logo
A deer cull saved Winnie-the-Pooh forest — and fed the hungry

A deer cull saved Winnie-the-Pooh forest — and fed the hungry

Times18-05-2025

A deer cull credited with saving Ashdown Forest, the ancient landscape made famous by AA Milne's Winnie-the-Pooh stories, will be extended across the country to protect landscapes from ecological destruction.
Wild deer are roaming Britain in their largest numbers for a millennium. An estimated population of two million poses a threat to woodland biodiversity and is causing significant damage to tree plantations and crops.
A conservation project in Sussex that gave rangers funding to shoot four times more deer not only protected the forest, but also provided venison for more than 170,000 donated meals at a cost of less than 60p per meal.
The trial, run by the Country Food Trust and funded by a wealthy conservationist, has proved such a success in its first

Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

UK wildlife numbers are falling despite increase in number of trees
UK wildlife numbers are falling despite increase in number of trees

BBC News

timean hour ago

  • BBC News

UK wildlife numbers are falling despite increase in number of trees

Wildlife numbers in the UK are falling despite a small increase in the number of trees, a new report says. The findings, published by charity the Woodland Trust, show both the quantity and variety of wildlife is going down That's despite a rise in woodland cover, which describes how much of a particular area of land is covered by trees. The conservation charity says the UK needs to improve the condition and scale of its woodlands to tackle wildlife loss. The Woodland Trust says the decline of wildlife is down to the fall in the biodiversity woodlands have seen over time. Biodiversity is all about the variety of plants, animals and other living things found in a specific environment or place. Butterflies, woodland birds, dormice and lots of different plant species have all seen a significant fall in their numbers over the years, according to the report. Ancient and veteran trees, which are really important for wildlife because of their unique characteristics which provide food and places for animals and organisms to live, have also seen a fall in numbers. "UK woodlands lack open spaces, such as glades, which allow light to reach the forest floor and young trees to grow," said Abigail Bunker who is the director of conservation and external affairs at the Woodland Trust. "There are also fewer older trees, which, along with their soils, lock in carbon from the atmosphere. Alarmingly, many British woodlands have very few - if any - ancient and veteran trees left."While woodland cover increased from 13.2% of UK land in 2020 to 13.5% in 2024, the report says just 45% of the government's targets for increased woodland was met over those four also points to recommendations from the Climate Change Committee (CCC) to increase the number of trees in the UK as part of government plans to achieve net zero carbon emissions by 2050 and to also tackle climate change. What else is in the report? The Woodland Trust's report also highlights the impact woodlands have on wellbeing and communities, with nine in 10 people agreeing woodland biodiversity has a positive impact through things like birdsong or the sound of rustling leaves, according to a poll. "We are calling on the government and others to invest in the management of our woodlands, so that people and wildlife can experience the benefits of these precious ecosystems..." said Ms Bunker. "It's also vital that the government start hitting their tree-planting targets, so that there is time to grow the veteran trees of the future and help shape woodlands to better withstand challenges like new diseases, or rising temperatures."The government's Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs (Defra) said, "Trees are really important for helping the planet and for protecting animals and nature."We are spending £400 million to plant more trees and are working hard to take care of our woodlands so they can help all types of wildlife."

Volunteers asked to plant grass to protect Cornish dunes
Volunteers asked to plant grass to protect Cornish dunes

BBC News

timean hour ago

  • BBC News

Volunteers asked to plant grass to protect Cornish dunes

Residents in Cornwall have been invited to plant grass at the dunes of a Cornish beach to try and stop changes to sand National Trust and the Making Space For Sand project said "dramatic changes" had been seen to the dunes at Crantock Beach in recent said the dune system was a "dynamic environment" which would continue to shift and change over time but it was changing too Pickard, a National Trust ranger, said an increase in planting marram grass would help with spring tides and stormy weather. She said: "The dunes are important for wildlife but also to provide a natural defence against increasing storms and rising sea levels."Planting more marram grass aims to improve biodiversity and also binds with the sand to reduce erosion of the dunes."The trust said it was working with Plymouth University to understand how the beach and dunes could change in the long term and to help plan for the event will take place on Wednesday from 10:00 BST.A spokesperson said anyone was welcome to join in and no experience was necessary.

Woodland Trust report calls for action to save woodland wildlife
Woodland Trust report calls for action to save woodland wildlife

BBC News

time2 hours ago

  • BBC News

Woodland Trust report calls for action to save woodland wildlife

Urgent action must be taken to avoid a loss of wildlife due to the "plummeting" condition of the UK's woodlands, according to a new report, published by the Woodland Trust on Tuesday, found that the quality of woodland is on the decline, despite a slight increase in tree covers 24% of Surrey, making it the most wooded county in Bunker, director of conservation and external affairs at the trust, said: "We are calling on the government and others to invest in the management of our woodlands." She said investing in woodland management would mean wildlife could experience the benefits "of these precious ecosystems".Woodlands are becoming less effective as habitats for wildlife because they lack complexity, such as having enough trees of differing ages, states and sizes. 'Alarming' drop in biodiversity Just one in every 50 native woodlands have more than one veteran tree per 200,000 square metres - the same area of about 28 football is these veteran trees that are especially valuable to wildlife because of their damage and decay features, which provide food and habitat."Alarmingly, many British woodlands have very few, if any, ancient and veteran trees left," said Ms Bunker."The nation's once rich, complex woodlands have become simpler and less biodiverse over time."The number of woodland butterflies declined by 47% between 1990 and 2022 and dormice by 70% between 2000 and 1975, the number of woodland birds has dropped by 37% and the variety of plants has reduced by 22%.One problem affecting trees is pests - and there are now 121 different species which are attacking native trees, according to the report predicts that climate change will allow these, and potentially other pest species, to estimated £919.9m is spent each year in the UK on managing only six pests, Ms Bunker trust said it wants "sensitive management" of UK woodlands to make them more resilient to an escalating suite of threats and unlock their ability to adapt to climate change.

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into the world of global news and events? Download our app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store