Past issues

Issue 34

This is a crucial time of year for birds, whose heightened activity includes dawn choirs, territorial displays and collecting nesting material, and there is much in this issue to please bird enthusiasts. And spring in Wales wouldn't be complete without wild daffodils

Issue 33

Winter 2009

As world leaders meet in Copenhagen to discuss the future of climate change, how has Wales fared when tackling environmental issues? From the beginnings of organic farming and the birth of the Soil Association to a group of 'ordinary people' travelling to Brussels to discuss their concerns about climate change, Wales can hold its head high when it comes facing the issues head on.

Issue 32

Landhoppers are seemingly benign visitors to our shores but the invasive Himalayan balsam presents a challenge, while feral goats are both a joy and a threat. Seaweed can be harvested sustainably but a coal 'harvest' brings noise, dust and pollution for years at a time. These are just a few of the contrasts in conservation, where there are no easy answers.

Issue 31

Summer 2009

Earlier this year the National Trust hosted a celebratory exhibition of the work of Charles Tunnicliffe, which included a talk about the great wildlife artist by Philip Snow. Tunnicliffe’s paintings and illustrations in more than 250 books won him a huge following, but perhaps not the artistic acclaim he deserved. As Philip pointed out, dead birds, which are relatively easy to depict, can be art, but capturing life itself, so hard, is considered mere illustration by the art world.

Issue 30

Spring 2009

Welsh islands and their seabird colonies have long attracted outstanding research talent. The fascination they exert has helped to keep researchers committed to long-term studies, which over time become important evidence of the causes and effects of environmental change. We all benefit, not because these studies generate income for local communities, although they do, but because they enhance our reputation as a rewarding place to do research; richly endowed with nature, ours is a country where learning counts, a culture sympathetic to the pursuit of knowledge and understanding.