Journal of a Conservationist

2012: The story will continue (and end apparently!)

2012-01-04T19:27:00.000Z

Happy new year everyone,

I must start this post with a deep heart felt thank you to everyone who tweeted, emailed and facebooked me in response to my last blog post regarding my current battle with my inner demons. I will put my hand on my heart and say i was not expecting such a huge response from such a fantastic, kind array of people, so thank you.

The December blog post was not just written for me, but i also wanted to help out anyone that is currently going through the same thing. Hopefully i have helped as i tried to be as honest as i could. If any of my friends are struggling then i do hope they know where i am because i am always here to help.
Following on from this as well i have decided that whenever i have a 'down' phase or an 'up' phase then i will try my best to post it on here and describe the feelings and phases, which i will hope will lead to more of an increased level of understanding. This is all still a huge learning curve for me as well as i have only just accepted the battle inside of me that has been happening all these years.

But as the title of the blog suggests i am also here to write about my job, my life and my passion that is all things wildlife and as it is the start of 2012, which according to the Mayans will be our last year (i think the worlds last day is my birthday!) i am going to write down a few thoughts, ramblings and ideas about the year ahead.

Last year i had the goals of kicking on in my job as a wildlife education officer, becoming a forest school leader, passing my karate black belt grading, trekking iceland for charity and becoming a more experienced bird ringer amongst other things. Looking back i am happy to say all were achieved with various levels of success.
This year it is all about wildlife film making and photography, it is what i really want to do and push on towards, something i know inside that i would be great at. I am very determined to give it my best shot and i know i have the key ingredients as i love wildlife, i love music and i have the inner workings to connect the two together. I want to communicate and tell stories and i know the stories that i want to tell.
That means for 2012 this blog will hopefully contain a MASSIVE section on the Wildlife Film Academy based in South Africa, my own wildlife photography assignments, quirky stories about my job educating the general public on all things wildlife and updates on an old family farm in Jersey that i am making wildlife friendly, you could say my own wildlife reserve. although that does sounds like i have money, which is very far from the truth.

Whatever happens this year, it is going to be another busy one, i am just crossing my fingers and toes to make sure the world does not end on my birthday! (21st December 2012).

I do hope that you, the reader, will keep on reading and visiting this blog in the months ahead.

SLQ

My unknown battle with Depression

2011-12-12T19:50:00.002Z

This is going to be quite a difficult post to write as you may have guessed from the title, but it is a story that i feel i need to tell for myself and for others who have felt the same or do feel the same right now.
What i am going to try and do is explain my battle with anxiety and depression by going through what has happened to me over the years, how i have felt, how i have dealt with things and how i have only just realised what i have been through.

There have been a few sparks in my life that have slowly made me turn the corner as of late, one of these being my lovely caring girlfriend, someone i did not expect i would ever meet. The other was passing my black belt karate grading yesterday, something i have been working towards for the past 15 years and fills me with alot of pride and confidence as well as a huge sense of achievement. And this is where the story starts...

I started karate when i was 12 years old as i was having a terrible time at school with bullies. I was bullied on a daily basis for reasons that i still to this day are unsure of, and even when typing about it now i can feel all of the emotions returning. The bullying would come in a variety of forms from verbal abuse, to being spat on, to being beaten up, the problem was that it was always a gang of people, it was never one and one, which meant that i never had the chance to defend myself making me feel really helpless.
I am only realising now how the many evenings of me crying as i walked home from another awful day has influenced how i have perceive people as an adult. I would never wish what i went through upon anyone, although in a way i am proud to be the man it has made me.
As i started my A Levels this upheavel was replaced by another which was my parents divorce and to cut a long story short it was horrible, basically 5 years of court cases, crying, emotions and me doing my best to keep the family afloat (thank god for the football team at uni, those guys saved me). During this i had also had to deal with the loss of my grandparents who helped me through the divorce as well as a massive family fall out due to some inheritance, which will never be the same again (my friends are my family now). All in all it has been one hell of a rollercoaster but a rollercoaster that i felt was normal meaning i kept everything inside.

I am not writing all of this to get sympathy (i do not like sympathy as there are alot more people worse off than me), what i am trying to say is that in the past i never really understood how all of these pressures and upheavels affected who i was as a person and how the negative thoughts i felt and created would eventually set in to make me anxious and depressed and eventually persuade me to seek help.
One of the main problems i had was that i did not know i was depressed, i just thought i was a normal person with normal problems and that i was just weak for not coping like everyone else, which i realise now was actually the depression kicking in. I was certain that i was burdening people with my problems if i spoke about them which meant on a daily basis for a good two years (especially when i was in Africa) i was battling myself inside, battling my thoughts, anxieties and confidence issues and crumbling emotionally bit by bit whilst doing it.
You see on the outside i masked everything, i was in a profession i loved and worked hard to travel and study, yet on the inside i was falling to pieces and fast. The main issue was the paranoia and how i was so concerned about what people thought of me and whether they liked me or not. I just wanted to feel accepted.
What i must also say is that there was as added ingredient into this which was my passion for wildlife. You may think that having a passion and doing what you love should help, but not when all you look at are the negatives and with the planet there are alot of negatives right now and because i care so so much about wildlife it dragged me down even more with feelings of helplessness and sorrow.

I say this was my unknown battle as i just did not realise i was not supposed to be feeling like this, i just thought it was my fault and everyone was perfect apart from me. The hardest part has been to stop, look at myself and realise that yes i am not happy i need to seek help, even now after 7 sessions of therapy i am only just accepting this. It really has been hard to say that i suffer from depression, but it really is nothing to be ashamed of.
I am pretty sure it has been this tough to admit i am not happy is because as a society we still do not consider mental health issues as important and are simply portrayed as a temporary state. Believe me, they are an illness and stay with you until you deal with them like any other health concern.

I will end this post by saying there is light at the end of the tunnel for me and there always is for anyone who is going through the same thing. I have accepted my issues and with professional help i have to come understand how my problems have formed and how to deal with them. In the past i have been terribly naive with the connection between how i think and how i feel and now that i know more i feel like i am finally after all of these years coming to a point where i am happy. Even just writing this post has made me realise how bad i have felt in the past and how strong i have truel been not to have given up and to keep going. At times i have felt like giving up...

With the hectic, stressful lives that we all live in our modern society it is no surprise that more and more people are suffering from anxiety and depression no matter their profession or background and if you are one of these people then please, please, please remember that you are not strange or different, that you are not and never will be alone and that these problems can be overcome by seeking help. Seeking help is not a sign of weakness but a sign of strength. Only with true inner strength can you confront your problems.

Until next time...

An update...it really has been a while.

2011-11-17T12:16:00.000Z

By the name of the title you can more than likely work out that it has indeed been a while since i wrote anything on this blog and once again i find myself wandering where the time has gone.
I could write a blog post explaining the reasons for the lack of any posts since June, some of them are career related (Trek Iceland!) and some are to do with my realisation that i have had problems with anxiety and depression (very hard to admit) and i am getting help for these, but this is not the time or the place.

In terms of updates the most significant one is that i have decided to move more into the area of wildlife film-making and photography (photos can be found here! http://500px.com/Slequesne). It is early days but i honestly feel that this is where my passion can really be fully explored as when it comes to science and research i have to admit that sometimes i am little too passionate and opinionated for my own good, even though i do still find science fascinating. This means that alot of time has been taken up taking photo after photo after photo, learning and discovering my style. As far as i am concerned wildlife photography/film-making and conservation are one and the same and it is my job to portray the beauty, honesty and sheer brilliance of nature to a wider audience.

Currently i am working part-time as an Education Officer and even though it has taken me a while to find my feet it is really going well at the moment. The best part of the job is definately being a role model or as one child called me 'the bug and worm man' for kids and it is always nice to see familiar faces. In the end that is what it is all about, to be a good example for people to see. I do not think that the conservation world does enough to create 'that' personal relationship with their supporters and to the public in general. Also, one big project of mine is to set up some sort of nature club for the organisation i work for, to really leave a solid foundation and to create something that caters for the future naturalists of tomorrow, the special personalities and mainds that the planets future will ultimately depend on.

I would love to go onto greater things, my ultimate dream is to be a world-renowned conservationist who people can trust and who politicians will listen to, because we honestly need more people like this, urgently. But for now i am happy that i am bringing joy and laughter and intrigue into the minds of tomorrow.

I hope everyone is well, i would love to know who actually reads this, so put a comment below :)

Stephen

Connectivity - From petrol, food habits to rainforests

2011-06-05T21:30:00.000+01:00

Good evening!
It is fair to say that i have many ideas in this chaotic head of mine, and i am the first to admit that some are more far more realistic than others, in other words it it safe to say that i am a dreamer, i create and plan out dreams and ideas that will hopefully one day come into fruition.
I am saying this because i have a great respect and admiration at the moment for one particular 'dreamer' that i feel is a damn good person, and that person is Jamie Olive. No! i hear you cry (wait a minute!).
This is because he follows his heart and is generally passionate about healthy food. I have just finished catching up on his USA Food Revolution and it is safe to say that he facing an uphill struggle to change the food in americans schools. I mean all he wants to do is make children healthier by giving them better food yet somehow he is portrayed as some kind of anti-christ, i mean if you take all the b******t away from the media all he is just trying to do is the right thing. That is all.
Healthy food = health children.

I am talking about Mr. Oliver because what he is doing matters to all of us, it matters as he is tackling a huge problem in society and one that eventually involves the planet, meaning we are all in this battle together.
The food revolution is not just about healthy food it is about the food industry and where all of our food comes from. Our understanding on where our food comes from (i am no expert but i am getting there) directly dictates how our food is produced and how land is then used to produce food, which in turn effects deforestation rates and the state of our seas. In other words as a consumer you have the power to shape the state of the planet for future generations.

Another great example of this connectivity are petrol prices. It is no secret that petrol prices are going up, up and up, as is the cost of living, but as with everything there is a reason.
In my eyes the very simple reason that petrol is going up is that demand for oil is increasing due to our consumer lifestyles and increasing human population. We are quickly approaching the maximum rate limit as to which we can produce oil (also known as Peak Oil)

In other words: reduced oil availability/production + greater demand = increased prices.
Oil though has far reaches and influences transport, energy prices, food production, everything! In other words we need to get off our oil addiction if our lives are going to become cheaper and easier to live, plus there is the already huge environmental cost of drilling oil. The next site for potential drilling is the artic (including nature reserves) mainly due to the rate of melting which is opening up brand new areas.
But as with the previous example people power is where it matters because if we as a population decided we do not want to so dependent on oil then it can happen.

Hopefully i am making the point that our lives directly influence the state of the planet and the lives of everyone else on the planet, which then goes round full circle and influences everyone again!

If we are to truly change the way we live to have a healthy planet for our children and grand-children, a planet that still provides clean air, water and habitable land then we need joined up thinking.
We need to realise that we are not isolated and ultimately everyones decisions effect everyone else. As a species we are pretty much at a crossroads and we need to decide how we want our lives to be. It can either be short-term consumerism whereby the earth will only support us for so long (we have all heard the warnings again and again) or long-term sustainability where money and goods are put down the importance list and families and communities are put first.

To put it simply we are part of the natural world and are connected to everything living organism on the planet, but due to this connectivity we have people power.
People power has the greatest potential and power to influence governments, businesses and organisations to change how we live our lives and how we protect the earth, which i see is the only way real change can happen.

You are connected, so you have the power...

Cannon-Netting: One island, one landfill site and 15,000 Gulls

2011-05-23T13:02:00.000+01:00

Hey all,

I am not sure as to how to set about writing this blog as i do not know where to start, i mean i think the title says it all really. An experience that i kinda walked blind into but one i will never forget.

The story starts with me currently in training to become a qualified bird ringer, which is quite simply the practice of putting rings on the legs of birds for the purpose of science. It sounds much easier than it really is and i am hoping to be qualified in 2 years time, however i do need to ring a certain number of species and rack up a total of 1,000 birds (currently on 30!....ish).
A few months back my ringing trainer and jolly nice chap Ian asked if i would like to join him in crossing the channel waters to the mortal enemy island of Guernsey for a bit of Cannon-Netting (focusing on Gulls), for which i immediately replied with 'yeah, what the heck'. I really had no idea what i was in for...

The trip started brilliantly with the free Blue Island executive lounge (obviously now my number 1 airline) with biscuits and drinks and things never went down from there. Once in Guernsey we were picked up by Paul whose was in charge of the study and off we went for dinner and camping in his garden. Slight tent problems were overcome, dinner was eaten and an early night was advised due to early start and the intensity of the netting experience.

The next day we were up at 5am, for which i felt suprisingly alert, we had breakfast and travelled down to the islands landfill site. Once there we were signed in, a high-vis jacket and hard hat were put on, and we were ready to go.
The landfill was pretty much disgusting and as a species we should be ashamed at what we throw away and how we treat our resources, but that is for a different blog at a different time.

When i arrived on site i was greeted with introductions to all of the team and took my seat under a pretty rickety bit of scaffolding that was our ringing. The aim of the whole study was to catch Lesser Black-backed Gulls and to ring them. This is because despite their common distribution we do not know what they do or where they go and Guernsey's landfill site has a large population of them, which we actually now know migrate down to Morocco in thw winter months.
Anyway, in total there was around 15,000 gulls around the site that included Herring, Lesser Blacked-backed and Greater Blacked-backed (there were no Seagulls as they do not exist and are a bit of a disliked word in the scientific community, you have been warned!).

So how do you catch a large gull to put a ring on its leg?????
Well, the only real way to catch them efficiently is to throw a net over them that is charged by explosives. This is no easy task easy and takes a hell of a lot of meticulate planning and timing to get the shot right.
The net is layed on a plastic cover and attached to 4 pipe cannons, which are then set with explosives and ready to go. Everyone is then placed behind the netting tent and we wait whilst the landfill truck baits the gulls with a haul of rubbish. As with everything in nature the gulls did not really play ball at first but once they were in the mode for a feeding frenzy we looked on patiently as the colleague on the trigger waited for the perfect moment. He needed to get the timing right though as we did not want to catch too many gulls or too many of the wrong species.

We waited and waited and waited, but suddenly everything kicked off and we rushed to the net. The next hour and half was ridiculously enjoyable, stressful, intense and full of great teamwork.
First of all the net was weight down with sandbags so none of the gulls could escape and one by one each one was put in a bag, which was then double tied and taken to the ringing net. The bags MUST be double tied as all species of gull are very cunning and will escape.
I must admit was a bit worried that the gulls would get stressed out but the team always had the animals welfare as their main concern and by the copious amounts of scars and bleeding on everyones hands i can assure you the gulls got their revenge.
Once all individuals were put into bags the ringing then started straight away. The worst part was putting your hand into a dark sand bag and knowing 100% that the gull would find your fingers and give you a solid bite (to be honest if i was the bird i woud have done the same). However this fear needed to be cast away and each bird was taken out and their head placed under your arm and feet in the air. Once under control a metal ring with the Channel Islands bird-ringing scheme details was put on the birds right leg and an ID ring was put on their left leg. Finally the distance between their beak and the top of their head was taken before they were finally released.
This ringing process needed to be as efficient as possible as the conditions were getting warmer and we wanted to release the birds as quick as possible so we really were under pressure and i had no idea how were going to get through so many birds.
However, i should not have doubted the process as i was in the company of experts who have done this all over the UK. We efficiently and quickly went through the approximate number 350 birds, which once done was quite unbelievable. Needless to say we all sat down for a cup of tea after.

This process was completed 3 times for that first day i was there and then once on the saturday morning, which was even more pressurised as the dump closed at 10am and we did not want to be locked in a landfill site!
The project had started on the monday and i joined up with them for the friday and saturday sessions but at the very end of the 6 days the team had managed to catch around 1700 gulls, which are currently all being input into the ringing database (glad that is not my task!) with the all important total of around 500 Lesser Black-backed gulls (double what they hoped for). So all in all a very successful week for everyone for which we went out to dinner to celebrate and talk all things wildlife.

Once of the best aspects of my 2 days was that I got to meet some great people who were not only passionate but experts in their field and who also liked a few beers to celebrate as well (oh the stories!). I must admit i also have a new found respect for gulls and how they have adapted so quickly to a new food source and how they take full advantage of our wasteful society. They are brilliant birds and do not deserve all the bad press, because at the end of the day if we were not so wasteful then there would no problems in our cities or towns.

All in all i had an amazing time and i will be there next year with a few more birds under my ringing name and the same desire to learn as much as i can. I never thought spending 2 days at a rubbish dump would be so much fun.

I have attached some photos to give you more of a feeling of what it was all like

Stephen

The Forest School Essay

2011-03-30T20:59:00.000+01:00

I suppose this post does exactly what it say on the tin. For my Forest School Level 3 course i have had to write an essay detailing the benefits of Forest School from a personal point of view.
For some reason i am unable to copy and paste and to high hell am i re-writing 1500 words so here is the link below!

http://www.facebook.com/note.php?created&&note_id=10150193714170955

Let me know what you think.

Stephen

Forest School: I love it when a plan comes together

2011-02-16T20:12:00.004Z

The A-Team is one of my all time favourite programme, i love the humour, the comedy, the wit and the catchphrases. (I bet you are thinking now, Forest School, A-Team? HUH?).

The best catchphrase is spoken by the immortal Hannibal Smith played by the late, great George Peppard as he usually walks in on a group of baddies, slumped and beaten into the ground. The cigar is then sparked up, puffed out and the words 'I love it when a plan comes together' are beautifully spoken, and as the audience we really do love it.

I mention this phrase as it sums up how i feel about Forest School after finishing my two Level 3 practical days, practical days that i have found challenging, have laughed at uncontrollably in and have loved it when the lesson plans have come together (bad joke i know!).

It all started with my level 1 course back in 2008, something that was done on a hunch, a feeling and a 20 second recommendation from a friend and it has now developed into something that i will use and develop for the rest of my life.

For a quick history lesson Forest School is run by Bridgwater College in Somerset and it was taken from a concept in Scandanavia. To put it simply is it a concept for environmental education, or any education for that matter. It is all about creativity, independence, self-esteem and confidence, creating child-led environments with activites that are 80% achievable and 20% challenging, meaning no one loses or comes away negatively in Forest School.

Now, jumping forward to the present i have almost finished my leaders training with my 2 practical days. I have loved these past two days, 2 days that i have spent outside in a relaxed environment and learning with people who for one thing make me laugh so so much.

The summary for the two days is as follows....

Day 1 = hello & introductions, knots and lashings, kelly kettles and tea, making wood crosses, making fencing, lunch+tea, making kazzo's, tool use, creating picture frames, creating 'dreamcatchers', a fairwell

Day 2 = hello & catch up, creating fires, making fires, tea, wood collecting, building fires, cooking lunch, activities with ropes, building rope bridges, end talk,other info, a sad farewell.

The aim of these past two days has not only been to learn new methods and activities but also it gives the assessors a chance to have a look at your planning skills and how you adapt and communicate in the outdoor environment.

THE best thing about the past 2 days has been the adaptability of the sessions, they can be used in so many situation. They can be used for nursery children, reception classes, teenagers, problem children, adults, problem adults! bossess, managers, even celebrities. The great thing is that the Natural World is not forced upon you, but you are encouraged to open your eyes that little bit wider, to see, understand, respect and enjoy.

In a world where children are spening most of their time in front of a screen and adults are too busy to relax and explore, all of the qualities of Forest School are of the upmost importance if we, as a species, are to protect and learn to live with the planet. We need to learn, respect, understand and have some fun outside before we decide to save it

With all these new learning paths and possibilities i really do feel like a plan is finally coming together.

Birthday thoughts...

2010-12-21T18:24:00.002Z

Today is my 27th birthday and what a 27 years it has been. I have gone through GCSE's, A Levels, Degrees (including a masters), a few girlfriends, late nights, early mornings, Meerkats, Cheetahs, the african sunrise, the african sunset and met the most amazing people from all walks of life.

It has only really been in the past 5 years or so that i have really kicked into high gear regarding the wildlife career and when relfecting back i have realised that i have done many things right, but also a few things wrong and on this day i know that i need a new view on things. I need to be more positive, despite all the destruction, death, greed, wasted money, extinctions, melting glaciers and everything else, what do we really achieve from moaning? beating the same drum? playing the heart felt card? It is time to move from destruction to fascination, from a fashion statement to a way of life.

The thing is, today has not been about the presents, gifts, money and getting what i want on the television! (although it is a rather nice change!). For me, my birthday is all about finding that quiet place, a little time for me to reflect and to spend outdoors and just to make sure i do something that costs nothing for my rather empty wallet. It is also a day that reminds me what amazing friends i have and that somehow i need to go and see them more often (living on Jersey can only be used as an excuse for a limited time).
Life is all about the free things, (as the saying goes) and that is how we need to move forward.

Merry christmas everyone :-)

The Last 6 months...

2010-12-12T20:09:00.005Z

Okay, well i did write this post about 10 minutes ago and then i somehow deleted it! Bugger....

The train of thought has evaporated so this will be a shorter entry to prevent my mind going on overload.

It is time for an update...

So i am back in Jersey, 6 months back in the so called real world, a world of television, celebrities, ready available food, consumerism and money, and does it make me feel?! Ok i guess, well....lets just say i really miss Africa with its wilderness, space and lack of total and utter b%'?^£!t. It is nice to be home, but the adventurer has awakened in me and it will be sooner rather than later until i head off again.

I have hit the ground running over here and could not do more if i tried, I am training to be a BTEC qualified Forest School leader, training to be a qualified bird ringer, actively involved in charities such as the Jersey Climate Action Network, Jersey Bat Group, Durrell and the National Trust for Jersey as well as fundraising (sponsor me!) and soon to be training for Trek Iceland next year (that will be amazing! Have you seen Iceland!?).

I do NOT see myself as a teacher though, more of a wildlife educator, a communicator. Someone i hope that people can approach and see that i am dedicated to my job and that i am here to help with no personal agendas.

The main thing i have learnt is that wilderness is addictive and i am totally addicted. Yet the Meerkat Project taught me that i am not quite a researcher, i am too passionate, take things to personal and too impatient to do research. Yet i love the remoteness and the discovery that comes with scientific research!

So the current plan is to move into film-making/photography/communicating...In a way i think it is great that at 26 years of age i am only just discovering what i want to do, yet another part of me tells me to get on with it! (Sometimes i do go round in circles and make myself smile with the thoughts that come out my head and on to this blog).

All in all, the update is that i am doing all that i can and have learnt that what society gives me does not make me 100% happy, i am only 110% happy when i am emersed in the wilderness of Nature.

P.S. I have recently bought the New Linkin Park album and it is freaking amazing.

Forest School, wildlife education and the first step...

2010-10-17T21:30:00.003+01:00

Hey all,

I feel like blogging tonight so here i go, usually i try and plan out a blog entry or at least have a very rough plan in my head as to what i am going to say, but not for this one. This is all about cutting through the crap and getting to the point.

Since i have just being employed as an education officer for the National Trust for Jersey as well recently returning from a 4 day Forest School Leaders training course in Wiltshire, education and more importantly wildlife education is in the front of my mind, i do feel really strongly about it, perhaps more strongly then i first thought.

So, where to start? hmmmmm.... well 2010 seems to be the year of the conservation convention as we have the UN year of biodiversity, the Nature forum in Japan, plus another attempt to create a follow up to the Kyoto Protocol in Cancun at the end of the year. But what is going to be achieved? I mean as a species we love to talk, discuss, gather in groups and voice our opinions but then it just all falls a bit flat. I am not saying nothing will be done, as history will say otherwise but i think if we are to really start the 'green revolution' then it needs to come from the bottom not the top, from communities and not from politicians.

I said to myself that i was not going to get too political right now, but i seemed to be going that way, so i will stop and say FOREST SCHOOL...

I have just returned from a Forest School leaders course (run by Bridgwater College) and i love the concept, the ethos behind it. Forest School is all about creating a non-threatning child-led environment so children can improve their confidence, self-esteem and independence, it is all about giving children their free play back (with a bit of teaching as well!), basically giving them the tools to become the individual they want to be and the opportunity to re-connect with the natural world.
What does this have to do with the wildlife movement you say? Bloody everything!
It is the key to everything, as to put it simply, people in the 21st century do not know enough about the planet to care about it (it is not 'that' persons fault either), to do something about the hole we are currently digging for ourselves.
Have you ever wandered what is the spark, the reason why people work in the wildlife sector? It is certainly not the money. Studies have shown that 2 factors are the absolute key, these are:
1. Free independent play to explore and discover
2. A role model, a 'significant other' to look up to and to show them the way

Getting children back outside is not the only part to the puzzle of a sustainable future but it is a huge, huge piece and one in which we all can do our bit.
But the benefits are not just in play, studies have shown exposure in the natural world can reduce aggression, behavioural problems, help with learning, reduce stress, deal with ADHD...I could go on, but the scientific evidence is there.
And for adults i hear you ask? Nature has been seen to help the building of communities, aid in crime reduction, reduce aggression, anti-social behaviour, help recovery from illness and depression. PLUS, investing in green infrastructure will create jobs, cheap enery sources and boost the economy, it is estimated that ecological damage is costing us trillions of pounds per year. Crazy ay? Natural processes do gives us clean air, water and food.

All in all, Mother Nature is one of the most effective restorers and antidotes from the stressful 21st century lives we lead, and at the moment it is under valued and under used.

I am not saying that the natural world is the miracle cure for everything, but there are strong messages coming out from the world of environmental and human psychology that if we let in the natural world a bit more it really would help us all. This is where the conservation community needs to focus on. In the end, if we understand, we will care.

The famous quote from Lao Tse says “The largest journey starts with a single step”

The long journey to save and preserve this living planet is to take a chance on the natural world and take that single step into the wilderness that is waiting outside your front door.

I dare you :-) and i would love to know how it goes...

Stephen

Flying with the Swallows

2010-09-27T21:09:00.002+01:00

Hey all!

I was not planning to blog this evening but considering the afternoon i just had, i would consider myself selfish if i did not share :-)

As we now come to the end of September with October just round the corner it is safe to say that the changing of the seasons is upon us. This time of year is an amazing time to be a naturalist as the natural world shifts from one state to another, insects are shutting up shop, trees are closing for the winter and many birds are leaving for warmer climates.
It really is a great time to get outdoors and see the changes for yourself and one of these i was very lucky to see this afternoon in all its amazing and sheer mind blowing glory.

First of all i better introduce you to the stars that i love, and that is the humble Barn Swallow, yes that air dazzler himself, one of the true aerial acrobats and one species that migrates around 6,000 miles to South Africa (crazy ay?).
So at about this time of the year they are basically either on their way or about to leave the shores of the UK in groups to travel the long distance, and today whilst working outside making some compost bins i was greeted by a huge group of swallows that decided to check up on me for the whole afternoon. I swear they were quality controlling my work and decided to also test my senses by flying as close as possible without contact.
To say i was gobsmacked would be an utter understatement, so what did i do? Well i put down my tools, sat down in the middle of the field and watched the aerial masters at work. I really did have a huge, huge smile on my face, who needs money when you have this kind of inner joy.

In the midst of my excitement i managed to take a short video on my camera, which is not of the best quality, but what i want to know is...How many Swallows can you count?

Enjoy! and let me know how many you can count!

Nature as a way of life...

The challenge of being positive with a crumbling planet

2010-08-08T17:29:00.003+01:00

Hi all,

I have been thinking long and hard about what to write next on this blog, in the world of wildlife and conservation there is always something new happening or some news story that could be commented on. I hate preaching though and i am not going to just write something here, which tells you, the reader what to do, for us naturalists to make our point there needs to be understanding and sometimes people just do not know enough.

The other reason is that nothing has really been happening in my life, something which i have struggled with. I recently returned to Jersey from a year in South Africa and it has been a pretty hard landing to be honest. I really have found it hard to re-adjust to how different society is in the modern world and i have just not felt in the mood to blog. I do not want to be negative on here as negativity does nothing apart from create more negativity and uncertainty, but i feel that honesty is best.
At the moment i am unemployed and in a state of limbo as i wait for job opportunities or just any opportunity. I am still volunteering and helping out many great environmental causes (like at the Grassroots Festival in Jersey last weekend)but i am rather stuck at the moment as i try to do something with my life. I do not want sympathy or any of that. I would just like people to understand that creating a career in wildlife conservation takes many years and many small steps.

This then brings us into the topic of the personal challenges every conservationist or anyone working with wildlife faces on a day to basis of staying positive when the natural world is slowly crumbling around them.
The whole world of wildlife conservation is not well paid at all and has too many people applying for too fewer jobs. Yes, we do what we love and that must never be taken for granted, but to do this sort of work a person must love wildlife, or they will just take another direction. However, with this love comes concern, understanding, feelings and a connection to the natural world. This then brings a burden, a burden of trying to turn the tide, to save the planet and trying to find a balance and not be taken in by all the negativity concerning the state of the planet.

For me, it can be really hard, there is new research daily on climate change, biodiversity loss, the state of the oceans, species extinctions and if i were to think about all of it then my head will explode (not a good sight!). I had a great example just last night, I was out in St. Helier last night to meet a few good friends and i sore these two young chaps eating take-away (the food looked semi-edible) and what really annoyed me is that they just dropped all their litter and were not even bothered, a total lack of respect for the planet and believe you me, it took a lot of strength to not tear in to them. But what good would that do? Nothing, although it might of made me feel a bit better!

It really is a challenge for everyone who works with wildlife, one we must all go through, to find that level playing field. That balance of working hard for wildlife, yet enjoying your life and not feeling guilty about it as no-one can be 100% environmentally friendly.
Working with wildlife is the best career in the world, words really cannot describe it. However with this amazing honour,does come a lot of personal challenges for every individual trying to do their bit.

I promise that the next blog will be a lot more positive...

An Insight into Meerkat Manor

2010-06-29T10:24:00.004+01:00

I have never really written on here about my past 12 months working in South Africa in the Kalahari. It was the most amazing experience of my life and yet i have never given even the slighest insight into life, living in the heart of Africa.

I could sit here for hours and explain the wildlife, the people, the meerkats, the parties, the work and my own personal adventure, but i have just found something even better.
I did manage to write a journal during 12 months away and i have just found an entry for my last morning research session with the Meerkats. Yes its a bit deep, a bit heavy but i think it perfectly portrays the journey and experience of the past 12 months.

Saturday 22nd May 2010
My first journal entry in the field! And what a beautiful day it is, the air is clean and crisp, the sky is clear, the birds are singing and the sun has just awoken from its slumber as it creeps into view warming the land and its inhabitants.

Today i am on habituation duty with the group Columbians, there are only five in this Meerkat group and they are coming on well. The dominant female is the only individual still unsure of our presence, but then again usually one of the dominant individuals is usually difficult when getting wild groups habituated to people.

I am currently sat under a quite sharp and uncomfortable blackthorn tree, about 3 metres away from the burrow, which is situated under one of the many water dams that our nextdoor neighbour Johnny has for his cattle on his farm.
The sun is gradually stretching its influence over the land but has yet to reach me at the burrow i can still feel the chill in the air from last night. It might be Africa, it might be the semi-arid Kalahari but the winter gets bitterly cold here, because as soon as the sun disappears the temperature plummets and the thermals are out, just another part of this amazing experience that i have the priviledge to be a part of.
I am very peaceful here, enjoying the pale blue sky, the bird song and even the slight chill in the air.
Things are so much simpler here, in the middle of nowhere (3 hours drive to the nearest town, with modern conveniences), the pressue of modern society, consumerism and celebrities is gone and without it a person can feel free again.
There is no stress and no pressure to buy, sell, hoard, all i have is me, the meerkats and the vast african landscape stretching as far as i can see and that is all anyone could need.

I am not trying to preach or tell someone what to do, or to force my views upon people (that is just not right). I am just telling the truth, the way it is, what most people ignore or miss out on due to their hectic modern lifestlyes. In my opinion our society has the wrong priorities, lives the wrong way, but that is for discussion on another day.

It takes a lot of courage to seperate oneself from moderns society with its technology, fashion trends, choice and the modern consumer lifestlye. Do not get me wrong i buy clothes (pretty much need to there as i am not a naturist!), CD's when i need and want to, but does it really mean anything? Seriously, does it really matter? Why does material wealth matter so much? It is just a form of cheap junk food that we are addicted to.

I sometimes just wish that people would take a leap into the dark and switch off their television, radios, ipods and just go for a walk outside, because you really are missing out on another world, another way of life and you might just surprise yourself.
Oh! My first Meerkat is up and he is not a fan of the cold weather...

It has been a while...

2010-06-06T12:12:00.002+01:00

To say that it has been a while since i posted on this blog is an understatement and firstly i must apologise for the lack of anything on here. i do have a good reason though!

I have just returned from 12 months in the Northern Cape of Africa working on the Kalahari Meerkat Project, which is run by the University of Cambridge and the University of Zurich. Initially i did intend to post updates but in the end it was not possible with the cost of the internet, the lack of time as we worked 6 days a week and the fact that the connection was not that great.

I returned two days ago and will post a meerkat blog entry soon, but as you can see changes have been made to the blog and hopefully i have returned a different and better person, we will just have to wait and see.

My passion for wildlife though still burns strong and the journey has only just begun...

What Global Warming is really about...

2009-12-15T16:06:00.000Z

What global warming is really about…

What does the future hold?
Did you know that the next week or two might decide your future? Your future, my future and your children’s future and what kind of planet we are to live on in the future.
If you have not noticed already from all the news reports and media coverage, the UN Climate Conference in Copenhagen is up and running and with it has come accusations, arguments, counter claims and all that comes from people wound up into an issue that border all aspects of our society. The aim of the conference is to extend and in reality to create a new binding global agreement for each country to cut their carbon emissions to stop runaway global warming.

Public opinion
I am still amazed when I look at message boards and discussion groups across the internet or I gather opinion on the street about the issue of our changing climate, the science is clear yet as our society we refuse to accept the influence we have on the earth’s natural systems. The whole issue of global warming emanates from the greenhouse effect, which I am sure most of us were taught at school and a simple fact that is lost in the confusion and ramblings of the present day policy makers and scientists. The problem is that the message has been lost due to the fact that global warming affects everyone, it affects industry, sport, food production, healthcare, the list is endless, this means everyone has an agenda (mainly due to power and money) and with agendas the truth gets lost. It gets lost in people twisting the science to conform with their own views and policies and due to the fact that science is all about opinions, theories, evidence and a health portion of scepticism it is all too easy to do.

The science
The greenhouse effect is the simple, natural cycle of carbon dioxide being trapped in our atmosphere, acting as an insulator, trapping the sun’s heat as it reflects back off the earth’s surface. If it were not for carbon dioxide we would constantly be in an ice age. We need carbon dioxide in the atmosphere for life on this planet to survive, the problem by burning fossil fuels we are unlocking naturally stored carbon sinks from eons, sinks that the planet naturally dealt with. Hence we are now creating unnatural and never seen before levels of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, and this is the most important part, the level are unnatural and beyond the earth’s normal climatic cycles. If you want to dig deeper this one simple man-made (anthropogenic) influence that we have is changing the structure of the atmosphere, the weather patterns, ocean cycles, wind currents, animal migrations and creating positive feedback loops we cannot control. I do need to ask some questions though, do you as a reader understand in enough detail how our planet’s natural climate cycles work? Do you know enough to make an informed decision? Have you ever read a scientific paper from a scientific journal?

The science is fundamentally so simple if you peel away the agendas, yet too few still accept this is happening and here is the reason why, it is because it means we have to change the way we live our lives and that we need to accept that fact that the way that we do live our lives is fundamentally and morally flawed. The human race is now too big for its boots.
I wish this want not true, I want to take plane flights without feeling guilty, eating food that has been shipped halfway across the planet because it tastes good and is easy to cook, I would like not to think about the environment and what we are really doing, unfortunately this cannot happen anymore, but it does not mean we will be poorer because of it.

The real issue
What global warming highlights is that we need to accept that we live within boundaries, that our planet is not an endless resource, that in fact the earth is alive and kicking and that we need to alter how as a species we see ourselves and our role within its ecosystems. Homosapiens are used to pushing boundaries, exploring frontiers, acting first and thinking later but this is now the time to stop and actually look at what we are doing. We can either continue the way we are going, creeping towards environmental collapse or we can change society bit by bit, a green revolution where we finally realise that living with the planet can be good for us.
The real issue, one that could redefine himanity is to admit that we were wrong, its as simple as that. History has taught us though that this one simple admission iis something we find very hard to accept and deal with. Can you accept that the way you live your life is wrong for the planet? Will you change your lifestyle because of this? Surely, accepting we were wrong and is a small price to pay for the planet’s continued survival?

The planet, the future and how everyone has a role to play

2009-12-01T14:55:00.001Z

As the UN Climate Conference gets underway next week in Copenhagen, which is seen by many leading scientists as our last chance to curb global warming and prevent ecological collapse it gets me thinking as to what we can all do.
I am sure that not a day goes by where in some shape or form we feel our hope fading as we are bombarded with doom and gloom stories about the earth and how we are facing ecological disaster. I hate to say this but they are not going to go away and even though the media can distort news stories, the underlying science and evidence is there to be seen. We have over fishing, habitat destruction, over population, global warming, I could go on but you get the picture. Believe me as a naturalist it is sometimes impossible not to get bogged down and a little disheartened by the rate at which we consume our planet for money and greed.
But what if we flip the coin and see the other side, how about we look at the potential of change? If you lived in the 1980’s and someone was to say global warming and environmentalism and say they became big political issues I am sure you would get laughed at and possibly be booked an appointment with a doctor! The fact is, we can change and we are starting to, we must not get bogged down by negativity as what does negativity ever achieve? It does nothing but create more negativity and uncertainty. Then nothing will be achieved and we will feel helpless at the oncoming onslaught of pessimism.

As a species we seem to look at nature too much and be with her too little, the natural world is too abstract, too much of a fashion statement, an item thrown away and recycled into another product or message when we feel it is convenient. We seem to forget that everything and I mean everything we have comes from this planet and its natural cycles and resources and when it is gone, it is gone. Where do you think new cosmetics come from? The components for our new ipod’s? Or, the fabrics in our newly bought clothes?

If we keep on consuming the planets resources at the rate we are currently doing then our 21st century way of life will implode faster than we can say HD TV, the warning signs are there. Now, I can hear you say ‘surely, though all the small changes I can make are insignificant to what is required and it is up to our politicians to do something?’ WRONG! It may be a cliché but every small change is worth its weight in gold and is a piece in the larger puzzle of bigger change. Not only will you be making a difference but I guarantee making small changes will alter the way you see the planet and how you feel about yourself. Simply, doing the right thing is a great way to make you feel good about yourself. Surely doing something is better than doing nothing?

So, go change those light bulbs, buy sustainable timber products, go food shopping and buy locally sourced produce, cycle or walk instead of driving, because I assure you that as well as saving money and doing the right thing your hidden connection with nature, that is located deep in all of us will be reawakened and so you will be as well. The planet needs you...

A Line in the Sand...

2009-10-02T13:20:00.001+01:00

A Line in the sand…

There comes a time when it is time to just say something, when you reach that point, the breaking point that so called ‘line in the sand’ and when it comes to the environment we are already there.
This weekend there is the opportunity for the people of Jersey to send a resounding no to development on our beautiful coastline, to let the guys in our government know that sacrificing the environment for development will not be tolerated. It does make me smile and also a little confused when the politicians advertise Jersey as a quiet, sunny, stunning holiday destination and yet seem quite content to build all the houses they can on the small channel island.
Doubters and critics will say ‘what is the point, no one will listen?’ or ‘they do not care anyway’ and ‘money always talks’ but if we just sit back and moan and do nothing then why are we alive? Why bother with anything? If the good people sit around and do nothing then they are no different than anybody else. Knowing what is right is nothing, doing what is right is everything, action matters. Surely doing something is always an improvement on doing nothing? It all boils down to whether the cause you believe in is worth the tears, the fight and the struggle. History has taught us that change can be made by a few and if you are dedicated enough and believe enough then in the end your efforts will not be in vain. Even if the politicians say no and ignore us then we learn our lessons, dust ourselves off and move on to the next battle, in the end it is just about doing the right thing. If you take out all the bullshit that comes with the environmental movement about taking sides, stopping prosperity, stopping the economy, holding society back, then all you will see is the essence of truth. That everything we take for granted and hold close to us is due to the planet we live on and all we are trying to do is preserve it for the future. Why is that so bad and ignored by so many?

It may seem like a small fight to stop development on a small piece of coastline but if the public cannot make a stand on a well developed, well educated island then how are we going to change anything else? All journeys start with small steps and the environmental movement is no different.
But, why the same battles over and over again? Why the same arguments? The same environmental destruction? In the end, we only conserve what we love, we will only love what we understand and understand only what we are taught.

The planet we live on is fragile, delicate, intricate, and beautiful and if the line in the sand is not drawn soon then environmental collapse will happen. Then many years from now our children and our children’s will ask us why we did not do anything? Why did you sit around while the planet that supports us was destroyed? Why do nothing when the science said we had to? If you can live with yourself by saying you could not be bothered or did not want to then you’re a stronger man than I am.
If not then please make yourself heard and come down to La Braye this weekend (details in the JEP) to take part in a movement that is all about doing the right thing.

The Truths and Challenges of Life

2009-08-11T15:38:00.000+01:00

It is true to say that life is not easy and certainly does its best to surprise, haunt and challenge you, but I can honestly say that the last week or so has been one of the toughest I have ever had to endure. Yet as I come out of one of my greatest challenges I find myself looking at things in a different way and finally connecting back to Mother Nature, a connection that has become lost lately. (A small hint, if you want to know how I feel then buy a Sigur Ros album, go find somewhere quiet away from people and just listen, you will be inspired, believe me).

I shall start from the beginning and start by describing who I am. I am a budding and eager naturalist/conservationist/scientist, I am a person who believes in the Natural World, believes in the simplicity and complexity that it shows, believes in the morale’s and the goodness that it stands for. I feel connected to the Natural world and it completes who I am as a person. Whenever a bird bursts out a chorus of song or when the ocean decides to take its anger out on a bunch of rocks and you just stand there close your eyes and feel the anger and raw power, whatever it is, it just makes sense and can be understood. This feeling defines where I want to go in life and I truly believe that if I can focus this feeling and control it then I can change things.

This leads me to the past few weeks…

A month or so ago I took up a position as a researcher on the Kalahari Meerkat Project, which is a joint research project run by the University of Cambridge and the University of Zurich and aims to improve understanding of our knowledge of social co-operation and the evolution of social behaviour in mammals.

I decided to apply as a research volunteer for a number of reasons, some of them to do with my conservation career and also some personal, as lately I have felt that I have lost my way a bit and my unique connection with the Natural World was being sacrificed . (Putting the world’s problems on my shoulders, the feeling of not doing enough, the lack of a conservation job and girl troubles all contributed). I also wanted to be more independent, be my own man, learn more, meet new people and grow into who I wanted to be.

I arrived with high hopes and was once again pleased to be back in Africa (in 2008 I spent 5 great months in Namibia working with cheetahs) as Africa does seem to soothe the soul, it seems to have some magical essence about it, like Nature’s special place. The first two weeks at the project, I must admit were very hard as the hours in the field were long and there is a lot to learn in terms of how to collect, input and analyse the data, it was very overwhelming. After these training weeks I felt ok and I was starting to settle in and find my way, starting to feel again, then the bombshell came…My Nan had passed away, what a bombshell it was, it shocked me to the core and tore me up inside. My mum’s mum had been my rock over the years, she was my best friend, someone who believed in me, someone who believed in family and friendship and was the nicest person with the warmest heart, a person I trusted 110%, if there was a definition of a perfect grandparent then here was your example.

So what to do? Do I return home and say goodbye, or do I stay in the Kalahari and get on with the work? I did the sensible thing and went home for 4 days. I needed to see my family, to grieve and to say goodbye and gain some peace on my fractured soul. These 4 days at home in Jersey were full of emotions, feelings and the love of friends and family and I thank everyone for their compassion and understanding. The funeral was awful, to finally realise a chapter of your life has ended cannot be really explained by words, I was broken, empty and emotionally drained.

To then travel again from Jersey to Africa (around 24 to 28 hours) after a funeral and only 4 days at home was hard, really hard but I was determined to follow what I believe in.

Now I write this after sleeping for 13 hours! During my first full day back in the Kalahari, and how do I feel?

Well I am still not quite myself but I am better, less at turmoil. I see where I am going now and what I want to do and how being here fits into my dreams. I have returned with a greater determination to live my life to the full and to not be beaten down with how as a species we are destroying this magical planet. There is a reason why I put the world’s problems on my shoulders and that is because I honestly feel I can help solve them, to be the inspiration to move our society from the laws and pure greed of consumerism, to find a new inner wealth rather than a material one. The truth is that you should live your dreams, not just dream your life away, anyone can achieve anything as long as they believe in themselves and what they stand for (something I have found hard to do). There is always hope…

One of my good friends called me different the other day and I suppose I am, different in that I have found my passion, my calling and I will use the great memories of my Nan and the pure essence of nature to drive me forward. I will do my best not to be distracted, just watch this space…

The Last Stand of the Orang-utan: Palm Oil and the forests of Indonesia

2009-06-16T20:50:00.005+01:00

What i am about to explain in this post is too put it bluntly an environmental catastrophe that we are all responsible for (including me) and one that is thousands of miles away but will eventually come back to haunt all of us. The consequence of our fast, consumer driven lives, the consequences of fast food and the need for cheap ingredients to go in these foods.

But, what is it you ask? Animal slaughter? the destruction of the oceans? The Iraq war? Nope, none of those, in the end it all comes down to a substance called Palm Oil and the utter annihilation of the Indonesian rainforests leading to the extinction of the Orang-utan, because believe you me if this is not stopped Orang-utans will be gone in less than 10 years. We are currently losing around 1,000 of these majestic apes each year and around 6 football pitches a minute of rainforest (conservative estimate). In Sumatra there are fewer than 7,300 surviving orang-utan, scattered between 13 forest patches. In Borneo, the population is estimated to stand at around 50,000 individuals, divided with forest fragmentation, particularly from oil-palm plantations, having separated the Bornean orang-utan habitat into 306 forest patches.

So, what is Palm Oil? and why is it so bad?
Palm Oil is a cheap vegetable oil that can be found in 1 in 10 of all supermarket products, it is an oil harvested from the Palm tree, a tree not native to Indonesia and the islands of Borneo and Sumatra. Palm Oil is consumerd by over one billion people across the globe and can be found in products ranging from cosmetics to chocolate and for me sums up how our relationship with the planet is so very wrong. The Orang-utans are not just displaced from losing their habitat, they are killed because they are seen as pests. They also caught and sold into the illegal pet trade. Orang-utans have been drowned, burned alive, buried alive and attacked with swords.

Basically, we are tearing down the species rich rainforests of Indonesia so we can have cheap oil in our food to supply our hectic consumer driven lifestyles, you tell me what is right with that? It is wrong to the core on a vast amount of levels and brings a tear to my eye, everytime i think about it. We will eventually lose the Orang-utan just so we can have oil for our food, the next generation really will be ashamed of us.
But what can we actually do to stop this? The problem is, alot of the poorest people now depend on the income of the palm oil industry, so boycotting items does come with its problems, but as consumers we do have the power.

These are the actions that we can take:
1). We can first of all lobby the government to make the labelling of palm oil compulsory on every product it is in, because at the moment it is mostly labelled as 'vegetable oil'. (http://www.number10.gov.uk/Page17322).
2). Secondly we can buy wood that is Forest Stewardship Council certified (the logo is a green tree with a tick), which means it has come from sustainable sources.
3). Thirdly we can boycott the worst palm oil companies and spread the word of the plight of the Orang-utan. (These include Nestle, KFC and Unilever).

It is not just one animal that we are losing but a whole ecosystem that has evolved through thousands of years and contains many thousands of species still unknown to science. What you must ask yourself is can you live with the extinction of one of our closest relatives on your conscience? I know i cannot...

Nature as a way of life...

Further reading:

- http://redapes.org/wp-content/uploads/2007/08/bospalm_oil_report.pdf (Borneo Orangutan Survival Foundation)
- http://www.foe.co.uk/resource/reports/oil_for_ape_full.pdf (Friends of the Earth)
- http://www.unep.org/publications/search/pub_details_s.asp?ID=3920 (United Nations Environment Programme)

The States of Jersey: Friend or Foe?

2009-06-07T16:28:00.003+01:00

I am not usually one to talk about politics or the States of Jersey but some things are just too important too leave alone so here we go...

As my local government the States of Jersey are currently debating their 'Strategic Plan', which is basically their document of policies and objectives for the years ahead i think i might as well say what i really think.

Alot of their decisions lately have really put my temperature up to boiling point, including the decision to build a new incinerator. But the one decision that has pushed me over the edge is the one concerning the control of the population.
Now Jersey is an island in the english channel, around 12 miles or so off the coast of France. The island is 9 miles long and 5 miles wide (roughly), so any guess on the population? Well, it currently stands at 91,800 (789 per Kilometre squared) and yes i did just say 91,800, a truely ridiculous figure and one that is going to keep on increasing.
The government has just agreed (34 to 16 votes) to keep on increasing the population by 325 people per year (around 125 households) until it is just below 100,00 by the year 2035, crazy right? It still makes me really angry, whenever i think about it.

The problem i have with this is that as with everything the Jersey government decides it is all down to money and economic growth and progress, but what is the point, if the island is just going to be destroyed whilst doing this? They use Jersey's natural environment as a fashion statement whenever they use and they truley do not understand the consequences of putting too much pressure on Jersey's natural environment. Is money really more important then keeping Jersey's identity? It is a quesiton that can be asked for all of our government's, because there needs to be a point in time where we say 'No' otherwise we are looking at environmental collapse.

Jersey is a stunning island with clean white beaches, sheering cliffs full of sea birds, beautifull tranquill countryside, stunning valleys and hillsides full of songbirds. We have
Dolphins, Puffins, Marsh Harriers, Kestrels, Green Lizard's, Heron's, the list is endless but none of it seems to mean anything to our government, the only thing that means something to them is money. It first of all makes me angry but also very sad, sad that they cannot remove their tinted glasses and see how already over populated Jersey already is.

I am leaving the island in 3 weeks for a year to be a researcher on the Kalahari Meerkat Project and i must admit i am quite scared as to what Jersey will be like when i get back.

At the moment the States of Jersey are planning and executing their own downfall, a foe indeed...

The best speech ever?

2009-05-31T21:31:00.003+01:00

You know i was going to write a piece on the palm oil industry and the destruction of the Indonesian Rainforests as it has been in the written press a number of times in the past few weeks. It is an issue that really is close to my heart, one that defines to me everything that is wrong with our relationship with our planet.

However, i was then sent this speech in an email and i thought i had to share it with the world, a superb speech, one that could be a starting point for defining a generation. A piece of literature that all conservationists should read if they are to stay positive and on track in these uncertain times.

Here is the link:
http://www.up.edu/commencement/default.aspx?cid=9456&pid=3144

Brilliant stuff...

A Promise

2009-05-29T21:10:00.003+01:00

You know i have been wandering what to do for my first real blog post for a while now, there are many endless lines of conversation ranging from the extinction of species to how our society is suffering from 'Nature deficit disorder'. Do i talk about the con that is bottled water? the environmental catastrophe that is palm oil and the Orangutan? Plastic waste and is legacy? The chemicals in cosmetics? Global warming and the changing climate?
The trouble is i really do not want to be tooo negative, as if you are reading this blog you might just switch off, i mean everywhere we look there is doom and gloom about the future of the planet. However, most of this doom and gloom is justified, it is just a bit too much sometimes, especially when the scientific evidence and message gets lost in the media.

So we will start with a promise, a promise from me to you. I make a promise to you the reader of my blog that firstly i will be honest and bring to the forefront the main conservation issues of today, issues that effect how we live our lives, and how we will live our lives in the future. Secondly is that i will give you the positive and the negative, which will also do me alot of good as i must admit i do get dragged down sometimes by the destruction of this beautiful planet.

Nature as a way of life...

Hello!

2009-05-08T17:16:00.000+01:00

Hello all,
This blogging thing is new to me so bare with me as i get used to it.

I am wildlife conservationist just starting in his career so expect many blogs on environmental issues and conservation.
I am not here to tell you what to do, i am just here to say how i see it, which i hope is just the truth. Everyone has their opinion but as i develop and further my career i will hopefully keep this blog up to date, consider it more of a Journal of a Conservationist.
Nature is a way of life for me :-)
I also love doing sport, reading and just enjoying the great outdoors.

Stephen