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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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
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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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The Garden Jungle (Dave Goulson)
July 28, 2019
I don't think I've written a book review since third form, but felt moved to write briefly about Dave Goulson's The Garden Jungle. Spoiler alert...
- biodiversity
- gardens
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Wildflowers In Your Garden
June 27, 2019
Malva moschata Do you want a patch of wildflowers in your garden? The right answer! I think they can look lovely; some are long flowering too, l...
- gardens
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Wildflower Meadows, Pictorial Meadows - who cares?
June 16, 2019
I went to a fascinating seminar given by Nigel Dunnett last week - he of pictorial meadows. Nigel is one of the leading influencers of landscape d...
- meadows
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In The Meadow
June 2, 2019
We have a two acre plot in Somerset, much of it wildflower meadow. Our garden is driven by a simple principle; it has to look good and do good. Ou...
- meadows
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