Wildflower rich meadows are crucial to wildlife. 

Bees, butterflies and other pollinators all benefit from them, and they also give food and shelter to animals such as owls and bats.

The problem is that traditional wildflower meadows have practically disappeared from our countryside and replaced with uniform green grassed industrial-fertilized fields.

There are few flowers who can survive in this landscape and that means pollinating insects have declined.

In Devon, the Culm grasslands to the north of Dartmoor are very important because they support both wildflowers and wild creatures – yet only 10% of the wildflower rich grasslands of 100 years ago are still in a good condition in north Devon today.

There is, however, hope for our meadows:

Lost wildflower meadows can be restored

Lost wildflower meadows can be restored to richness, and colour, and life using different methods.  The Devon Wildlife Trust has been working with landowners to do that for years. 

All you need to make a meadow for wildlife on a patch of grassland is:

• Time
• The most suitable wildflower seeds
• Access to the right equipment
• The know-how to manage a meadow in its earliest stages.
  
  

The goodwill is there – people want to act for wildlife

In 2019, supporters helped back the Devon Wildlife Trust’s Blooming Wild Devon crowdfunder to bring wildflowers back to the countryside in North Devon and the South Hams and also to increase wildflowers in urban green spaces.  As a result of an amazing effort, supporters enabled the Trust to restore, improve or create 9,482 acres of wildflower-rich grassland – the equivalent of 278 football pitches!

Now the Trust wants to support people to make meadows wherever they live in Devon – in fields, road verges and gardens!  The aim is to have a county of Meadow Makers!

At the same time, more and more people want to help create wildflower meadows, and they are asking the Trust for advice on how they can increase the diversity and abundance of native wildflowers on their own land.

This gave the Devon Wildlife Trust an idea!

The Devon Meadow Makers is a hub sharing knowledge, expertise and access to equipment and wildflower seed so that new meadows can be created across Devon.

A crowdfunder has been launched to set this idea into reality and if you support it with a pledge of £8 or more, you can choose from a range of wildflower seed mixes to start your own meadow!

Click here to help make more meadows and support the crowdfunder

You can select a reward, depending on what you donate - £5 will give you a six page guide on creating a wildlife meadow for instance.

Meadow Makers will need specialist seed harvesting kit, sowing drills and other machinery on a loan basis (to save people buying it) to give meadows the best possible start.

By sharing expert knowledge and practical support, this will create a network of wildflower  meadows – join them up, and wildlife will have their own byways so that they won’t get stuck on one site!

The Devon Wildlife Trust needs to raise £6,000 to turn the Devon’s Meaqdow Makers idea into a reality.

This is a great idea – it will give Devon a lot more wildflower meadows, help our pollinators and other wildlife – and the great thing about it is that you don’t need a large garden to join in!

Click here to help make more meadows and support the crowdfunder

There’s more good news for nature.

Tristan da Cunha is a remote island chain in the South Pacific.  It’s 2,400 kilometres from the nearest land!

And Birdlife International report that Tristan da Cunha has been declared a Marine Protection Zone, one of the largest wildlife sanctuaries and a pristine wildlife haven.

The MPA is nearly three times the size of the UK.  MILLIONS of seabirds, fish and mammals Penguins and seals, threatened sharks and whales will all benefit.  25 seabird species breed here, four of which are unique to the islands and which are also globally threatened.   It includes the World Heritage Site of Gough Island which is a renowned albatross stronghold, and, it could be argued, one of the most important seabird islands in the world

The MPA has been established thanks to international collaboration between governments, NGOs and local islanders.  The whole thing was instigated by the Tristan de Cunha government and the RSPB.

The Tristan islanders themselves led the way however, as nature guardians in the Atlantic Ocean.  They have already declared protected status for over half their territory, and they know that the sea is critical for their long term survival.  They are proud to play a key role in protecting the health of the oceans.

The UK Government Blue Belt Programme, National Geographic Pristine Seas and the Great British Oceans coalition. British Antarctic Survey, University of Plymouth and the Natural History Museum have also been involved.

Recently, a study found that banned fishing in 5% or more of the ocean would increase global catches by 20% plus in future.  And of course this newly protected MPA ties into the wider global goal to secure protection of 30% of the world’s oceans by 2030 to tackle climate change and the biodiversity crisis.

Well done to everyone involved! 

Visit Birdlife International to find out more

Charities are having to move online for a lot of fundraising now, and the David Shepherd Wildlife Foundation (DSWF) is no exception.

The Foundation fights wildlife crime, protects species and engages local communities in conservation in Africa and Asia. 

It works with conservation partners and you can see a list of them here.

They have just held a Virtual Wildlife Ball and wow, was it a success!

Their aim was to raise £50,000 – but supporters really rallied, dug deep and showed their true support for the Foundation.  The event raised a staggering £80,000!

People tuned in from all over the world and the event lasted an hour.  It raised nearly £50,000 before it even started!

Elephants, tigers, rhinos, pangolins, chimpanzees, lions, painted dogs and snow leopards.

Amongst the stars involved in the event, is an inspirational 9 year old raising money for pangolin, to a soprano and there’s also a visit to the Elephant Orphanage.  

There’s nothing like going to bed knowing you have done something really good today and made a difference.

The event was held to celebrate wildlife and to raise funds to support conservation across Africa and Asia. 

The bit about with the elephant orphanage starts at 28 minutes
if you're short of time.

It's not enough to care - we need to ACT

Climate change and the biodiversity crises has been forgotten in the times of the coronavirus and charities are suffering particularly badly.  The more we can all do to help, the better off our wildlife will be.

The key things for us all to do are to spread the word that there are good things happening and that we can all make a difference to wildlife.

We can turn this around if we all pull together and help nature.

Visit the DSWF's website here

Donate to the DSWF here

You can also adopt an animal here as a gift and buy wildlife art as a gift here.

And of course you can spread the word on social media! 

@dswfwildlife on Twitter

@DSWFWildlife on Facebook

Don't miss Tuesday and Wednesday 5 and 6 January 2021 at 9pm on BBC2:  Cheetah Family and Me with Gordon Buchanan 

It's back!  There's a repeat of Snow Cats and Me on BBC2 at 8pm on Friday 13 November 2020!

Here's my post from the previous showing:

I'm watching a lynx catching the first rays of sun on her fur ever, in Russia.  This lynx is one of two who have been rescued from a chap who kept two lynx to breed from and this amazing rescuer has got the owner to hand them over.

The rescuer is big cat expert Dr Victor Lukarevsky who is trying for the first time ever to rescue lynx and rehabilitat them so that they can go back into the wild. This is in complete contrast to their previous life when they were living in cages in a garage.

Lynx are wanted for the pet trade and fur trade in Russia. 

Anyway, do watch Gordon Buchanan's Snow Cats and Me.  There are 2 episodes and you can find out more about the programme here.

UPDATE:

Do I tell you or not, if you haven't seen the programme?  Well, I'm bursting so I have to!   The two lynx Dasher and Briansk (not sure if I've spelt their names correctly) were released in the stunning Khakassia State Reserve, Siberia, deep in the Siberian wilderness, and I'm sure I wasn't the only one to have tears falling down my face at the sight of Briansk gingerly stepping into unknown territories and taking uncertain looks around him before heading off away from his rescuers.  The park is patrolled by rangers and it's a very remote area indeed - you don't see any signs of people at all. 

The footage of the lynx kittens was gorgeous, with their beautiful faces and inquisitive natures.   If you haven't seen the programme, please take a look!