Tony Juniper

Ever wondered what @NaturalEngland does? I was pleased to record this podcast with the Civil Service Climate & Environment Network, answering questions about our work, why we do it & the context. open.spotify.com/episode/4JcuEy…

@katieAL There’s been quite a lot of both I think, but the Sahara dust has mostly gone west

@TonyJuniper I thought it might have been the usual Sahara dust?

Sunset over the sea in Cornwall. Forest fires in Canada perhaps contributing?

Recorded BBC ‘Great Lives’ programme yesterday about the life & times of ecologist E.O. Wilson. He once observed how destroying an ancient forest for short term gain is akin to burning a renaissance masterpiece to cook a meal. His work continues to inspire. (Picture 2016)

I’m delighted to welcome Neil Hornby as the new Chief Executive at @NaturalEngland. Neil will join us as @MarianSpain, our brilliant CEO of eight years, departs later this year. There’s much to do, & I’m looking forward to working with Neil to do it. gov.uk/government/new…

Our beaver wetland after weeks and weeks of hot, sunny, dry weather. It hasn’t rained since May. This place is now an oasis of sun-dappled pools and canals in a ribbon stretching about a mile along the valley. Beavers truly are nature’s magicians.

@RHarrabin @metoffice I’ve decided to adopt the phrase of ‘temporary normal’ to describe our new climate. It won’t stay like this, that’s for sure, & if we don’t succeed with emissions cuts globally then a very rough ride lies ahead.

The Sceptic brigade are portraying adaptation as an alternative to cutting emissions. This is deeply deceitful. Until we cut emissions, it will get ever hotter. Time to kill the phrase ‘New normal’. There’s nothing normal about it. @metoffice

@SaveRanges @NaturalEngland Well we are working on that aren’t we. Just not in the way that you advocate. There’s more than one way to protect & restore Nature.

@TonyJuniper we have a first for this country, found and confirmed by one of the top fungi experts in this country. yet @NaturalEngland refuses to protect it.

A ‘new’ species of Colobus monkey is found in the Congo forest. While vast sums are spent on the exploration of space, this is but one small reminder that we have much to discover here on Earth, not least in understanding the web of life that we depend on. bbc.co.uk/news/articles/…

We cannot afford to not take climate change seriously.

@LincsWildlife Fantastic to see

The 2 crane chicks born at Willow Tree Fen this year are flying! Another fantastic success story for this nature reserve, which has undergone an incredible transformation since it was bought by the Trust in 2009 as intensively farmed arable land 📸Crane Watch volunteer Dave Coats

@fbuner @NaturalEngland Major ambition on habitat is a core part of the plan. More on that next year. In the meantime conditions there appear to suit them well.

@TonyJuniper @NaturalEngland I wish you and your team the best of luck. These corncrakes need all the help they can get, but nothing is better than perfect habitat. Min. 10% of it across large landscapes. A good AES also goes a long way in achieving such things.

A privilege to join the @NaturalEngland team at the Lower Derwent Valley National Nature Reserve & to learn about the fantastic work underway to restore a viable population of Corncrake to this part of England. Captive bred birds will in a couple weeks migrate to Central Africa.

@fbuner @NaturalEngland Thanks. Yes it’s a big challenge & requires quite a lot of stuff to line up. This effort with Corncrake does appear to be making progress though.

@TonyJuniper @NaturalEngland P.s. I'm not aiming to be simply negative. Just trying to highlight that re-introductions of species which suffer from naturally high predation rarely works and only where an enormous effort goes into it. P.S. I am also an active member of IUCN's Reintroduction Specialist Group.

Fantastic to be able to host @TonyJuniper, @MarianSpain & the @NaturalEngland Board at our new #LDV NNR Nature Recovery/Science Hub yesterday, & to be able to share the joy of our Corncrake reintroduction programme with them, thanks to the visit coinciding with another release.

@fbuner @NaturalEngland They do suffer major mortality & that is a normal aspect of their ecology. Approach in Yorkshire is to build up a population over time in part reinforced by releases from captivity & expanding & improving habitat. Seems to be working.

@TonyJuniper @NaturalEngland I would be very surprised if this re-introduction project will establish a self-sustaining population. Corncrake, like any ground nesting bird, suffer from enormous mortality after release. Migration doesn't help. Same goes for turtle dove re-introduction from captive-bred birds.

@No1FarmerJake @NaturalEngland @RingersWm Yes some of them are carrying tags. Much useful data being generated. Amazing that a bird hatched in captivity can find its way to the Congo basin, & then make its way back to Yorkshire.

@TonyJuniper @NaturalEngland Interesting to follow the released/captive bred birds on their migration, are they tagged to monitor their progress? We’re gps tagging jack snipe here with @RingersWm

🚨 “I'VE FARMED FOR DECADES... THIS YEAR SOMETHING FEELS DIFFERENT.” A farmer says he's seeing something he has never experienced before. According to his observations: • Hardly any bees. • Very few butterflies. • Far fewer insects than normal. • Poor grass growth despite the season. He asks whether others are witnessing the same thing and questions what could be driving these changes. Healthy insect populations are essential for pollination, biodiversity and food production. If reports like this are being repeated across wider areas, they deserve careful investigation. 🎯 MY ASSESSMENT: Whether the cause is changing weather patterns, disease, pesticide use, habitat loss or something else entirely, a sustained decline in pollinating insects would have serious consequences for agriculture and food security. Farmers are often the first to notice changes in the natural environment, and their observations should be taken seriously and investigated rather than dismissed.

@JackPerksPhoto Didn’t know that. How interesting

Did you know that Sea Trout (salmo trutta) and Atlantic Salmon (salmo salar) can hybridise? Here a large female trout is digging a redd and a male salmon comes in and starts shaking next to her to get her to release eggs. Hybrids are tricky to I.D but they are out there!