The Lie of the Land: Who Really Cares for the Countryside? | 
You know when something blindingly obvious (that you didn‘t know) slaps you in the back of the head, and shifts your perspective?
Pheasants.
50 million pheasants are released into the British countryside each year.
2% of the UKs annual wheat production is used to rear pheasants.
Impact on ecosystems/environment? Unmonitored.
This book is a fascinating look at English land ownership and ‘stewardship‘ (believe it or not). Niche but shocking.
rockpools Shrubsole has been one of the lead figures in the Dartmoor wild camping protests. He‘s doing some really interesting work, and what should be dry as, is leaving me 🤯🤬. Surprisingly readable. With pheasants. And large quantities of Freedom of Information data. 2d
Leniverse Er... Why all the pheasants? For hunting? (My only encounter with this is in Danny, Champion of the World) 1d
rockpools @Leniverse He talks about Danny - even heads off to Roald Dahl country to see if there are shoots around that area. (Of course there are.) And yes, for pheasant shoots. I mean I knew they were bred for shooting, but had no concept of the scale or that it‘s so intensive. And apparently secretive. The numbers are BIZARRE! 1d
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Leniverse Cool! (The Roald Dahl link, not the shoots). I guess they are small birds, but still... Who eats that many pheasants!? It's not like you see them in the shops, so it must be just the social circles of the hunters having a poultry heavy diet with no regular chicken in it 🤨 1d
rockpools @Leniverse well that‘s another thing… no-one eats that many! It‘s for ‘sport‘ rather than dinner. About 13m are shot each year (which is still ridiculous) Loads more end up out in the wild, jiggering up the regular ecosystem. And huge number of those shot are just ‘disposed of‘. It‘s all very odd. 1d
Leniverse I can think of stronger words than "odd"! 1d