Essex Wildlife Trust’s Post

Do you care about outdoor recreation and conservation in Colorado? National Forest Plans shape the future of public lands, balancing recreation, conservation, and economic use. With the upcoming 2025 revision of the White River National Forest plan in Colorado, it's more important than ever to understand how these plans work and how you can get involved. Explore our latest article to learn about the planning process, its impact on wildlife and outdoor activities, and how you can help shape the future of your favorite forests. 🌲🌿 Read more: https://zurl.co/6iCa #ForestManagement #PublicLands #WhiteRiverNationalForest

Uncovering Evidence of Pre-Colonial Life in the Murray River Floodplain Wetlands In a paper co-authored by #Archaeologist Colin Pardoe and #Ecologist Dan Hutton*, significant evidence has emerged shedding light on the pre-colonial human habitation patterns in the wetlands of the Murray River Floodplain. The research suggests a picture of communal living, with evidence indicating the presence of villages and hamlets strategically located around water bodies within the forested areas. These areas, identified as #ecological 'hot spots', were crucial hubs of activity for the indigenous communities residing in the region, notably in the renowned Pollack Swamp. Spanning across 700 hectares, the Pollack Swamp stands as a remarkable testament to the ecological richness of our region. While access to this site is not open to the general public due to its sensitive ecological status, we are delighted to announce two exclusive tours aimed at providing a first hand glimpse into this historic landscape. Pollack Tour Organiser Karen Lyons says ‘’These tours offer a unique opportunity for enthusiasts, and the local community to explore the Pollack, guided by Traditional Owners of the Land’’. As stewards of our environmental heritage, it is important that we recognise and celebrate the profound connections between past civilisations and the landscapes they inhabited. The discoveries unearthed through this research not only deepen our understanding of history but also underscore the importance of preserving and protecting our wetland ecosystems for generations to come. For more information and to reserve your spot on the upcoming tours, please contact 03 5453 1577 [End of Release] *Australasian Journal of Environmental Management, Volume 28 #pastcivilisations #traditionalowner #PollackSwamp #ecologicalstatus #murrayriverfloodplain Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) Nine

Bored of all the negativity in the news? Here is just one story of true #HopeIntoAction, there are so many more out there. Find out more about #Rewilding on this #WorldRewildingDay at https://lnkd.in/eDRnDUcA

Check out this interview by our Executive Director!

We welcome the news from Maidstone Borough Council announcing that they have objected to the plans to extend Hermitage Quarry as it will impact Oaken Wood, an ancient woodland. 🙌 Kent Wildlife Trust supports the Save Oaken Woods Campaign and has also objected to the plans. 🌳 Oaken Wood is a local wildlife site that contains ancient woodland and irreplaceable habitat. A large section of Oaken Wood has already been lost and the proposals to expand the quarry would result in a further loss of ancient woodland that would be greater than the losses from HS2 and the Lower Thames Crossing combined. The soil and trees of ancient woodland are key in the fight against climate change, with studies showing that ancient woodland in the UK alone stores up to 77 million tonnes of carbon. Oaken Wood is a key habitat for a range of species and is also part of a wider ecological network linking other woodlands and green spaces together and connecting habitats that would otherwise be isolated. More here: https://lnkd.in/eTuKer4z The Woodland Trust

Read the latest from our friends at Kotahitanga mō te Taiao Alliance about the great conservation and restoration work going on in Te Tauihu, the top of the South Island.

May is Preservation Month, a time to celebrate the significance of historic conservation. These buildings enhance our communities by keeping the past alive, adding to the charm of our neighborhoods, and, in many cases, giving new purposes to old buildings through adaptive reuse. Here are a few historic buildings we've worked on in the last year. #preservationmonth | #historicrestoration | #buildingenvelope | #commercialroofing | #greenwood

Local Nature Recovery Strategies (LNRS) are critical to achieving Big Chalk’s vision of nature-rich chalk and limestone landscapes that benefit all of us. They’re central to building a nature recovery network that will halt nature’s decline by 2030 and ensure nature is at the heart of local decision-making.  The West of England LNRS is the first to be published and it overlaps significantly with Big Chalk, including parts of the Cotswolds and Mendip Hills National Landscapes and the important limestone landscapes in between. We’re really pleased to see species-rich grasslands are a priority for the West of England LNRS, as well as the West of England Nature Partnership's Grassland Connections programme. This focus on restoring and improving connectivity between grasslands will help ensure species can move as their climate envelopes shift. This is just the beginning. At Big Chalk, we want to see more LNRSs across southern England recognise the importance of our globally significant chalk and limestone habitats and align their priorities across boundaries- there are 26 local strategy areas within Big Chalk. By working together, we can enhance the health and resilience of these essential ecosystems. We’re proud to be working with these catalysts for nature's recovery locally and look forward to seeing more strategies published.  To find out more, visit https://lnkd.in/e8XnBYpT #BigChalk #BigChalkConference #NatureRecovery #LNRS #BigChalk #EcosystemRestoration #Biodiversity #SustainableLandscapes #ClimateAction #GreenInfrastructure #WildlifeConnectivity #NatureBasedSolutions #Collaboration #LocalConservation #RestoreNature #WildlifeRecovery #NatureRestoration #BiodiversityAction #RewildingLocal #SustainableLandscapes #EcoRestoration #ProtectOurNature Avon Wildlife Trust Bath & North East Somerset Council West of England Combined Authority Mendip Hills AONB Cotswolds National Landscape Simon Smith David Hoccom Joanna Lewis Sarah Jackson Image: Dolebury Warren © smartimages.co.uk

We return this week to our conversation with Executive Director Katie Morrison and Conservation Science & Programs Manager Josh Killeen of the Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society’s (CPAWS) Southern Alberta Chapter. This week we explore some of the challenges these lands are facing in greater depth. 🌲 How does the underlying approach to forest management make it difficult for protection? 🏛️ What is the government’s role? 🎯 And what are the opportunities, particularly unique to this landscape, that could result in better outcomes for all? Don't miss it: https://buff.ly/3SbdcDa

A win for nature!!!    Recent attention in the media has put the spotlight on the dire state of our rivers; in England only 15% meet the criteria for ‘good’ ecological status and shockingly, none achieve ‘good’ status overall1.  But there is hope, every year we are inspired by some of the best examples of river and catchment restoration showcased at the prestigious UK River Restoration Prize, awarded by UK River Restoration Centre (RRC).   It’s five years since we launched the Trust’s flagship river restoration programme, Riverlands, in response to the growing nature and climate crises and we couldn’t be more excited to announce that this year two of our projects were selected as finalists at the 2024 awards.  Our Cumbria Riverlands team scooped first prize in the catchment award alongside partner Ullswater Catchment Management CIC for their work restoring habitats around Ullswater2. To date, the collaboration has delivered 843 hectares of habitat restoration; initiatives covered over 13km of river restoration, 46 hectares of pond creation, over 16km of hedgerow creation, and significant restorations of wood pasture, peat, and wetlands. The works also included the ‘re-wiggling’ of Goldrill Beck which is often used as an exemplar.   Riverlands Porlock Vale Streams project was a runner up, recognised for it’s pioneering and innovative approaches to both river restoration and land management aimed at restoring natural processes at a catchment scale. Work has created an extensive, connected ‘waterscape’ that is nature rich and resilient to extremes in climate, whilst also remaining productive. This included the UK’s first large scale main river restoration using the stage zero technique and species reintroductions with beaver and water vole.   It’s fantastic to be recognised for the work we’ve been doing and huge thanks to our partners, funders, farmers and local communities; the work we’ve achieved demonstrates that together we can support natural rivers, thriving wildlife and resilient communities.   A big congratulations to the other finalists and everyone involved.    Environment Agency Natural England Danny Teasdale @DefraGovUK @UllswaterCIC #envAgencyNW #GreenRecoveryChallengeFund #TogetherForOurPlanet #UllswaterCatchmentManagementCIC     1) State of our Rivers 2024, Rivers Trust.  2) With support from the Cumbria River Restoration Strategy, which is led by the Environment Agency and Natural England. Image Credit: Jonathan Holdsworth