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Kat Jones @kat-jones.bsky.social · Jul 31

"If this site can get permission for battery storage then nowhere is safe"

We are incredibly disappointed that an important archaeological site in the Green Belt close to the famous Cochno stone has had a huge battery storage site consented, Read our response in the thread below 👇

Action to Protect Rural Scotland @aprscotland.bsky.social · Jul 31

A Battery Storage facility on a Green Belt site near to the famous Cochno Stone in Faifley has been given the go ahead.

We objected to the development which has been heavily opposed locally and will impact on an important array of Neolithic cup and ring marked rocks.

aprs.scot/cochno

Development impacts Green Belt, Access and Neolithic Rock Art - Action to Protect Rural Scotland

We are encouraging our supporters to object to the development of battery storage at Cochno in the green belt, which impacts on core paths and one of the densest and most accessible accumulations of pre-historic rock art in Scotland's central belt.

aprs.scot

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Reposted by Kat Jones

Neil Reid @cairngormwanderer.bsky.social · Jun 16

Governments always seem to prioritise the benefit of landowners and big business rather than the people who voted for them. God knows national parks aren't perfect, but they're better than the free-for-all that blights the outdoors elsewhere.
Actual APRS report here - aprs.scot/news/how-mis...

Action to Protect Rural Scotland @aprscotland.bsky.social · Jun 16

How misinformation brought down a National Park.

APRS Director @kat-jones writes in The Herald about the vested interests that brought down the proposed Galloway National Park and why this is a sobering lesson for all environmental campaigners.

www.heraldscotland.com/politics/hol...

Powerful vested interests killed new national park at birth - SNP should be ashamed

The news that Galloway is no longer under consideration to be Scotland’s next National Park should send a chill down the spine of everyone…

www.heraldscotland.com

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Kat Jones @kat-jones.bsky.social · Jun 16

I think that was another company - can't remember which one

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Kat Jones @kat-jones.bsky.social · Jun 16

coincidentally, the Brian Souter campaign on section 28 was run by the very same media guys who ran the campaign against National Parks.... www.thenational.scot/news/2373341...

Anti-LEZ campaign PR guru once attacked 'slobbering queers' and worked with Farage

THE PR guru aiding the pushback against Glasgow’s low-emissions zone once branded gay men “slobbering old queers” and acted as Nigel…

www.thenational.scot

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Kat Jones @kat-jones.bsky.social · Jun 16

Article in the Herald, an analysis of the misinformation that brought down a National Park. A stark warning for all of us working on environmental and progressive causes that are opposed by powerful vested interests.
bsky.app/profile/aprs...

Action to Protect Rural Scotland @aprscotland.bsky.social · Jun 16

How misinformation brought down a National Park.

APRS Director @kat-jones writes in The Herald about the vested interests that brought down the proposed Galloway National Park and why this is a sobering lesson for all environmental campaigners.

www.heraldscotland.com/politics/hol...

Powerful vested interests killed new national park at birth - SNP should be ashamed

The news that Galloway is no longer under consideration to be Scotland’s next National Park should send a chill down the spine of everyone…

www.heraldscotland.com

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Reposted by Kat Jones

Gavin Corbett @gavincorbett.bsky.social · Jun 5

This is powerful analysis from @kat-jones.bsky.social of @aprscotland.bsky.social. If national parks are to be a mainstay of how we protect nature, enhance access and provide lasting community benefit (and I firmly believe they are) then a bolder approach is needed.
aprs.scot/news/misinfo...

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Kat Jones @kat-jones.bsky.social · Jun 5

Such an important read to see how misinformation has had a real impact on decision making in Scotland over our new National Park in Galloway. A cautionary tale for all those campaigning to make Scotland (and anywhere else) a better place.

Action to Protect Rural Scotland @aprscotland.bsky.social · Jun 5

How misinformation brought down Scotland's next National Park

Analysis shows misinformation had an impact on decision making, and the Park was scrapped, despite Government knowledge that most of the arguments being used against the National Park had no basis in evidence.

aprs.scot/news/how-mis...

NatureScot laid out a detailed analysis of the perceived benefits and dis-benefits in their report of the consultation responses. This summary table shows the perceived benefits. You can see the full tables in the NatureScot Report p33

I have added the last column, coloured green, amber or red to show whether the statement is backed up by a strong, medium or weak evidence base.

You can see that, for the ten perceived benefits of National Parks, 8 have strong /good evidence and one a medium evidence base.

For the perceived dis-benefits in this table, you can see that 10 out of the 12 perceived disbenefits are not backed up by evidence, and two are uncertain. These two are both about the impact of future wind development, which is classed as uncertain due to the Government signalling an intention to change policy in new National Parks.

It is interesting to see the contrasting perceptions that appeared in the consultation responses. Firstly, that a National Park will not stop wind farms, this was one of the key messages put out by the No Campaign. And secondly a corresponding perceived dis-benefit that National Parks will stop wind farms, which is coming from the renewables industry.

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Kat Jones @kat-jones.bsky.social · Mar 4

RIGHT!!! I decided to give up social media for Lent. See you on the other side ....

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Reposted by Kat Jones

Sara Sheridan @sarasheridan.bsky.social · Mar 2

Time for a THREAD of amazing Scottish island women to brighten #ThursdayMorning. 1st, Bessie Williamson, the only woman to own & manage a whisky distillery in the 20th century: Laphroaig on Islay. She was known for giving jobs when people were down on their luck. Such a queen. /1

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Reposted by Kat Jones

Scottish Fair Trade @scottishfairtrade.bsky.social · Feb 28

Imagine a world where corporations can sue governments for protecting people and the planet. It's happening now.
We're calling on Fair Trade campaigners to support our newest member, Global Justice Now's campaign.

Blog by @louisedavies.bsky.social - bit.ly/4kmmFUq

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Reposted by Kat Jones

Maria Popova @mariapopova.bsky.social · Feb 28

7 unusual and wonderful children's books to help kids (and the inner child we each carry) navigate grief and loss

Consolation for Life’s Darkest Hours: 7 Unusual and Wonderful Books that Help Children Grieve and Make Sense of Death

From Japanese pop-up magic to Scandinavian storytelling to Maurice Sendak, a gentle primer on the messiness of mourning and the many faces and phases of grief.

www.themarginalian.org

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Reposted by Kat Jones

Bylines Scotland @bylines.scot · Feb 27

Over the next few days... please watch this from Anthony Baxter.

The film the Trump Organization tried to suppress | You've Been Trumped Too (2020) | Full Film

YouTube video by Journeyman Pictures

www.youtube.com

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Kat Jones @kat-jones.bsky.social · Feb 26

Ooo an A-Z of bogs. Can we add Scottish ones? But where to start!!!!!

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Reposted by Kat Jones

ScARF @scarf-scot.bsky.social · Feb 24

A brand new website for the International Network for Contemporary Archaeology (INCA Scot) is launching soon!

Join us on the 17th March for a virtual gathering to celebrate the new home for Contemporary Archaeology in Scotland.

Click here for more information: bit.ly/41sRwaD

Collage of images from the INCA Scot gathering in Orkney © INCA Scot

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Reposted by Kat Jones

BTO | British Trust for Ornithology @btobirds.bsky.social · Feb 16

Want to do your work experience at BTO? ➡️ bit.ly/BTOWorkExperi...

We offer a one-week programme for young people studying for their GCSEs or A-levels, aged 12 and up. 😀 If you are interested in a career in #conservation or #ornithology this could be for you. 🐦🌿Application deadline: 2nd March

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Reposted by Kat Jones

Eben Muse @ebenmyrddin.bsky.social · Feb 18

It's a story playing out everywhere:

-> Rich people buy land which the public have enjoyed historically. They want exclusivity.

-> They block public access, often illegally.

-> Access services are underfunded and the law is weak.

The public lose again.

At least in this instance it hit the news.

Siôn Tomos Owen @sionmun.bsky.social · Feb 18

1/ THREAD:
There is debate raging in Cwmparc, Rhondda Fawr.
People have moved into a £500K house at the foot of the mountain & erected huge gates, blocking the access road to the mountain, a road generations have used for decades as well as forestry workers & Welsh Waters, but is a access grey area

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Reposted by Kat Jones

Abi Mordin @abimordin.bsky.social · Feb 17

Important work being led by @sustainweb.org to proactively address diversity in the environmental and food systems sectors

Sustain: the alliance for better food and farming @sustainweb.org · Feb 17

The RACE Report reveals racial diversity in the environment sector is still worryingly low.

What has Sustain done, and what more can we do collectively to drive change? Our latest blog 🔽

RACE Report reveals racial diversity in the environment sector is still worryingly low | Sustain

More organisations than ever took part in The RACE Report for 2024, only to reveal worryingly low progress on key racial diversity measures across the UK’s environmental sector. What has Sustain…

buff.ly

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Reposted by Kat Jones

Kiera Chapman @kierachapman.bsky.social · Feb 16

Really detailed article from @thecanaryuk.bsky.social on our Lost Nature report - and what's going so very wrong with planning reform right now.

@malcolmtait.bsky.social gets some juicy quotes in, along with @danicapriest.bsky.social!

www.thecanary.co/long-read/20...

To tackle the housing, climate, and biodiversity crises, Labour must fix the rigged planning system

We are in an ecological and climate emergency. Yet Labour's overhaul of the planning system prioritises economic growth over our environment.

www.thecanary.co

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Reposted by Kat Jones

BTO | British Trust for Ornithology @btobirds.bsky.social · Feb 14

⚠️ A reminder to please report all sightings of dead birds for possible testing for Avian Influenza. In England, Wales & Scotland, contact Defra, in Northern Ireland contact @daera-ni.gov.uk & in Republic of Ireland gov.ie. Please ALSO report them to @birdtrack.bsky.social. Thank you. #UKBirding

Image of a dead Oysteratcher on the sand alongside the wording: Please report sightings of dead birds. Image credit: Dawn Balmer/BTO.

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Kat Jones @kat-jones.bsky.social · Feb 14

Can hardly breathe I'm laughing so much.

Russ Jones @russincheshire.bsky.social · Nov 20

Because some damn fool asked, here's a thread about Baxter.

This was taken on the day I brought home Baxter and threw away all hope of an easy life.

Look at him. Absolutely irresistible.

And that's how they get you, the utter bastards

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Reposted by Kat Jones

Tony Juniper @tonyjuniper.bsky.social · Feb 14

The @Telegraph excels itself today with the claim that @NaturalEngland is ‘ideologically wedded to concept of conservation’. This is our job, & we do it as a matter of legal requirement. Would be odd for a conservation organisation to do anything else.

www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2025/02...

Natural England accused of favouring rewilding over saving farmland

Calls for body to be scrapped for being ‘ideologically wedded to concept of conservation and removing food production from the countryside’

www.telegraph.co.uk

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Reposted by Kat Jones

Action to Protect Rural Scotland @aprscotland.bsky.social · Feb 14

This blog explains why, in the face of an opaquely-funded PR campaign against National Parks, it is so important to contribute to the consultation on a Galloway National park.

aprs.scot/news/envir...

#LoveNationalParks
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Environmental campaigning in the age of misinformation - Action to Protect Rural Scotland

As people in Galloway, and further afield, are being asked to contribute their views on a new National Park to the official consultation, our Director, Kat Jones, contemplates the campaign that is being run against National Parks.

aprs.scot

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Kat Jones @kat-jones.bsky.social · Feb 14

Can you spare a moment to respond to the Galloway National Park consultation today? - It's really important and doesn't take long!

Go on - It's Valentine's Day after all...

#LoveNationalParks

Action to Protect Rural Scotland @aprscotland.bsky.social · Feb 14

💚 Happy Valentine's! 💚

Today is the last day that you can show the love for a Galloway National Park by responding to the official consultation.

The short consultation is really easy to take part in, and you only need to answer the questions you want to.

www.smartsurvey.co.u...

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heart with the words on "Show your love for a Galloway national Park: Valentine's Day is the last day to respond to the official consultation"

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Reposted by Kat Jones

Cairngorms National Park @cairngormsnews.bsky.social · Feb 13

It’s day 13 of sharing a photo a day from the Cairngorms National Park, and today we’re transporting you to the rolling hills of Mar Estate 🍃

Follow us to make sure you don’t miss out on shots like this ✨

📸 Ed Smith

A stream winding through the rolling hills of the Cairngorms National Park, under a partly cloudy sky.

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