FRONTLINE
No time to hedge our bets on a green recovery PTES is one of many green groups to receive funding for post-pandemic conservation efforts. Good news, but it will take more than that to restore our wildlife, says James Fair.
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*Close the Gap is funded by the Green Recovery Challenge Fund, delivered by the National Lottery Heritage Fund, Natural England and the Environment Agency.
James Fair is a journalist specialising in wildlife conservation stories and editor of Wildlife World Magazine.
Wildlife World
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tories in the press during the first lockdown last year So, it’s great news that the Government is talking about the need suggested that the restrictions placed on people had been a for a ‘green recovery’ as we gradually emerge from the boon for wildlife in both Britain and abroad. Wild goats, that unprecedented chaos created by the covid pandemic. At the end of normally roam the Great Orme in North Wales, invaded the 2020, it announced the first tranche of projects that would receive a deserted streets of nearby Llandudno, with videos showing them share of £40 million from a challenge fund. Even better, PTES was giddy with excitement in their new environment, like school one of a coalition of groups that was successful with its bid for children let loose at Legoland. money for a hedge conservation project called ‘Close the Gap’*. The National Trust reported, among other comebacks, that Together with the Tree Council, Hedgelink, the Farming & Wildlife peregrine falcons had nested in the ruins of Corfe Castle, an Advisory Group and others, we’ll be working to increase the extent attraction normally buzzing with tourists. Further afield in South and improve the health of the UK’s hundreds of thousands of America, pumas found wandering the streets of Santiago in Chile kilometres of hedgerows. PTES was already committed to hedge had to be caught and relocated. The natural world, it seemed, was conservation through our Great British Hedgerow Survey and – bouncing back. thanks to this extra funding – But the truth is rather more we’ll now we’ll be extending our complex and sombre. It isn’t reach to more farmers and other just that temporarily empty landowners. city streets or tourist Most farmers want to see attractions can only offer wildlife thriving on their land, limited respite for wildlife says PTES Key Habitats Officer threatened by increasing Megan Gimber, and just need incursions into, and better information on how they fragmentation of, their habitat. can make that happen. Hedges In reality, anything that offer all sorts of benefits for detracts from the focus on livestock and crops. ‘Dairy cows wildlife conservation, and require shade, and good hedges removes observers of habitats provide that in abundance on a and wild places, is likely to be hot day’, she says. ‘Heat stress PTES was already committed to hedge negative in the long run. reduces milk yields and fertility.’ Forest authorities in India, That’s not all. Hedges store conservation through our Great British Nepal and Pakistan, for carbon, reduce flood damage Hedgerow Survey and – thanks to the extra and act as a source of pollinators example, reported increased poaching of rare species for farm crops, as well as being funding – we’ll now be extending our ranging from demoiselle cranes reach to more farmers and other landowners biosecurity barriers and screens to one-horned rhinos at the that reduce opportunistic crime start of the coronavirus – and that’s all without pointing pandemic. The absence of boots on the ground in the shape of out the importance of hedges as places where a range of species, rangers and wardens was allowing criminal activity to go from bats to dormice, can feed, take cover or use as navigation aids. undetected. ‘Close the Gap’ is an apt metaphor for what we need to do for Other developing countries found deforestation rates increasing British wildlife in general. We aspire to have flourishing insects, birds as people lost jobs and left cities to return to their home villages, and wildflowers, but they continue to decline in the face of putting natural resources in these areas under greater pressure. In government policies that are frequently in direct opposition to a the UK, PTES and some wildlife trusts found an increase in flygreen renaissance. Let’s hope that this time talk of a green recovery tipping and vandalism in their reserves. can be translated into real action and lasting change.⚫
