Category: Wildlife Habitat: Wildlife Corridors

1. Calling all bird lovers! It's World Migratory Bird Day on 9 May 2020

   Posted on 9:00pm Wednesday 6th May 2020

   On the 9th May 2020 (and 10 October 2020), it’s World Migratory Bird Day (WMBD for short).  It’s a global campaign  and it’s dedicated to raising awareness of migratory birds and the need for countries around the world to co-operate in their efforts to save them. This year, the theme is “Birds Connect Our World”. It was picked to highlight how important it is to conserve and restore the ecological connectivity and integrity of ecosystems which support the natural cycles that are essential for migratory birds to survive and thrive. The day gives us all an opportunity to discover more about migratory birds and be in awe at their amazing feats. Migratory birds need networks with stops Migratory birds travel far.  They need to be able to stop to rest and feed and breed. If you like, you could liken it as a journey along a motorway system and every so often, they need to stop for a break to fill their tummies and have a break. Birds need networks of sites They need a network of sites along these routes to breed, to feed, to rest and spend the winter.  They need different sites and habitats, irrelevant of which country they are in. They can cross incredible distances and over impossible terrains such as deserts and open seas.  They cross national borders and soar above any national agenda.  What they do need is for countries to co-operate to ensure their routes are kept open and safe for them.    Examples of migratory birds’ routes The East Asian – Australasian Flyway goes from the Russian Far East and Alaska through East Asia and South-East Asia, down to Australia and New Zealand – 22 countries in all.  The Flyway is home to over 50 million migratory waterbirds from over 250 different populations.   They need a system of wetlands to rest, feed and build up the energy they need for the next part of their journey.  Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust has an example of swan’s migrating from Slimbridge up to their tundra breeding grounds in the Russian Arctic.  RSPB has information about the Arctic tern who travels a rather amazing 22,000 miles a year – the longest migration of all – as they move continually between the Arctic summer and the Antarctic summer.   Swifts breed throughout Europe as far north as Lapland and the Arctic Circle, reaching east across Asia to China. So you can see how important it is that countries work together to give these birds the flight paths they need, with all the facilities along the way. What can be done at a national/international level: Increase action globally via environment treaties such as the Convention on Migratory Species (CMS) and the Africa-Eurasian Waterbird Agreement (AEWA).  These are vital to protect migratory birds on their international flight paths. Creating habitat corridors which are protected and which go across boundaries would really help animals who migrate and fly over national boundaries.  Networks of crucial sites which are imperative to migration needs must be safeguarded and managed properly.  Important Bird and Biodiversity Areas as described by BirdLife International give migratory birds all they need during their long flights - necessary feeding, breeding, nesting and sheltering grounds. What individuals like you & me can do: Have a bird-friendly garden with safe shelters and a bird bath.  Give them bird food. Put feeders out of reach of cats.    Spread the word about how important it is to protect migratory birds.  Download and use birding apps – it’s a great way to connect to like-minded bird lovers. Find out more about migratory birds.  There are resources on the WMBD website so fly off and nest and rest there a while and peck at all the information you can.  This day is held twice a year , on 9 May and 10 October so you could prepare an event or attend an October event. Visit BirdLife International and the WMBD’s site here

    

2. Please see this video from Gravitas - how nature is reclaiming its spaces due to the Coronavirus

   Posted on 2:00pm Friday 10th Apr 2020

   Sometimes you see something on the internet or on television that really hits you hard and makes a point extremely well. I saw this video, this afternoon, and I wanted to share it with you.  Please share it with everyone you can. The ultimate message is that we SHARE this planet.  It demonstrates how dominant the human race has become - and how selfish.   I am not going to tell you anymore about it - please just watch it for yourself.   Here it is: Thank you, Gravitas. Please vow to make a difference today.  Find out how to reduce your impact on the earth's resources here.

3. Good news for forests in Belize from the World Land Trust

   Posted on 7:00pm Saturday 8th Feb 2020

   The World Land Trust has great news for forests! On 16 January 2020, the Governement of Belize signed the declaration of North-eastern Biological Corridor of Belize.  It covers an area of nearly 70,000 acres and links the northernmost nature reserve in Belize with more central natural habitats. It’s really important, because it’s the first step towards achieving a total North-South corridor crossing the whole country as the map shows! ©World Land Trust It’s a tremendous example of public-private partnership:  the government of Belize, local NGOs, private landowners and many international donors – including the World Land Trust – have been involved. UNITED FOR CONSERVATION, WE CAN DO GREAT THINGS TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE FOR THE BETTER The corridor connects a system of three protected areas in one system.  Deforestation has caused the loss of over 25,000 acres of forest in tihe last 10 years. This will now allow big animals such as jaguar and Baird’s Tapirs enough space to move freely between protected areas and so ensure their long term survival!  It will also help build climate resilience into Belize’s network of protected areas. Why was this acquisition necessary? In Belize, about 50% of the country is under natural vegetation cover.  About 35% of the country is under some form of protection.  So it is still possible to create biological corridors between protected areas. It’s vital that these acquisitions take place, and speedily, because agricultural development are increasingly encroaching on forest. How did supporters of the World Land Trust – people like you & me – help in this achievement? The World Land Trust mobilised its supporters and inspired new ones to raise funds to support this land acquisition.  It included 2018’s Big Match Fortnight Jungle for Jaguars campaign, and another Buy an Acre opportunity a few months after that.  (The Big Match Fortnight normally comes in October when donations are matched for a specific appeal – it is incredible how much and how speedily this builds up.) Donate in memory of someone special I donated to this campaign during the Big Match Fortnight (actually in memory of my wonderful Dad as his birthday is in November and I plant a tree or do a buy an acre on his birthday and at Christmas for him, as Dad loved trees).  Ask someone to donate as a gift for you I asked my husband to also donate as my early Christmas present and it was by far the best present I had.   It really meant something to me.  We had made a difference. I cannot tell you the glow and warm feeling I have in my heart when I think of my jaguar roaming the biological corridor.   I call him “my jaguar” – he obviously isn’t, and I’m never going to meet him – but it’s lovely to think that because I donated and my husband has too, we’ve helped him and lots of other animals. Please do donate to the World Land Trust if you can, and keep an eye on their website.  I often post news of their new appeals here, so you can watch this space as well.  They are a wonderful charity and it’s good to give a meaningful gift which will last, so if you’re looking for a gift for a wildlife lover, making a donation could be a great way to do something to really make a difference – a win, win, win all round! This was the You Tube Video for Jungle for Jaguars – it raised £532,000 in the Big Match Fortnight (normally early October) alone and hit the £600,000 target by Christmas, helping to save 8,154 vital acres.  A further 1,818 acres were saved a few months later.

4. 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

    

5. China building ecological wildlife corridors for pandas

   Posted on 10:00am Monday 12th Aug 2019

   Looking through the info I have on Good Being Done, I was delighted to see that forestry authorities in Shaanxi Province have launched an ecological corridor programme. The province is situated in the north west of China, and the idea behind the programme is to connect habitats of giant pandas which have become fragmented.   This means that the pandas will be able to move between the habitats. By way of bridge construction and road culvert clearance, six such corridors will be built by 2027 in the Qinling mountains areas.  The pandas will then be able to move around more easily. That’s not all – bamboo trees will be planted along the corridors, and vegetation will be restored.  This means that the pandas will have more to eat. The thing is that this defragmentation of panda habitat was all down to human activities again.   Human doings such as road traffic and hydropower station construction caused it. And that meant the pandas couldn’t connect and breed – they find breeding hard enough as it is – so it didn’t help the panda population. Nationwide research showed that there were about 345 wild pandas living in the Qinling areas, so may there be many more in the future! Source:   http://www.xinhuanet.com Life of Rare Pandas by National Geographic And Wildlife Animal Documentary