Rewilding
Comments
-
It is true David, disbelieve the evidence out there at our peril! The amount of relatively unproductive land being rewilded is minute in the grand scheme of things but from tiny acorns and all that maybe a benefit will be forthcoming. We possibly won’t get a second chance, have faith!
2 -
You have your eyes wide open Mickey boy👍🏻👏🏻👏🏻. Rewilding areas are a safe haven for the pollinators away from sprays & certain death. We owe our lives to the very creatures that are being sacrificed.
4 -
The benefits are many fold, many years ago, as a very young child I saw my first ever glow worm here in the UK whilst on a caravanning holiday with my parents. My dad was keen to show me this little wonder, it was just awesome in my eyes. How I’d love to show my grandchildren the same, I haven’t seen one since in sixty years. The same can be said for many other creatures, great and small, we once took for granted. And we do know why!
1 -
My Granddad, who inspired much of my love of nature, also told me about the Corn Crake in the fields near his home. I’d be very lucky indeed to see or hear one of them. More chance of winning the lottery! Never seen a swallowtail either although Mrs SF did whilst I went back to our car whilst on a reserve in Suffolk a few years ago! She was happy!!!😟
0 -
After cutting down many, many dangerous trees suffering with dangerous punky wood I came across just 2 stag Beetles over so many years, they were amazing. I have heard 1 corncrake in my life whilst in a canoe just gently drifting & listening to the nature about me(on the Broads). Just one rasp from the CC, none before nor since🙁.
3 -
Micky just to make you feel better every year there are glow worms alive and well on some common land near us. They are "protected" and very carefully looked after and loved by the locals.
I think you'll find many glow worms are still around but not "advertised." Have a look on a few wildlife sites for more info about where you might catch a glimpse. Ours aren't on the visiting list.
I've never seen a Swallowtail butterfly either because they only thrive in certain habitats, we're lucky to have such diverse countryside.
0 -
Thanks Brue, that’s good news. Shame where they were once common and widespread they now only hang on in protected and secretive areas. On the other hand that’s encouraging and hopefully, with more Rewilding taking place such species will spread. As for the diverse countryside, yes, we are lucky. Let’s hope that we can find more areas for the associated flora and fauna to thrive and recolonise. We should be thankful that there are those folk determined to see it happen.
0 -
Hopefully not endangered but near extirpation in much of UK compared with how common they were pre. 50s, like many invertebrates, reptiles and amphibians. The changes in agricultural practices and the drive for profit has certainly had a detrimental effect on habitats and with it the future, if we don’t address the issues, associated with pollinator decline.
Nightjars being another species which have declined in numbers and locations due to land use changes which a local rewilding project is attempting to address.
0 -
A hero of mine, Jeremy Wade, wades in with rewilding rivers by removing man made obstructions to aid wildlife passage along waterways! Excellent project in the Lakes illustrated in this video.
https://youtu. To be/nNx5QpEI-yc0 -
Just been watching "Clarksons Farm". I know its a made for TV programme just like the canned BBC programmes that have done more damage than good. Its what a lot of us farmers have ben doing for years. Tree planting with natives in corners, digging the odd pond etc. etc. Seems much more realistic than the eco warriors wanting to release Lynx, Wolves etc. This is what we understand by rewillding, protecting what we have now not going back to the middle ages and trying to force their ideas when they dont own an acre of land.
0 -
Me thinks there is far more to be done before Lynx and wolves can be considered in our landscape right now. Some though always mention these as reasons not to start on more humble projects. Would be wonderful to be in harmony with nature to allow but there is far more important rewilding projects to support right now starting at the base of the eco system. Yes, the base, we really have made a mess of’ it! Good to see the likes of ospreys, beavers, WTEagles, martins, wild cats and others being helped mind. Looks like you are on board Fish! The reintroduction of wolves and lynx is happening in other places where it is right now, maybe one day on our shores! Let’s hope so!
0 -
Fish, you’re a hobby farmer🤷🏻♂️. You do it as an aside not actually make a living from it. Your ‘acres’ will probably be a big garden. You offer no insights, you can’t talk realistic 21st century farming practices. You & me are identical-we know nothing of grown up farming other that what real farmers tell us👍🏻🤷🏻♂️
0 -
Another rewilding project in Kent that has had a good start!!
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/av/science-environment-63328726
0 -
That European Bison is helping along with the White Park and Chillington wild cattle in other rewilding projects. Old English Long Horn too at Clumber Park. Seen those majestic beasts adjacent to Clumber Park C&MC site. They do a sterling job.
0 -
Now he’s a project worth getting behind. May be possible to reintroduce elsewhere in England, possible Wales. This is currently our rarest mammal in Great Britain and now under considerable threat of extinction here.
0 -
I understand animals from healthy wild populations across European could help the reintroduction. How to maintain the genetic purity, what with domestic cats in the proposed localities, may be problematic although not impossible. Worth a try?
0 -
There was a release programme taking place in the Cairngorms which I followed for a while but all has gone silent on their progress. Wonder what happened there?
1 -
Is this the one! Nellie? Sounds like excellent progress to date!
https://www.nature.scot/hugely-successful-first-breeding-season-saving-wildcats-projectThis project runs for a few more years, let’s hope!
0 -
Agree Fisherman, that project has been going on for years and the DNA of wild cats was in dispute right from the start. A Highland Wildlife park breeding programme. There will always be a chance of interbreeding and there are too many neglected feral cats around.
2 -
Apparently, they naturally tend to avoid domestic cats and where wildcat populations abroad are at healthy sustainable levels then hybridisation is low.
The single biggest threat in Great Britain to our wild populations has been the historic persecution and killing of these iconic species by those protecting game birds on estates. Over the years they have reduced the wild population so dramatically that it is now so low extinction is a possibility and low numbers culminate in this hybridisation problem becomes an issue.
There seems to be a persecution pattern emerging with any creature which conflicts with those estates and this hybrid issue is one which the perpetrators will abuse in order to spread their viewpoint and an excuse not to try. There are projects abroad which are working and measures can be taken to assist purity.0 -
Micky, another problem in Scotland is the loss of natural habitat, with the felling of forest to establish land based Wind Farms, such as at Clashindarrock, West of Rhynie, Aberdeenshire.
Scottish Wildcat Haven was the one that I had been watching, but thanks for the link.
1 -
The theorists always find someone to blame. Deforestation, persecution etc etc.No facts to support their claims just twitter. Why does the Yorkshire moors and grouse shooting have the largest number of "red list" bird species. So much so that they are considering relocating some Hen harriers to spread their range. That is sensible helping nature not those outlandish rewilding scemes
0 -
The magazine ‘Country Life’, who are more closely linked with ‘country sports’ organisations than environmentalists, provide an interesting insight into wildcat persecution in this, their recent article on wildcats. It explores the conflicts and threat of extinction explaining that the protection of game birds by those associated with shooting estates was a significant factor in the loss of this iconic creatures population across Britain. It makes for interesting reading an an insight into the wildcat project and the truth about theorists.
0 -
That figures-profit before diversity of wildlife. ‘If it costs kill it’
1
and a big stag beetle (well it looked big to me
