wildlife

A wilder Derbyshire

In September 2020, the UK Government announced a commitment to 30% of land for nature by 2030.  Sadly, the UK’s National Parks and Areas of Natural Beauty are severely depleted of wildlife through overgrazing, poor management or intensive agricultural practices.  Half of the Sites of Special Scientific Interest where nature is supposedly protected are in …

A wilder Derbyshire Read More »

Creating a wilder Derbyshire with the Derbyshire Wildlife Trust

The Owl Hoot
The Owl Hoot
Creating a wilder Derbyshire with the Derbyshire Wildlife Trust
/

Ruth Pilbeam is a Rewilding Project Officer for Wild Peak and Peatlands Discovery, and Hollie Davis is a Team Wilder Community Engagement Assistant with the Derbyshire Wildlife Trust. They share varied ways of boosting nature’s recovery through individual and community engagement, providing inspiring stories of rewilding and nature-based activities.

Peatlands

Peatlands are wetland landscapes formed from the accumulation of dead and decaying plants over thousands of years in the presence of waterlogged conditions.  This organic matter is called peat.  They occupy 3% of land globally and 12% within the UK.  There are multiple types of peatlands, three of which are common in the UK: Why …

Peatlands Read More »

Peatland restoration with Robbie Carnegie

The Owl Hoot
The Owl Hoot
Peatland restoration with Robbie Carnegie
/

Robbie Carnegie is a senior communications officer at Moors for the Future Partnership, an organisation committed to restoring, researching and raising awareness of the Peak District and South Pennine Moors. Discover how they transform these severely degraded habitats and the numerous benefits to wildlife, people and places.

Creating and connecting woodlands

The importance of woodlands Trees have umpteen benefits; biodiversity, climate change, flooding, air pollution, soil and human health (see this blog for more details).  Woodlands are home to more wildlife species than any other habitat. The state of woodlands today Woodlands are essential landscapes but have been diminished and fractured worldwide through human-based activities, such …

Creating and connecting woodlands Read More »

Connecting woodlands with the Derbyshire Wildlife Trust

The Owl Hoot
The Owl Hoot
Connecting woodlands with the Derbyshire Wildlife Trust
/

George Jones is a wilder communities officer, and Ady Cox is a nature recovery advisor with the Derbyshire Wildlife Trust. Here, they talk about the Derwent Connections project, aiming to create and connect woodlands and reduce flood risk through collaborative work with landowners and community organisations.

Young People’s Forest with Sabaha Hussein

The Owl Hoot
The Owl Hoot
Young People’s Forest with Sabaha Hussein
/

In a gap year following her science A-levels, Sabaha Hussein took up an NCS Year of Service placement with the Woodland Trust. She shares her experiences at the Young People’s Forest at Mead in Derbyshire, where local people helped plant ~250,000 trees benefiting both people and the planet.

Mammals in decline

What is a mammal? Mammals, which includes us (and your furry pets), are vertebrate animals (with backbones) characterised by: Mammal species Mammals are diverse; they can be super small, such as bats weighing less than one gram, or impressively large, like the blue whale weighing in at over 180 metric tonnes. There are 5,500 species …

Mammals in decline Read More »

Mammal monitoring and conservation with Charlie Le Marquand

The Owl Hoot
The Owl Hoot
Mammal monitoring and conservation with Charlie Le Marquand
/

Charlie Le Marquand is the data and information officer for the Mammal Society, whose vital role of determining mammal populations and habitats informs conservation. Charlie shares her enthusiasm and knowledge of British mammals and how we can all get involved in recording their whereabouts.

Rewilding

What is rewilding? Rewilding is the restoration of ecosystems by implementing interventions to the point at which nature can take care of itself. Richard Bunting presents a comprehensive picture of rewilding in his podcast episode. What is the difference between conservation and rewilding? Conservation is the protection and preservation of natural landscapes, ecosystems and species.  …

Rewilding Read More »