MAY I say how disappointed I WAS disappointed at Susan Chapman ‘hijacking’ my letter; More should be done to help our migratory birds (17/11/15) with hers; Look after the climate (23/11/15).

With all due respect to Susan, may I explain that historically, the Kalahari was farmed only by nomadic farmers, whose movements reduced their impact on the environment.

Today, large-scale ranching, made possible by drawing water from deep bore holes, is affecting negatively impacting on migratory birds, plants and animals. Susan is probably well aware that tThe Amazonian rainforest is described as the “lungs of our planet” because it continuously recycles carbon dioxide into oxygen.

Most rainforests are being cleared by chainsaws, bulldozers and fires for the timber and then followed up by farming and ranching. I’ve mentioned wildlife, so it’s only fitting to explain the loss of ten million indigenous inhabitants, human beings having been reduced to less than 200,000 today. That wasn’t caused by climate change!

Equally so, organisations like the Countryside Restoration Trust (CRT) have had the incredible success story I would like to see rolled out throughout Britainthe British Isles.

They have turned former intensively farmed land into wildlife havens with well maintained hedges combined with new ones for nesting birds, ground cover for small mammals and most importantly encouraged the vegetation that will sustain a wide diversity of our wildlife.

The CRT is on the internet. It’s certainly worth seeing what can be achieved, irrespective of the opinions on climate change.

MIKE FRY Moorland Crescent, Upton, Poole