Blog

The Habitat Aid blog is set in Somerset. The blog tries to introduce some of the issues surrounding our natural environment as understood by a non ecologist. You’ll also find some practical “how to” guides. It’s written by Nick Mann, who runs Habitat Aid. Nick is an increasingly curmudgeonly bald middle-aged bloke of familiar type.

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Coping With Lockdown I: Recording Wildlife in the Garden
March 29, 2020
The first in a series of wildlife gardening ideas to help stop you going bananas over the next few weeks...
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Climate Change: Own It
March 1, 2020
I'm always amazed by the antipathy Greta Thunberg seems to trigger in some people. I understand she's not everyone's cup of tea, but even so... I g...
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Sowing Wildflower Seed Onto Grass
February 23, 2020
Preparation and seeding grass areas like lawns or pasture with wildflower seed. How to improve the chances of success!
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Coming To Terms With Flooding
February 22, 2020
The vox pops from flood zones this week have been heart breaking. Being in Somerset we've had friends who have experienced being flooded out in the...
- flooding
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The Problem With Chlorinated Chicken
February 5, 2020
Why we should all fight for high food standards. They're good for our farmers, good for consumers, and good for the environment.
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Hedgelaying for Wildlife
January 13, 2020
I love a bit of hedgelaying. I'm too old/knackered/incompetent to do very much, but it's a good workout and - more importantly - it's good for wil...
- hedges
- Hookgate Cottage
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Wildflower Meadows in Spring
December 17, 2019
As the rain carries on lashing down I thought it might be fun to post some photos of our wildflower meadows in spring. Something to look forward t...
- meadows
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Trees For Votes
November 17, 2019
You can only be encouraged by the tree planting bidding war going on between our politicians at the moment, I suppose. 30 million trees, 60 millio...
- trees and woodland
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The Flooding In Yorkshire
November 12, 2019
In the years I've been writing this blog I've written about flooding several times. I think it's a really important issue - and not just because I...
- Digressions
- flooding
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The Need To Give : A Crisis in Environmental Philanthropy
October 27, 2019
Nearly 2/3 of people in the UK earning over £250,000 gave nothing to charity last year (Source: HMRC, cited in The Times). Of those who did, the a...
- biodiversity
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A Trip to Japan
October 16, 2019
We've just got back from a wonderful trip to Japan*. Among the rugby and the sightseeing and the hiking we were caught in typhoon Hagibis last wee...
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Conservation And Conservatism
August 25, 2019
There was an article in the Sunday Times this morning by Eric Kaufmann which partly articulated something which has been troubling me for a while....
- Digressions
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