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Safe homes for wildlife
Providing the best possible homes for wildlife gives them the best chance of coping with changes to our climate and other pressures, such as pollution and development.
By carrying out work on 28,000 acres of nature reserves in the Eastern Region, The Wildlife Trusts are providing homes for a vast range of wildlife, from well known species such as barn owls, dormice and otters to lesser known species such as green tiger beetles, southern marsh orchids and barbastelle bats.
To provide homes for all sorts of wildlife, we need to carry out work on the land to help good wildlife habitats to develop. For instance, we clear out the build up of sludge in ponds which can otherwise cause them to dry out. Ponds provide valuable homes and places to feed for the endangered great crested newt, birds, dragonflies, frogs, bats and even water voles. It is predicted that summer droughts will begin earlier and last longer, so this work will become even more important.
It's predicted that climate change would lead to changes in seasons in the UK, including an earlier spring. This may cause a number of problems for wildlife. Bluebells, for example, may not be able to flower successfully if trees come into leaf earlier in the year and the spectacle of bluebell displays could disappear from our woodlands.
Through techniques such as coppicing, The Wildlife Trusts can create woodland glades and wide paths, called rides, allowing sunlight into the woodland floor which will help bluebells to flourish in these areas. This work also benefits many other wildflowers and plants, which in turn provide food and shelter for insects, butterflies, bats and birds to feed.
These are just a couple of examples of the vast land management that is carried out to support wildlife on 28,000 acres of land in the East of England. As well as creating the right conditions for many different types and species of wildlife to thrive on Wildlife Trust nature reserves, there are a number of other vital elements to our Big Vision.
Find out more about our Big Vision for the Eastern Region:
Find out more about: What the Wildlife Trusts are doing in your area
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