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PRESS RELEASE: British author says UN’s warning on children and AI signals a new chapter for parents
August 4th, 2026 – When the United Nations Secretary-General said that no child should become ‘a guinea pig for unregulated AI’, British author Simon H King felt the conversation about children and artificial intelligence (AI) had reached a turning point. For years, much of the public debate around AI had centred on employment, productivity, regulation and what the technology might…
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Bill Oddie.
I’m deeply saddened by the passing of Bill Oddie. Bill worked alongside Haith’s for more than two decades, but he became much more than our resident bird expert. He became a true friend. His knowledge, humour and ability to bring birds and nature to life were quite extraordinary. Thank you, Bill, for your friendship and…
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New book published
To everyone who has followed The Frightened Face of Nature over the years… Many of you first came across my writing through Maxwell Knight, natural history, and our changing relationship with the natural world. John and Margaret Cooper were both so kind to involve me in their Maxwell Knight story, and we three continue to…
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Encounters with Nature in West Sussex: a foray on the South Downs
John E Cooper and Margaret E Cooper A warm and sunny Saturday 13th June encouraged a total of 22 people to attend all or part of a natural history field meeting in West Sussex. The venue for the field meeting was the Honeysuckle Lane Open Space (“The Sanctuary”), on the edge of High Salvington. See…
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Thank you!
50,000+ views, readers from more than 150 countries and several years later, I’m pleased to report that The Frightened Face of Nature daily readership continues to grow. Perhaps that’s not surprising. Wherever we live, many of us share a concern for the natural world and the pressures it faces. Nature is under pressure almost everywhere.…
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Feeding birds isn’t the problem. How we feed them is what matters.
Birds rely on our gardens more than ever. Changes in farming, habitat loss, and climate pressures mean natural food sources are not always enough. Organisations like the RSPB and The Wildlife Trusts have described this as a “perfect storm” for wildlife, with species increasingly pushed out of the landscapes they once depended on. Feeding the…
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Happy Easter
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The Spy Who Loved Nature talk
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I’ve written a book.
For years, I’ve been drawn to the same question in different places: what happens when efficiency replaces relationships? Through The Frightened Face of Nature blog, I’ve explored that in our relationships with the natural world. (So did Maxwell Knight). In 2025, like many parents, I watched Adolescence on Netflix. I couldn’t stop thinking about how…
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A Life with Nature – Wild and Tame.
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Chelonians and Beyond: The British Chelonia Group Spring Symposium 2026
On Sunday 22nd March the BCG (British Chelonia Group) holds its Spring Symposium at Homerton College, Cambridge. The day promises, as always, to be fun, with lots of interesting people attending and an excellent programme of events. The emphasis is, understandably, on chelonians (tortoises, terrapins and sea-turtles) but speakers also refer to other aspects of…
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Micro-conservation: Small Steps to Big Change
Every positive choice we make, every kind and considerate action we take, is a much needed ripple in the pond of our world. This is the heart of micro-conservation – the idea that our smallest habits can join together to create waves of nature-positive environmental change. You’ll already the kind of thing I’m talking about…
