The best botanical guides offer keys, but artists bring the music. I explored some of the most memorable and useful botanical illustrations, books and artists in my feature for BBC Wildlife Magazine, January 2018 issue. Subs & back issues: Link
THE WORLD'S DAWN CHORUS IN LOCKDOWN
A powerful new display in Bristol will highlight the biodiversity crisis after children demanded the true stories of exhibits were told. Published in The Guardian
400 Bristolians pledge to bring parts of London to a standstill with Extinction Rebellion - many arrested at Oxford Circus. Published in The Bristol Cable.
PROTEST DAY AGAINST AIRPORT EXPANSION
The chalking up of less loved wild flower names wherever they grow across Europe's cities has gone viral: “It is absurd that this is criminal. How else will a kid ever know these names?" Published in The Guardian
WILDLIFE GARDENS CAN BEAT FLOWER SHOWS
I presented a 4,000+ name petition to City Hall in November, and gave a speech asking the Mayor & council for a city wide ban on avoidable single use plastic: story in Bristol 247.
You don't win a planetary revolution by asking for permission. Protests for environmental justice are now growing fast. Extinction Rebellion's 1st Autumn Uprising disrupted 60 cities. How much is enough? Published in The Ecologist
CLIMATE ACTIVISTS TARGET AIRPORT INVESTORS
FLOWER POWER: ART FOR NATURALISTS
Climate researcher Katharine Hayhoe says the crux of winning over climate science deniers is to show them how they will benefit from a greener future. In The Ecologist.
NEW CHARITY WILL BUY LAND FOR NATURE
Wildlife cannot wait, insists newly launched charity, Heal Rewilding, which will buy depleted land and give it back to nature. Published in The Guardian
RECENT WRITING...
I write, edit & broadcast freelance (eg Guardian, Independent, BBC Wildlife, Ecologist, Ecohustler, Where The Leaves Fall, Bristol Voice, Bristol Cable). I've also made 3 children's books [2 more on the way]. I've worked for lots of regional newspapers, national & international magazines, contract, book & digital publishers + some broadcasting & science comms for various wildlife charities. I mostly cover science, wildlife, environment, gardening & nature politics. I also produce ecology reports & science outreach.
STOP RELYING ON VOLUNTEERS, INVEST IN PEOPLE
Amazing collisions of art, tech & pollen science are supersizing microscopic nature. Here's a world in a grain of sand, heaven in a wild flower, infinity in the palm of our hand & eternity in under an hour. I love the video links in this piece too. In: The Guardian
There is plenty you can do to help our urban wildlife survive the winter cold: Part 1
THE PERILS OF BEING AN URBAN HEDGEHOG...
As Greta Thunberg marched in Bristol, I wondered how long it will take to drag Cinderella - our ecological crisis - out of the hearth. In Ecohustler
GRETA, BRISTOL AND THE CINDERELLA CRISIS
An old river route returns to Somerset after 70 years. In The Guardian.
TREE PLANTING: NOT JUST CARBON STICKS!
"LIVING IN THIS COMPLETE MADNESS IS UNNERVING"
GREEN SPACES: FLOWERS IN GRETA'S FOOTSTEPS
MEDIA HYPOCRISY ON THE CLIMATE CRISIS
Campaigners in Bristol, Somerset and London are targeting airport investors, including teachers' pensions. Published in The Bristol Cable.
OUR PLASTIC ATTACK CAMPAIGN IS NOW GLOBAL
HOW WILL CITIES GO CARBON NEUTRAL?
Where The Leaves Fall is a new advert-free quality print magazine exploring nature connections. In Issue 3, I wrote on how combining art & science is helping Back From The Brink to save Britain's rarest species here.
I met Bristol people steering a rapid rise in environmental activism, including Extinction Rebellion and its sister groups, schooled here. Published in The Spark.
Celebrity power is undermining global conservation efforts, scientists have warned.
I investigated abuse and concerns that high profile campaigning on trophy hunting is spreading harmful myths. In The Guardian.
We have to show how it's done, say residents with bold plans in the first city to declare a climate emergency... Link Also published in South Bristol Voice.
BRISTOL: DON'T BUCKLE AT THE POUND SIGNS
MOST POLLUTED NO2 SPOT SUMS UP LOOMING CRISIS
Beware of greenwash. Planting trees to tackle climate change might feel nice, but it could be doing more harm than good. Here's why... The Independent.
Link to: page 1
MAKE SUPERMARKETS REDUCE PLASTIC
MUSEUM ANIMALS IN MOURNING SHROUDS
XR: REBELLION AND A NEW AGE OF ACTIVISM
BRISTOL BID TO BAN SINGLE USE PLASTIC
A LOST RIVER RETURNS
SPIDER LOVE!
Creating or improving a garden pond is one of the best ways to attract and help wildlife in your neighbourhood. Published in South Bristol Voice.
I write regularly for BBC Wildlife magazine, on all sorts of wildlife topics, and answer questions on their expert panel. It's available in print and subscription.
NOT TO BE SNEEZED AT: GIANT 3D POLLEN
INTERVIEW WITH GEORGE MONBIOT
BATS AND LIGHT POLLUTION
Our media must do more to protect the environment. Here's a snapshot of progress & blindspots, for Feb '21 issue of the National Union of Journalists' The Journalist.
DREAMING OF A GREEN CHRISTMAS
I met people living in England's most polluted place for NO2 fumes. Their story highlights a national issue with rural transport, traffic IS set to rise up to 51%. In The Guardian
In BBC Wildlife mag, August 2020, I've amplified calls for drastic changes to green spaces, dipping into the weird history behind emptied landscapes, and the inspiring people who want to bring lost urban wildlife back to ecologically depleted places. And: an exciting project that was triggered by Thunberg's visit to a Bristol green space.
Report by me on the rights of children to protest on the #SchoolStrike4Climate held on February 15 across the UK. Published by The Ecologist: Link
PROFESSOR KATH HAYHOE: TACKLING DENIAL
There is an exciting new surge in rewilding, driven by grassroots groups. I spoke to some of the groups and people leading this movement... Published in Ecohustler
THE RACE TO REWILD
... and the slippery slope of loving them: few can be as smitten as Yvonne Cox of Hedgehog Rescue. She helps hundreds of hogs. Published in South Bristol Voice.
MAKING A GARDEN WILDLIFE POND
RARE BAT RETURNS AFTER 115 YEAR ABSENCE
DRAWING BATTLE LINES TO SAVE THE PLANET
"Bristol Airport expansion is like a gun pointing at the heart of the planet," says author and activist George Monbiot. In The Bristol Cable.
Some quick tips on cutting down your environmental impact over the festive period. Written for Bristol Voice: Green Christmas.
Nature has reclaimed the stage. With reduced noise pollution, a fascinating new arts & science project has put the mic on the world's dawn chorus to create a global sound scape of lockdown bird song. Published in The Guardian
ACTING FOR ENVIRONMENTAL CHANGE
Bristol's love of spiders goes to extremes. Published by South Bristol Voice.
Sir David Attenborough has joined in with our plastic attack actions. We've had enough of their rubbish, it's time to force change on shops & producers. In The Bristol Cable
Our plastic attack movement was featured on CNN:
How plastic attacks on supermarkets became a global movement
Bristol’s green image hangs in the balance over Bristol Airport expansion. I took part in a debate on BBC1 Sunday Politics with politicians & campaigners. Link
Link to: page 2
Some of my older work is here: click on an image to enlarge it
BRISTOL XR: WE WILL BLOCK UP LONDON
Independent Ecologist, Freelance Journalist, Educator, Author
My piece on the inequality, unfairness & harmful consequences of conservation relying heavily on volunteers. We can't fix our nature crisis until we invest properly. We fund an NHS, why not properly fund a natural health service? In: The Independent.
Page 1
My piece on how local campaigners started a worldwide movement. #PeoplePower #PlasticAttack #HandBackPlastic
CELEBRITY POWER UNDERMINING CONSERVATION
Climate change campaigners step up efforts against Bristol Airport expansion. Published in The Ecologist magazine: Link
CNN: WORLD MOVEMENT AGAINST PLASTIC
60,000+ badgers will be killed in the latest cull by the UK Government. They want to destroy 70% of the population of this legally protected species. In: Ecohustler
I am currently challenging the media on how it is addressing climate change & the ecological crisis, through writing, campaigning, political & strategic actions, research and speaking, with support from the National Union of Journalists & others. I am calling on the industry to look in the mirror, for journalists, publishers & advertisers to examine more closely how they influence millions of people & could be more instrumental in changing the world.
I was a founding member of the Bristol One by One campaign group which helped launch the Plastic Attack movement, which has gone global, we petitioned to get a single use plastic ban in Bristol along with Martin Fodor and other local campaigners.
Our members have joined other campaigners to oppose Bristol Airport Expansion and supported actions by climate strikers and Extinction Rebellion and been on the radio, TV and various regional, national and international news sites discussing pollution, plastic, climate change, aviation & conservation.
BBC WILDLIFE: WILDLIFE QUESTIONS
NOT JUST WEEDS! GRAFFITI BY REBEL BOTANISTS
Bringing wildlife closer
ART & SCIENCE: BACK FROM THE BRINK
I explained light pollution its impacts on bats, and new research, in a feature for BBC Wildlife: BBC Wildlife Mag
CHILDREN HAVE A HUMAN RIGHT TO STRIKE
MEDIA VERSUS THE PLANET - LET'S BE BETTER
BADGER TRUST SAYS THE CULL IS "ANNIHILATION"
Climate change may explain expanded range of greater horseshoe bats – puzzling discovery on the east coast. Published in The Guardian
Britain's first city to declare a climate emergency has unveiled how it will attempt to create a 2030 carbon neutral blueprint. Published in The Independent
A plea for the media to rethink its promotion of flying to millions of people. Published by The Ecologist magazine and Canada News Media: Link