation sector, government and business, listening to an impassioned speech from David Attenborough. This was the launch of our sector’s own State of Nature report (see here).

The report was an important milestone. Twenty-five organisations…

It’s rapidly approaching the time of year when hen harriers will be setting up territories and attempting to breed. This is always a nerve wracking time for anyone who cares about these magnificent birds.

We’re never quite sure where they will attempt to breed and, as last year so graphically illustrated (link), we definitely can’t be sure how things will pan out.

Nesting depends on a variety of factors…

A curlew calling to welcome the spring is, to many, one of the most evocative sounds in nature. It is a sound that carries with it the hopes and expectations of everyone who cares about the future of our moorland and hills.  For someone living in the flatlands of the East of England, it also evokes in me a sense of wanderlust - a desire to get out into the hills.

Yet, our internationally important curlew population is…

Back in November, there were fears that the Spending Review would result in deep cuts to the Defra budget in a Spending Review. In the end, new economic forecasts came to the rescue and handed the Chancellor £26 billion he didn’t know he had.  This led to something of a reprieve with Defra 'only' having to find 15% of savings (see here).

Once again, with the rumours of a further £4 billion in spending…

We are expecting reports tomorrow from the grouse industry funded group called 'You Forgot the Birds' criticising our science on burning. Here's our response...

"In certain circumstances burning can be a legitimate management tool, but scientific evidence from the RSPB (see here) and a range of other sources shows that it must be used appropriately. Inappropriate burning on blanket peatland and protected…

Yesterday, I spoke at an event in Manchester on the UK in the EU.  It was an opportunity to inject an environmental dimension (see here) into the EU Referendum debate in the city where the result will be announced  on 24 June.

My starting point was to say that the RSPB had always believed in international action: if we wanted to save just one species from extinction - say turtle dove (which we to address its 78% decline…

Last week, I highlighted a new partnership, funded by the Heritage Lottery Fund, designed to bring threatened species back from the brink (here).  This week, a similar partnership has launched a new MP Species Champion programme designed to raise the political profile of threatened species conservation.  Learning from experience in Scotland (see here) and a pilot in the south-west of England, the RSPB has once again joined…

To mark Invasive Species Week, I am delighted to welcome my colleague, Paul Walton (Head of Habitats and Species in Scotland) to offer his perspective on the impact of non-native invasive species on native wildlife and what we need to do about it.

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There has been a lot of discussion lately on Invasive Non-native Species (INNS) and their impacts. Whereas their impacts…

Last month, the RSPB's Head of Investigations, Bob Elliot wrote (here) about our fears about the future of the National Wildlife Crime Unit.  Thousands of people also signed a petition calling for long term funding for the Unit's work.  Today, Environment Minister Rory Stewart, in a written statement to the House Commons (here) confirmed government funding for the next four financial years.

Responding to the announcement…

I don't like February.  It is a month synonymous with cold, grey days, man-flu and the end of Arsenal's title ambitions.  To make matters worse, this year, February is one day longer.  

To cheer myself up, I have been reading Nick Davies' wonderful book about the harbinger of spring, the cuckoo (see here).  Drawing on thirty years of research he describes the cuckoo's curious breeding habits and meticulously…

On Tuesday, I had the pleasure of sitting in the room with colleagues from a variety of conservation organisations to discuss progress with developing a game-changing project to bring species back from the brink of extinction in England.

It’s always nice to have the opportunity to think big, especially amongst friends.  It’s even more motivating to have plans to turn big ideas into practical projects.

The EU referendum has dominated the headlines over the past week and this looks set to continue right up to 23 June.  This triggers two thoughts.  First, journalists will need different angles to keep folk interested and so the environmental consequences of remaining of leaving the EU should (eventually) get decent coverage.  Second, I have a feeling that many will tire of the EU debate pretty quickly. 

So I promise to help…

Yesterday, I argued (here) that the EU Referendum debate needed to be sensible and based on evidence.  I also said that we would do our bit to separate fact from fiction.

Alas, as emotions run high on this subject, I don't expect everyone to heed this advice.  So, I plan to highlight any silly statements relating to EU and the environment.

The first silly statement I've spotted was made by Michael Gove at the weekend…

“The debate must be fair, the attention to detail precise. This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to consider a matter that has divided the nation for decades – and perhaps achieve some resolution. That debate will be passionate, but we hope it will also be rational and forensic.”

This was the comment at the end of the editorial in today’s Sunday Telegraph (here), after the starting gun for…

Ahead of this year’s breeding season, I’ve put a spotlight on bird crime outlining the need for new actions and better cooperation to help protect some of our most iconic species.

I have shared our hopes for hen harrier recovery following publication of the Hen Harrier Action Plan, the RSPB's Head of RSPB Investigations, Bob Elliot highlighted the urgent need for commitment to long-term funding of the…

Yesterday, I shared a perspective on bird crime from someone who shoots (Rob Yorke).  Today, I am delighted to welcome Charlie Moores, chair of BAWC (Birders Against Wildlife Crime) to offer his perspective on the Hen Harrier Action Plan.

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Martin Harper's blog of 14th January was on the recently-published Hen Harrier Action Plan, a six point 'plan' that, according to Defra, aims "to…

In November, I wrote that "many members of the shooting community want an end to illegal persecution and make a significant contribution to conservation".  Following an exchange of comments, a challenge was issued to encourage someone from the shooting community to offer their perspective.  I did receive one offer. Here Rob Yorke, who is a member of the RSPB, BTO, BASC, GWCT, is a birdwatcher and self-professed…

Two weeks ago, I published a blog on the launch of Defra’s Hen Harrier Action Plan (here). While the plan is limited in its commitments, I welcomed its publication as a step in the right direction.

Since then, I have received quite a few comments and questions via twitter, this blog and email. I have not been surprised – this is an issue where the stakes are high.

Image courtesy of Guy Shorrock

I thought…

This week, in the run up to Valentine's Day, people have been wearing their green hearts on their sleeve, their wrists, their schools, their football clubs, anywhere to show the love for the things that will be affected by climate change.  

This is the second year that The Climate Change Coalition (of which the RSPB is a founder member) has inspired people to believe that we can protect the life we love from climate…

A few years ago, the RSPB produced a report outlining ten principles of sustainable development (here).  It might not have been the most exciting report we've ever produced but it provided a decent check-list to judge decision-making by governments across the UK.

One of principles was that public participation was key to good decision-making. We argued that it was in government's interest to engage civil society,…

In the run  up to Valentine's Day, the RSPB has once again joined forces with WWF, Oxfam, the National Trust, the Women’s Institute and many other partners from The Climate Coalition to encourage people to think differently about climate change and to inspire them to act.  We are asking people to‪ Show the Love by watching and sharing a new 5 minute film featuring a letter written by Michael Morpurgo and starring…

This morning, MEPs in the European Parliament adopted (with an overwhelming majority) a report that reinforces the importance of the EU Nature Directives in halting biodiversity loss.

Today’s news follows a series of announcements which suggest that any political appetite to weaken the directives has reduced but alas not entirely disappeared. 

© European Union 2015 - European Parliament

In October last…