Conservation

Conservation, Culture

From Fear to Fascination

How “Jaws” became the shark's greatest champion

When Jaws was released half a century ago, it instantly sank its teeth into our consciousness – and has never loosened its grip. Steven Spielberg's gripping masterpiece follows three mismatched men – aquaphobic Chief Brody (Roy Scheider), passionate ichthyologist Hooper (Richard Dreyfuss) and salty shark fisherman Quint (Robert Shaw) – hunting the great white terrorising a New England beach resort. The Birth of the Blockbuster Jaws was the first film to earn over $100 million at the box office, inventing the summer blockbuster. It wasn't just cinema; it was a pop-culture phenomenon. Fifty years on, we're still jawing about Jaws. Wendy Benchley, leading shark conservationist and widow of author Peter Benchley, remains astounded by the film's enduring relevance. Speaking from Washington DC, she says: "I'm amazed that Jaws remains relevant after 50 years. It's unique not just because of the movie magic, but the positive ripple effect it created." An Unexpected Conservation Legacy Perhaps Jaws' most important legacy is how it radically changed our perception of sharks. Beyond box-office success, it surprisingly boosted protection of these mighty creatures. The film reframed our relationship with sharks, overturning stereotypes of vicious killing...

Conservation

Ocean with Sir David Attenborough

A plea to put an end to bottom trawling in our seas

Ocean, Sir David Attenborough’s latest documentary, exposes the curse of modern-day industrial fishing: bottom trawling. Sir David cannot contain his anger. This highly destructive practice is laying waste to marine life all over the globe. It involves gigantic trawlers pulling a massive metal beam across the ocean floor and driving all the creatures it throws […]

Conservation

IUCN RED LIST OF THREATENED SPECIES

The unsung hero of the environment turns 60

Celebrating its 60th anniversary this year, the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species provides a vital service to us all. It is the world’s most far-reaching information source on the global conservation status of animal, fungi and plant species, watching over them with the care of a doting parent. It has an enormous and beneficial […]

Conservation

The Buzz About Bees

The tiny guardians of life on our planet

Recent studies have shown that bee populations around the world continue to decline at an alarming rate. According to the latest statistics, more than 25 percent of the world’s bee species are at risk of extinction, and many more are under stress. I don’t think anyone quite comprehends the magnitude of what might happen if […]

Conservation, Fashion

Running Around in Circles

Circular fashion finally catches on

For lovers of fashion, the advent of online shopping, social media and the relentless pace of new collections and exclusive collaborations has found us bombarded with novelty and temptations we can find difficult to resist. But there is a big and depressing downside to this: a shocking 64 percent of the 32 billion garments produced […]

Conservation, Lifestyle

Rich Pickings

Food to save the planet

As a lifelong wildlife enthusiast passionate about animals, I’ve always been drawn to the countryside. I love living on a farm, being immersed in the folds of a rural setting where things look different every single day. I get to see rich fauna, like the kingfisher darting along the river, flocks of finches in the […]

Conservation, Travel

Sabi Sabi

Conservationists of the Future

The measures taken globally to control the propagation of Covid-19 have had a significant negative impact on the conservation efforts in Africa, exacerbated by other factors such as poor governance, poverty, increasing human populations and illegal wildlife trade, continue to drive wildlife declines across the continent. The main source of revenue to support conservation efforts […]

Conservation

Wildlife Photographer of the Year 2022

Natural History Museum, London

Launched in 1965, Wildlife Photographer of the Year was a competition held by the BBC’s Animals Magazine, with the hope of providing an incentive for the field of wildlife photography. The Natural History Museum joined forces in 1984 to create the event as it is known today, and they now fully own and run the […]

Conservation, Gourmet

Château Galoupet

Sustainability from Ground to Glass

When someone embarks on choosing a rosé, possibly not much thought is given to the actual making of the wine. Many decisions are based purely on taste; for some, the country of origin is the key; and for others, a historical or perhaps “fashion” element is the deciding factor. Two newly launched rosé wines this […]

Conservation

Jake Fiennes

Making space for nature

With a career in land management that covers three and a half decades, you’d struggle to find a man who knows and cares more about working with nature than Jake Fiennes. As Director of Conservation at the Holkham Estate in Norfolk, Jake is working with farmers, gamekeepers, gardeners and even visitors to safeguard the integrity […]

Conservation

Into the Cold

Understanding the changing nature of ice

In August 2021, our Adventure Correspondent Hugh Francis Anderson embarked on an audacious journey to recreate a Polar expedition on its centenary, alongside discovering more about the changing Arctic. While researching in the Royal Geographical Society in early 2020, I stumbled across the March 1922 issue of The Geographical Journal, where I found the original […]

Conservation, Travel

Sara Gardiner: Homecoming

By Hugh Francis Anderson

In the north-western tip of Zimbabwe, along a 15km private stretch of the Zambezi River, lies Matetsi Victoria Falls, a luxury safari lodge nestled within the 136,000-acre Matetsi Private Game Reserve. Founded by Sara Gardiner and her family in 2016, the award-winning lodge rests just 40km from Victoria Falls and has become renowned for championing […]