Lee Brady's Recording Blog

NBN Data Access Issues Remain

Over the past six months, the NBN Trust has been consulting with data providers and data users about a proposal to change the Data Access Controls with the aim of increasing biodiversity data use, generating better feedback to data providers, improving the performance of the Gateway, and generally making the system more flexible and easy to use.

via www.nbn.org.uk

 

I can't see how the changes address the specific concerns of potential data providers and local records centres who lose revenue when ecological consultants obtain data from NBN rather than the LRC?

Yes, there is a box that users must tick stating that they will adhere to NBN's terms and conditions. But how will this prevent information from ending up in a consultant report? Will NBN be implementing a complaints procedure? Why should a LRC (or local recording group) contribute data to NBN, when this is likely to undermine the LRC's revenue stream? 

 

Police Called in After Council Grant Park Planning Permission

ELDC’s Planning Team Leader, Chris Panton, said: “At the time of considering the planning application, there was no substantiated evidence of the great crested newt being present on the site.

via www.horncastlenews.co.uk

 

Two things strike me as odd about this incident. Firstly, why on earth didn't the council undertake a proper ecological risk assessment before granting themselves planning permission? It amazes me that so many local authorities seem to think that they are not subject to the same rules and regulations that other developers must adhere to. Secondly, great crested newts in a lake large enough to support water sports? Really? 

 

Hiker Tells of Her Terror After a Poisonous [sic] Snake Bit Her

A HIKER has told of her terror after a snake bit her as she held it up for a photograph.

via www.dailyrecord.co.uk

 

Natural selection at work...

 

Build a Pond and Help Save Our Not-So-Common Frogs

Adding ponds, however small, to gardens is just one way in which the Sevenoaks Living Landscape project is seeking to encourage more people to become involved in wildlife conservation. Gardeners, and anybody else interested in learning how they can help protect the countryside, can find out more about this Kent Wildlife Trust initiative at the project's stand at the Weald Fete on Saturday June 30.

via www.thisiskent.co.uk

 

I had to read this article twice - because I couldn't find anything to moan about!

I know that sounds terribly conceited but I've become so used to poor standards of journalism that I automatically assume I'll groan (yet again) when I read anything published about the conservation of reptiles or amphibians in a newspaper. It is actually quite refreshing to read something that is accurate and positive. Well done This is Kent (and well done to KWT who probably supplied them with the copy...).

 

The Great Myth of Urban Britain?

... According to the most detailed analysis ever conducted, almost 98% of England is, in their word, natural.

via www.bbc.co.uk

 

Those so called experts have a very odd definition of 'natural'... How much of that apparently green and pleasant land is dominated by arable or short sward grassland I wonder?

 

 

Quite a lot then.

Green maybe, but pleasant? I think if the same data was analysed by somebody who actually knew what a 'natural' habitat was, the take home message would be quite different and very, very depressing. 

 

Between a Rock and a Hardware Place

Watching the Microsoft Surface event video, I sensed uneasiness. Not panic, but discomfort. Some will argue that I’m simply spoiled by Apple’s on-stage polish, but Monday’s Microsoft event struck me as rushed and severely under-rehearsed. Ballmer offered nothing but blustering bromides, and nothing even vaguely resembling a coherent answer to the big question: Why? Steven Sinofsky was nervous and hurried. It didn’t help that his first Surface RT unit crashed before he’d done anything other than wake it up. There was a moment where he said Surface was perfect for sitting down, relaxing in a chair, and watching a movie. He sat in that chair for about three seconds before rushing into the next segment.

via daringfireball.net

I was starting to forget that Microsoft was still in business. Much of my work is now completed on my iPhone, iPad or using platform independent web resources. My desktop machine is mainly used for manipulating graphics (InDesign) and database development (FileMaker). 

A client recently sent me a report in some old version of Word and I was reminded of Microsoft's version hell. The same document opens up with knackered formatting depending on your current platform or version of Word. 

I'm not disppointed that Microsoft has decided to release their own tablet - it will hopefully give Apple some incentive to continue to improve the iPad and ios. But announcing products (apparently there are two tablets) without any indication of how much they will cost or a real world demo of a key selling point (the innovative cover keyboard) reeks of rushed desperation.

I only hope that Google's Android tablet offering receives a much needed boost next week as well. 

 

Slow-worms and the Thwarting of Job Creation?

We don't have the details of what happened to the slow-worms or the industrial development. But what really strikes me is that it is not only a question of the choice between slow-worms and job creation. It is also the dithering for months before making that choice.

via conservativehome.blogs.com

 

If the applicant had undertaken a protected species risk assessment in advance of the planning application the presence of slow-worms would have been revealed and appropriate mitigation works could have been undertaken in a timely manner. It appears that the planning authority did their job correctly and requested appropriate survey and mitigation be undertaken. The applicant failed to supply the correct information at the time of their application resulting in delay to their project.

Calumma Ecological Services urges developers to commission a biodiversity assessment as early as possible. Applicants should not wait for Local Planning Authorities to request protected species information, since this will enevitably result in delays to projects.

 

Report of the Habitats and Wild Birds Directives

It was clear from the wide range of evidence and views submitted in the course of the Review that in the large majority of cases the implementation of the Directives is working well, allowing both development of key infrastructure and ensuring that a high level of environmental protection is maintained.

 

So not gold plated after all?

A full copy of DEFRA's review can be downloaded here. 

 

Osborne Made 'unjustified attack' on EU Habitat Rules

George Osborne has been accused of an "unjustified attack" on EU rules to protect wildlife after a Defra review found they were mostly "working well".

via www.bbc.co.uk

 

Honest question. Who has any confidence in anything that Osborne claims?

 

Allerthorpe Incident - Natural England Responds

I’ve spoken to one of the local staff members who has been involved and who, now he has visited the site, frankly admits that this was a disastrous mistake, pure and simple, and that he’s absolutely mortified.  Although the site in question isn’t an SSSI, it is in an HLS agreement that we’re responsible for overseeing.  The HLS agreement is with a private individual, albeit on FC land, and is primarily for heathland restoration.  As this particular area was only scrubbed up with 6-10 year old birch, and obviously would have still provided good habitat for reptiles, the Natural England brief for the works was not as detailed as it should have been.  As is plain to see from the photos heavy machinery was used, which was the completely wrong method for an area like this (clearly heavy machinery should only be used where there is no reptile habitat whatsoever remaining), and at the worst possible time of year to boot.  As soon as Natural England staff became aware of what was happening the work was stopped and less damaging methods were advised

via www.herpetofauna.co.uk

 

A detailed and very encouraging response from Paul Edgar regarding the incident at Allerthorpe. Paul is Natural England's new Amphibian and Reptile Species Specialist and I believe he deserves a great deal of kudos for being so candid. I really hope that we are at the beginning of a new era, when the statutory conservation organisations and major land owning charities such as The National Trust, County Widlife Trusts, RSPB et. al. take significantly more interest in the conservation of reptiles and amphibians on land that they manage. 

Time will tell.