As you may know, or have guessed, birds are a passion for me - but I am a keen fan of other wildlife too. I spent today in Dorset with Martin Warren, Chief Executive of Butterfly Conservation http://www.butterfly-conservation.org/ and Victoria Chester, Chief Executive of Plantlife International http://www.plantlife.org.uk/ . Both organisations are close friends of the RSPB and both individuals are valued friends and colleagues of mine.
We did do some work - in fact we had two good ideas (but both are secrets for now) - but we also saw some wildlife. Martin took us to a site where scrub clearance has helped marsh fritillaries, and thanks to his skill we saw some of these threatened butterflies - I would never have spotted them unaided.
Our organisations work closely together on a range of issues and that is helped by the friendships between various of our staff but also because the three organisations share a passion for wildlife, a belief in an evidence-based approach and a conviction that the UK could do a much better job for its wildlife. Although my knowledge of plants is pathetically small, and my understanding of butterflies shockingly meagre, with Victoria and Martin I was on the same wavelength - wildlife deserves a better deal in the UK.