Category: Help a species

1. Wild Horses of Alberta Society....

   Posted on 4:00pm Monday 31st Jul 2017

   So yesterday I was having a canter around the BBC website and having a browse and I came across a video made by the Wild Horses of Alberta Society. The Society is "committed to the preservation of these magnificent animals in their natural environment" and they have a number of videos on their You Tube page which I must say I did enjoy.   As well as informing the public about the history of these wonderful horses, the Society  is also working with the government to establish reasonable and achievable wild horse population management solutions, and also another objective I particularly like is their work to promote the welfare of wild horses by rescuing, gentling and rehoming of wild horses providing veterinary care. They also have a wild horse adoption programme. Of course, being a horse lover I had to have a look, and the video was just wonderful!   The wilds of Alberta, the care the people took of these wild horses and the spirit of the horses was just - for me - really moving.   Here's one of their videos, A Year with the Wild Horses - do take a look!   The organisation entered into a Memorandum of Understanding with the province of Alberta back in November 2014 - a 5 year agreement.  It means WHOAS can run 2 programmes in a large area of the Sundre Equine Zone -  Firstly, a contraception program for wild horse mares - this should help manage horse populations Secondly, an adoption program so that WHOAS can rescue wild horses in trouble on private land or that are found abandoned or injured. It's always interesting to see how people are working to help animals and I do wish the Society well in its work. Click here to visit the Wild Horses of Alberta Society's website

    

2. Good news from South Africa for bird species from Birdlife

   Posted on 9:00pm Thursday 20th Jul 2017

   Birdlife International report there were celebrations in April 2017:  the Mpumalanga’s Department of Agriculture, Rural Development, Land and Environmental Affairs declared the Greater Lakenvlei area a Protected Environment Greater Lakenvlei is an important conservation area: It has many “specials” e.g. Wattle Crane, Blue Crane, White-winged Flufftail, Yellow-breasted Pipit and many others. BirdLife South Africa recognises this area as the Steenkampsberg Important Bird and Biodiversity Area (IBA). It is an important water catchment area. Lakenvlei (a wetland) is a peatland which helps with the storing and purification of water. The peatland holds a huge amount of carbon, so minimizing the impact of climate change. The tourism and agricultural activities provide jobs for hundreds of people, connecting tourism to the beauty of the area and outdoor activities South African legislation provides for different categories of formal protection: Nature reserves and national parks, where activities are strictly controlled Protected Environment where some activities e.g. farming practices can continue but destructive and unsustainable activities are not allowed Areas are divided into zones such as natural areas and degraded areas.   In natural areas, activities are strictly controlled – over-grazing and indiscriminate use of pesticides are not allowed. Greater Lakenvlei now has a Management Plan which will be implemented to benefit the birds in this area.  Hopefully this declaration will encourage more bird lovers and nature lovers to visit, which should lead to more jobs and help conserve the area. It was made possible by the collaborative efforts of the Mpumalanga Tourism and Parks Agency (MTPA) and their NGO partners, the Endangered Wildlife Trust (EWT) and BirdLife South Africa Click here to go fly away to Birdlife International

    

3. Great news for Elephants from the World Land Trust

   Posted on 7:00pm Friday 2nd Jun 2017

    

   
   

   There are some charities which really do strike a chord with you and make you sit up and think, "Wow". The World Land Trust does it for me.   I think it's an amazing charity.  It protects the world's most important and threatened wildlife habitats, acre by acre. In fact, you can sponsor or give the gift of an acre, which makes for a marvellous gift because it lasts. Since it was founded in 1989 - so not that long ago compared to other charities - the World Land Trust has funded partner organisations around the world to create reserves, and thereby give permanent protection to habitats and wildlife. Habitats are vital to wildlife.  They matter.  Without a healthy habitat to live in, wildlife can't survive.  The World Land Trust has just succeeded in raising funds for a wildlife corridor in India, linking two tiger reserves.   The animal who'll probably benefit most from this corridor is the Indian elephant.  Elephants needed a safe passage to travel between two Ghats mountain ranges for food and mates.  The funding is being used for land exchange:  the landowner can continue subsistence farming, but away from the passage.   The elephants have been raiding crops as they pass between villages which of course caused conflict between people and elephants.  Hence the appeal was called the Elephant Corridor Appeal.  The success of the World Land Trust's campaign is critical because it gives safe passage to Indian elephants passing through the Mudahalli corridor between the Eastern and Western Ghats, and that can now be secured.  On this occasion, the Trust worked with the Wildlife Trust of India.  So far, Barking Deer, Black-naped Hare, Chital, Sambar Deer, Sloth Bear and Wild Boar have all been seen in the corridor forest and extension area, as well as tigers and elephants.  This is all thanks to the supporters of World Land Trust's campaign.   People (no doubt from all over the world, although the Trust is based in the UK. To me, news like this is fantastic.  This was an effort by a lot of people who were willing to put money into securing this wildlife corridor.   It reinforces what can be done by people coming together to make a difference. We can all create change by acting as individuals, but how much greater our power is when we come together! Elephants of India, enjoy your wildlife corridor.  Be safe. And thank you World Land Trust for the amazing work you and your partners do.

    

4. Plant Pots for Pollinators - help butterflies by going potty!

   Posted on 1:00pm Friday 2nd Jun 2017

   It’s great to hear about initiatives people can join in with - and better to hear that people are actually joining up and making a difference. This morning I discovered that Butterfly Conservation (who work to conserve butterflies) have an initiative called Plant Pots for Pollinators. It’s an amazing project.   Butterfly Conservation are asking people to plant a pot or pots for pollinators – butterflies and bees. Butterfly Conservation says the UK has 1,500 pollinating species – bumblebees, honeybees, hoverflies, beetles, wasps, butterflies and moths.  Changes in land use and the way it’s managed are destroying vital wildlife habitat on farms, woodlands, towns and cities.  We need to look after our pollinators.    Over 80% of EU crops and 80% of wildlflowers need insect pollination.   Pollinators can only look after us, if we look after them.   And if we provide habitat for them, they will come.   The sight of colourful butterflies fluttering around your garden thanks to your efforts is a truly lovely one.   There’s something very relaxing about listening to bees buzzing around flowers.  So the more plants we pot and grow for our pollinators, the better.  There’s a planting guide with suggestions of what butterflies like The Plant Pots for Pollinators scheme is sponsored by B&Q, so watch for Butterfly Conservation events at some B&Q stores.  And you can add your pot to Butterfly Conservation’s interactive map, which shows how many people have planted a pot and where in the country that pot is.     So far, 340 plant pots have been planted.   Go potty for pollinators this summer!

    

5. Help a species - Hedgehogs

   Posted on 9:43pm Sunday 23rd Aug 2015

    

    STOP the hedgehog decline

   Hedgehogs have declined in number substantially over the last few decades.   Their numbers have gone from 36 million during the 1950s down to just under one milliion in 2015.  Reasons for the decline in hedgehogs include: Loss of hedgerows and permanent grasslands - partly because of intensive farming but also because of the disappearance of hedges in favour of less attractive fences Use of pesticides, insecticides and other chemical products - they are all toxic and reduce the prey available to hedgehogs so there's less for them to eat Many thousands of hedgehogs are killed on the roads every year in traffic accidents People have smaller and tidier gardens with fences or walls which prevent hedgehogs moving from one garden to another New buildings and roads are carving up habitat and hedgehog populations are becoming isolated, so they are vulernable to extinction in their own area Research is being undertaken to find out more, and reporting your sightings of hedgehogs is an important part of this research - it helps identify habitats these much loved animals are using.   As hedgehogs are tending to use urban areas more and more, it is vital that people living in towns and villages help hedgehogs.  Things are being done to help hedgehogs There are a number of initiatives to help these tiny animals buck the trend.   One of these is the creation of a Hedgehog Improvement Area in Solihull in the West Midlands in the UK.   The area has been funded by the British Hedgehog Preservation Society and it crosses a nature reserve, a public park and surrounding streets.  Campaigners are trying to persuade people to cut a CD-sized hole in their garden fence to create wildlife corridors, so that hedgehogs can do the roaming they need to do.   Another initiative comes in the beautiful Channel Island of Guernsey (famous for the Guernsey Tomato).  Here hedgehogs are being tracked by technology.  But there's plenty of things people can do from home to help hedgehogs Create a wildlife friendly garden Give hedgehogs a nesting box - Garden Wildlife Direct have hedgehog homes from £19.99 In place of fences stick to hedges such as beech, holly, hawthorn, berberis, hazel or buckthorn Create a log or wood pile and a hedgehog might build a nest under it If you have a pond, give hedgehogs a way out such as a ramp so that if they fall in, they won't drown Don't use chemicals on your garden - they destroy the hedgehogs' prey Put out extra food such as meaty cat or dog food, hedgehog food, meal worms or chopped unsalted peanuts.  Give them water to drink (not milk).  Create a 13 cm square hole in your fence or wall so that hedgehogs can roam at night to find food and a mate.  (They actually travel 1 to 2 kilometres a night.)  Make sure there's no netting at a level hedgehogs can get trapped in and clean any litter up Let a corner of your garden run wild If you are having a bonfire, move it on the day you light it or build it the day you set fire to it.  Check before you set it alight for hedgehogs (and check for them before you do any strimming in your garden, too) You can become a hedgehog champion by joining in at Hedgehog Street, run by the British Hedgehog Preservation Society.  So far, nearly 34,000 people have become hedgehog champions and are helping hedgehogs in their gardens and in their local area!  The hedgehog is just one example of a change in our behaviour and actions can help a species.