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Meriel Harrison

@merielharrison.bsky.social
59 followers 246 following 1 posts
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Reposted by Meriel Harrison
RSPB @rspb.bsky.social · 13/07/2026
Six years of delay. Protected sites are deteriorating. Wildlife is disappearing. Now, the Government hands us a plan that would've been embarrassing six years ago. Today, with fewer than four years left to deliver on 30% of land and sea protected for nature by 2030...it's indefensible.
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Reposted by Meriel Harrison
Ariel Brunner @arielbrunner.bsky.social · 07/06/2026
www.politico.eu/article/eu-w...
politico.eu
EU warns Albania over Kushner-linked project
Brussels is keeping a watchful eye on the political unrest in Albania, cautioning Tirana that its handling of the situation could be costly in its application to join the EU.
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Reposted by Meriel Harrison
Oonagh Duggan @naturenymph.bsky.social · 21/05/2026
A trip to Albania reminded me how important the Birds and Habitats Directives are. Yes our habitats are in poor condition, yes 63% of wild bird species are in danger, but we have habitats we can restore. Without them we have no hope. www.irishtimes.com/opinion/2026...
irishtimes.com
Opinion: Two thirds of Ireland’s wild bird species are in danger. So are the rules protecting them
Nature directives protecting the habitats of species such as the ‘fairy bird’ of Belmullet are being threatened in the name of progress
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Reposted by Meriel Harrison
RSPB Science @rspbscience.bsky.social · 07/05/2026
New research reveals promising potential for using a range of biodiversity data sources to create indicators for tracking conservation success at a landscape scale. Read on for a summary Full paper: rdcu.be/ffLTu @ukceh.bsky.social @btobirds.bsky.social @jncc.bsky.social 🧪
Caption: Habitat vegetation surveys in Suffolk.

Alt text:  Two women sitting on green leafy vegetation with a quadrat – a square white grid – between them. One is taking notes and the other is looking at a flower identification book.
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Reposted by Meriel Harrison
Ariel Brunner @arielbrunner.bsky.social · 06/05/2026
Have just been on site, with @birdlifeeurope.bsky.social Partners from across Europe, in Albania's Vjosa delta-Narta lagoon "protected" area. It is being devastated as we speak by the construction of an airport and a massive luxury tourism complex promoted by Jared Kushner.
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Reposted by Meriel Harrison
Wild Justice @wildjustice.bsky.social · 21/04/2026
NEW REPORT: Today we publish Unprotected Nature, a report revealing Natural England's failure to designate any new protected sites. Read about it in the Guardian here: www.theguardian.com/environment/...
theguardian.com
England wildlife watchdog ‘has stopped designating special sites for protection’
Exclusive: Report finds Natural England has created no new SSSIs, which protect areas from development, since 2023
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Reposted by Meriel Harrison
Kate Jennings @keasdenkate.bsky.social · 20/04/2026
Two years on from a Westminster Government commitment to reform the purposes & governance of England's protected landscapes⏲️ 👀, this new CNP report makes recommendations for what a more nature-focussed, equitable and effective future for the governance of our #NationalParks should look like.
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Reposted by Meriel Harrison
RSPB @rspb.bsky.social · 13/03/2026
Today, the Government stepped back from the most damaging recommendations that threatened to gut the laws protecting our most precious places for nature. With wildlife already in crisis, anything else would have been reckless. But avoiding the worst is not enough. Nature needs ambitious action.
Kingfisher perched on a reed above a wetland at golden hour, its bright blue back and orange chest glowing in the soft light. Moments like this show the wildlife our nature laws protect, species that rely on healthy habitats and wild places to survive.
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Reposted by Meriel Harrison
The Office for Environmental Protection @theoep.bsky.social · 04/03/2026
Defra's response to our report on the implementation of laws relating to protected sites for nature will not deliver the urgent step-change needed to meet environmental targets and commitments - read our statement here bit.ly/4bgpTGF
bit.ly
Defra's response to Protected Sites report won't deliver urgent action needed, says OEP | Office for Environmental Protection
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Reposted by Meriel Harrison
Green Alliance @green-alliance.org.uk · 15/12/2025
🌱 How have governments and statutory agencies failed our protected sites, and what is their “golden opportunity” for recovery? Meriel Harrison, senior policy officer at @rspb.bsky.social, breaks down the OEP's latest report on protected sites for nature in England⤵️
buff.ly
Governments have a golden opportunity to reverse neglect of UK protected nature sites
This post is by Meriel Harrison, senior policy officer at the RSPB. Earlier this month the Office for Environmental Protection (OEP) published a landmark report. It laid bare the magnitude and exte…
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Reposted by Meriel Harrison
RSPB @rspb.bsky.social · 04/12/2025
England’s most important nature sites are being failed.❌ Protected sites can and should be driving nature’s recovery. But today’s OEP report exposes the real problem: years of weak delivery, underfunding and political drift have left them unable to do the job the law intended.
A lush green woodland with moss-covered boulders, low ferns and a scatter of bluebells beneath twisting old trees. Sunlight filters softly through the canopy. Landscapes like this should be central to nature’s recovery but without proper support and clear targets, protected sites can’t deliver what they’re supposed to.
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Reposted by Meriel Harrison
RSPB Science @rspbscience.bsky.social · 26/08/2025
New review: Recent evidence on the effectiveness of European protected areas for species conservation in the face of climate change 🧪🌍 Read on for summary highlights and find the full paper here: link.springer.com/article/10.1...
link.springer.com
Recent evidence on the effectiveness of European protected areas for species conservation in the face of climate change - Biodiversity and Conservation
A dominant conservation strategy to safeguard the natural environment and biodiversity is the creation of protected areas (PAs) at international, regional, and national scales. To date, such PAs have ...
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Reposted by Meriel Harrison
RSPB England @rspbengland.bsky.social · 20/05/2025
As part of @wclnews.bsky.social, we’re warning MPs about the loss of nature already being seen in their area 📢 The #PlanningBill as it stands is an application to demolish wildlife even further 🚨 We cannot accept this - it simply must be amended. Take action today 👇 rspb.org.uk/planning
rspb.org.uk
Help ensure that nature is at the heart of the Government's planning reforms
I've written to my MP to demand that the UK Government adopts a nature-friendly approach to planning and development. Will you take action too?
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Reposted by Meriel Harrison
RSPB Action @rspbaction.bsky.social · 02/05/2025
The RSPB welcomes yesterday’s report on the UK's Special Protection Areas 🧵 👇 t.co/yzoDvhlx3T
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Reposted by Meriel Harrison
Kate Jennings @keasdenkate.bsky.social · 03/04/2025
1/4: A lot of detail to wade through - but great to attend an Office for Environmental Protection briefing this morning on what looks to be a really thorough report with very strong & clear recommendations that are bang on the money👏. Significantly that includes... www.theoep.org.uk/report/actio...
theoep.org.uk
Action is urgently needed to protect and restore Northern Ireland’s ‘natural treasures,’ says OEP report  | Office for Environmental Protection
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