Our wonderful friends in Ascension have recently learnt that
their bid to the Darwin Initiative for funds to develop a whole-
island Biodiversity Action Plan has been successful – which is
great news! The project is a joint initiative between the
Ascension Island Government, the University of Exeter, the
Centre for Ecology and Hydrology, Queen Mary University of
London, Royal Botanical Gardens Kew, the University of Lund, and
of course, the RSPB – what a line-up! The project will cover
both terrestrial and marine environments, and all types of plant
and animal. To show their enthusiasm, and celebrate as part of
this year's Jubilee, staff from the Conservation Office have
been carrying a poster with them around the island – from the
top of Green Mountain to the sun-baked lava fields where our
famous masked booby Rocky is raising his chicks. Stepping Up For
Nature! In a paper published this week in the scientific journal
Condor, a team of RSPB scientists and Montserrat Department of
Environment staff revealed fo