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Does Nature Need Its Own MI5 & MI6?
We protect economies with financial watchdogs. We protect national security with intelligence agencies. We track cyber threats with dedicated teams of experts. So why don’t we have an intelligence agency dedicated to protecting nature? It’s not as far-fetched as it sounds. Conservation Without Borders recently floated the idea of a Biodiversity Intelligence Agency – an…
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Maxwell Knight the Amateur Naturalist – Remembering a Lecture by Prof. John E. Cooper
Introduction In a compelling lecture at the Maxwell Knight Commemorative Symposium, Professor John E. Cooper delved into the captivating world of Maxwell Knight, known to many as a WW2 MI5 spymaster and agent handler, but equally significant (especially to John Cooper) as a pioneering amateur naturalist. Held on 24th November 2018 at Birkbeck College, London,…
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The Spy Who Loved Nature: Maxwell Knight’s Legacy Beyond MI5
Inspired by Simon King’s talk at The Maxwell Knight symposium. In the clandestine corridors of MI5, Maxwell Knight, the original ‘M’, was a living legend. His secret intelligence service prowess during the inter-war years and WWII is well-documented, with a flair for counter-subversion that helped infiltrate the British fascist movement and prevent Nazi sympathiser espionage…
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Echoes of the Past: Learning Conservation from Maxwell Knight
What can a spy teach us about nature? In the echoes of history, we often find timeless wisdom. This is particularly true when we revisit the legacy of Maxwell Knight OBE, the legendary ‘Nature Detective’ and MI5 spymaster. Knight, a figure who intriguingly straddled the worlds of espionage and natural history, left behind a legacy…
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Podcast episode 7 – An Anniversary (Maxwell Knight’s) and an Armchair Assessment.
Simon, John and Margaret’s theme for today’s podcast is “An Anniversary and An Armchair Assessment” and marked the fact that the 9th of July (when the podcast was recorded), is the date of birth of Maxwell Knight whom the FFON Maxwell Knight website is named. John and Margaret – who knew Maxwell Knight – share…
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Here in Germany, we do watch a lot from our windows
Written by John F. Burton in Germany, who knew and worked with Maxwell Knight: Thank you very much for your kind email and your inspiring internet (FFON) piece, which we enjoyed reading. Here in Germany, we do watch a lot from our windows (passing White Storks, Grey Herons, Cormorants, Buzzards, Sparrowhawks, Goshawks, Jays, etc.) and…
