Landscape Juice

Ecologists get first bumblebees' eye view of the landscape

Ecologists from the University of East Anglia have helped produce the most detailed picture yet of how bumblebees use the landscape thanks to DNA technology and remote sensing. The results – which come from the largest ever study of wild bumblebee nests – could help farmers and policy makers ensure the countryside is better suited to the needs of these vital but declining pollinators. The findings are presented at INTECOL, the world's largest international ecology meeting, in London today. Despite their size and often conspicuous colouring, bumblebees are difficult to study in the wild because their nests are almost impossible... Read more →

The ultimate eco-friendly bus with its own green roof

Landscape artist, Marc Granen, has created green roofs that are planted on top of public transport. Called PhytoKinetic, the aim of the project is to create green space in cities to help contribute to the ecosystem. A prototype PhytoKinetic bus is already in operation, transporting tourists to and from a nature establishment in Girona, Spain. A 70mm thick lightweight hydroponic foam replaces the need for soil. This way the weight is reduced. Condensation from the bus's air conditioner unit provides water for the plants during the summer. When the unit is parked up the plants can be watered by hand... Read more →

Great drought of 1976 left a lasting legacy for Britain's trees

Scientists from the University of Stirling and the Joint Nature Conservation Committee have released a research paper which details the impact the great drought of 1976 had on trees in Great Britain. 1976 was also the year which saw plagues of ladybirds, a Drought Bill, and cries for us all to save water by bathing with a friend. Their findings, published in the British Ecological Society's journal Functional Ecology, found that the drought caused permanent changes to our forests. The study looked at Lady Park Wood in the Wye Valley, a 45-hectare National Nature Reserve on the border of England... Read more →

Illegal and hazardous chemicals found in Chinese herbs say Greenpeace

A study by Greenpeace of Chinese herbs has found many contain illegal and hazardous chemicals. Once growing in forests and only picked at certain times of the year, Chinese herbs are now grown on an industrial scale and reliant on the use of pesticides. Greenpeace bought herb samples from a handful of renowned herb growing regions in China. They also purchased samples of herbal medicine from nine different cities (including Hong Kong) and from nine companies' for pesticide testing. The results of Greenpeace's investigation reveal the herbs contained a cocktail of pesticide residues. Many of these pesticides are illegal in... Read more →

Campaign to save wild Juniper

Juniper is best known for its aromatic berries, which are prized for the flavour they impart to gin. In fact, the word ‘gin’ derives from genièvre or jenever - the French and Dutch words for juniper. Juniper is one of only three native conifers - the other two are yew and Scot’s pine - and was one of the first trees to colonise Britain after the last Ice Age. But today the wild juniper plant is in serious trouble. Juniper has steadily declined over the last few decades and many counties in southern England have lost over 60 per cent... Read more →

Should we worry about weedkiller in our pee?

People in 18 countries across Europe have been found to have traces of the weed killer glyphosate in their urine, a study by Friends of the Earth Europe has found. I've used glyphosate all my working life and used it just last week to control grass and perennial weeds. Glyphosate is widely used in farming and horticulture and to be honest there's very little else that can control weeds in the same way. Roundup, made by Monsanto, is the most popular product containing glyphosate. Monsanto maintain that glyphosate is safe but a number of studies - like this one -... Read more →

British bird population continues to decline says RSPB

The Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB) have reported that many species of birds in the United Kingdom continue to decline at an alarming rate. The once ubiquitous house sparrow saw a drop in numbers of over 17% on last year; it's now an endangered species. Similarly the Green Finch took a pounding with recorded numbers down by 21% last year. Results were collated after almost 590,000 people across the UK, including 75,000 pupils and teachers at schools, took part in the Big Garden Birdwatch in January. Martin Harper, RSPB Conservation Director, said; ”We know from the many... Read more →

Garden centres act on pesticides linked to bee decline

Garden centres are the latest retailers to remove household products containing insecticides linked to bee decline from their shelves, Friends of the Earth revealed today. The action by Notcutts, Hillier, Squires and Blue Diamond, which between them operate 60 garden centres across the UK, follows similar moves – revealed last month by Friends of the Earth - by DIY superstores B&Q, Homebase and Wickes. Concern about the impact of neonicotinoid pesticides on bee populations has risen sharply in recent months. Last month the European Commission proposed restictions on three neonicotinoid chemicals following a report by the European Food Safety Authority.... Read more →

Moors for the Future restoration gets under way

An airlift operation got underway this month as work started to transport around 300,000 moorland plants onto the hills of northern England to help restore the Peak District and South Pennines Moors to good health. Between now and next spring, the thousands of native moorland plants are being airlifted by helicopter to six moorland sites. The work is being carried out by the Moors for the Future Partnership - the largest moorland conservation partnership in Europe - which is led by the Peak District National Park Authority, and funded by Natural England, Defra, the National Trust, Yorkshire Water, United Utilities... Read more →

Is George Monbiot a climate change denier?

I think the climate change debate has a problem and it's nothing to do with the climate. It doesn't matter whether it's a debate, marketing, PR, television or whatever, if any one entity involved becomes popular or famous then focus tends to shift away from the subject and the personality becomes the centre of attention. In terms of the global climate change debate, George Monbiot has become the game changer. So revered has Monbiot become by his followers that I fear if he suddenly said the world was flat that his supporters would believe him and fail to rationalise his... Read more →