Edward Pollard

The UK’s report to the CBD, just published, shows we are making progress towards the ambitious targets of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework. But action to date is insufficient to put nature on a path to recovery by 2030. www.linkedin.com/pulse/uk-rep...
ort.cbd.int/national-rep...

YouTube video by Bill Sutherland's Conservation Concepts The Lawton Principles: more, bigger, better and more joined up.

Really enjoyed discussing The Lawton Principles (more, bigger, better and more joined up) with the ever enthusiastic John Lawton. youtu.be/GMlzvNxM2N0?...

Love the photo of you on the boat. I suspect there's a whole genre of photos of 'conservationist on boat going up river' (I certainly have several)
Though I can't imagine it was the most stable platform for the telescope

The long-footed fly Syntormon metathesis was a nice find from Burwell Fen, an area of fen restoration adjacent to Wicken Fen NNR. Added to the British list in 2023 from Norfolk and Kent. All known sites are high-quality wetlands, mostly spp-rich fen. Apparently the first record from the Cambs Fens.

FIRST REPORT - Small Tortoiseshell. 25th Feb 2-26. Various locations in Cambs and Essex

I'll keep an eye on the weather and work and let you know

Slightly further from Cambridge tho

Best case
- finally one of the Rockingham Chequered Skippers
- Swallowtail day trip
- Work trip to Dublin with mad road trip to N Ireland just to add Cryptic WW to the list
- Work trip to Stirling in June with sneaky side trips for Large Heath and Mountain Ringlet

My first butterflies of 2026 has got me thinking about my hopes for the year.
2025 was my most species rich year yet. Not sure I will top that. But I will set some goals / wishes

- worst case scenario. No lifers or additions to my UK list !

And now a Comma in the garden. That’s three butterfly species today, and it’s still February @dorsetbutterflies.bsky.social @savebutterflies.bsky.social

Ooh and just had first garden butterfly of the year too 😁

Monthly work party at Magog Down, Cambridge next week

www.magogtrust.org.uk/volunteering...

Ideally use iRecord butterfly app in tandem
(though I appreciate the hassle of managing 2 apps)

This acts as a reminder that while it is great that @birdtrack.bsky.social now includes butterfly records if you are collecting records from a longish walk (rather than point location) the spatial resolution for the butterfly records is often too low to be of value 1/2

Brimstone butterfly

At least 8 Brimstones and 2 Peacocks at @magogdown.bsky.social on the south side of Cambridge, this morning.
Crazy warm.
@bc-cambs-essex.bsky.social
(file photo)

A reminder, one day ahead of a by-election in which the Greens are favourites to defeat Reform, that the Daily Mail owner's wife recently donated £50,000 to Nigel Farage's party

FIRST REPORTS: Brimstone. Multiple across the region since Saturday

Registration now open! Secure your place at the Global Nature Positive Summit in Kumamoto, Japan, 14-16 July 2026. 🇯🇵🌱

Explore the speaker line-up and secure your place today: events.nikkeibp.co.jp/event/2026/G...

#NaturePositive #GlobalNaturePositiveSummit #GNPS #SustainableBusiness @nikkei.com

Volunteer Work Party at Coton Reserve: Tue 3 March, 10.30am–1.30pm. Help care for habitats & wildlife with our wardens. Tools provided, 18+ only. Free but booking required. Support us: https://cambridgeppf.org/join-us-page/

One more ask...anyone have any #Borneo field guides I can borrow, birds, dragonflies, inverts etc..willing to pay postage for both way delivery and they will stay in UK.

Fads, Funding, and Forgetting in Three Decades of Conservation Click on the article title to read more.

Great paper on fads in conservation (published 2013)
Many from their list are still fads, albeit under a new name.
Can think of some news fads too...
Can you?
conbio.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10....

I think that it's most disappointing to see in @mongabay.com - they really should know better.

Drives me bonkers that the vast majority of media do not follow this convention. RSPB etc issue a press release and BBC, Guardian etc promptly decide to change all species names to lower case.

Join us on a Fenland adventure this spring.

Expect breeding season specialities including Stone‑curlew, Crane and Bittern across top sites in the region.

Book here: https://bit.ly/4pBm43B

#birding #bgtravel #birdguides #birds #birdwatch

the new Vice-county assignment tool in iRecord verification is an excellent addition.
I've just re-assigned multiple butterfly records to West Norfolk, and Hertfordshire.

Some sneaky moves by @macrolunchtimes.bsky.social got us to 1000 followers

Woo

Just in time for the 2026 season

Remember - let us know of your moth and butterfly sightings in Essex and Cambs.

I saw someone unfollowed at one point!

Floreana giant tortoise reintroduced to Galápagos island after almost 200 years Subspecies driven to extinction by hungry whalers returns after ‘back breeding’ programme using partial descendants

Not long now until someone proposes releasing these on Newmarket Heath I reckon
www.theguardian.com/world/2026/f...

Going to be warm this week
Tuesday and Wednesday looking particularly sunny.
I'm expecting a few butterfly records. Surely Cambs first Brimstone of the year is due.
@bc-cambs-essex.bsky.social @bc-suffolk.bsky.social @jamescbr.bsky.social

Interesting - not so much in the circles I move in. Hopefully that won't change