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Conservation has achieved a great deal, in 1980s I reported I think it was 14 or so avocets, to warden, he did not believe me until he saw them himself, first double figure count I think. The idea this species would breed at Slimbridge unimaginable then. https://twitter.com/slimbridge_wild/status/1276072949473251329
I hear a lot from people with ill will, an axe to grind of the failure of conservation. It has had learning phases, fails as any new developing field has. It has had great success, magnificent, a scheme to secure bittern, delivered, worked. Stone curlew, yes,
heath, dartford warbler, woodlark, yes. Cirl bunting yes. A great number of yes, spoonbill, crane, great egret, yes, yes! Back in 1980s the idea we could turn the tide against total loss seemed impossible. Conservation did it.
CAP agricultural funding, FC and plantations, that is not conservation, that is the declines over near 80% of country, blame conservation for 6% of land and use of the tiny budget it has, some fair criticisms. Then look at history of assult, NC into NCC, ITE split, then split
into country agencies, destruction again of science unit, JNCC split, ITE decline. Politically motivated reorganisation, cuts, redundancies of key staff, funding cuts.
FC certainly listened, some good work, goshawk and other raptors safe, forests in south managed in a rotation with breeding woodlark, dartford warbler, some heath restoration, some butterfly rides and coppice. I imagine that will continue but FC has its forester mojo back.
A new climate change reasonable argument for introduced tree species (not without some merit) this is fine in plantation they are mainly not native species. Ancient woodland, and plantations on ancient woods need to be removed from forestry and be managed for nature, restoration
woodland is needed. Plantations are needed as well for timber for building, the con of biomass fuel needs to stop (only acceptable is a small local heating scheme and particulate air pollution needs to be managed, or we stop burning).
The bulk of money is CAP, the bulk of land farming, and shooting. Conservation has had little or no influence, a few environmental schemes have made a difference, conservation has not failed, it does not have a reasponsability for the impact of an intensive productive industry.
Somerset levels, EA & internal drainage boards support farmers who refused to let levels be wet, no breeding waders and peat soils releasing CO2. Nature reserves there mainly where peat industry dug out all the peat leaving holes which conservation has done wonders with.
The persistant attacks on big conservation are pathetic, upset people not seeing the big picture lashing out in rage at our own side (as well as a big number of enemies of nature who enjoy using disaffected conservationists to help trash their own side).
Save your anger for government, industry, developers. Don’t like NGO trustees, vote others in, get trustees who make certain executives fight. Or just keep on lashing out helping the corrupt and anti-conservation. Useful fools.
EA deserves every attack it gets, needs reform and possibly splitting into separate agencies. Politicians are responsible for the failure, it appears to be institutional now.
Please remember that some of the people you join with when full of outrage at NGOs are wildlife criminals, egg collectors, shooting people who hate conservation and want to return to an imagined Edwardian world with no predators, big industry farming, developers, capital,
polluters, water abstractors, forest and sea exploiters. If you stand alongside them and legitamise their animus you are contemptible.
Conservation has the knowledge to make massive nature restoration happen. Trendy voices promising pie in sky “real” nature are either animal rights activists driven by hatred of conservation grazing into promoting ecocide by weaving a fantasy, ignoring millemia of reality.
Or good people who rightly desire more space and a place for natural dynamics, old growth forest unites we with them even if we have different feelings about downs, which in truth all these decent people would maintain traditional management on.
I get the anger, feel it myself, corporate conservation is not for me, but I dislike any big organisation, not my thing. Let us get the right targets of our rage. Yes if somebody sells out, burn the bastard in effigy, but stand together united against our abundant enemies.
While asking questions and challenging organisations, recognising that with government organisations the people to blame are politicians and the party they belong to.
