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1. Bristol declares ‘ecological emergency’

   Posted on 8:00pm Thursday 6th Feb 2020

   Bristol has become the first major city to declare an ecological emergency. They’ve done this in response to escalating threats to ecosystems and wildlife, as there’s been a worrying decline in numbers and the diveristy of wildlife in the city. 41% of UK wildlife species are in decline and 15% are at risk of extinction In Bristol the city’s swifts and starling populations are virtually wiped out – with a 96% decline in numbers of these birds between 1994 and 2014 Marvin Rees, Major of Bristol, and the CEO of the Avon Wildlife Trust Ian Barrett, are building on the 2018 declaration of a climate emergency. Plans to Tackle this Ecological Emergency  Marvin Rees has asked the One City Envrionment and Sustainability Board work with the council and other city partners to look at ways in which the destruction of wildife habitats can be stopped. He wants them to look at ways to mange land sustainably, which will create wildlife-rich spaces, not just right across Bristol but across the region as well. Everywhere and everyone needs to support wildlife, including new developments, so that species can grow alongside people.  It’s recognised that is not a quick thing to achieve.  Nature takes her time, but she needs a considerable amount of help now.  She needs restoring.  Climate breakdown and ecological emergency are everywhere as wild spaces are lost and wildlife with it. As Ian Barrett says, we can’t wait for national governments or international bodies to lead the way.  Collective action is needed so that wildlife can thrive and the natural world can flourish. Find out more here about Bristol’s response to the ecological emergency This includes of course people like you and me.  We can all take action to do things such as planting a single window box for pollinators, walking where possible -  and doing beach clean ups on team building days or helping a local wildlife charity. At the moment, the Avon Wildlife Trust is working with local communities through a project called My Wild City.  It’s transforming 8 local wildlife sites across the city, so enhancing important wildlife habitats and providing opportunities for people to visit and enjoy them. Its urban wildlife site in Stapleton has restored wildlife in the heart of the city;  people can learn practical skills in wildlife friendly planting and help fight for nature’s recovery. Actions you can take: Donate to the Avon Wildlife Trust and help its work Volunteer – give your time and energy!  It’s a great way to meet like-minded people and make new friends and do something really worthwhile with your time that can make a difference.  Take action to help wildlife – there are a number of things you can do, including Build a hedgehog home Create a hole for hedghogs Grow a wild patch Attract butterflies to your garden Grow a vertical garden Provide water for wildlife Provide bushes for nesting birds Build a bug mansion Pick up litter (so wildlife don’t eat it or get harmed on it) Take part in a citizen survey Buy local produce And there are LOTS MORE! Become a member or give a gift membership – there’s even a business membership

    

2. Help create wildlife corridors with the Durrell WIldlife Conservation Trust's Atlantic Rainforest Appeal

   Posted on 9:00pm Tuesday 28th Jan 2020

   The lush rainforest runs along the Atlantic coast and inland in southern Brazil.  It is home to many species and plants which are not found anywhere else on earth.  The problem for wildlife is.... Sadly, a mere 12% of this huge landscape now persists in very fragmented pockets.  Towns, pastures and intensive farming have replaced the rainforest.   Many species living there are threatened with extinction as they are living in small fragmented areas and so are becoming increasingly isolated.  These include the black lion tamarin, the jaguar, ocelot and puma. One way to solve this problem... The Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust has an Atlantic Rainforest appeal which is aiming to create wildlife corridors and so joining fragmented areas of rainforest up. From small things do great things grow.... ©Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust Durrell wants to protect this ecosystem by creating wildlife corridors to join up the fragmented bits. They will do this by planting trees to connect the Morro do Diabo State Park to isolated forest fragments to the north, thus reconnecting wildlife. In doing this project, Durrell is working with their partners at the Instituto de Pesquisas Ecológicas (IPE). You can help restore this rainforest by planning 17,000 trees and in creating sustainable livelihoods for local people and neutralize about 2,500 tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions. The trees will be planted in community nurseries, planted by local people – so giving them sustainable livelihoods.  People and wildlife will win through this project. Help wildlife such as the black lion tamarin, the jaguar, the puma, and ocelot ©Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust Durrell say that: £25 will help the local community plant five trees and nurture them for 5 years £500 will run a community nursery for a week £15,000 will pay for a forest and community officer to oversee the pojrect for a year £85,000 will rebuild 1,000 metres of wildlife corridor connection forest fragments. Every £ counts!   Join in the appeal to create wildlife corridors to help wildlife thrive ©Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust Donate here

    

3. Scorched Earth to Forest Heaven - an Appeal from the World Land Trust

   Posted on 4:00pm Thursday 10th Oct 2019

   The World Land Trust is one of my favourite charities.  They save land, acre by acre, thanks to the donations of people and organisations who care. They’ve been saving habitats (places where wildlife live) and species since 1989, and they HQ is in a small town in Cambridgeshire.  And they work with local conservation partners around the world, who understand the needs of local wildlife and people.  Every year, they now have a Big Match Fund Fortnight.  This essentially means that any donation you and I make is matched.  So any donation you & I make is doubled. Now, this year’s Big Match Fund Fortnight is up and running – it kicked off on 3rd October and so far, 15% of funds have been raised.  The World Land Trust is aiming to riase £575,000 to rejuvenate a landscape in Vietnam.   The money raised will go to the World Land Trust’s local partner, Viet Nature.  Viet Nature will begin bringing back tropical forest, so that it’s teeming with rare species. At the moment, the area is overrun with what’s known in Vietnam as “American grass” since it replaced the forests that were destroyed by Agent Orange.   The plan is to rejuvenate the soils, clear invasive grasses, nurture native tree seedlings and then care for them until they are established. But one of the very exciting things about this project is that the forest will re-connect with nearby reserves such as the Khe Nuoc Trong, so it will become one of the largest remaining areas of Annamite montain forest. This means that wildlife will be able to find a home in the jungle as it spreads out.  Primates such as the Red-shanked Douc and the endangered Sunda Pangolin, the Crested Argus Peafowl and other endangered birds will be able to find habitat to live in. And of course, the rejuvenated forest will recreate an environment that’s healthy for locals, who depend on fresh water, clean air and livelihoods.  In addition, the forest will stabilise soils and lock carbon up, so that will help climate change. This is an amazing project, and it’s the World Land Trust’s major appeal for 2019.  Last year, Jungle for Jaguars in Belize was very successful – let’s hope that all the supporters can do the same for wildlife and people in Vietnam. Donate here. The Big Match Fund Fortnight ends on 17 October 2019 but you can still donate after that, it just falls outside of the Big Match Fund Fortnight.

    

4. Basking Sharks in Scotland need your support

   Posted on 9:00pm Sunday 1st Sep 2019

   Basking sharks love Scotland (and who can blame them – it’s stunning).   They head to the rich waters off the west coast every summer and they take a long journey to take there, coming from as far away as the Canary Islands. There’s an opportunity to really make a difference to basking sharks. The Scottish Government has launched a consultation on Marine Protected Areas – including one specifically for Basking Sharks. They are now considered vulnerable.  Although they have been a protected species I Scotland since 1998, they face threats in Scottish seas from fishing gear, boat traffic and micro-plastics. Back in the 19th and 20th centuries, 100,000 basking sharks were hunted in the North Atlantic……   so there aren’t as many of them left as there used to be. The proposed Sea of the Hebrides Marine Protected Area will give extra protections to basking sharks and other species such as minke whales.  Currently, it is proposed that 4 new Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) be added to Scotland’s exiting MPA areas.   These areas will protect important habitats and large mobile species such as Risso dolphins, Minke Whales and Basking Sharks. Find out more and give your support here.

5. Bangalow Koalas creating koala wildlife corridor

   Posted on 3:00pm Saturday 10th Aug 2019

   Planting trees with Bangalow Koalas and IFAW The IFAW (that’s the International Fund for Animal Welfare) have planted 1,500 koala trees on Irish comedian Jimeion’s property. A number of private land owners in the Northern Rivers region of New South Wales, Australia, have taken action to keep the local koalas safe.  They are allowing parts of their properties to be re-planted with eucalyptus trees.  This means the koalas can have a safe haven and pass through the landscape. The idea came from Bangalow Koalas who want to restore a koala wildlife corridor from Byron Bay to Repentance Creek.  A neighbour of Jimeion kindly let everyone use his paddock so that they could get to the steep land behind Jimeion’s property. Over 120 people came to help, all wanting to help plant koala trees and secure the species’ future.   Amongst them were old and young volunteers – plus tourists from the UK and Germany.  Imagine going home after your holiday and telling people you were part of a volunteer group which planted trees to help secure koalas’ future! The land had been prepared already and the holes pre-dug.  Saplings had been provided – and all the volunteers planted 1,500 trees IN ONE HOUR!  They trees were the koalas’ favourite local food trees such as red gum, swamp mahogany, tallow wood and the important medicinal melaleuca that koalas eat from instinct when they don’t feel well. The trees grow quickly in the climate and in a few years they will be home for koalas, birds and native wildlife.  And Jimeoin hopes that by planting trees on his land, the koalas will stay.   The key message IFAW want us to take from this is that yes, there are messages of loss and possible extinction of koalas.  They are certainly in trouble.  But there is hope – and crucially THERE IS A SOLUTION. ©Bangalow Koalas IFAW and Bangalow Koalas hope to plant 25,000 trees by the end of the year.  It’s a fantastic thing to do and I hope they make it.  A big thank you to both IFAW and Bangalow Koalas, and also to volunteers and – of course – to the land owners who are willing to help the koalas in this way  Visit IFAW here Visit Bangalow Koalas here – check out their gallery, whatever you do.  It has some beautiful photos and videos of the Bangalow Koalas!  You can become a member or donate through their website to help.  Here’s a video of another project Bungalow Koalas worked on with the Northern Rivers Community Foundation.  They started a wildlife corridor in Binna Burra in the Northern Riveres of NSW to help conserve the local koalas.