Book Reviews: Fighting For Birds - 25 Years in Nature Conservation by Mark Avery
Paperback / 325 Pages / Pelagic Publishing (2012) / ISBN 978-1907807299 / RRP £12.99
Review #1 by Mike Everett for British Birds
Quite early in chapter one, reading about Mark Avery’s time as a deer researcher on Rum, I came across the bizarre statement that ‘our base… looked across Mull to Skye and the Cuillins…’ and wondered whether this boded well for the rest of the book. I need not have worried; it must have been an editorial mistake. This is a marvellous account of one man’s work for bird conservation, reflecting Mark’s impressive birding and academic background as well as his sharp intellect, his sure grasp of strategy and his huge commitment to his vocation. His well-known sense of humour is there too, as is that enviable facility at communication which made him such a great asset to the RSPB.
You won’t find much inaccuracy here, but you may find things that you disagree with, or that at least make you think hard. That is entirely intentional; the book frequently takes us down all manner of tortuous paths, involves us in contentious issues, challenges us with bold statements and even makes us wonder about our own morals. It gets complicated – forgive me for using the famous reviewer’s get-out ‘you must read it for yourself’, but really you must.
After a hugely enjoyable look at Mark’s early days as a birder and researcher, we finally find him at his first RSPB job, in the Flow Country of Caithness and Sutherland, and quickly detect that the conservation bug is biting hard. Soon we are deep into a chapter asking: ‘Is it ever right to be nasty to birds?’ There is discussion of Ruddy Duck Oxyura jamaicensiscontrol, among other things, and then of predator control – with a nice sideswipe I particularly enjoyed at the ‘prejudiced drivel’ RSPB staff often have to put up with from field sports people at events like the Game Fair.
Against the background of the RSPB’s neutral stance on the ethics of shooting, Mark suggests that he can just about understand wildfowling, but is a bit more dubious when it comes to Common Pheasants Phasianus colchicus and is decidedly uneasy about grouse-shooting. This subject comes up again later in a hard-hitting chapter simply called ‘The Raptor Haters’. Some of this is about the widespread (and largely ill-informed) dislike of all birds of prey and some about the disgraceful persecution which still goes on, especially on grouse moors. I could see Mark getting angrier and angrier as he wrote, so it was no surprise to find him saying that, if it were up to him, driven grouse-shooting would be banned altogether.
We move on to a chapter on ‘special places’ where the RSPB has been involved in battles to save them – for example the North Kent Marshes and part of Lewis, threatened, respectively, by an airfield and a huge windfarm. After a highly informative chapter on farming and farmland birds, we look at reintroductions and then at nature reserves. Next comes another strong chapter, this time on climate change and its possibly sinister implications for birds – and, indeed, the whole planet – and here I have a major criticism. It would have been helpful to have some attempt to counter the much-publicised views of the doubters and deniers, whose assertions not only hugely confuse the issue but are influential and seem to meet with a good deal of public support.
Two chapters follow which address the political dimensions of the conservation battle and then advocacy issues, all heavy stuff but very well explained. Then, curiously perhaps, comes a little light relief as we are given a long series of ‘snippets’, many often humorous and ranging across a whole range of subjects, from seeing Little Auks Alle alle from the office window, to watching 400 Red Kites Milvus milvus at a Spanish roost, to meeting Gordon Brown and Lee Evans (not together) and Keith Brockie saving the author’s life.
The final chapters make no bones about the huge amount that remains to be done in bird and wildlife conservation and about the enormous difficulties involved. The challenge is for all of us to get stuck in and do as much as we can, and, especially, to persuade the rest of the population to do the same. Seeing the RSPB as a continuing prime mover, Mark wonders about its future direction, including, amongst other things, the possible ramifications of devolution. A ‘Who’s who’ of statutory bodies and NGOs involved in all aspects of wildlife conservation is largely about telling us who to join, lobby, pester and influence in every way that we can. What we should do as individuals is here too.
All in all, this is a hugely important book, and so much more than just a valuable history of a hectic 25 years. It is controversial in parts, it is thought-provoking in others, and it should be used to make a lot of people sit up and take notice. I also hope that the publishers can somehow sell thousands and thousands of copies.
Mike Everett
Buy this book from the British Birds bookshop which is run by Subbuteo Natural History Books - Subbuteo code M21332, £12.99
This means that 5% of all sales generated by British Birds subscribers, whether it is books reviewed in the journal, featured on its book page or listed on the Subbuteo website, will be paid to British Birds - and will directly support the production of the journal.
Review #2 by Stephen Menzie for BirdGuides
Mark Avery's Fighting for Birds never struck me as the sort of book I'd enjoy reading; but I'd heard good things about it and decided to give it a try. Sadly, the first chapter seemed to confirm my fears. Despite reassurances in the text that this wasn't an autobiography, that's an awful lot what it felt like. Nonetheless, I ploughed on — and I was glad I did!
I'm not sure what changed in the second chapter. It felt like the writing style had changed, that suddenly the text flowed a lot more smoothly; perhaps it was because the topics covered were now fuller, more in-depth, rather than the whistle-stop tour of the first 28 years of Mark's life that Chapter 1 had been. Or perhaps it had just taken me 30 pages before I got into the book. Either way, now I had in front of me a book that I wanted to read and keep on reading.
Mark was, until 2011, the RSPB's Conservation Director. If you imagined Fighting for Birds to be a series of informed stories detailing Mark's experiences and views on aspects of the job, you'd be right. If you tried to suggest how wide-reaching and varied those aspects of the jobs were, you'd probably fall a fair distance short of the reality. Reading the book, it's amazing to see how much Mark — and the RSPB — have been involved in. From climate change to individual wildlife crime cases, through muddy fields to the corridors of Westminster, Mark tells it all from his own personal point of view. That is not to say, to Mark's credit, that this is a kiss-and-tell. It's clear that Mark has a lot of respect for his former employer; and, reading all that has he's written, rightly so.
I'd heard that some of what was written was controversial. I didn't find it so; though perhaps that's because I'm not a grouse-moor manager, the head of the National Farmers Union or a fertiliser-come-biotech company's policymaker. But even if you do fall into one of the above categories, I think it would be hard not to listen to some of the solid arguments that Mark puts forward in this book — rejecting GM crops until the research comes from those without a vested interested in the outcome; accepting that, as shown at the RSPB's Hope Farm, farmers and Skylarks can both profit from well-managed land; and, if all other avenues in the perennial grouse–Hen Harrier battle fail to reach a solution, the suggestion of sending driven grouse-shooting the same way as hunting with hounds. The ongoing actions surrounding the last in that list provides particularly fascinating reading.
I learnt a lot from this book, much of it in areas I didn't expect: the workings of the Common Agricultural Policy; the complicated intricacies of the 'British' government (from the EU to the regional parliaments with their Minsters, advisers and civil servants); and the even more complicated tangle of British wildlife charities. If you find the first chapter hard going, stick with it; the rest of the book is an informative and entertaining read, and really should be added to the essential reading list of anyone who has even the slightest sniff of interest in nature.
Review #3 by Martin Harper for RSPB
When I accepted the job as Conservation Director of the RSPB, I knew I had big shoes to fill. Mark Avery’s new book, “Fighting for Birds”, reminds me just how much he achieved in his 25 years working for the RSPB and, alas, the scale of the challenge that still remains.
The book is everything you’d expect from Mark: beautifully written, instructive, forthright and fun.
Although Mark claims this is not an autobiography, for those of us who know Mark so well, it is good to get an insight into his backstory.
The early chapters explain how he moved from birding around Bristol to studies at Cambridge and Oxford before he joined the RSPB as a scientist working in the Flow Country and then on seabirds. These chapters are a joy to read. As expected, he helps you understand the science, articulates the conservation challenge but he also gives generous acknowledgement to the people around him nurturing and inspiring him in the early days of his career.
His own experiences and conservation philosophy help to bring to life the RSPB conservation toolkit: sound science, protecting species from direct threats, saving special places, improving the wildlife value of land and sea and putting back lost biodiversity. This approach evolved during his time at the charity and remains in place today. These chapters are so good, they should serve as a text book for any budding conservationist.
Mark has always been a passionate birder and made his mark as a scientist. But, he is also a brilliant communicator, lobbyist and gambler. And it is his love of horses and gambling that gives a clue to how he approaches life. Yes, his is unconventional and occasionally courts controversy. But he is never rash. He plays the odds and is not interested in investing in battles that he cannot win. This is why you won’t get him to join a sweepstake – he’s not interested if the stakes are unknown and the outcome is left to chance.
Mark is at his best when science and politics collide. His book provides excellent accounts of what it was like to be at the frontline of debates about genetically modified crops, avian influenza, farming and raptor persecution. He prided himself in being on the right side of the argument.
As you’d expect, he doesn’t pull punches – he no longer needs to. It’s clear that he is enjoying life as an independent commentator. Like his blog, this book is bound to upset some people but that is because he speaks from the heart, points out inconvenient truths and always does whatever he thinks nature needs.
The only downside to this book is you are reminded of past battles that, despite Mark’s best efforts, just don’t seem to have gone away. The prospect of an airport in the Thames still looms nearly a decade after Mark led the RSPB’s fight against Cliffe Airport, birds of prey are still persecuted, wind farms still get built in the wrong place and farmland birds have yet to recover.
The closing chapters offer a constructive critique of the sector and of the organisation he left and the one I still work for. I didn’t squirm, it’s a fair summary of where we are and the choices we have to make. And the final chapter is an optimistic call to arms to the whole conservation movement. Following last week’s reminder about the parlous state of many of our breeding birds and the row over climate change, it is a call that we need to respond to. If we slip up, or fall short for whatever reason, one thing is certain – he’ll tell us what we did wrong on his blog.
For a change, I’ll have the last word. If Mark had won more battles, my life would be a lot easier today. So, if I was harsh, I’d blame him for all those sleepless nights I've had over the past 14 months.
But I’ll be nice (which is what he’d expect). Without Mark, the natural world would be in a much worse place than it is now. So thank you Mark for everything you did over the past 25 years (and that includes giving me my first job at the RSPB in 2004).
Read the book and tell him what you think. I’m sure that he’d love to hear your views.
Promotional Review by Chris Packham
I started at the beginning and I read to the end without stopping and that, for me at least, is a rarity. But then Mark Avery is a rarity too as he has few, if any, equals in contemporary British conservation and I was absolutely itching to discover his ideas, views and visions in this eagerly awaited book.
It’s been a long time in the making, he is in his fifties, but it has been worth the wait as there is no doubt that this will be marked as a truly important book. I don’t use this term glibly either, as I can only think of one other in this category that has made it onto my shelves in recent years. But for ‘important’ please do not read in any way ‘worthy’, it’s just that here a tremendously respected figure has confronted a series of critical issues with dynamic aplomb. And I greatly enjoyed it too, I didn’t agree with all of it of course, but if anyone has the passion and reason to change minds on all matters wildlife and conservation it is Mr Avery. So I learned a tremendous amount, far better understand some key issues, sniggered at some very tasty gossip and admired the pragmatism and thinking that has formulated his authoritative views It made me think and that is always an essential component to a good read.
It all begins so gently with typical boyhood tales of a budding birder, follows through a formative education in the company of some of recent ecology’s true giants, has several sections of fascinating science all enthusiastically explained and then charts his years of influence and success at the RSPB. But this is very much a platform for what follows, honest behind the scenes details, clear explanations of the recent evolution of this influential charity, with a fair spattering of candid criticism thrown in. It therefore addresses many of the criticisms and concerns which unsettle some of the membership, and I’m sure will lay most to rest.
Ultimately however it is the climax of the book which holds most reward because here one of our most respected and knowledgeable conservationists gets straight and serious on the issues which command so much of our concern. And I’m sure some will find controversy here. Not me, I read and saw real clarity and I felt heartened and re-assured that there are those with the courage to tell the hard truth about the health and future hopes for our nation’s wildlife. So for myself it is a triumph and if you have any real interest in the workings of saving species and their habitats then it’s a tremendously rewarding ‘must read’.
Chris Packham
PS: I can’t wait for volume two . . . maybe he will deal with domestic cats!
Comments
Post a Comment