Latest news with #AlanWright
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Yahoo
Boltonians urged to 'embrace nature like never before' this month
A wildlife charity has urged Boltonians to 'embrace nature like never before' during June. The Lancashire Wildlife Trust (LWT) has billed its annual 30 Days Wild event as the "UK's biggest nature challenge", as it encourages children and adults to connect with their surroundings. From planting wildflower seeds to listening out for different types of birdsong, each activity is free and aims to help people discover the fauna and flora that often go unnoticed under their noses. "It can be something simple like feeding the birds in your garden - at the moment I have 20 or 30 starlings visiting every day and that's pretty wild,' said LWT's head of campaigns and communications, Alan Wright. 'You could go for a walk in the country to identify trees, birdsong and wildlife. [There's] lots of song thrushes and roe deer around at the moment. 'Popular activities include getting up early for a noisy dawn chorus or getting involved in bat walks on nature reserves.' Now in its 11th edition, 30 Days Wild has grown from a modest 15,000 participants in its first year, with more than a million people having taken part in the events since its inception. The LWT expects at least 5,000 people across Lancashire, Greater Manchester and North Merseyside to take up the challenge. It also coincides with the Manchester Festival of Nature in Heaton Park, which takes place this year on Sunday, June 29. 'Activities can be at both ends of the energy scale - lying on your back and looking up at clouds for an hour or climbing a hill, while walking the dog,' Alan added. 'Every activity will be good for your mental and physical health. 'It also means more people are getting out appreciating the brilliant wildlife on your doorstep, especially if you are visiting Longworth Clough near Belmont, Summerseat Nature Reserve in Bury, Bolton's brilliant parks or following the Kingfisher Trail between Bury and Salford.' This year's 30 Days Wild features two branches – one child-friendly option and another aimed at adults, with everything from activity guides and competition badges to daily idea emails for those who sign up on the charity's website. 'It is important that we persuade more than one in four people take actions for nature to help reverse the biodiversity crisis affecting our planet," Alan said. 'Taking part in 30 Days Wild is helping to save the world.'
The Guardian
23-04-2025
- The Guardian
Space craft and heavenly respite – readers' best photographs
'I spent two hours waiting for the sun to be in the best place in an amazing and unique landscape.' Photograph: Alan Wright 'On the border of Myanmar, the Konyak Naga tribe celebrates the coming of spring and their warrior culture as part of the annual Aoling Festival.' Photograph: Max Vere-Hodge 'Every year hundreds of people compete in a week-long regatta called Sail Port Stephens. These were some of the yachts on a misty, rainy day.' Photograph: Ian Sanderson 'The Fred Lawrence Whipple Observatory. One of the four Veritas gamma-ray telescopes, with the plume of a SpaceX rocket launch from Vandenberg in the background.' Photograph: Jamie Holder 'Problems with squirrels at your bird feeder? This is a javelina, or collared peccary, that was proving to be a bit of a nuisance at the feeders at Bentsen-Rio grande state park. I was warned about it and, sure enough, it showed up. I kept my distance.' Photograph: Gillian Henry 'A rainbow over Bad Godesberg as the first heatwave of the year broke. Petersberg on the left, Drachenfels on the right: two of the peaks in the Siebengebirge (Seven Mountains). Photograph: Ewan Dow 'Seeking a moment's refuge from shoppers and tourists, I stepped into St Giles in the Fields to find just one other person savouring the sanctuary of this beautiful old church.' Photograph: Ton Fijten 'The small joys of an early morning dog walk in York Community Woodland.' Photograph: Keith Emerick 'Mounted police letting their horses have a well-earned drink at the Diana fountain in Green Park.' Photograph: Nigel Knowlman 'How's this for an Easter bonnet?' Photograph: Lydia Morris 'The London Fire Spinners gather monthly on the river banks in central London to practise their art in front of a fantastic backdrop.' Photograph: Isabelle Desgranges 'Ominous storm clouds in Southport.' Photograph: John Keilman 'Spotted in Volcanoes National Park.' Photograph: Jason Stewart Photograph: Jeremy Johns 'Light that sparkles at Hereford town hall.' Photograph: Margaret Beare
Yahoo
26-02-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Moorlands ravaged by wildfires set to be brought back to life with new scheme
Moorlands in and around Bolton that have been ravaged by wildfires in recent years are set to be rejuvenated thanks to a new recovery scheme. The Lancashire Wildlife Trust, United Utilities and a host of other partners have come together to develop a Landscape Recovery Scheme. The scheme aims to rejuvenate almost 7,000 hectares, which equates to around 27 square miles, of the West Pennine Moors, including around landmarks including Rivington Pike, Winter Hill and Darwen Tower. A new short film has been created to help keep people informed. Rivington Reservoir - Gemma De Cet It features staff from the Wildlife Trust and United Utilities, along with a local farmer, artist and walker. The film aims to show people why the West Pennine Moors are so special, the challenges they face, and hopes to inspire people to get involved and support the landscape recovery scheme. READ MORE: Winter Hill wildfire remembered almost five years on Bolton police issue warning to Winter Hill visitors Timeline of the Winter Hill Fire This is after moors in Lancashire, Bolton and other parts of the North West have been hit by wildfires in recent years. The wildfire on Winter Hill raged for more than a month and ravaged an area the size of around 2,500 football pitches almost five years ago It started as separate incidents, one incident close to the TV mast and one incident close to Scout Road, which combined to create an inferno. Over the course of the wildfires, more than 100 firefighters from GM Fire and Rescue Service, Lancashire Fire and Rescue Service and further afield were assisted by rescue teams from Bolton, Bowland and Pendle and Rossendale, as well as United Utilities and other partners. In 2020, a fire on Darwen Moor took more than 60 hours to bring under control. Around 50 firefighters and 10 fire engines from Lancashire and Greater Manchester battled to contain the blaze. It is believed to have been started by a discarded barbecue. In 2022, a fire broke out near to Darwen Tower and around 1,000 square metres of moorland were affected. The fire service said the fire was started deliberately. The film aims to show people why the West Pennine Moors are so special, the challenges they face, and hopes to inspire people to get involved and support the Landscape Recovery Scheme. The area contains 34 per cent of Lancashire's blanket bog, 185 priority species of local concern for conservation, covers a substantial part of the West Pennine Moors Site of Special Scientific Interest, and is noted for key isolated populations of twite, brown hare and adder One million people live in and around the West Pennine Moors West Pennine Moors at Belmont - Alan Wright. Nabil Abbas, West Pennine Moors Project Manager at Lancashire Wildlife Trust, said: 'The West Pennine Moors Landscape Recovery Scheme aims to bring together stakeholders including government agencies, charities, farmers, landowners, residents and visitors to develop a long-term plan for how to care for this amazing place. 'Over the years numerous pressures on the landscape have combined to threaten the natural habitats and species which live there. However, by working in partnership and developing landscape-scale proposals, the Landscape Recovery Scheme aims to restore and rejuvenate the landscape so that it can provide us with a series of ecosystem service benefits: more wildlife, clean drinking water, carbon storage, sustainable farming businesses, and a place where people can spend time enjoying the great outdoors and improving health and wellbeing.' Andy Ryding, United Utilities Catchment Partnership Project Officer, said: 'The Landscape Recovery scheme is a vital partnership that brings together so many key stakeholders to work together, to better enhance the natural environment, to support our farming tenancies and benefit our surrounding communities. 'For our part, improving the catchment land around our reservoirs not only helps improve the biodiversity of the area, but crucially improves raw water quality which reduces treatment costs for our valued customers.' Cotton grass on Rivington Moor by Rich Burkmarr The Landscape Recovery Scheme is currently in its development phase, so partners are working together to map and understand the myriad of different habitats, land uses and challenges in the West Pennine Moors, before developing plans to rejuvenate the area. With such a variety of habitats and land uses there cannot be a one-size-fits-all approach, and so engaging with key stakeholders and local communities will be vital to create an appropriate and realistic vision for the landscape. A series of public events and activities will be held over the spring and summer to give people the opportunity to learn more about the project and have their say on what the landscape means to them. For more information about the project please visit
