Large parts of Dartmoor have been denuded of wildlife, harmed by farming and a mess of government schemes that are costly in every way
Britain’s uplands are dying. What should be some of the very best places for nature are the absolute worst. Across vast tracts of some of our most beautiful landscapes, life is rapidly ebbing away. Where once there was purple heather, bilberry and buzzing insect life, there are now over-grazed, sheep-infested ecological disaster zones. For a nation of nature lovers, it’s a disgrace.
One of the very worst areas is the Dartmoor commons. These exemplify everything that is wrong about England’s upland management. In a recent Natural England survey of Dartmoor’s protected sites, only 26 out of 22,494 hectares (55,583 acres) were found to be in an ecologically favourable condition – that’s 0.1%. All the blanket bogs and all the heathland surveyed are in an appalling state, and in many places these once wonderful habitats are in decline.
Chris Packham is a naturalist, broadcaster and campaigner
Search
Recent Research
Want your Blog Article featured on our website?
Research
Featured News
Edward McNabb, pioneer of conservation bioacoustics died on May 7, aged 81
Founder’s Briefs: An occasional series where Mongabay founder Rhett Ayers Butler shares analysis, perspectives and
World’s first industry-wide climate mandate could be launched with shipping vote
This is Part 1 in a short series on efforts to decarbonize the global shipping
Queensland land clearing figures show state remains ‘deforestation capital of Australia’, conservationists say
Overall clearing was up 3%, with almost half in Great Barrier Reef catchment areas while
Strategies against deforestation across the Amazon Basin
The command-and-control approach to reducing or eliminating environmental wrongdoing depends on both carrots and sticks.
UN holds emergency talks over sky-high accommodation costs at Cop30 in Brazil
Concerns poorer countries could be priced out of negotiations in Belém as room rates soar
Countries failing to act on UN climate pledge to triple renewables, thinktank finds
Fossil fuel reliance likely to continue and Cop28 target of limiting global heating to below
Trump bids to scrap almost all pollution regulations – can anything stop this?
EPA tries to rescind ‘endangerment finding’ – part of ‘drill, baby, drill’ agenda that experts
Ethiopia’s national tree campaign underway with aim to plant 700 million seedlings in one day
ADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia (AP) — Ethiopia has launched a national campaign to plant 700 million