* Update expected soon on Cormorant licence reform plan
* New head of licensing at Natural England ready to engage with our campaign Hi folks, Hope you have all enjoyed a good summer! As I write, the swallows are gathering ahead of their epic journey to Africa. migratory geese are arriving from distant lands, there's a chill in the air and we find ourselves suddenly in Autumn... "Is not this a true autumn day? Just the still melancholy that I love—that makes life and nature harmonize." George Eliot I know I've been silent for a little while but that doesn't mean I haven't been busy! From trying to stop councils and landowners decimating hedgerows, to calling for nature education to be at the core of primary school teaching, I've been pushing for increased awareness of our environment on various fronts. But, as many of you will know from your own experience, it often seems like a hopeless task - the vast majority of those who might have influence simply do not understand the importance of nature, or perhaps they do not want to understand because they are too heavily invested (often literally) in destroying it. Incredibly frustrating! Anyway, on to birds and licensing. And it's looking good. New faces at Natural England My helpful contact at Natural England (the then Head of Wildlife Licensing) left the post at the end of July and two people were subsequently appointed in his place. I've made contact with these two people who are now responsible for wildlife licensing across England - and so far so good. I've been told to expect an update on the plan I put forward to stop the reckless Cormorant culls, potentially saving thousands of these majestic birds from being shot. As you may recall, Natural England told me in July that they were considering our suggestions to reform the Cormorant control licences and hinted that they might be introducing some of the ideas we discussed. I'll bring you the latest on that as soon as I have it. There may also be a meeting set up to explore reforms to the licensing system more generally. Teaching nature as a core subject in schools That's the extent of the update as far as licences go, but in other matters, I had some interesting correspondence with the member of the Welsh Senedd for North Wales, in which we discussed a range of matters relating to the state of the natural environment in the region. I shared with her my belief that education from an early age was key to a life-long appreciation of nature and probably the only long term hope we have to secure what precious little of the natural environment we have left. She agreed and has vowed to press the Welsh government to introduce nature lessons as a core subject in primary schools across the country. If this did happen it would be a huge step forward. I believe it is essential to instill a love of nature in the next generation. I remember being taught from a very early age, (as many of us were), to delight in the discovery of the natural world. It's still a constant and wonder-filled journey for me even fifty years on! And that's why I see it as vitally important to educate our young people as they are the ones who will ultimately be responsible for preserving the remnant of the natural world that survives. This step would be for Wales only, but of course it would be of huge benefit if England, Scotland and Northern Ireland were to consider a similar scheme of putting nature at the core of children's education, and when I get time I will contact the relevant authorities in each region with the same proposal. In the meantime, to sum up, there are hopeful signs of further co-operation with Natural England and their continuing engagement with our campaign. We've made huge progress that has already saved the lives of countless wild birds, and there's lots to build on. Let's keep going strong. For the birds. Best, Jase
22 Comments
Roger Anthony Coleman
17/9/2022 12:03:48 pm
Hi Jason,
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Paul Fisher
17/9/2022 02:12:36 pm
Think Wild Justice may at last be making progress on Woodcock, if only to shorten the period that idiots are allowed to shoot them. How did they become game birds?
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Dorothy Norman
17/9/2022 12:27:22 pm
Thank you for your update and positive news. Keep up the pressure, your efforts are really appreciated.
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Linda Gregory
17/9/2022 12:37:06 pm
Thank you Jason. Couldn't agree with you more, education is key. I really don't understand how the cull of anything can be condoned in a country as nature depleted as ours. I am a keen birdwatcher and have never seen a woodcock. I also belong to several birding sites on fb and it's a bird that I never see photographs of. Natural England need to drastically change their ideas and start thinking of ways to prevent culls. It is far too easy to kill to appease the few.
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Howard Gannaway
18/9/2022 05:29:51 pm
Me too, Linda. The only ones I have seen were in Iceland!
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Laura Romney
17/9/2022 12:37:12 pm
Well done Jase - keep going! Thanks for caring, sharing and taking action on such important issues. As a retired teacher, I agree that nature studies benefit both children and the natural world and should be a core subject on the curriculum.
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Kathleen Danby
17/9/2022 12:54:55 pm
Cormorants and shags are about the only birds in Orkney that have not been affected by bird flu to any great extent. Gannets and Bonxies have been far less numerous than usual.
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Peter Swallow
17/9/2022 03:36:23 pm
Please be careful what you wish for!
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Keith Dancey
18/9/2022 10:12:01 pm
"It's a pity only birds get bird flu."
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Edward Barratt
17/9/2022 01:19:11 pm
Thanks, very good work. Agree about early education. Proposed GCSE in natural history is also encouraging, so long as all this leads to greater understanding of the multiple effects and harms that humans do to nature each day and skills in mitigating and reversing those harms as well as campaigning against government departments and developers and much, much more besides..
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Caroline Harrison
17/9/2022 01:20:34 pm
I am so delighted to read that there might be new people at Natural England. Having spent much time walking by the River Avon, it is sickening to suddenly realise that most of the beautiful cormorants we have so enjoyed watching have disappeared. I do wish that people would understand that we are part of nature and are not superior to the natural world around us.
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Simon George Spratt
17/9/2022 01:46:19 pm
I’m in awe of the way you’re going about getting these reforms. If you go about them in the right way, you’ll get them. So it’s obvious to me that you’re a brilliant campaigner!!
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Tina grace
17/9/2022 01:50:52 pm
Thanku for your steadfast dedication to never giving Up re protection for our naturel species & landrights ..
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John Dyda
17/9/2022 02:17:37 pm
I agree about the need for education, and perhaps subjects like Ecosystems should be made compulsary in secondary schools? Thanks for everything you do.
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Nikki Dval
17/9/2022 05:18:59 pm
Hi Jason Thanks so much for all that you do to preserve our precious wildlife and countryside. One of my earliest memories was the school nature table and Ive recently been thinking about it and how much it meant to me. My grandparents lived in the countryside and I was always happiest surrounded by the fresh air, trees and wildlife ( I still am today!) and their love of life's natural things, the wonderful countryside and all its inhabitants has never left me. I feel so blessed that I had that upbringing and whenever im struggling in this frantic world I always feel more able to carry on after a 'green' fix! We neglect it at our peril. It does disgust me that protecting it relies so much on the need to pester/ remind those in power instead of it being a 'given'. Keep up the amazing work. Would it help if we contacted our local Mp's with the suggestion of Nature as a core subject in schools?? I couldn't agree with you more that learning from an early age is so beneficial. I know of many local to me who have gained the luxury of living in the glorious countryside and yet they know absolutely nothing about nature, how to protect it, nurture it and its importance to our well-being not to mention our food supply. Nature is not meant to be tidy, its not meant to be full of perfect right angles and it doesn't need jet washing/ leaf blowing every few minutes. Insects, besides being beautiful and fascinating, have a purpose and without them we are doomed (Step away from the jet washers/ leaf blowers ) Sorry think I've gone into a rant there 😯🙄😄 I'll shut up now but THANK YOU so much (again)
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17/9/2022 07:35:56 pm
Hi Nikki,
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Jackie Butcher
18/9/2022 12:10:14 am
I remember local nature trips at school. We had a nature table. We were taught to respect wildlife. Last year I picked up a tiny in-tact bird's nest off the ground of our car park. I was saddened to see it. We have very few birds where I live and I do miss watching the birds. There are foxes, badgers and squrrels plus domestic cats. hankyou for all you do
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18/9/2022 01:41:58 pm
Well done Jase! Keep on holding their feet to the fire. All life is precious and completes a massive puzzle, just one piece missing could cause complete failure. The gun toting blood lusting people that take delight in slaughtering all that is beautiful need to be re-educated and re-directed to a shooting range or similar if they can't live without their weapons of destruction. I am at a loss to understand what makes these people tick.
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Fantastic Jason, hopeful news. Re the education, it is worth contacting all the teachers' unions on this too. And universities where teachers are trained. and what about libraries, especially children's libraries. The material they stock is crucial too. Museums and local museums have their part to play as well.
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Richard C
18/9/2022 09:30:39 pm
Great respect for the work you hgave done and seem to be awakening in the wider world. I note you mentioned the decimation of hedgerows...I think this is key for wildlife survival and have been horrified at the wholescale destruction of them across southern UK I cant speak for the north but the process I saw satarting about a decade or more ago in somerset and Wiltshire moved to Devon and even Cornwall . It was dreadful to see the stunted hedges left after the brutal cutting back done by the farming industry.
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Andrew Berry
19/9/2022 02:49:26 pm
Well done Jase.
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Keith Dancey
20/9/2022 03:28:36 pm
"What justification there can be for killing Cormorants I cannot see."
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