After several waves of lockdown in the UK, and the long closure of hospitality venues, many of us have turned to spending time in nature as a brief escape from staying at home. Through this, my personal appreciation for our local natural habitats has grown tremendously, as it most likely has for many people. However, through this appreciation, the importance of conserving these habitats has become even more apparent. Despite several environmental benefits since the start of the Coronavirus last year, such as notably reduced carbon emissions whilst lockdowns occurred around the world, the planet continues to struggle without our help and efforts to protect it. This concern is particularly applicable to the woodlands around Britain.
The British woodlands are rich habitats, home to a wide variety of animals, insects and plants. However, new reports have shown that this wildlife is decreasing at severe rates with representatives of the Woodland Trust saying that the progress in repopulating the woodlands with trees is “nowhere near fast enough” to prevent this from reducing further.
The woodland wildlife is at even greater risk given that ancient woodlands, cover only 2.4% of land in the U.K., a figure that will continue to decrease as 1,225 ancient woods are at threat of development. Not only do these ancient woodlands harbour a variety of animals, insects and plants, but they also have a much greater capacity for carbon absorption than any other kind of woodland.
Fortunately, if we work together, we are still able to make a difference and save both our wildlife and woodlands so we can continue to enjoy the nature around us for years to come.
Links to help and learn more:
· Donate to Woodland Trust - https://www.woodlandtrust.org.uk/support-us/give/donations/