STATE OF NATURE ALLIANCE- JUST TELL US WHAT TO DO!

A short update on the Alliance:

MORE HERE: STATE OF NATURE SUMMARY

50 conservation organisations

7.5 million hours of data collecting to produce the 2016 report

9760 species monitored

have concluded that

Nature is in trouble

Using modern Red List criteria, which identify species of the highest conservation concern, they assessed 8,000 species. Of these, 15% are extinct or threatened with extinction from Great Britain.

The report reveals that 56 per cent of the species studied have declined over recent decades. More than one in ten of all the species assessed are under threat of disappearing from our shores altogether.

BIODIVERSITY INTACTNESS INDEX

Of 218 countries assessed, the UK is ranked 189 

MAIN REASONS FOR DECLINE

AGRICULTURE 

CLIMATE CHANGE

FULL REPORT

Plans to respond to this crisis include:

RESPONSE FOR NATURE  

VISION FOR NATURE

The plans include certain objectives including (please see Response for Nature above for flesh on the bones) 

1 Set an inspiring vision

2 Set goals for nature and natural capital

3 Defend and implement the laws that conserve nature

4 Deliver an ecological network on land and at sea

5 Safeguard species

6 Improve people’s connection to nature

7 Provide smarter financial instruments

8 Develop greener institutions and embed nature across Government

9 Set five-year milestones with accountability to Parliament

10 Support people working together for nature

SO now that is all sorted can the Alliance please tell us what we,( as individuals who spend our lives in nature and work every single minute of every bloody day for it), tell us what to do to feed into a national coordinated and spearheaded movement to defeat the forces that are leading to biodiversity decline. We need to be told in clear simple instructions- one instruction at a time, all part of a series of aligned instructions that together lead to achieving one objective, one objective at a time that together combine to achieve the objectives of the master-plan.  Quite frankly we are being destroyed on the front line trying to defend our own patches and the front line is where the tangible, measurable, meaningful and real bird and wildlife populations and public engagement is. What are the next steps? what are the first targets to achieve,what are the dates for those targets to be met, what petitions do we need to sign, what demonstrations do we need to attend, what initiatives do we need to back, where should we target our financial support? What can we do on our own local patches to achieve the wider national objectives. Where is the single voice of the alliance,  What do we have to do!!???

The Problem with Lefties in Birding (Time for a new story?)

Last week the UK government launched their new policies for nature. The response from the Daily Mail was outrage ANGER AND RAGE HERE and MORE UMBRAGE. You would have thought bad news for the far right would be good news for the far left (see disclaimer below). However it would appear that 'nobody' is happy with very little this week in the way of celebration in the nature conservation social media or birding media about the nature conservation revolution. That revolution is the greatest change to land management for nature in the UK in over 50 years. It is part of a whole series of policy and law changes that include a 25 year Environment Plan, a Nature Recovery Network, a 30 by 30 target (30 percent of the UK to be managed primarily for nature by 2030), a new Environment Bill, a new Agriculture Bill, a Net Biodiversity Gain Framework for new developments, Carbon markets, Natural Capital markets, Public money for public goods to farmers (paying farmers to grow nature via ELMs), government backed massive Re-wilding initiatives and the official replacement of the EU highly destructive Common Agricultural Policy (CAP). 

All this has been carried out by a Conservative Government (see below disclaimer) with the underlying ideology being one of incentivising markets and using metrics to deliver biodiversity gains, to redirect funding to farmers (rather than charities) and to basically move away from public spending to NGOs. I presume this is the reason why the traditional nature conservation establishment aren't celebrating?? 

However I can't see many reasons to not be positive (apart from the de-regulation in food standards) and in my life time myself (and anyone reading this) are perhaps unlikely to see a similar complete overhaul of nature conservation policy of this scale. Even if this is not a long term state (the world is changing so fast, complete policy overhauls could become more regular events) , it is almost certainly the state for the foreseeable, a decade or so. So this is a new beginning and the beginning of a new chapter in nature conservation. Personally I think it is something to celebrate and I am very positive about. 

With eco-anxiety a real issue, it's important to be mindful of the impact a narrative can have on the chances of success. The narrative the RSPB (and most NGOs)  are still spinning is that nature is in trouble (who can disagree with that, even the most broadest definitions of nature raise concerns) and the answer is for people to put their trust and money in NGOs to solve it. I find that story absolutely nauseating - probably because I'm heading towards 50 years old  (and been turned over by the conservation establishment on many occasions for championing people power nature conservation) and been hearing it for half a century and every year I give my money and every year things get worse and worse with the red data list species growing longer and longer.  Maybe we are in a death spiral with nature and are all heading towards self extinction and our only hope was the NGOs (who have consistently failed) but that is a bleak conclusion and also a self fulfilling prophecy- the story we tell ourselves is partly responsible for the reality we create. It's more likely that the old system needed an overhaul and here we are- we have got a new nature conservation system. It's not going to work if the traditional nature conservation establishment keep trying to convince people it won't work in order to preserve their traditional culture. There are a lot of jobs tied up in tradition but tradition is the enemy of change.

So change is the enemy of tradition, which might explain why social media hasn't been ablaze with celebration. Nature conservation by it's own nature (conservation and managing change) seems to attract its fair share of traditional minded people. Also to me seems like the traditional left (see disclaimer below) has been gatekeepers of nature conservation in the past decades and there is a grieving that is occurring from this left leaning (see disclaimer) community. The new changes are all about transplanting nature into the DNA of the system, an emerging sustainable system. It's about embedding nature into farming more, embedding nature into development, embedding nature into corporations, embedding nature into the very blueprint of society. This is a great cause for celebration. This is a shift from nature being treated by charities as an externality (that needed counter measures) of the core value system of society to nature being part of that core value and no longer external to it. In a way traditional nature conservationists have succeeded, but in doing so have sacrificed themselves. That needs celebrating too and maybe compensating even. Time will tell.         

So surely it's now time to change the story. What a load of bollox the message in the film Dont Look Up was, basically a story about traditional US neo-liberals/democrats (Laurence and Di Caprio playing undervalued scientists)  trying to save the world (from an asteroid impact metaphor for climate change)  but where thwarted by traditional right wing/republicans (Streep playing a female Trump with her nepotistic advisor , Hill and a deluded crony businessman, Rylance). The film was a fun xmas comedy and I enjoyed it but the bullshit on social media about the importance of the message is alarming! Its basically saying the right are a threat to the existence of the planet. If taken seriously this is a war footing narrative.  This is dangerous and divisive ideology. Of course, it was just a comedy and the message was a bit silly but funny. However it does highlight the anxiety and vulnerability there is out there. How can anyone read anything too serious or meaningful into Don't Look Up? These traditional left-right divide stories are not only boring now but also potentially harmful. 

We need a new story, a story of environmental unification (of traditional groupings) and the embracing of the new opportunities in the emerging sustainable society. We need wild dreams and wide visions. For me (a hopeless dreamer and optimist) that wild dream is in owning my own nature reserve and being part of building the 30 by 30 vision, by adding a piece in the nature recovery network in the UK, by doing all I can to help develop the Beddington Farmlands nature reserve in London and also being part of the UN decade for biodiversity and working within a global community and travelling the world to help build the global 30 by 30. 

I sense a depression within nature conservation in the UK. The popularity of low energy movements like low carbon birding are both indicators of an awareness of the importance of individual behavioural changes but the trolling and judging that goes along side it (I noticed Steve Gantlett, the former editor of the game changing Birding World in the 1980s through to recent,  has become the target of hateful extremists) is telling of a darker depressed and insecure movement. Anxiety and depression are linked (I know very well having suffered terribly as a younger person and still cope like everyone now) and hopeless stories of increasing red data list species despite decades of trying and failing and the need to retreat into low energy toxic and aggressive states sounds pretty shit to me. I wrote something for Birdwatch about it and the response column to it was very disappointing, incoherent (XR are capitalists apparently- ok agree extremists are herded by capitalists and can be unknowing lackeys but XR are not capitalists)  and more or less proved the worrying point as I was getting at (although thanks to Tim for taking the time to reply and whether you know it or not we are on the same page, which was my point!) . 

The point is its time for new positive story, a story of right and left being fused more closely together (they are anyway but often in a negative way- ie. being riled up by social media algorithms to fight each other) and embracing the global decade of biodiversity and new nature conservation system. This is a story where empowered individuals can make massive differences, an era of people power and private nature conservation working in partnership with charities and academics (truly progressive ones, not rent seekers) and where people detach from traditional global narratives (such as the existence of a left and right divided global community) and start telling themselves a story of creating a new nature filled world. I got annoyed on twitter yesterday seeing a prominent academic moaning about a farmer who had cut their hedges wrong (some ditch improvements)- it's just so depressing, even a 30 by 30 vision means that 70 percent of the UK will be fucked for nature (at the moment its about 95 percent) so don't be surprised when you see that and feel like you have to go to twitter every time someone outside the nature recovery network flails a hedge in the way you don't like. If you don't like what others are doing then become a land owner and do it yourself, there are plenty of incentives and a new framework to facilitate that.   

So that's the story I'm telling myself anyway. I know that's not the story that most others want or believe, it appears things are on a war footing and there is so much momentum and overshoot that a tipping point has been passed as far as I can see. Before the sustainable society becomes crystallised the old tribes of left and right need to 'obliterate' each other (financial and personal power) to make way for new growth. In that obliteration there will be important wins for the future and a new more unified global ideology will be thrashed out and a new world vision for human's place in nature.  Many radicalised people and those who align with the extremes will become victims. The 'cross fire' will wipe out others so nobody is safe. Extremism and polarisation puts everybody at risk. As far as I can see the best way out of that is to keep positive, cross your fingers, keep calm and keep going, keep ducking the bullets, keep focusing on the divine comedy and keep telling yourself a happy story with a happy ending! That's the plan! Here's the birdwatch article and the response article.  

(disclaimer: without getting into too much detail left and right are almost meaningless terms nowadays with many people embracing a complex world view (to serve complex self serving narratives)  constructed from tailor made information streams from the internet multi-media universe but apparently there are still people that just read the UK Daily Mail or the Guardian for their 'news' so I'm using the terms cheekily and loosely to basically refer to people stuck in the old system (not really a main stream anymore but a desiccated canyon formed by ancient largely extinct forces ) with heavily influenced/herded Daily Mail readers (right) and Guardian readers (left)- the extremes of the old information system, apparently these people still exist in their millions in the UK.)     

Radical Conservation

We interrupt pretty pics, daily nature comings and goings, brain curdling simple story lines, straplines and other artery hardening posts to present a brief outline of radical conservation:

For the State of Nature Alliance  to deliver the objectives set out in their Response for Nature which can include specific objectives such as :

1) A Nature and Well Being Act to redefine the importance of nature within society
2) Compulsory natural history education and regular engagement with nature reserves within the National curriculum
3) Mandatory biodiversity provisions for all new development e.g. habitat creation, housing design to accommodate wildlife, wildlife gardening etc, green roofs. Also to extend to industrial development.
4) Mandatory biodiversity provisions (stewardship) for all agricultural activity (including upland management) e.g. biodiversity strips, hedges, set aside, sacrificial crops, reduction in intensive practises etc
5) Mandatory biodiversity standards for all imports from abroad and for production of all goods- e.g conservation grade accreditation schemes
6) Strengthening of enforcement powers by planning authorities to enforce mitigation measures and ecological conditions onto powerful corporations including greater powers in s106 and community infrastructure levy agreements
7) Strengthening of the nature conservation network with increased protection powers for SPAs, LNRs, SINCs etc. No development means no development!
8) Specific area targets for nature reserves and nature corridors to be met by given dates e.g.50% of all land area to be managed within biodiversity frameworks and e.g. 15% of all land to be nature reserves
9) Specific targets for marine reserves too
10) Strengthening of wildlife law and enforcement

Most importantly these objectives can only be implemented in an environment of systemic change which includes:

1) Electoral and constitutional reform to provide a more representative and fairer democratic system that represents not primarily elitist/captialists interests (generally anti-nature) (see Green party attempts at introducing this in this coming General Election in post below)
2) Control on lobbying powers of corporations to prevent corporations buying policies that suit them
3) Control on growing inequality, which leads to power bias (often anti-nature)- capping CEO wages, controlling the bonus culture, increasing wages across the population (and extra money for conservationists!), controlling the housing market and creating genuinely affordable housing
4) Basically controlling fundamental capitalism and introducing triple bottom line indices to manage company performances - which should be based on economic, social and environmental performance
5) Re-defining societal values and developing advanced futures

The implementation of these radical objectives has be delivered through an alliance of conservation-NGOs such as the State of Nature Alliance that work closely with the political parties and most importantly pressure and protest groups. The politicisation of conservation is the single most important fundamental shift required. Also the isolationism and competition within the conservation NGOs needs to turn into coalition and also unifying with all independent and other conservation efforts in the delivery of key objectives within a specific time frame via a clearly constructed master plan.

Nature Conservation Activism Model

Tidied up this graphic on nature conservation activism.

Here's an extract from a previous blog post on the content of that activism- the aims and objectives and some of the mechanisms/ instruments involved in achieving those aims and objectives:  

For the State of Nature Alliance  to deliver the objectives set out in their Response for Nature which can include specific objectives such as :

1) A Nature and Well Being Act to redefine the important of nature within society
2) Compulsory natural history education and regular engagement with nature reserves within the National curriculum
3) Mandatory biodiversity provisions for all new development e.g. habitat creation, housing design to accommodate wildlife, wildlife gardening etc, green roofs. Also to extend to industrial development. 
4) Mandatory biodiversity provisions (stewardship) for all agricultural activity (including upland management) e.g. biodiversity strips, hedges, set aside, sacrificial crops, reduction in intensive practises etc
5) Mandatory biodiversity standards for all imports from abroad and for production of all goods- e.g conservation grade accreditation schemes
6) Strengthening of enforcement powers by planning authorities to enforce mitigation measures and ecological conditions onto powerful corporations including greater powers in s106 and community infrastructure levy agreements
7) Strengthening of the nature conservation network with increased protection powers for SPAs, LNRs, SINCs etc. No development means no development!
8) Specific area targets for nature reserves and nature corridors to be met by given dates e.g.50% of all land area to be managed within biodiversity frameworks and e.g. 15% of all land to be nature reserves
9) Specific targets for marine reserves too
10) Strengthening of wildlife law and enforcement

Most importantly these objectives can only be implemented in an environment of systemic change which includes:

1) Electoral and constitutional reform to provide a more representative and fairer democratic system that represents not primarily elitist/captialists interests (generally anti-nature) (see Green party attempts at introducing this in the last election)
2) Control on lobbying powers of corporations to prevent corporations buying policies that suit them- effectively populating decision making committees with socio-environmentalists
3) Control on growing inequality, which leads to power bias (often anti-nature)- capping CEO wages, controlling the bonus culture, increasing wages across the population (and extra money for conservationists!), controlling the housing market and creating genuinely affordable housing
4) Basically controlling fundamental capitalism and introducing triple bottom line indices to manage company performances - which should be based on economic, social and environmental performance
5) Re-defining societal values and developing advanced futures 

ALL FOR F#CK ALL

Here is a list of some of the main events documented in this blog with regards to development of the nature reserve at Beddington Farmlands, events which have included the work of  the Beddington Farm Bird Group, the Hackbridge Neighbourhood Development Group, the London Borough of Sutton's biodiversity team, the local community, local businesses, the RSPB, the LWT, LUSH, local environmental chairty Bioregional, the Design Council (CABE), University College London, BBC Natural World, BBC Springwatch, local papers and local media,The Urban Birder, Birdwatch Magazine, BBC news, ITN news, local schools, local church members and many more organisations and individuals.

All that work (as it stands now) has amounted to fuck all due to a dictatorship by waste management company Viridor (part of the Pennon Group PLC)  who have consistently defaulted on all their local environmental obligations in the past and have overseen a complete failure in the conservation management plan and development of the site for a public nature reserve. Viridor/Pennon have consistently shown blatant disregard for democracy and efforts by the social and environmental community and continuously try to manage resistance to their destruction by offering what amounts to confectionery to appease that resistance.

In the absence of a working democracy and in an environment of dictatorship by a public limited company that is answerable only to it's shareholders (so will therefore deliver minimal environmental and social investment) the local environment and the society it serves is basically completely and utterly fucked and here is the proof, a forensic dissection (follow dates and links for complete details) of how managed decline works, the precise named individuals (not named here) behind that and how systemic and fundamental change is the only answer- a change that will need, (in part), to be forced. The alternative is to allow the destruction of our democratic system which will literally lead to the end of civilisation at the hands of corporations.

2017

300617  Birdwatch magazine review of Beddington Farmlands Bird and Wildlife Report 2015
290617  Further campaign funding provided by Mark Constantine/ LUSH for Air Quality Monitoring
090617  Air Quality Monitoring Group Meeting
070617  All local parliamentary candidates issue pre-election pledges/comments regarding the future of Beddington Farmlands
030617  Several local media articles about Beddington Farmlands ahead of the General Election
010617  Beddington farmlands on BBC London news and Beddington Farmlands features as a campaigning issue for the general election
310517  Rejection of community fund applications by Viridor. Applications to develop the Ecology Park and for biodiversity improvements in Hackbridge.
290517  Beddington Farmlands in local media
280517  Viridor written warning about anti-incinerator material
100517  Stop the Incinerator Protest at Development Control Committee Meeting
030517  Viridor sacrificial crop growing well
020517  Review of Beddington Farmlands Bird and Wildlife Report 2015 on Birdguides
210417  Neighbourhood Plan final draft completed
190417  Meeting with Tom Brake and Viridor cancelled by Viridor
300317  Environmental Committee- Vote on support for replacement bridge
290317  BFBG AGM
230317  Neighbourhood Development Group meeting
220317  Meeting with CEO of Wandle Valley Regional Park Trust
210317  Locality Meeting featuring presentation of Hackbridge Plan
030317  Beddington Farmlands features in Mayor's Question Time
020317  Lake works and further volunteer conservation work
250217  Bridges demolished despite years of campaigning to protect them
240217  Conservation Science Group Meeting
190217  Challenge of Viridor public mis-information.
190117  Local conservation works
060117  Meeting with site ecologist
010117  On going bioblitz, recording and bird ringing on most days throughout year (approx 5044 hours of volunteer effort).

2016
251116  Further volunteer local conservation work
221116  New small scale access installations completed (bridge and steps)
181116  Wandle Valley Regional Park Trust event at GLA
021116  Further works to meadow habitat carried out
051016 Neighbourhood Development Group meeting
290916  Meeting with Viridor manager and new BFBG secretary
210916  London National Park City Event
130916  Visioning day for the Wandle Valley Regional Park Trust
110916  Another Viridor open day
230816  First in a series of Viridor organised public events
110816  Paradise Lost article in Linnaean Society publication
060816 Hen Harrier Day at Rainham Marshes (Beddington Farmlands refused permission by RSPB to have a publicity stand)
050816  Ecology Park Group meeting
020816  Beddington Farmlands Bird and Wildlife Report 2015 published
260716  White Stork twitch organised
300616  Stop the Incinerator Protest
260616  Associate Members Walk
230616  Neighbourhood Development Group meeting
070616  Plans for new wet grassland habitat are presented in Conservation Science Group Meeting
050616  Public Walk
040616  Further local biodiversity improvements carried out
030616  Beddington Farmlands in local media again
310516  Guest Blog on Mark Avery Blog
160516  Publicity stunts to highlight Beddington Farmlands issues
111516  Neighbourhood Development Group Public Event- Plan Consultation Engagement
040516  More meadow works are carried out
270416  More local media coverage of Beddington Farmlands issues
250416  Wandle Valley Forum AGM
240416  Associate member and Surrey Bird Club walk
190416 Some new tree planting by Viridor is completed
140416 New Conservation and Access Management Committee site visit
040416  Bird and wildlife walk
230316  Incinerator development is underway. Challenges made to Viridor's local publicity campaign on grounds of mis-information. Meeting with communications rep.
150316  Meeting with Mark Constantine's team for update on Beddington Farmlands
090316  Neighbourhood Plan goes out for consultation
040316  Conservation Science Group meeting
Early March  Conservation works to lakes
240216  Neighbourhood Development Group meeting
190216  Meeting with Viridor director and Communications to discuss progress with nature reserve development
160216  Save Irrigation Bridge Campaign commences
110216  Ecology Park Group meeting
030216  Tree Sparrow crash features in Private Eye
300116  Gull Workshop
280116  Local Committee meeting
270116  Local media articles on collapse of Tree Sparrow population
200116  Beddington Farmlands features in Private Eye
080116  BBC Winterwatch feature on Beddington Farmlands

2015
291115  Local campaigners attend the Climate March in London
241115  Local Government Ombudsman Investigation concludes that conditions should be enforced at Beddington Farmlands without further delay
261115  BFBG Executive Committee Meeting
251115  Neighbourhood Development Group Meeting
051115  Attend the Anonymous march in London
041115  Meeting with local councillors about the Ecology Park
031115  Beddington Farmlands Bird and Wildlife Report 2015 published
281015  Neighbourhood Development Group Meeting
011015  Hackbridge Ecology Park Group Meeting
160915  Local authority standards committee looking into corruption involved with incinerator decision
130915  Associate Member Walk
110915  Beddington Farmlands in local media again- article about corruption involved in incinerator decision
100915  Consultation on new school commences
040915  Conservation Science Group Meeting
260815  Ecology Park Group Meeting
220815  Beddington Farmlands features in Private Eye. Meeting with anti-incinerator group.
190815  Visit by local children
100815  Hen Harrier Day 2
190715  Bird and Wildlife Walk
300615  Ecology Park Group Meeting
240615  Local Community Meeting (Meeting cancelled due to anti-incinerator hecklers)
230615  New entrance (Pocket Park project coordinated by Bioregional ) complete
210615  Public walk
070615  Associate Members Walk
260515  Wild flower strips blooming in Hackbridge- part of local biodiversity improvements
170515  London Natural History Society Botanical Group visit
140515  Beddington Farmlands in local media
060515  Neighbourhood Development Group meeting
280415  Oral Hearing for Incinerator Legal Challenge- Challenge declined
260415  Associate Members Day
180415  New Entrance to Farmlands development starts
130415  A great spring birding day
310315  BFBG Executive Committee Meeting
300315  Beddington Farmlands to feature in up coming general election campaign for local candidates
270315  Viridor funded tree planting and meadow creation
130315  Conservation work
070315  WWT Visioning Day for Ecology Park
060315  Conservation Science Group meeting
040315  Ecology Park Group meeting
210115-260115  Works to lakes and conservation work
230115  Wandle Forum Meeting
220115  BFBG AGM
130115  Ecology Park Group Meeting
070115  Neighbourhood Development Group Meeting
010115  The bioblitz, regular recording and ringing continues almost daily throughout year as usual

2014
211214  Further biodiversity improvements in Hackbridge.
141214  Associate Members Day.
091214  Rally for Nature in London.
051214  Conservation Science Group Meeting
041214  Local Committee Meeting.
021214  Beddington Farmlands new FLIKR and TWITTER set up.
281114  Application to Court of Appeal made.
201114  Bioregional 20 year anniversary event
161114  Visit by David Lindo and student group.
121114  Appeal challenge attempted
071114  Meeting with local authority.
061114  Incinerator Gets Green Light
011114  Neighbourhood Development Group Workshop.
091014-101014  BEDDINGTON FARMLANDS INCINERATOR JUDICIAL REVIEW
240914  Lush rep, Paul Morton visits Beddington Farmlands
150914  A serious of articles about up-coming Judicial Review
140914  Associate Member Walk.
050914  Conservation Science Group Meeting
210814  Beddington Farmlands on BBC London News again
210814  New Beddington Farmlands Nature Reserve Facebook Page
200814  New Beddington Farmlands Nature Reserve Website
180814  Meeting about new entrance on Mile Road Bridge and further enhancements
100814  Hen Harrier Day
080814  Beddington Farmlands Bird and Wildlife Report 2013 released
050814  Meeting at Bioregional about Ecology Park/ Visitor facilities
040814  Rain gardens and signage to Beddington Farmlands completed in Hackbridge centre
030814  Beddington Farmlands on BBC News
270714  Bird and Willdife walk.
220714  Youth Offender Teams tidying up Mile Road Bridge. Team visits bi-weekly from here on for several months before being cut by local authority.
120714  Lush Day Trip. Mark Constantine agrees to partly fund Judicial Review
090714  The Story so Far: HERE
290614  Hackbridge Carnival featuring Beddington Farmlands stand.
250614  Discovery of White-letter Hairstreaks on Irrigation Bridge.
220614  Beddington Farmlands Public Walk.
170614  Judge grants permission for Judicial Review despite Sutton and Viridor's claim that the review is without merit
130614  Conservation Science Group meeting
110614  Written response to local MP statement.
040614  Viridor and Sutton Council announce they will utilise two Queen's Counsels to defend the Incinertor decision.            
010614  Conservation day at Beddington Farmlands.
030514  Beddington Farmlands Bird Race Day.
270414  New Village Sign featuring birds and importance of Beddington Farmlands. Associate member tour.
250414  Witness Statement drawn up for Judicial Review
230414  Defending the Patch article in Birdwatch Magazine
110414  Meeting with Bioregional about new entrance to Beddington Farmlands.
090414  New Wildlife Garden planted up in Hackbridge
040414  More wildlife friendly planting around Hackbridge
030414  Further writing of Neighbourhood Plan.
300314  Meadow strip seeded at the farmlands.
270314  Judicial Review, Letter Before Claim sent to Sutton Council. Articles in Local Media.
090314  Bioblitz continues. Roger Booth from NHM contributes further to Beetle list.
040314  Meeting with Beddington North neighbourhood Forum rep.
280214  London Tree Sparrow Partnership Meeting
260214  Meeting with Bioregional about New Entrance to Farmlands
240214  Judicial Review Fund Raiser by the Green Party
170214  BFBG Executive Committee Meeting
100214  Further judicial review meetings
050214  BBC Natural World documentary featuring Beddington Farmlands on You tube
300114  Stop the Incinerator Judicial Review Campaign material e.g. HERE
230114  BFBG AGM
230114  Column in Birdwatching magazine by David Lindo backing Beddington Farmlands Campaign
190114  Public walk at the farmlands and visit by Judicial Review team
180114  Judicial review meeting
100114  Conservation Science Group Meeting
80114    Met Sutton Biodiversity officer

2013
071113  Incinerator Protest at Development Control Committee meeting
301013  Stop the Incinerator campaign fund raising campaign for judicial review costs commences. Various meetings and discussions with BFBG members, STI members and lawyers
261013  Further voluntary conservation work on green corridors
270813  BFBG and nature reserve promotion stand at the Carshalton Environmental Fair
250813  Local community bird and wildlife autumn walk.
210813  GLA approve incinerator proposal. Decision reported on BBC and ITN news. BFBG members interviewed.
110813  National Moth Night at Beddington Farmlands
070813  BBC London news report on incinerator (interview with BFBG members)
060813  Incinerator issue reported in national press
030813  BFBG members assist with London Borough of Sutton Bioblitz
280713  Local community bird and wildlife walk
180713  New Beddington Farmlands Bird and Wildlife Report 2012 published
110713  Further moth trapping, entomological and botanical surveying towards species inventory
210613  BFBG discuss with local and london assembly members of the Green Party concerns regarding the incinerator
210613  Presentation at Wandle Conference to Wandle Valley Regional Park Forum and members of the Trust.  'The Sleeping Giant of London's Natural World'
080613  Neighbourhood development group carry out biodiversity improvements to Mile Road Bridge to improve entrance to nature reserve
170513  BFBG led e-campaign to encourage writing to Mayor's office to oppose incinerator
Stop the Incinerator campaign concurrently set up a petition to hand to the Mayor's office
150513  Incinerator gets permission from the local authority planning committee and is referred to the GLA for approval
060513  Further surveys (on going almost daily) for nature reserve species inventory
040513  Bird Race Day
280413  Bird and wildlife walk for the local ramblers group
270413  BFBG and nature reserve promotion stand at the LBS Biodiversity Gardens showcase event
260413  Further voluntary conservation work on green corridor improvements
240413  Planning Control Committee meeting to decide on incinerator proposal. BFBG had previously submitted three responses to the case planning officers objecting on various grounds. A decision is deferred.
160413- Local community meet with Viridor Reps to discuss s106 conditions
070413  Significant pollution incident in the Northern Lake created by debris from the landfill site polluting the lake following a storm
060413  Further voluntary conservation work including new wildflower strips. Works begin on improving Mile Road Bridge entrance to the nature reserve. Viridor plant an area of the Southern mound with trees.
210213 BBC Natural World re-run 'Un-natural history of London' featuring Beddington Farmlands
190213  Meeting with design council (CABE) to comment on NDG plans including nature reserve proposals
160213  Presentation at Bioregional regarding neighhourhood development group (NDG) proposal to develop nature reserve. 'Hackbridge, Beddington Farmlands and the Wandle Valley Regional Park'.
              Meeting at council offices to discuss Biodiversity improvements between Beddington Farmlands and the Wandle Valley Regional park
              Conservation Science Group meeting- no consensus to approve new version of conservation management plan with incinerator included

2012
081212-  BFBG invited to the House of Lords for 'Environment and Communities Reception'
                Weekly/ bi-weekly meetings in developing local neighbourhood plan and gateway to nature         reserve
071112-  Further volunteer conservation work on nature reserve green corridors
241012-  Volunteer conservation work along nature reserve green corridors (including the planting of 2500 bulbs with the local schools)
250912- A first for Beddington- Long-tailed Skua. The 257th species recorded for Beddington Farmlands.
160912- Local community bird and wildlife walk.
120912- BFBG led e-campaign to encourage local community to oppose incinerator plans
010912- Further volunteer conservation work at reserve
290812- Local authority led phase one habitat surveys along nature reserve green corridors.
Further consultation and meetings regarding incinerator proposal.
280812- The Carshalton Enviornmental Fair- promoting wildlife photography at Beddington farmlands and highlight of concerns regarding Incinerator
200812- Jersey Tiger moth invasion
240712- Further ongoing pan species recording (as part of species inventory for nature reserve)
180712  Hackbridge Church Bioblitz- led by London Borough of Sutton as part of integrating local community with nature reserve and borough wide biodiversity green space management
130712  Further work on the London Tree Sparrow partnership and the colour ringing project
080712  Hackbridge carnival and further nature reserve publicity and promotion as part of developing neighbourhood plan to develop a gateway to the regional park and the nature reserve
040712  Hawk moths make first appearance at 'obs' moth trap
100612  BFBG and nature reserve promotion stand at the London Borough of Sutton Bioblitz event
300512 National Bee-Day with BFBG members and local conservation charity Bioregional
270512  Further voluntary conservation work- wildflower meadows and wildlife gardening
240512  Further public consultation on the Incinerator. BFBG members provide extensive feedback.
150512  Entomological lab for species inventory set up at 'the obs'
100512  Turtle Dove at the obs feeding station on the day RSPB Operation Turtle Dove is launched
050512  The Incinerator issue is a main focus of local paper reporting
280412  BFBG Bird race day
230412  Local community bird and wildlife walk
220412  Further pan species recording- this on going initiative occurring most days
060412  Local demonstration to protect Irrigation Bridge as part of an access network to the nature reserve and wider regional park
010412  The Beddington Farmlands Ringing Station (to monitor bird migration)  is re-established- led by Mike Netherwood.
270312  The local authority assist in developing wildflower meadows in Hackbridge as part of integrating the nature reserve with the surrouding community
160312  I win an EU backed award for 'Environmental Excellence' lol :-)
120312  Latest in a whole series of meetings (one to two a week) working on developing a neighbourhood development plan which incorporates integration of the nature reserve and developing a gateway to the Wandle Valley Regional park. Partners include London Borough of Sutton, University College London, Bioregional and a wide range of local groups including the BFBG.
190212  Beddington Farmland Nature Reserve briefing report published by BFBG
140112  London Tree Sparrow Partnership propose colour ringing population
              Viridor commence public consultation of the incinerator

2011
021111 Diverting of canal at nature reserve
191111 Hackbridge Neighbourhood Development Group, 're-visioning' day (Nature Reserve tour included)
151111 Funeral of Simon Aspinall- Beddington farmlands 'graduate', world class conservationist and founding member of Tree Sparrow conservation at Beddington.
141111 Tree Sparrows attracted to satellite feeding area (although only other side of railway)
131111 Further wildlife gardening in local community to promote integration of the reserve , the local village and the wider Wandle Valley Regional Park
270911 Meeting with Tom Brake (local MP) who agrees to lend further support the nature reserve development
180911 Local community autumn bird walk. A Pectoral Sandpiper is found. Systematic moth recording with actinic light commences from 'the obs'.
050911 Further moth trapping as part of pan species inventory recording
010911 Dewick's Plusia moth discovered. A small resident (breeding) population is the recorded case in the UK.
310811 Birdwatch Magazine review 'The Birds of Beddington Farmlands'- described as an 'Urban Birding Benchmark'
290811 BFBG and nature reserve publicity stand at the Carshalton Environmental Fair. Nature reserve supporters are added to mailing list (300+ members eventually signed up)
260811 Further voluntary (and some poorly paid) conservation work to assist Viridor in habitat management
210811 Local community autumn wildlife walk
080811 Local riots and rampaging
300711 Pan species inventory work continues
280711 Tree Sparrow feeding station is set up in satellite area to assist in wider ranging winter feeding
260711 Richard Black from RSPB speaks to BBC Radio 4 about the London Tree Sparrow Partnership
220711 A population of Common Lizards found on the reserve by ecological consultants (who later denied finding them in incinerator planning application !)
210711 Systematic moth trapping and botany recording continues
170711 London Tree Sparrow Partnership public presentation day
150711 Black Kite recorded- a first for the site
060711 British Birds publishes 1% threshold winter bird population paper. Green Sandpiper, Caspian Gull and Lesser Black Gull are 1% threshold species at Beddington Farmlands.
010711 'The Birds of Beddington Farmlands' available on i-tunes
250611  The London Tree Sparrow Partnership is set up- a partnership between the RSPB, Beddington Farm Bird Group, Viridor and MKA Ecology
160611  Natural re-generation on nature reserve produces a blaze of summer colour
200511 Local environmental charity Bioregional first attempt at taking a leading role in development of nature reserve
010511 BFBG take part in International Dawn Chorus Day and lead public tour
270411 Beddington Farmlands Pan Species Inventory begins
170411 Local community spring bird walk
090411 Local Newspaper article 'Choking on Incinerator Plans'
160311 BBC Natural World documentary making
250211 Re-generation development in Hackbridge commences
240111 Bat boxes put up on reserve
230111 Presentation at local community forum about Beddington Farmlands Nature Reserve
190111 BBC Natural World documentary making
160111 Local paper article about publication of 'The Birds of Beddington Farmlands'
100111  Birdwatch Artist of the Year Szabolcs Kokay designs Beddington Farmalnds Nature Reserve logo
070111  BBC Natural World documentary making at Beddington Farmlands

2010
201210 Just a great days birding at Beddington Farmlands
181110 The Birds of Beddington Farmlands book published
111110 Wandle Valley Regional Park Forum working groups established
180910 BFBG and nature reserve publicity stand at the Hackbridge Carnival
110910 Hackbridge Forum meeting (in the previous week). Local authority led localism meeting about empowering local people into the planning system. Hackbridge chosen as a Localism front runner as part of Coalition Government Big Society initiative. Beddington Farmlands Nature Reserve key feature of local planning strategy.
020910 Birdwatch article published 'Building the Reserve of the Future'
110810 Further reed bed planting on Southern Lake
080810 Local community early autumn bird walk
070810 Photograph of  controversial Glaucous-winged Gull  at Beddington Farmlands wins British Birds Karl Zeiss Award
030810 Further voluntary conservation work
220710  Reed Bed Planting on Southern Lake
090710  New Beddington Farmlands Nature Reserve newsletter is launched
200610   London Natural History Society Botany group conduct botany survey
180610 BBC Springwatch featuring Beddington birders is televised
060610 Wandle Festival Weekend- Festival to promote the Wandle Valley Regional Park (Beddington Farmlands forms the core of the Regional Park)
150510 Beddington Birders and the Urban Birder take part in Springwatch and the Oystercatcher Bird Race
060510 Local newspaper article on migration studies at Beddington Farmlands/ Greater London
020510 Pacific Golden Plover at Beddington Farmlands- the first in London for over 100 years
280410 Wandle Valley Regional Park Conference- workshop featuring Beddington Farmlands
250410 Local community Spring bird walk
210410 BBC Documentary making about wildlife in London- featuring Beddington Farmlands
180410 Local Paper Article 'BBC Migration Studies at Beddington Farmlands'
070410 BFBG team up with Tower 42 Bird Study Group for media campaign
270310 Local Newspaper article 'Outrage to Build Incinerator on Local Nature Reserve'
260310 BFBG join Tower 42 Bird Study Group (Urban Birding Promotion Campaign by David Lindo)
240310 Conservation volunteer day with BFBG members, MKA Ecology and Viridor
230310 Local Community produce own newsletter- Beddington Farmlands to be a key aspect to future of local area from outset
210310  Bird walk for London Natural History Society members led by Derek Coleman- one of up to six a year of these visits
180310  Local paper article about sustainable village plans (and integration with nature reserve)
160310  Further public wildlife garden planting at 'the obs'
150310  RSPB senior officials visit site to discuss their involvement in Nature Reserve development
150210  New mailing list for supporters of Beddington Farmlands Nature Reserve set up
110210  Local meeting to plan local improvements to integrate local neighbourhood to nature reserve
090210  News of Incinerator proposal is leaked
260110  New feeding station for public viewing established at obs
210110  BFBG join local Neighbourhood Development Group to champion nature reserve development
170110  Lapland Bunting twitch- BFBG open site and manage twitch
140110  Local paper article on winter wildlife at Beddington Farmlands

2009
241209  Roger Browne publishes first of many on line Beddington Farmalnds photo gallery
221209  Wildlife documentary filming at Beddington Farmlands
131209  Winter birding public tour
091209  Wildlife garden planting carried out at 'the obs'
261109  Local paper article published
181109  Interview with local paper about Beddington Farmlands and future nature reserve plans
311009  BFBG stall at the Croydon RSPB fair
041009  Local community tour led by 'The Urban Birder', David Lindo
130909  I purchase property ('the obs') overlooking site with aim of being in a prime position to increase monitoring, campaigning activity and also green improvements connecting nature reserve with village and River Wandle
190809  Beddington Farm Bird Group reviews aims and objectives and re-organises
120709  Public tour of Beddington for local people- the first of many tours aimed at educating local people to the importance of the site and future plans to develop a public nature reserve
220609  David Lindo, 'The Urban Birder' visits Beddington as a champion of a major urban nature reserve for South London
020509  Patchwatch- BFBG support and donate to Birdwatch campaign for Azores Bullfinch
010409  G20 Protests in London attended
250309  Blog debate about the plight of Beddington with RSPB staff

2008
151208 BFBG Voluntary work clearing North Lake to assist Viridor in habitat management

Back in the crack- Beddington Farmlands update

So back in Hackbridge and Beddington Farmlands again. It's certainly not the depressing and soul destroying place it was last year as there has been an enormous push on the restoration and huge positive vibe about the place. Phase 3 of the Wet Grassland habitat creation has also started, the area for phase 2 has been levelled, sacrificial crops are thriving, the mounds and paddocks are being managed intricately- it's all pretty amazing and almost unbelievable that it is all finally materialising. I think most people including myself had lost nearly all hope as the site had really become an emotionally toxic and harmful place to be with a horribly dark seemingly invincible council-corporate axis firmly established.. It looked like the future for the farmlands was to become the 'Syria' of the ornithological world- a proxy battle ground for international radical environmental groups vs the corporate-council axis with the wildlife and local community being sacrificed in the process. I had literally left the area (re-based at Holly's) and also the whole Bulgaria project was to prepare to leave the country . However it looks like I might have over-prepared for the worst! Nonetheless its all good - my personal investment in Beddington Farmlands is a lot less now (it was literally killing me)- there is still a long way to go with developing the reserve and it won't take much for things to start back sliding again and spiralling down again, so I've effectively spread risk across a wider range of projects, which is a better idea as in nature conservation the wheels move so slowly that it is quite possible to have multiple projects running at the same time and just keep running between them and if one of them gets into trouble, the others provide back ups and escapes from the toxic environment. 

The whole thing should never have come to this though (in an ideal world that doesn't exist) and it exposes fundamental flaws in the democratic system and the weakness of the planning system in the newly fledged (post 2008/2009 bail outs) Corpocracy. It highlights that local community democratic structures (e.g. citizen's assemblies, localism groups) are absolutely vital as the cuts in local authority spending and staff means corporations are effectively out of control. They can hoover up ecological and social capital and transform it into economic capital more efficiently than ever before as they squeeze the last drops of unsustainable growth out of the planet. The local authority (or government) no longer provides a effective regulatory middle man position between the corporations and the people, the council is now an arm of the corpocracy- their main job to manage contracts given to private companies but with few powers to enforce the conditions of those contracts if the private companies tell the council to go fuck themselves and the contract conditions- which is exactly what Viridor tried to do.   Very few local communities would have kept fighting in the way we have. We really do have some incredible local community champions. 

2 Pintails at Beddington, 3 Stonechat and 1 Whinchat were the highlights of a walk around the farmlands. A few interesting moths last night too including L-album Wainscot, Large Ranunculus, Brindled Green and Red Underwing.

 Pintails among other waterfowl 

 Good numbers of ducks around at the moment 

 Red Underwing 

 Large Rannunculus 

 Brindled Green 

 Different views of the developing wet grassland (above and two photos below) showing the expanse of this area- it really is a large and amazing area. 

 Site for the wet grassland phase 2 

Sacrificial crops thriving 

So things are looking up but the only reason things are now progressing is  that the council-corporate axis has been shaken by the local community defence with Liberal Democrat political casualties being taken (with all three Lib Dems in the Beddington North ward being annihilated by Mattey and the Independents) which has threatened the Liberal Democrat one party state through narrowing their majority. Also on 8th October, Viridor have to appear before the London Borough of Sutton Economy and Business Committee, who will decide whether legal action will be taken by the council on Viridor for breaching planning conditions. This is in response to 7500 strong petition that was set up by Tony Burton and the Wandle Forum.  This is all set in the backdrop of Viridor becoming the focus of an Extinction Rebellion international campaign (which has currently being cooled off due to the progress now being made) and the real chance of another major anti-Lib Dem campaign in the next councillor elections in 2020.   That once cosy Viridor-Liberal Democrat alliance to destroy our local environment and community for profit and to strengthen their elite positions seems to have back fired on them big time. 

The whole thing actually gives me some hope that it wont just be the elites and rich that make it through the coming bottle neck as the planet collapses due to ecological and environmental break down. The people have a real chance of defending their own communities and forming regenerative societies and calling the corporate-government axis to account. It won't be a rich-poor game- it will be a level game- whoever adapts fast enough will survive ( rather has a better chance of survival). Regenerative corporate-government-people alliances are what will ultimately make it through to rebuild the destroyed planet. It's almost certain that global conflict and tension will escalate as more and more people populate an increasingly stressed planet and there will be mass human casualties (this has already started with more natural disasters in the developing world, lowering life expectancy in the first world, suicide rates up, deaths due to air pollution etc) but there will also be technological solutions and societal restructuring and evolution that will offset that. Its still a sleepy time for the vast majority of humans living in western societies. They may have heard the alarms but have not emotionally connected to what those alarms mean- they ignore them like we all ignore car and house alarms assuming its a false alarm. They write off the alarmists as eco-loons. Will the 'sane conformed masses' ever appreciate the full human cognitive spectrum and recognise the value of those 'lunatics', those who have unique insights and perception of reality and the importance of so called insanity to our species and the subjectivity of concepts of sanity and the importance of what the entire spectrum is visualising? 

 Maybe it won't be the noise of children marching, or the inconvenience of blocked bridges, or the warnings from scientists that wake them up. They are just sleeping through the alarms. The crying of the children and warnings of the scientists will fall silent before nature strikes back.  It will be when the negative impacts of collapse start causing them unbearable personal suffering that they will wake up and for many by then it will be far too late to adapt - a new world that has stopped trying to save them would have advanced and be out of their reach. 

I got a letter from the BTO today saying I'd been nominated for the prestigious Marsh Awards for Ornithology for the Beddington Farmlands campaign.  I didn't make it as the final winner but still handy being nominated as we can promote what we've learnt at Beddington for other communities to be able to defend themselves too. It's not over at Beddington either, still a long way to go in setting up and maintaining an urban nature reserve in South London which effectively will provide another piece of the global regenerative network for nature to bounce back from and to provide vital ecosystem services and eco-social services to society as the unsustainable system collapses and a sustainable society emerges. Beddington Farmlands (and all nature reserves across the planet) will be a life line for the planet's nature and people. 

Response to Local MP statement

Our local MP Tom Brake has published his opinion on the Beddington Farmlands incinerator here :

TOM BRAKE BEDDINGTON FARMLANDS ERF STATEMENT

A response to Tom's points here:

Incineration is better than landfill
Yes indeed. However the EU waste directive 2008 introduced a waste hierarchy which puts incineration as one of the worst possible options for dealing with waste (below 1-5, most favourable to least favourable)
1) Prevention (using less material in design and manufactering),
2) Preparing for re-use (e.g. refurbishment),
3) Recycling,
4) Other recovery (including pyrolysis, anaerobic digestion and also incineration with energy recovery)
5) Landfill and incineration without energy recovery.

The Regional Park will still be Progressed
The Regional Park at Beddington Farmlands was originally due to be completed in 2015 (next year) complete with public access, hides, footpaths, cycle paths and a mosaic of habitats that met Biodiversity Action Plan targets providing a regionally important resource for people and nature.
The incinerator applicant has overseen a period of delayed restoration and also a near complete failure of the conservation management plan which has resulted in the extinction or near extinction of the majority of important wildlife on site.
Considering the applicant has failed to meet earlier planning conditions and the local authority have failed to enforce those conditions, any current promises to develop the park have very little substance.

Provision of heat for 30,000 homes
The CHP network to provide heat for homes is at a very undeveloped stage and is not certain to come about. Environmental statements have not even been produced for the route of the pipeline as those routes have not been finalised so basic preliminary planning has not even started.
A district heat network was also promised as part of an ERF project in Southwark which was given permission for 10 years ago- that district heat network has not yet materialised.

Savings to local authorities of £4.5 + million a year
Yes but dealing with waste with options higher up the EU waste directive would also save that same money and have less negative impact on the environment.

The establishment of a community fund (£350,000 lump sum payments and £15,000 a year)
The ERF contract is worth £990 million (call it a billion) and will cost £200 million to build. The ERF is being built on public land due to be returned for the Wandle Valley Regional Park. The Environmental Statement clearly states that the ERF will change the fundamental character of the park and the ERF is due to be built on the most important nature habitat on site (an area proposed for wet grassland). The ERF will unequivocally have a negative impact on the Regional Park.
The community fund represents a 0.035% in the contract value for the public. 1.6 million people were estimated to be using the Regional Park resource so that's about 2p each.
The community fund has been described as offering people confectionery in exchange for increased air pollution and damage to the regional park. In short, the community fund is completely inadequate and is a tiny fraction of what financial contribution would be required to offset some of the negative impacts that the ERF will create.

Incinerators are safe to human health
This is still a matter of heated debate. Birth defects and cancer have been linked to incinerators in certain studies.
The scientific community are not in complete agreement about the risks to human health and considering incineration is so low down the EU waste directive priorities it doesn't make any sense at all to take the risk when safer options are available. (Options that also do not involve so much destruction to wildlife habitat).
The incinerator applicant have near completely failed in meeting previous environmental obligations (related to the conservation management plan) so it is unwise to trust them with the air quality for the population of South London.

Omissions will be monitored by the environmental agency to monitor air quality safety
Environmental conditions have been monitored at Beddington Farmlands for the past 15 years and the monitoring has documented a decline in most of the targets for conservation and restoration targets for the regional park. The local authority representatives have commented that even though breaches in conditions are occurring they cannot afford to take Viridor to court to enforce the conditions.
The track record of the applicant and the enforcement bodies cannot be trusted to uphold environmental standards based on past experience.

A bit more on the negative impact on the ERF here:
INSIDE CROYDON

Funny Old Game

INSIDE CROYDON ARTICLE

This article (here) appeared on Inside Croydon over the weekend, put together from comments that were part of an ironic post from my personal facebook page. On writing up the annual report  for 2015 I had got to the part where Viridor had taken the bird group's keys away and thought it would be amusing to add some dramatic narrative to that to see whether it would get past the Viridor proof reading so I shared that narrative on facebook with my friends. Next thing I know the narrative is part of the article above, the site ecologist is on the phone and I ended up meeting the Viridor managers yesterday, in a field! 

Funny old game this. The comments are actually true as of December 2015 (as that was the events I was reporting on - the December 2015 conservation update) and the concerns about the reasons for the group being downsized from 30 keys to 15 were/are genuine concerns. 

However since 2015 there has been some progress with the situation and part of that progress has been a response to some of the negative press that Viridor have been receiving, much of it from our side of things robustly supported with to up to date empirical evidence to support any comments.  So the importance of accurate reporting in the local media is needless to say critical in the process of working towards positive results for the nature reserve and the local community via the democratic process. 

Since December 2015, Viridor have started the ball rolling on various initiatives to move forward with the restoration in order to address the serious decline in the biodiversity and also initiatives to increase public engagement on the site. This involves working closer with not only our local bird and wildlife group but also with the regional conservation NGO's, getting in additional expertise to overview some of the conservation and restoration plans, allocating additional keys to active members (as opposed to the problem we have had in the past with keys being allocated to people who can't commit to the constant effort that keyholders are responsible for) and organising more public events for the local community. 

I personally would like to see the development of the habitats and employment of a warden as soon as possible to oversee the daily maintenance work on the reserve with an essential core working green team and additional volunteers (and also work experience and training opportunities) and working towards steadily increasing public access (as the site is still a working site) for more more naturalists and welcoming schools for educational visits, universities for research, the public for wildlife watching and recreation, health organisations for health activities (tackling health problems such as obesity through walking and cycling and also all the health benefits of building communities and individuals engaging with nature), ramblers, families etc etc. To achieve that objective adequate facilities are required, a visitors centre and the necessary reserve infrastructure. As this is no mean task, the engagement of some of the regional conservation organisations and key stakeholders will be essential in developing a flagship reserve, a reserve that due to the community model that it is being developed by will be more inclusive, maximising opportunities for nature that can provide immense community benefits, for a local community that need that resource.

Another recent positive step forward has been the establishment of the Conservation and Access Management Committee- the body that will oversee the implementation of the Conservation Management Plan and developing public access. 

As Beddington Farmlands is being developed as part of a community model, commitment to allocating the necessary resources in achieving objectives by the stakeholders is needless to say essential and as this is part of a democratic process that commitment can be greatly facilitated by public pressure (I personally would like to see demonstrations about the importance of Beddington Farmlands and also public demonstration of the great concerns and negative impact that the largely un-mitigated incinerator continues to present) and engagement from volunteers, developing support from the wider social and environmental network, the local media and there's even the chance of local politicians doing something useful (except for jumping on the hard won success of others once all the efforts and obstacles have been overcome and success is guaranteed) - but I agree its important not to get too ambitious! 

 The Conservation Access and Management Committee at a recent field meeting

Chomsky at 90

Interesting article about Chomsky at 90 years old. HERE. Chomsky's been a front man for the US anti-establishment / anti Capitalism for as long as I can remember and still going strong. In many ways this article sums up some of the most important fundamental flaws in any establishment and the importance of a constant rebellion agaisnt any kind of established order. It's an eternal struggle best understood in the context of pendulum swings and battles won rather than any actual conclusive final end to the endless war.

Hegemonic common sense is a good phrase- a reference to the agreed story line that an establishment will endlessly regurgitate while leaving out clear massive fundamental flaws in that story such as the silliness of the myth of eternal macro economic growth or down playing the existential threat posed by ecological and climate meltdown. In the past we had myths of Sons of God and burning hells and now we have myths of Human Gods, Money Gods and the real possibility of a burning hell here as climate breakdowns.  Real common sense is abandoned (as it was under former hegemonic ideologies) as the hegemony exert their version of common sense and then people who advocate real common sense are then perceived as outsiders/ untouchables.That fear of that social exclusion and the benefits of going along with fundamentally flawed story is a massive controlling force and pulls the majority into line.The dogma of economic growth and the power of the free market are clear myths that are constantly blasted out over the beacons of the masses but are clearly completely insane ideas. That doesn't stop society from moving in that direction as the hegemony is established by effectively hacking the group psychology by exploiting vulnerabilities within the human condition. Power is a spell and those who understand it cannot be controlled under it. Whether your society in under the spell of a Christain Myth or a Capitalist myth, individual empowerment lies within that understanding. 

For those interested in nature, the establishment is clearly anti-nature and since the great recession of 2007/2008 and as a result of austerity, regulatory cuts and funding cuts that assault on nature by the establishment has accelerated. We have seen a resistance to that e.g. the likes of Avery/Packham, The People's March for Wildlife, Hen Harrier Day, the rise of legal cases and conflicts agaisnt public bodies by bird groups (e.g. the Beddington Farmlands Bird Group), The Green Surge (a large increase in Green party membership), the rise of Extinction Rebellion direct action group, the rise of the Child Revolutionaries such as Greta Thunberg, Bella Lack, BirdGirl etc and overall a radicalisation of nature conservation.

Since world war 2, the current fundamental Capitalist paradigm has been the framework for business as usual, a framework that undervalues nature massively. However that  framework is now clearly crumbling as the area of common sense outside of hegemonic common sense is being activated in response to the myths, as those myths are debunked as the consequences of propagating lies start to build up - such as the impacts of ecological meltdown and climate change.

However the nature of change is that the establishment will continue propagating lies for as long as they can hold on and in that environment the source of reliable information (as Chomsky explains) is generally small journals, independent media sources etc. Journals like British Wildlife are very high quality and there are numerous social media outlets that deliver reliable information. This blog aims to be one of those sources for local issues around Beddington Farmlands and the battle we are having with our local Capitalists and their local authority and politician facilitators.

The last days of any society cycle is frightening as chaos escalates until a new set of rules, a new set of values are won which will form the basis of the next cycle of hegemonic common sense. The radical element of society will then go back underground and then start gathering momentum again to overthrow that cycle as the flaws in that system accumulate. At first its your crazies (climate alarmists in the 1960s and 1970s were widely considered as nutters) but as things move on and more people find themselves on the wrong line of that hegemony the number of radicals start to increase until there are enough to overthrow the hegemony. We are moving to that overthrow stage.

 It's an endless process but it is a process of constant refining, constant improving- constant evolution- sometimes elements of that evolution is a Feng Shui or a change of guard rather than any tangible improvement- it gives others a chance to have a go. Establishing orders requires a large body of the populace to be gullible and rather stupid but during a radical age that stupidity is dangerous. In the early stages of a cycle that stupidity is beneficial for society as a whole but at the end it will be a big factor in who will be the victims of a revolution. My advice to anyone is wake up before its too late for you.

The main thing is to make sure us individuals are on the right line of history as it starts unfolding and we are in a radical age and there is an increasing pressure to pick sides and get off the sidelines (as the sidelines are being carved up in the chaos) . The establishment is crystallising into a smaller and smaller group of increasingly powerful wealthy oligarchs, their politician protectors and the increasing herd of drones that serve them (you may be well be one of those drones- we all are, I am but can only detach from their growing power as much as possible).

The victory for a more nature centric society will be won when that herd of drones turns on the capitalist oligarchs and their lackeys in greater and greater numbers. That is what we are doing on our local patch, trying to build that movement locally and link into the wider political movement. Good to see the scale of the youth climate strikes across the world today.