NPUK News Page:

Welcome to the NPUK News Page. Here you will find news and information not only relating to Naturepark UK but also regarding conservation and other relevant topics.

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August 2010:

-Good news for Naturepark UK! The Inland Revenue has accepted Naturepark UK Limited as a charity for tax purpose under their reference XT24666 with effect from 5 April 2009!

June 2010:

-Kill the vermin!

Naturepark UK is shocked and disgusted by the “usual” response to the “fox attack” on twin babies in London: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/10251349.stm

Of course our sympathy goes out to the parents and children but to hear that in response several foxes have now already been trapped and “destroyed” in Hackney just confirms man’s deep seated ignorance to anything and everything that stands in his way of living without consideration for any other being.

Why are foxes in town? Food, that is the answer. So as usual we are unwilling to change our behaviour: We encourage foxes to live in urban areas by leaving food waste lying around, even feeding the foxes thus ensuring they lose fear of humans. In addition we encourage mice and rats, further food for foxes. We then leave our doors open and two babies, ready as a feast for any hungry fox, get nibbled and hey, now we have to take revenge on the murderous beasts and dispatch them.

There are even calls for a general cull of urban foxes!

It seems that the human attitude of killing anything and everything, that does not allow us to live care free, has still survived in us since the stone ages. With 2010 the official international year of biodiversity (http://www.biodiversityislife.net/index.php) and ever mounting research showing how important the promotion of biodiversity, including even larger predators (http://www.nwf.org/News-and-Magazines/National-Wildlife/Animals/Archives/2003/A-Top-Dog-Takes-Over.aspx) for the whole of nature is it seems again a step backwards for us to shout for the murder of animals instead of modifying our behaviour.

Don’t throw your rubbish around, especially not food waste, always securely close your bins and don’t feed wildlife. Not too difficult now or is it. All of a sudden urban foxes are our best safe friends helping to keep mice and rats in check.

Nature does look after itself if we just let it.

May 2010:

-Update to the "The 'Who' behind NPUK" web page. The last paragraph was changed in order to avoid offending other organisations.

-Wild boar are back in Britain and thriving, but if numbers really increase a lot then maybe it is time for the reintroduction of wolves in order to allow for natural control. Problems arise when boar go to town as frequently happens in Germany:

"Armed police had to gun down a wild boar that broke into the offices in Hamburg when a herd of the animals went on the rampage in the city's centre Officers armed with submachine guns were called to the consultancy in Hamburg on Friday night after one of 12 boars smashed through a window to enter the building. Stunned staff were evacuated as it crashed through open-plan office causing £12,000 of damage. It was shot dead next to the office photocopier.

-Naturepark UK supports The Wolf Army:

-A must read for everybody interested in nature and humans (apes), maybe less of the latter...: The Philosopher and the Wolf, by Mark Rowlands, available from Amazon via the link on this website.

April 2010:

-Protected Areas good for People too: Conservation of wildlife habitat is good for people too – this is the captivating message of a 10-year study released today by WWF including contribution from PAN Parks Foundation Director Zoltán Kun on tourism linking pleasure and protection.

-Ask the WWF Climate Question:

-Naturepark UK is now an official International Year of Biodiversity Partner

and rightfully so since biodiversity stands at the centre of the NPUK Concept.

-Agroforestry, Naturepark UK's backbone for the future.

-BBC Radio4 series "Saving Species" provides endless arguments for the Naturepark UK vision.

-Naturepark UK comment as part of the University of Worcester study, via British Wild Boar, regarding public attitudes towards the wild boar in the Forest of Dean: It is the British island mentality which stands in the way of nature re-establishing itself. In Britain man forced "nature" into obedience creating a simplified and depleted environment now called nature. Perversely the most depleted areas, like the Cumbrian Fells and the Scottish Highlands, we call "natural treasures" and protect parts of them as national parks. With this mentality the whole British nation is ill prepared for the re-introduction of formerly extinct species. How can a dog walker complain that in a stand off a wild boar bit his dog-implying that it would be perfectly fine for the dog to bite the boar. I grew up in Germany with wild boar and red deer a daily presence in our garden, we would never have thought of complaining about the eaten flowers or the dug up lawn and we would certainly never have challenged a boar. Yet here in Britain a poor boar shows beside a school, instead of telling the children to back off a ranger is called and the ranger, on intimidating the poor beast, decides that it shows signs of aggression and shoots it. This sort of attitude is insular, perverted and most primitive in a very arrogant way. A lot of educational work needs to happen before the British public will be accepting of real nature on their door step.

-Update to the NPUK Concept page: We watch with shock and horror reports about deforestation, with images of barren hill tops and soil erosion, in the developing world. Yet on our doorstep we declare the same type of destroyed areas as national parks and resist suggestions of re-forestation in order to preserve our "natural" heritage. Cumbria, the Yorkshire Dales and Moors, the Scottish Highlands, etc.; they all used to be covered in woodland.

-1st of April, interview on BBC Radio Cumbria: All went well until the point when Mike Parr asked Naturepark UK about examples for profitable use. The realistic answer for Cumbria would have upset too many people who still think that the fells, as they are, are natural and to be preserved. Enough research supports the notion that, especially for the Cumbrian fells, wide spread re-forestation - initially using coppicing schemes and also utilising non native fast growing trees - would be the best way to enhance species diversity, protect the ground from soil erosion and generate profits via timber, Christmas trees, turpentine production, fire wood, etc.. Unfortunately the average Cumbrian and many conservation organisations are not willing to accept this and hang on to the artificially depleted landscape and sheep. Naturepark UK didn’t think it should have stated this on the program though…

March 2010:

-Wisent are back: The first wisent to be reintroduced into the wild in central Germany have arrived today, 24.03.10.

-Naturepark UK uncovers possible sponsorship conman!

Someone contacted Naturepark UK via email claiming to be a representative of a possible corporate sponsor. On trying to arrange a meeting he changed the timetable of the suggested dates and wanted £400 for a meeting event, including his partner and representatives of three other organisations as an outdoor venture, in Cumbria. When Naturepark UK declined the offer he replied with an aggressive and almost abusive email and objected to ever being contacted by Naturepark UK again!? The name of the "corporation" was never disclosed.

The whole scam sounds like somebody trying to finance for himself and his partner a paid for adventure holiday.

-Naturepark UK signed the appeal: Protect Sweden's Old-Growth Forests

-Naturepark UK asks "Environment" Minister, Hilary Benn MP, for feedback:

Dear Sir,

 I am sorry to intrude on your valuable time, but I think in your ministerial role you are well placed to appreciate the Naturepark UK concept.

 I wonder if you would be so kind to visit our website and share your thoughts with me.

 My name is Jens Stahlschmidt and I am the chief executive officer of Naturepark UK.

 Currently Naturepark UK only stands as a concept, a different way of approaching conservation in order to guarantee sustainability.

Marketing of the idea can only be successful if the concept is presented in an understandable and well worded manner. We also believe that some of your good and important work and the ideas of Naturepark UK are overlapping and maybe in future collaborate working might materialise.

 I would appreciate your thoughts and constructive criticism regarding the Naturepark UK concept.

Please also let me know if it would be acceptable if we would incorporate the DEFRA logo on our website as a means of linking to the DEFRA website. We would do this for the purpose of a link only and certainly happily indemnify against any inappropriate use of the logo for financial gain.

We would also be happy to offer you the incorporation of our logo on your or the DEFRA site,  or  , as a means of linking to our website.

 Your reply is appreciated.

 Yours faithfully

Dr.Jens Stahlschmidt

CEO NaturePark UK Ltd

-Naturepark UK applied to become a "International Year of Biodiversity" partner.

-Photographic proof of wolf in Kärnten, Austria: DNA analysis shows that at least two wolves, one from Italy and one from the Balkan area, have made their way to Kärnten.

-New link to the Wild Wonders of Europe website.

-Follow this link to download the strongest possible arguments for the Naturepark UK vision, the "Lost" report of Natural England.

-New link to The Wild Foundation on the Appropriate Links page.

-Naturepark UK signed up to the WWF Earth Hour initiative.

-Japanese insect to fight Japanese knotweed.

February 2010:

-Naturepark UK has applied for tax exemption with the Inland Revenue under the rules for bodies in England and Wales exempt or excepted from Charity Commission registration.

-We were notified that the National Park Authority has put up numerous new signs along the Cumbrian Fells advising visitors to keep dogs on lead between 1st of March and 31st of July to protect ground nesting birds. Whilst Naturepark UK agrees with the need to protect ground nesting birds the argument hardly stands up to dogs straying along established paths, especially since the enormous sheep overpopulation causes way more disturbance to the birds.

They also ask dog owners to clean up after their pets, for reasons of hygiene on paths, but also to protect life stock from disease. Whilst Naturepark UK fully supports "poop and scoop" initiatives, especially in residential areas and on public footpaths on farmland, the argument hardly stands up on the open Fells. Sheep equal deer and dogs equal wolves and in that the balance between the overpopulation of sheep and visitors' dogs seems intact. Once life stock owners are asked to clean up after their animals we will fully support the same for dog owners.

-Naturepark UK has applied to become a Partnership For Action Against Wildlife Crime (PAW) partner.

January 2010:

22.01.2010: Just been over your new project and was well impressed. It looks very professional and you have some very useful links. I'm looking forward to following its progression.

NPUK Reply: Many thanks, the links are a bit of a heartache; should they be mellowed down or not???

20.01.2010: Thanks for letting me look at the website. I think it looks really good and something close to my heart as well.

I think I follow the arguments. If I was being very picky, I think your banner picture, although a great picture, gives a negative message. This scene is what we think of as "wild Britain" but It's a really the aftermath of our ancestors who cut down all the forests and left us with the rather bleak looking fells and moorland we have today. The smaller pictures below and elsewhere, of wild cats and wolves etc., really capture the imagination of how exciting things would be if we looked after the country better. They give a sense of almost turning the UK back into one big nature/game reserve which is a very attractive concept.

If I'm honest, I think there are too many links to Wikipedia which get a bit annoying (except for stuff like the "boxer rebellion" which is quite cleverly done). I wonder as well if people would donate more if it was more explicit what the money will be spent on or how much things cost. 

Generally think its great and have signed up for newsletter! Regards

NPUK Reply: Hello and many thanks for spending some time studying the website.

At this stage of the project it is really good feedback that cements the foundations of the project before more aggressive promotional work can materialise.

We did some site updates last night, changing the header picture from moorland to a slightly greener scenery, still a bit barren but maybe symbolising the need to actually do something. The link to the facebook group is also finally working.

Whilst we currently do not want to encourage a forum with a need for us to monitor matters we hope that in time the facebook group site will act as a discussion platform. 

For the initial utilisation of funds the plan is to purchase a small area of land and use research grants for a pilot study in forestry. We will incorporate this information into the site to encourage trust in visitors and potential donors. 

We do agree that the text links, mainly to Wikipedia, are a bit “in your face” and we shall get to work and mellow them down.

Again many thanks.

17.01.2010: Eventually, I have found a few moments to look at your NaturePark Website. I like the idea and ethos for one (principle) reason the economic imperative this is made clear in the sites (your) statement: 

"For nature to be preserved in a sustainable way nature needs to pay its keep, hence any conservation project in its entirety must be profitable. Consequently the yardstick for conservation has to be shifted from "the right thing to do" to "species diversity". Aiming to maintain or further species diversity whilst simultaneously achieving profits and prosperity will ensure project sustainability."

You might also read (if you have not already) The bird of time (The Science and politics of nature conservation) - N. W. Moore.

NPUK Reply: Many thanks for the feedback...(works for Forestry Commission)

Any further comments regarding the site are of course welcome and if you are happy to do so then please forward the link to the Naturepark UK site to your email contacts in order to spread the word and encourage people to utilise the Amazon purchase link. 

We actually emailed the Forestry Commission head office several times, asking if they would object for us to use their logo in order to link to their site, but they only gave an automated reply and nothing further.

11.01.2010: Hello, I had a look at your site as promised and would suggest that you allow for a discussion portal, maybe via facebook or twitter.

NPUK Reply: Duly noticed: please join the Naturepark UK Facebook Group: