Forty-eight years since Rachel Carson's seminal book "Silent Spring" awoke the world to the devastation that developed countries were causing to their native wildlife, a new book examines whether things have got any better or worse.

CGO Ecology Ltd would like to welcome a new member of staff. Mike Hobby was employed as Assistant Ecologist in mid-March 2010, and will be working with us over the coming months. He has previously worked for CGO Ecology on a self-employed basis, assisting our reptile translocation work at the Weymouth Olympics park & ride scheme in 2008. He is currently working primarily on the A338 Spur Road reptile translocation. Mike hails from Pyle in Mid-Glamorgan, South Wales.

CGO Ecology is currently working on the following projects:

For many years now, chytrid fungus has been devastating amphibian populations around the world, and caused the extinction of some species. Global concern has grown as more species head towards extinction, particularly in the tropics, but also in temperate latitudes. An ongoing research project conducted by the Institute of Zoology, London, is receiving fresh impetus this year with the employment of researcher Freya Smith to examine the spread of chytrid in the UK, and on the possibility of our amphibians being adversely affected by it.

Now that spring is finally upon us (more or less), reptile capture work on the A338 can resume. CGO Ecology Ltd has spent this week preparing and laying 11,000 roofing felt refugia for reptiles on the Spur Road verges.