I´m still in Madrid and I´ve spent today discussing conservation matters with staff from the BirdLife International partner in Spain - SEO. The RSPB is the UK BirdLife partner, and we are proud to be part of such a network and partnership of wildlife conservation organisations right across the world.
SEO is a great organisation - much smaller than the RSPB but doing a great job for the Spanish environment and its nature.
I spent the morning with SEO´s President, Eduardo de Juana, an old friend and a keen and expert birdwatcher. So it won´t surprise you, perhaps, to hear that our discussions took place while watching great bustards, black-bellied sandgrouse, azure-winged magpies, calandra larks, crag martins, red kites, griffon vultures, Sardinian warblers etc etc (am I making you envious yet?) just outside Madrid.
We talked about the European Birds and Habitat Directives that have helped to protect Europe´s wildlife, poisoning of birds of prey in both our countires, wind tubines, the problem of introduced species (and amazingly an American mink appeared before us about 10 seconds after we mentioned mink - that was really spooky!), agriculture policy (again through the EU), biofuels, marine protected areas, how to influence politicians, our hopes and fears for Copenhagen - and of old friends and of our love of nature.
I also met and talked with SEO´s Director General, Alejandro Sanchez, (another old friend, so some of that time was spent eating sweets and then drinking beer - does it sound like a tough day?) and I´m looking forward to more discussions tomorrow.
The RSPB once acted as a mentor to a growing and developing SEO but now we talk as equal partners with shared worries and hopes. Our different experiences and perspectives are shared between ourselves and other BirdLife partners and should make us all stronger. I know that it makes me feel more determined to get a good deal for nature when I see how much our colleagues in Spain are achieving.
Pleased you had a good time and spread the gospel a bit more.It seems a pity that although everyone knows that we are making climate change worse by using more energy we all still seem to use more each year.I think a graph of the increase of energy use over the last 60 years would look frightening.
No I wasn't envious and yes it sounded like a really tough day,what with meeting old friends, talking about nature, a bit of birdwatching and drinking beer. Would hate to get up in the morning and do your job. But Hey ho someone has to do it and you do it so well.
It's great that you guys work together around the world. You can achieve so much more by joining forces with other organisations that want the same things.