'Home is where the dung is'
Published in Welsh Country Magazine, January 2010
How much dung would you expect one average-sized cow to produce in a
year? Not sure? Well, one cow will produce at least 9 tonnes of dung per year.
With over 10 million cattle in the UK, that's over 90 million tonnes of dung
produced yearly...and it's not only cattle that produce dung! It has been
calculated that one dung pat will cover 0.8m2, so add all this dung
together and cow dung would cover an area of 292,000 hectares. We can put this
into perspective when we realise that London covers only 159,000 hectares. So
where is it all? Why are we not neck deep in the stuff?...
Follow this link to the pdf of the full article.
Follow this link to the Welsh Country magazine website, where the article introduction is displayed.
From delving in dung
to fronting the Sky ‘Knowledge' advertising campaign
Published in the Jesus College Alumni Magazine, late summer 2009
Rather than ask ‘why would you be
interested in insects?' I feel it is far more relevant to ask ‘Why anyone would
not be fascinated by insects?' We
share the planet with over a million known species of them, with perhaps another
5 million awaiting discovery. Without midges that pollinate the cacao tree we
would not have chocolate and without dung beetles burying dung, the surface of
our planet would be covered in faeces! However, most people leap at a scurrying
black beetle or swat a pestilent midge without a second thought for the
importance of these little creatures in making our world go round...
Follow this link to the pdf of the full article.
Insect hunting in the garden in early summer
Published in Welsh Country Magazine, Early Summer 2009
When you think of Pembrokeshire
and its wildlife, often what comes to mind is the red-legged, chough, the
techni-coloured puffin or perhaps the dolphin. However, Pembrokeshire's
wildlife is not limited to the large, the charismatic and the cuddly (or the
sea-faring). Take a closer look at where
you are placing your feet and you will come across a whole new world of
wildlife wonders in the undergrowth...and then you find that you become
addicted to looking for them. Read more...
Conservation Issues Facing the Pembrey Burrows Local Nature Reserve
Published in the West Wales
Biodiversity Information Centre Newsletter, Bulletin 5, 2008
The Pembrey Burrows Local Nature Reserve (LNR) is simply
stunning. Not only does it boast an unspoiled, 8 mile long beach, but also a
complex dune system that provides an idyllic setting for a leisurely stroll.
There is a blue flag zone complete with lifeguards which is popular during the
summer, and a long stretch that is largely desolate, used recently by
horse-riders, dog walkers and locals wanting to escape the throngs of tourists. Read more...
Pembrey Burrows LNR. Sarah Beynon, 2007 ©
Profile: Roger Mathias
Published in the West Wales
Biodiversity Information Centre Newsletter, Bulletin 5, 2008
Roger Mathias is a
farmer that not only talks about the importance of conservation, but puts his
words in to action on his farm at Furzy Mount in Camrose, which has recently
been described as a ‘flora and fauna gem'. Read more...
Wild Bird Seed Crop, Furzy Mount. Sarah Beynon 2007 ©
The Red Kite Story
Published in the West Wales
Biodiversity Information Centre Newsletter, Bulletin 4, 2008
Once a common sight in towns and cities all over the
UK,
the Red Kite has been brought back from the verge of extinction by the world's
longest running conservation programme. But what was the cause of the decline
of this magnificent species, and what are the implications of bringing it back?
Read more...
Red Kite, Milvus milvus. Derek Moore ©
Back to our roots:
The importance of Native Breeds as conservation tools
Published in the West Wales
Biodiversity Information Centre Newsletter, Bulletin 4, 2008
After the
last war, the government issued farmers with a statement ordering them to
produce more food from their land. This was the beginning of agricultural
intensification and the subsequent decline of many species associated with the
extensive farming practices of the past. Fast-growing continental breeds of
livestock became popular, and we saw the decline of our native breeds, with
many now placed on the Rare Breeds Register. However, with their loss, their
role as conservation grazers in protecting important wildlife habitats was
acknowledged. But just why are they so important to our wildlife? Read more...
Wales' Native Breed - The Welsh Black. Sarah Beynon 2005 ©
Varley Gradwell
Travelling Fellowsip in Insect Ecology: Dung Beetle (Scarabaeinae) Research
Project to Zambia,
2005
Published in the Oxford University Alumni Magazine 2005
Working alongside the Hope Entomological Collections, Oxford University
Museum, and the
Scarabaeinae Research Network (ScarabNet).
Dung beetle research is a current hot topic in the field of
entomology. Dung beetles play a keystone
role in the removal of dung, via relocation for feeding as well as for
oviposition. Read more...
All articles © S. A. Beynon.