Figure 1. Hypothesised drivers and movements of Nearctic landbirds associated with the passage of Hurricane Lee in autumn 2023. NAO, North Atlantic Oscillation. Image credits: Eastern Spruce Budworm (Choristoneura fumiferana) used with permission from Lucas Benaiche, wildfires and solar eruption by Gerd Altmann/geralt (Pixabay), Blackpoll Warbler (Setophaga striata) by Lucas Lombardo, Wilson’s Warbler (Cardellina pusilla) by Ian Davies, and Magnolia Warbler (Setophaga magnolia) by Sam Viles.

New paper on the pattern, process and implications of trans-Atlantic vagrancy for ecology and evolutionary biology, written with @pauldufour80.bsky.social and Andrew Farnsworth read free at: authors.elsevier.com/a/1mzPI3QW8S... #Ornithology #Ecology #UKBirding 🪶🦋🌱🌎🌍🧪

The life and legacy of George Schaller A meticulous biography captures the story of a towering figure in field biology

www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...

terms

www.ons.gov.uk/economy/envi...

understanding much (Lovelock was a brilliant chemist and engineer) again I think a highly intelligent man saw the trajectory had created a myth to save us. People currently hope some spiritual reawakening will result in valuing nature. others price biodiversity and natural services in economists

It is characterized as a planetary-scale "thinking layer" or "superorganism" created by human collective intelligence, technology, and rational activities.

His version of Gaia, but the book sank into obscurity unlike the book by James Lovelock which still shapes ideas, probably not helping

One of his books concentrates on noosphere a philosophical and scientific concept describing the "sphere of human thought," representing the highest stage of biospheric development on Earth.

He was a dedicated conservationist who achieved remarkable things, I suspect he despaired of the global trajectory.

The System: The Misgovernment of Modern Britain. By Max Nicholson. Introduction by Max Lerner. (New York: McGraw-Hill Book Company. [1969.] Pp. xv, 455. $10.95.) R. K. Webb; The System: The Misgovernment of Modern Britain. By Max Nicholson. Introduction by Max Lerner. (New York: McGraw-Hill Book Company. [1969.] Pp.

A fair review

academic.oup.com/ahr/article-...

I does not pull any punches in 'The System' he was a eugenicist, a technocrat elitist, his solutions heavy on science elite, funny as he was an History graduate in love with science, a good friend of Julian Huxley also a eugenicist, both shaped structures we live with.

Max Nicholson hated the treasury,

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edward_...

www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Ma...

If you look at this history and do no realise that no UK government has ever valued nature conservation (much), economic growth and development has always been a core value and the treasury will never let anybody forget it.

The JNCC is something of a survivor

jncc.gov.uk

Wales reorganises things, Countryside Council for Wales was created by merging the functions of the Nature Conservancy Council and the Countryside Commission in Wales (operational 1991).

Isle of Man

www.gov.im/wildlife-bio...

Northern Ireland Environment Agency (NIEA)—is responsible for designating Areas of Special Scientific Interest (ASSIs) an executive agency of Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (DAERA) in Northern Ireland

Scottish Natural Heritage was formed in 1992, merging Countryside Commission for Scotland (which focused on landscape conservation and recreation).
Nature Conservancy Council for Scotland (which focused on wildlife and habitat conservation)
It is branded as NatureScot, official title still SNH.

Natural Resources Wales (NRW) was formed on 1 April 2013 by merging three main bodies: the Countryside Council for Wales (CCW), Environment Agency Wales (EAW), and Forestry Commission Wales (FCW).

Devolution has some arguments for it, but nature conservation on this island may be better addressed by a single agency. At least the Environment Agency and Forestry Commission has not been merged into NE, that would be a disaster.

I'd not take my characterisation too seriously I've not met the man.

His answer would be Peter Jones supplies food, or a restaurant somewhere, the tap water, surely air is just air.

Nature Conservation has been reorganised and defunded to impotency. MAFF just got a rebrand, the NFU still has a hotline.

The Forestry Commission was founded in 1919, you can find every report on their website, easily trace the development of ideas, good luck doing that with NC, NCC, EN, NE.

get rid of the nature conservation body and keep the research institutes. So much for the Monk's Wood research station founded in 1961 alongside NNR established by NC in 1953, grand visions of integrated research. To be fair NCC & ITE played well together.

land, a funding and control tussle which is at the heart of government ministries and agencies. Natural Environment Research Council (NERC) in the UK was established in 1965. Nature Conservancy (later Council): Established in 1949, it became part of NERC in 1965, took until 1973 for science funders

Nature Conservancy was not under MAFF, it was sponsored by the Council of the President a clever ploy by Max Nicholson to allow the fledgling organisation to survive determined attempts to kill it dead. NERC did not like research bodies as part of an agency which owned nature reserves and designated

In 2006 English Nature was merged with the Countryside Agency and DEFRAS Rural development service who managed countryside stewardship. Later Rural Payment Agency took over some roles which seems to be a reorganisation hotspot. JNCC is UK body for international issues.

afforestation of the Flows. Under the agenda of devolution NCC was split into three agencies for England, Wales, Scotland (Northern Ireland, Isle of Man have their own agencies) English Nature carried on NCC work after redundancies and reorganisation truma.

If you are new to this the UK used to have Nature Conservancy (1949) the science research was split to form the Institute of Terrestrial Ecology in 1973 with NNR, SSSI designation, protected species left to the Nature Conservancy Council which rebuilt a science capability, and won the battle over

From what I understand communications including the website is under greater DEFRA control, the merger of Countryside Commission with English Nature is evident in the degree of access, recreation, parks & trails links.

www.gov.uk/government/o...

Natural England framework document 2022

I suppose this is still current

www.gov.uk/government/p...