Wildlife Diversity- See What’s Being Done to Help

photo credit: Ian Fisher

In a recent report conservationists warned that Britain’s wildlife now only exists in nature reserves- so what is being done to improve this precarious position? Read on to discover the great work Wildlife Trusts across Britain are doing to help conserve and protect our fantastic wildlife…The figures are daunting- in England almost 500 species have become extinct in the past 2,000 years according to Government research. Further, a quarter of the remaining species are under threat, with factors such as intensification of agriculture and the growth of cities  meaning some species have flourished (for example- foxes, crows), while others have been squeezed out- including pine martins and red squirrels.

According to the new study all of England’s reptile species, dolphin and whales are in decline, along with 60 per cent of amphibians, 40 per cent of land mammals, a third of butterflies and bees and around a quarter of breeding birds.

Helen Phillips, Natural England’s chief executive, warned that food security and water quality is under threat as well as access to wildlife for leisure purposes.

She suggested linking areas so rare animals can move around, creating new habitats and re-introducing species, as well as increasing spending from of £8-18 million to up to £800 million. 

However, some impressive initiatives by Wildlife Trust across the UK are already tackling the problem, conserving and improving natural habitats.  Twelve Wildlife Trusts have joined forces as part of the ‘Living Seas’ project , while individual organisations are working both individually and in partnership to help wildlife on the land- with Northumberland Wildlife Trust’s  WildPlaces encouraging the public to get closer with wildlife and help in conservation work.

In fact, under Biodiversity Action Plans (BAPs), the Northumberland Wildlife Trust is the regional leader in coordinating the protection of a number of key species, such as water vole and red squirrel.  They also have a number of other high conservation priorities for habitats and species.

Biodiversity Action Plans (BAPs) represent a process of identifying a common set of priority habitats and species and developing agreed objectives and targets for their conservation. Local BAPs are responses to UK government commitments under the International Convention on Biological Diversity.

Meanwhile, Yorkshire Wildlife Trust ‘s conservation projects are innumerable- from peat and bog conservation to ‘Living Churchyards’ , ‘Running Wild’, the ‘Road Verge Project’ and many many more- see the full list here . There’s top tips to encourage wildlife into your garden  , while the Living Landscapes campaign seeks to make Yorkshire and the Humber a resilient and healthy environment in a changing climate.  The Living Landscapes document identifies key areas to protect for wildlife, enlarging, improving and joining them up across the UK; on nature reserves, in towns and cities, and in partnership with hundreds of other land-owners.

In Scotland, conservation is at the forefront of the Scottish Wildlife Trust’s agenda, with the objective to “advance the conservation of Scotland’s biodiversity for the benefit of present and future generations.”
The Scottish Wildlife Trust also played a major role in the development of Scotland’s most important environmental legislation yet, the Nature Conservation (Scotland) Act 2004 which contains a legal commitment to conserve the diversity of wildlife.

One of the most important of these campaigns concentrates on ‘Saving the Red Squirrel’, Scotland’s only native squirrel species.

So much is being done across the UK to help conserve our fantastic wildlife and ensure that generations to come can benefit from our fantastic natural spaces- find out more by visiting your local Wildlife Trust and see what you can do to help.

Northumberland Wildlife Trust, Yorkshire Wildlife Trust and the Scottish Wildlife Trust all receive regular and unrestricted funding from the People’s Postcode Lottery. The charity lottery gives 40p from every ticket to charities across the UK- totalling £7 million to date. Over 90 postcodes also win prizes weekly- so charities and players always win. Find out more on the People’s Postcode Lottery’s website.