BY BERT BURNETT Let’s face it: this was never about finding a lost habitat or restoring a balanced ecosystem. It was never about bringing back the wildcats or the sea eagles for their own sake. No – somewhere along the line, genuine conservation got hijacked. What we have now is a carefully manufactured machine designed to make the public feel guilty, pass the blame onto … Continue reading The Great Rewilding Swindle
BY CALUM CAMPBELL The Scottish Government has made peatland restoration a cornerstone of its climate change strategy. Through the NatureScot Peatland ACTION team, and in close partnership with the Cairngorms National Park and the Loch Lomond & Trossachs National Park, a major programme of landscape-scale intervention is underway. With over 20% of Scotland’s land area covered by peat, the stated goals are ambitious: improve water … Continue reading The Peatland Paradox: When Restoration Becomes Destruction
BY MARK PIERCE When we think of invasive species in the UK, our minds often go to non-native troublemakers like Japanese Knotweed or American Mink. However, there’s a lesser-known issue lurking in certain areas: invasive native predators. Take the stoat, for example, a familiar face in the UK but not typically found in some regions. Let’s delve into the peculiar case of the stoats invading … Continue reading The Stoat Conundrum in Orkney
