Wildlife on Farms: Why should we care?

Over the Christmas period I spent a good deal of time walking on my family’s farm on the Essex coast, thinking about the future and  looking at the challenge of managing habitats and maintaining a healthy balance of wildlife on the farm moving forward. I trawled through the latest countryside stewardship options (we have been inContinue reading "Wildlife on Farms: Why should we care?"

My perspective on the Oxford Real Farming Conference 2016. Why there is a need for two farming conferences at the same time in the same city.

With delayed Basic Payment, pitiful profits, environmental pressures and uncertainty over our future in Europe the stresses faced by farmers are broad and significant. It was therefore brilliant to see such optimism and pragmatism by delegates at the Oxford Real Farming Conference (ORFC) where I spent my Wednesday and Thursday this week. There are twoContinue reading "My perspective on the Oxford Real Farming Conference 2016. Why there is a need for two farming conferences at the same time in the same city."

Another Super Year for A Focus on Nature

This piece was originally posted on the blog for A Focus on Nature (AFON), the UK's largest and most vibrant youth conservation movement. You can find the original here. This year, I have been fortunate to have served on the committee which has led on AFON's 2015 campaign - 'Vision for Nature'. The Vision forContinue reading "Another Super Year for A Focus on Nature"

The Wildwood of my Imagination

This afternoon I went for a walk at Weeleyhall wood, an eighty seven acre ancient woodland in north Essex, owned by Essex Wildlife Trust. It was quiet and peaceful, apart from the odd rumble from a car on the road about four hundred metres to the south. For a Sunday afternoon I met remarkably fewContinue reading "The Wildwood of my Imagination"

Winter – time of the dead? Not at all – time of the quiet more like!

As I head off for my Boxing Day walk - a tradition for many people in the UK - I will be keeping this great little blog post by Dawood Qureshi in mind. I am spending my Christmas period with my family in north Essex - a completely different landscape to the hills of theContinue reading "Winter – time of the dead? Not at all – time of the quiet more like!"