Before the invention of fossil-fuel-driven engines human beings were mostly sedentary creatures. My grandfather barely left the Cotswold valley where his ancestors had lived for generations. In stark contrast there …
Nature communities
The idea that humans can ‘manage’ wildlife seems to have become gospel. However there is overwhelming evidence that such actions undermine our chance to restore ecosystemsHow ecosystems function An ecosystem …
Penguins of the Fleurieu Peninsula: life, death and policy failure
One of the very reasons I wrote ‘Wildlife in the Balance’ was to help empower community groups with alternative narrative for wildlife conservationWhy is animal conservation important? Animal conservation is …
When you see an animal like a Glossy Black Cockatoo you might observe it for a moment. But what if you could watch it for several thousand years? What would …
Insect rewilding. Love and hate in grasshopper country
A little known insect rewilding project happened this week in Melbourne Australia. Several thousand Key’s Matchstick Grasshoppers were introduced into Royal Park. Rewilding is modern conservationWhy is animal conservation important? …
The importance of bird life in your garden
A European Robin feeds a caterpillar to its chick. A common sight in English gardens, this epitomises animal impactWhat is Animal Impact? Without wildlife, Earth would not be habitable for …
Posters in Scotland have conservationists all of a flutter. They claim that seagulls pollute the sea. The answer to the question: ‘Can seagulls pollute the sea?’ is, yes, in theory. …
Reversing extinction using wildlife: the ultimate power of nature
Our species’ obsession with controlling nature is almost overwhelming. But one animal can never force an outcome. No matter how hard we try, our efforts to create ecosystemsHow ecosystems function …
The greatest aggregations of megafaunaThe largest animals that represent the top of the trophic pyramid. These are the final building blocks in ecosystem structures for maximum entropy production. Megafauna can …