Positive news

I have often thought that perhaps conservation is all ‘doom and gloom’, and that conservationists can occasionally be guilty of sensationalism to make things appear worse than they are. I must admit that your magazine, to which I subscribe more to learn about and be wowed by wildlife than to hear about its plight, often strikes a similar tone which can leave you feeling discouraged about the state of our planet, although I've come to appreciate that this is just the reality of how things are.

I think it’s worth pointing out, though, that many issues are something of a double edged sword, that can either be viewed positively or negatively. For example, in the brilliant article by Marianne Taylor on the hooded grebes of Patagonia (Tango in Patagonia, August 2018), it was mentioned that the prospect of building a

hydroelectric dam could be catastrophic for the grebes. While this is no doubt true, surely these dams are an attempt to reduce the burning of fossil fuels and pollution produced in this way?

I think all this serves to underline that conservation is never easy or straightforward. We should look to take a holistic view in every circumstance to see how wildlife can benefit. Paul Stamper, Liverpool Editor Sheena Harvey replies: You make some very valuable points about the complexity of conservation and land management. We do try to give the good news where we find it and my primary aim is to highlight what a world filled with amazing creatures we live in. However, we can’t deny that a lot of nature is facing tough times, and not to cover that in the magazine would be to give a false impression that everything in the garden is rosy.