Walking through Westminster last week, I saw a large display of wellington boots.  It had been put together by Greenpeace showcasing personal testimonies from flood-hit communities and was accompanied by a call for more government action to protect people from flooding.

Admiring the installation, my eyes were drawn to a card about Hebden Bridge - a community that has suffered from flooding in recent years and is in the…

For reasons I have yet to fully understand, my wife recently bought me a copy of Marie Kondo's book The life changing magic of tidying up.  In it, Ms Kondo encourages you only to keep those things that spark joy.  It's quite a radical and eccentric approach that forces you to look at all of your stuff and discard/recycle anything that doesn't give you joy.  

I'll leave you guessing as to whether applying her…

It has been exciting watching the wind turbine being assembled at our HQ this week (see here).  It will soon be generating electricity and providing a major contribution to our plan to reducing the charity’s ecological footprint. Yesterday I was contributing to a short film for our partners Ecotricity about the project.  I explained why we wanted the turbine and what measures we had put in place to reduce impacts…

About ten years ago, an internal RSPB email was sent regarding the possibility of installing a wind turbine at our Headquarters at the Lodge.  We had embarked on a charity-wide programme to reduce our greenhouse gas emissions (from travel and electricity) by 3% per person every year and were keen explore options to realise this ambition.

It's taken a while, but after receiving planning consent in April 2014, I am delighted…

Yesterday, the UK Government produced its latest set of biodiversity indicators (see here).  Not only did this demonstrate that nature remains in trouble but it also showed that government investment in nature conservation had declined  by 26 per cent between 2009-10 and 2014-15 and the contribution from others (eg charities) had plateaued.  We don't expect this funding picture to change any time soon which is why all the…

Earlier today, Defra with the support of the Office of National Statistics released two biodiversity indicators reports for 2015 (for the UK here and for England here).  These reports use government-approved data to help assess whether we are on track to meet targets for nature (such as the Convention on Biological Diversity Aichi targets agreed in Nagoya in 2010 or the outcomes in the England Biodiversity Strategy).  

There…

Twenty years ago this month, I started my first paid job in conservation.  I worked on a project designed to raise the profile of our seas.  Back then, it proved difficult to get the attention of decision-makers about the need for protecting our marine wildlife – which seemed out of sight and so out of mind.  Indeed, I remember one senior civil servant telling me that new marine laws would not happen in his lifetime…

For a number of years the breeding population of hen harrier has been on the brink – even failing to breed in England in 2013.  

The RSPB had been part of an Environment Council-led process to resolve the conflict between hen harrier conservation and grouse moor management.  It was clear that, while providing a forum for increased understanding between different groups, this had not resulted in the necessary action…

At the end of giving evidence to the Environmental Audit Committee on the value of EU environment policy (you can watch it here), I was asked about the RSPB’s position on the referendum regarding the UK’s membership of the European Union.

This is clearly an issue that will dominate the political and public debate this year and is something to which we have given a lot of thought.  The outcome of the referendum…

As we wait to hear the full consequences of last year's Comprehensive Spending Review, I welcome my colleague Bob Elliot (Head of RSPB Investigations) to outline the latest risks to the National Wildlife Crime Unit.

------------------------------------------------------------------

News that the future of the National Wildlife Crime Unit (NWCU) is, yet again, being jeopardised by a lack of commitment to its future…

I have just had two very contrasting days (one in the field, one in meetings) but with a common theme - floods.

On Wednesday, I was with our local team in the unseasonably warm January sunshine at the Suffolk coast.  The principle reason for my visit was to see the habitat creation that we've done at one of our sites - Hollesley.  Two years on from creating a large scrape, the team has recorded excellent results for…

Further to the announcement that funding had been secured to establish a new marine protected area around Ascension Island, my colleague Jonathan Hall (who has worked tirelessly on this joint campaign) offers his perspective on what this decision means for wildlife.   

Endangered green turtle nesting on Ascension Island. Image courtesy of Sam Weber

The first thing you notice from the air when flying in to Ascension Island…

For the second winter in three years, floods have heaped misery on parts of the country. I have never been flooded so obviously have no idea how appalling it must be. One can only feel huge sympathy for those affected as well as admiration for the way that the emergency services have responded over the Christmas period.

While there has been a little political jousting about the levels of investment in flood protection…

For some, today will be your last working day of the year.  So here are 12 RSPB highlights from 2015.  

The list below illustrates the impact we have had in pursuit of our mission to inspire a world richer in nature.  It reflects the extraordinary work done by our staff and volunteers in partnership with a huge range of other organisations.  I salute you all.

If today is the day that you are switching off, have a great…

As I was waiting to give evidence to the Environmental Audit Select Committee today (session curtailed due to ‘events’ – rematch scheduled for new year), we received some very good news and some bad news.

First the good news...

...UK Environment Minister, Rory Stewart, at a meeting with his EU counterparts in Brussels said, “the UK like many other Member States around this table does not wish to renegotiate…

In the run up to Christmas, I am determined to you bring you glad tidings of comfort and joy.  So, today, I am delighted to welcome my colleague, Sacha Cleminson, who lives and works on one of the UK Overseas Territories far, far away to offer this perspective on the state of UK wildlife on these majestic islands. 

Montserrat’s new environment legislation designates the beautiful Centre Hills National Park, helping…

For much of Saturday afternoon, I was fearful that there would be a last minute hitch and that the climate deal would be scuppered.  The failure of Copenhagen lives long in the memory and we have all suffered from false expectations.  Yet, the only surprise on Saturday was that there were no eleventh hour surprises.  The Paris Agreement was supported by 196 countries and it promises a future free from catastrophic climate…

At 18.27 GMT, a global climate change deal was agreed.  It appears that world leaders have pulled us back from the abyss by striking a good deal to avoid catastrophic climate change.  Here, in his final postcard from Paris, the RSPB's Principal Climate Change Advisor, John Lanchbery, offers his verdict on the deal.

------------------
Au revoir Paris by John Lanchbery

This afternoon in Paris, 196 nations concluded a new…

On Wednesday, at the Sustainable Severn Event,  an excellent talk by Martyn Evans from Natural Resources Wales reminded me of the fundamental shift that is taking place across the border.  I think we, in England, have a lot to learn from how the Welsh Government is shaking up the policy and regulatory framework.  As the Westminster Government continues to scope its 25 year plan for nature, I would encourage those involved…

As the rain continues to fall, I have invited RSPB Cumbria Area Manager, Bill Kenmir, to offer his perspective on the floods that have hit the north west of England.

I live in Kendal and saw at first hand a relatively small part of the tragedy in Cumbria as it unfolded over the weekend. The relentlessness of the rainfall, the river Kent growing in anger and ferocity as it thundered its way through the town, eventually…

The tone of the debate at today's conference on the future of the Severn Estuary (which I profiled in this morning's blog) was, as expected, very different to when I  was previously involved in discussions about Severn tidal power.  While many of the faces in the room were similar, there was genuine mutual respect and understanding of the need to harness the tidal power of the estuary in harmony with nature.  

I am in Bristol today participating in an event to discuss the development of energy projects in the Severn estuary (see here).  It seems entirely appropriate that this meeting coincides with the final week of the global climate change talks in Paris.   We need lots of renewable energy to wean ourselves off fossil fuels and avoid catastrophic climate change.

The prize of generating large amounts of electricity from the…

At this time of year you need to pay attention or you may miss some important developments.  Here are five things to keep an eye on...

1. As the draft text of a climate agreement emerges in Paris, there is cautious optimism that a good deal could be struck (see here)

2. In the wake of Storm Desmond and the latest floods to hit the north west of England, the Prime Minister has said that while the priority must be on helping…

Our man at the crucial climate change talks, John Lanchbery, has sent this latest postcard from Paris.  

Saturday dawned bright and sunny in Paris - marking half-time in the global climate talks.

I had breakfast with two RSPB colleagues who arrived last night and were off to Forests Day to showcase our work on tropical forests (see yesterday's blog here), together with a colleague from BirdLife. I set out first on…

The RSPB works in some amazing places in the UK. But as the world’s climate negotiators are meeting in Paris to try to reach agreement on how to tackle climate change, it is timely to also remember the key role of tropical forest conservation in climate change mitigation and adaptation, and how the work of the RSPB and the Birdlife partnership is helping reduce carbon emissions and protect wildlife and people.