Touty
Well-known member
Hi All,
Apologies for any cross-posting.
Some of you may have visted the Welsh island of Skomer, famous for its seabirds with many thousands of Manx Shearwaters, Puffins, Razorbills and Guillemots (Common Murres). Since 1972 Dr. Tim Birkhead and his students from the University of Sheffield have been monitoring the ups-and-downs (mostly "ups") of this population that now begins nesting each year roughly ten days earlier than it did in the 1970s.
Changes in the way natural research funding is carried out in Wales and the establishment of a new quango, Natural Resources Wales to replace the Countryside Council for Wales (CCW) mean that the annual funding (just £12,000, €15,000 or $19,000) for this very important longterm study has ben cut. An effort is being made to raise this cash through crowdfunding and in just five days over a quarter of the total (£3,300) has been raised.
You will doubtless agree with me that these long-term investigations are the cornerstone of ecological and ornithological study. There is a saying in English 'that the ship was lost for a a ha'penny worth of tar' ... rather apt when talking about Guillemots in the North Atlantic. Please give generously if you can:
https://www.justgiving.com/timbirkheadguillemots/
If you can't donate then I would kindly ask that you post this to other ornithological and climate monitoring lists that you are subscribed to.
Thanks very much,
Paul Tout, Trieste, ITALY.
Apologies for any cross-posting.
Some of you may have visted the Welsh island of Skomer, famous for its seabirds with many thousands of Manx Shearwaters, Puffins, Razorbills and Guillemots (Common Murres). Since 1972 Dr. Tim Birkhead and his students from the University of Sheffield have been monitoring the ups-and-downs (mostly "ups") of this population that now begins nesting each year roughly ten days earlier than it did in the 1970s.
Changes in the way natural research funding is carried out in Wales and the establishment of a new quango, Natural Resources Wales to replace the Countryside Council for Wales (CCW) mean that the annual funding (just £12,000, €15,000 or $19,000) for this very important longterm study has ben cut. An effort is being made to raise this cash through crowdfunding and in just five days over a quarter of the total (£3,300) has been raised.
You will doubtless agree with me that these long-term investigations are the cornerstone of ecological and ornithological study. There is a saying in English 'that the ship was lost for a a ha'penny worth of tar' ... rather apt when talking about Guillemots in the North Atlantic. Please give generously if you can:
https://www.justgiving.com/timbirkheadguillemots/
If you can't donate then I would kindly ask that you post this to other ornithological and climate monitoring lists that you are subscribed to.
Thanks very much,
Paul Tout, Trieste, ITALY.