On Saturday 4th November, the Game and Wildlife Conservation Trust hosted a first in conservation agriculture. Young Farmers and AFON members, from all realms of farming and conservation interests gathered under one roof to learn about and discuss issues surrounding the future of farming and wildlife in the UK. People from Exeter right up to the hills of Yorkshire gathered, and guided by the likes of Rob Yorke, the Game and Wildlife Conservation Trust, the National Federation for Young Farmers, and a few other innovative people in the farming industry, came up with some fantastic solutions to issues in conservation agriculture. [Read More]
Hi, mammal lovers! So, the University Mammal Challenge has come to an end, and we recently found out that our team won the prize for the most mammals recorded outside of bulk-capture methods. For this, we definitely have to thank the infamous rabbits of UEA (University of East Anglia) – so abundant on campus that they’ve become the university’s unofficial mascot – for providing us with no end of opportunistic mammal sightings.
Conservation Optimism: not quite what you might think
Optimism. It’s an odd word. It’s often used to describe people who are unfailingly cheery even in the direst of straits; those people to whom the glass is always half-full, almost to the point of denial. The optimist is the person who, at the approach of a threatening storm cloud, grins manically and says “it’ll pass” …as the sky as far as the eye can see turns a permanent shade of steel grey.
We are currently recruiting for two A Focus On Nature committee roles – a Project Officer, and a Fundraising Officer and Treasurer. Read on for details! [Read More]
The drive to Burghead was beautiful. This small seaside town is situated on the edge of a peninsula protruding into the Moray Firth, so it’s surrounded by open ocean on three sides. As we made our way up the high street it felt like we were at the edge of the world, and in a way we were. More of northern Scotland could just be seen in the distance, but the space between still seemed vast.
It’s just over a week since Birdfair finished and I’m finally recovered from the Birdfair Blues. They seemed to hit particularly hard this year but I’m taking this as a sign of a great Birdfair. I think I’m even brave enough to say it was the best Birdfair yet; particularly for AFON as a group.
Tree identification can be a tricky trade. Here is a short guide to making the learning of our woody friends an enjoyable and methodical adventure through the forest of knowledge.
These infamous words were expressed by Sam Cooke, in my opinion one of the finest singers to ever live. Although the purpose of this song was to support the civil rights movement, the words are easily transferable.
5 Things I Bet You Didn’t Know About Trees and Forests – Sam Manning
It’s an incredibly exciting time for tree and woodland ecology, scientists are making breakthrough discoveries that are reshaping the way we see forests, and redefining their role in our landscape. Here are five amazing new stories from the frontier of tree science.
At the beginning of 2016 I wrote a post for the AFON blog where I talked about 2016 being the year I really got to know a site – a year of the patch. Well that year is now over so I thought I should look back and update you all on how it went.