Thanks to all the county Wildlife Trusts that expressed interest in our recent round of competitions on Twitter. We offered a free slug and snail survey, and a free reptile survey training day.

With the economy still reeling from recession, and more Government cutbacks in the pipeline, the ecological professions face the same uncertain future as other disciplines. Nature conservation is taking a knock in these hard times, and the wildlife is set to suffer if cutbacks result in less protection and conservation.

CGO Ecology Director & Principal Ecologist Chris Gleed-Owen will be away from the UK from 7-23 May 2013, on honeymoon in Trinidad & Tobago. Please forgive any lack of service in the meantime.

When the plug was pulled in summer 2010 on funding for the planned renewal works on the A338 Spur Road near Bournemouth, the associated ecological works ground to a halt. And as the future of the project lies in limbo, this often raises questions.