No time to talk on pesticides.....
But we do have eco reading with this month's pick of two titles for adults and one for younger readers
Good morning! I’m Sarah Hartley and this is The Northern Eco weekly update. As you’ve received this newsletter then either you subscribed, or someone forwarded it to you. If the latter, then you can click on this handy little button below.
As it’s the last Tuesday of the month, Claire and Alan from The Wonky Tree are giving you their monthly recommendations for books to read if you’ve a green heart or want a gift for someone who has. But we’ve plenty of news too - so do keep scrolling to see the latest including:
More on legal rights for rivers
Eco events: What’s coming up in May
The latest moves with our In the Weeds campaign
But first, enjoy some quiet reading time…….
Uncommon Ground : Rethinking Our Relationship with the Countryside by Patrick Galbraith
Description: The countryside is under increasing pressure and people, the science shows, need nature. Access to the countryside is essential for our health, our happiness and our future.
But does nature need us? In January 2023, the largest land access demonstration since the 1930s took place on a bright wintery morning on Dartmoor. The access movement demands that the countryside be thrown open. This, they argue, would help nature by giving the public the opportunity to hold farmers and wealthy landowners to account.
But would it really work for Britain’s growing population to spill out across the countryside, and is access quite as restricted as we are led to believe? In Uncommon Ground, Patrick Galbraith takes us on an extraordinary tour of rural Britain, from the Hebrides to Devon, and from Anglo-Saxon England to the present day. To uncover the truth and fully understand our deep connection with the land, he meets farmers, Irish Travellers, politicians, salmon poachers, and the nation's most-hated landowners, as well as activists calling for a total abolition of the right to own land. In his much-celebrated style, Galbraith works hard to listen to those who often don’t get listened to.
This raking survey of our fast-changing country, reveals the essence of rural Britain's soul. Uncommon Ground argues that what matters is not greater access but how we engage with the land and demands that landowners give us more opportunities to do so, while also giving endangered wildlife the right to tranquility.outdoors.”
Galbraith’s book (which discusses an often complex subject) has had great reviews from the national press and perhaps more importantly from his contemporaries. John Lewis-Stempel asserts:
”Galbraith has written a book about the countryside and its vital issues with a clarity of mind and prose possessed by few, if any. Galbraith is fair-minded (now there’s a rare quality), always grounded, and has a knack of collecting interesting people to talk to.”
You can order this book here.
The Great Tree Story: How Forests Have Shaped Our World by Levison Wood
Description: Levison Wood has spent a lifetime exploring wild places and witnessing environmental challenges and conservation efforts around the world. Now, he's delving into the incredible world of forests.
In this global investigation, The Great Tree Story explores the profound influence forests have had on our planet and civilisation. Each chapter digs into a different aspect of this relationship, from the evolutionary history of trees and their cultural significance in ancient civilisations, to the impacts of agriculture, colonisation, and the industrial revolution on forest ecosystems. The book highlights the wisdom of indigenous communities in forest stewardship, examines the environmental movement's efforts to protect forests, and analyses the causes and consequences of deforestation and environmental degradation.
Forests are integral components of the global ecosystem. They serve as complex habitats for flora and fauna, supporting a delicate web of interdependence that we have only scratched the surface of understanding. Every organism, from the towering trees to the smallest insects, plays a crucial role in maintaining the biodiversity that sustains our planet.
The intricate relationships woven within forests are not to be underestimated, for they are the threads that hold our world together. In this compelling weaving of fascinating anecdotes and in-depth research, Wood contemplates the future of forests, emphasising the importance of collective action and individual responsibility in preserving these vital ecosystems.
“Heard Levison Wood talk about his book and research on the radio - sounded a fascinating read!”
You can order this book here.
Green: The Story of Plant Life on Our Planet by Nicola Davies
Description: A magnificent look at the science of plants from the internationally bestselling and multi award-winning team of Nicola Davies and Emily Sutton. This tree doesn’t look like it’s doing very much: it just stands there in the sunlight, big and GREEN.
But this tree is busy...Starting with the secret workings of a tree, this book transports readers billions of years into the past; back to the moment when plant life first appeared on our planet. Covering its evolution, the steady emergence of fossil fuels and the extraordinary communities of plants around the world today, Nicola Davies and Emily Sutton combine essential biology with a powerful message, calling on readers to celebrate and cherish the most precious colour on Earth: GREEN.
“A great non fiction book for younger readers with an eco friendly message.”
You can order this book here.
In the weeds latest
No time to talk pesticides
A Private Members Bill calling for an end to pesticide use by local authorities ran out of time in parliament on Friday.
The three most clicked links from last week were:
Councillors responsible for England's largest county chose to stick with glyphosate in February 2025
Water news
💦 It was a big week for pollution campaigners last week with the widely publicised change in powers which means water company bosses can be jailed - but there was also the revelation that only three people have ever been prosecuted to date.
💦 As we shared last week (see link above), there is a growing movement in the UK for nature to be included in our legal, moral and political community through a Rights of Nature lens. Now Cumbria’s Clean River Kent Campaign (CRKC) is hosting a talk, given by Josh Levene, a Director of Love Our Ouse that led the latest initiative. On Friday 16th May at Abbott Hall Social Centre, Dowkers Lane, Kendal LA9 4DN. Between 7pm and 9pm. Entry is free but please RSVP by Monday 12th May to senstaveley@gmail.com.
💦 River campaigners at Stop Ure Pollution have received a donation of £500 from the Wensleydale and Swaledale Quaker Trust to purchase testing equipment and reagents and it now has its own website: https://stopurepollution.co.uk.
In other news
✝ Seems fitting to share this long read about the late Pope, sometimes called the “climate Pope,” where Celia Deane-Drummond, Professor of Theology, Director of Laudato Si' Research Institute, Campion Hall, University of Oxford writes at The Conversation about the three ways Pope Francis influenced the global climate movement.
🔥 ‘In Britain, we burn precious peatland for sport’ writes Tim Smedley in Prospect magazine. Ahead of the May 25 deadline for the government consultation on peat burning, the video above was released and RaptorPersecutionUK helps explain the issue further.
🔥 Public confidence in the UK biomass industry is low – robust checks are needed to ensure every wood pellet the Drax power plant burns is sustainable urges Nils Pratley in The Guardian.
🦉 An owl shop in York city centre has stopped showing live birds after a furious online backlash writes Alice Kavanagh of The York Press.
🗑️ Waste collection in North East England is haphazard, inefficient and bad for the environment. Kerbside collection is dominated by a profit-driven private sector. We can change this, says Ray Casey at North East Bylines.
🌳 Congratulations to Make it Wild! The North Yorkshire sustainability organisation has won another award - the Business Desk’s Yorkshire Excellence in Sustainability 2025 Award for the Micro Business category. Read more about that here.
That’s all for this week but don’t forget there are updates on the website and via social media through the week too
Enjoy your week!
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