Latest news with #BenMcCarthy
The Guardian
16-04-2025
- General
- The Guardian
‘Whole ecosystems decimated' by huge rise in UK wildfires
Entire ecosystems have been 'decimated' and endangered species put at risk after one of the worst wildfire seasons on record in the UK, charities have warned. Vast areas of habitat for animals including butterflies, beetles and falcons have been damaged, and some peat bogs may take 'hundreds of years' to recover following one of the driest Marches in decades combined with warmer than average temperatures in April. Abergwesyn Common in Powys, Wales, was consumed by a 1,600-hectare (3,950-acre) fire, an area about 400 times larger than Cardiff's Principality Stadium. The common is a site of special scientific interest (SSSI), and a breeding habitat for the area's last known population of golden plovers. National Trust rangers now fear this rare, protected moorland bird may have been lost to the area entirely. Chris Smith, the National Trust's countryside manager for Mid and South Wales, said: 'The impacts on wildlife are widespread, with birds' nests, insects, amphibians and reptiles all scorched by fire. Whole ecosystems have been decimated and will remain altered well into the future. 'Alongside this, the huge loss of surface vegetation leaves the peat bogs we have been working hard to restore ... vulnerable to erosion and at further risk of fire and carbon loss. 'Where the flames burnt down to the peat soils, they will take hundreds of years to recover.'In 2024, South Wales fire and rescue service responded to 34 wildfire callouts between 1 January and 10 April. This year, it has faced 445 over the same period – a 1,200% increase. In total, Wales' three fire services have reported responding to more than 1,300 grass fires so far this year. In Northern Ireland, recent fires on the Mourne Mountains ihave scorched land used by an array of wildlife including small heath butterflies, rove beetles, skylarks and peregrine falcons. Small birds such as skylarks rely on insects and beetles for food, and in turn provide a food source for birds of prey. In the Peak District, the National Trust said a recent fire on Howden Moor that stretched for two kilometres had caused £30,000-worth of damage, ruining years' worth of conservation efforts. Sign up to Down to Earth The planet's most important stories. Get all the week's environment news - the good, the bad and the essential after newsletter promotion The National Trust said it is adapting its landscapes by making big areas of land wetter and boggier, including by planting special mosses that hold water and by creating wetlands that, once established, act like natural fire breaks. Ben McCarthy, its head of nature conservation, said the country needs 'urgent government action' to help mitigate and adapt to grass fires and other climate risks. WWF Cymru said the 'devastating' wildfires were a 'stark reminder that the climate and nature crisis is upon us'. Earlier this month, the National Fire Chiefs Council warned it needed 'long term and sustained investment' to cope with climate change and 'increased demand' on its services. At the time, it said there had been over 100 more wildfires this year than in the first three months of 2022.
Yahoo
30-03-2025
- General
- Yahoo
National Trust land to receive £5m nature boost
A £5m project to boost wildlife and tackle climate impacts has started on land cared for by the National Trust. The Garfield Weston Foundation has delivered £5m in funding to deliver the three year-long project called Turning The Tide For Nature. The work at Arlington Court in north Devon, Wallington in Northumberland and areas of the Peak District and Yorkshire Dales aimed to restore habitats such as blanket bog, wetlands, wood pasture and rivers, project bosses said. The National Trust said the landscape-scale nature conservation would cover about 10,300 acres (4,160 hectares) by 2028 - an area similar in size to Portsmouth. Ben McCarthy, head of nature and restoration ecology at the trust, said the locations had "huge potential to dramatically increase the benefit they offer for boosting biodiversity and capturing carbon at a landscape scale". He said: "By taking impactful actions on the ground, working with others and with support from funders like the Garfield Weston Foundation, we will create bigger, better and more joined up habitats rich in wildlife." Conservationists said they hoped threatened and endangered wildlife would benefit, including water voles, pine martens, red squirrels and native white-clawed crayfish. Funding for the project at Arlington would also support about 185 acres (75 hectares) of conservation work to encourage natural expansion, the trust said. Funding in the High Peak area of the Peak District would support restoration work across 7,470 acres (3,024 hectares) of moorland habitat, including 2,470 acres (1,000 hectares) of degraded blanket bog, it added. The trust would also continue to work with the Yorkshire Peat Partnership and the government environment department Defra in the Yorkshire Dales to restore 1,480 acres (600 hectares) of peatland at Upper Wharfedale and Malhamdale. Wetlands, woods and grasslands would be created over 172 acres (70 hectares) at Wallington, they trust said. Garfield Weston Foundation's deputy chair, Sophia Weston, said steps taken by the National Trust to carry out "vital conservation work" would ensure nature could thrive in the future. Follow BBC Devon on X, Facebook and Instagram. Send your story ideas to spotlight@ National Trust Garfield Weston Foundation
BBC News
30-03-2025
- General
- BBC News
National Trust land to receive £5m nature boost
A £5m project to boost wildlife and tackle climate impacts has started on land cared for by the National Trust. The Garfield Weston Foundation has delivered £5m in funding to deliver the three year-long project called Turning The Tide For Nature. The work at Arlington Court in north Devon, Wallington in Northumberland and areas of the Peak District and Yorkshire Dales aimed to restore habitats such as blanket bog, wetlands, wood pasture and rivers, project bosses National Trust said the landscape-scale nature conservation would cover about 10,300 acres (4,160 hectares) by 2028 - an area similar in size to Portsmouth. 'Huge potential' Ben McCarthy, head of nature and restoration ecology at the trust, said the locations had "huge potential to dramatically increase the benefit they offer for boosting biodiversity and capturing carbon at a landscape scale".He said: "By taking impactful actions on the ground, working with others and with support from funders like the Garfield Weston Foundation, we will create bigger, better and more joined up habitats rich in wildlife."Conservationists said they hoped threatened and endangered wildlife would benefit, including water voles, pine martens, red squirrels and native white-clawed crayfish. 'Vital conservation work' Funding for the project at Arlington would also support about 185 acres (75 hectares) of conservation work to encourage natural expansion, the trust in the High Peak area of the Peak District would support restoration work across 7,470 acres (3,024 hectares) of moorland habitat, including 2,470 acres (1,000 hectares) of degraded blanket bog, it trust would also continue to work with the Yorkshire Peat Partnership and the government environment department Defra in the Yorkshire Dales to restore 1,480 acres (600 hectares) of peatland at Upper Wharfedale and woods and grasslands would be created over 172 acres (70 hectares) at Wallington, they trust Weston Foundation's deputy chair, Sophia Weston, said steps taken by the National Trust to carry out "vital conservation work" would ensure nature could thrive in the future.
Yahoo
28-03-2025
- General
- Yahoo
£5m project to deliver large-scale nature boost across National Trust land
A three-year project to boost wildlife and tackle climate impacts has kicked off on land cared for by the National Trust. The Garfield Weston Foundation has provided £5 million in funding to deliver landscape-scale nature conservation. Work at Arlington Court in north Devon, Wallington in Northumberland and areas of the Peak District and Yorkshire Dales aims to restore habitats such as blanket bog, wetlands, wood pasture and rivers. The National Trust said the project, called Turning The Tide For Nature, will cover approximately 4,164 hectares by 2028 – an area similar in size to Portsmouth. Conservationists hope some of the UK's most threatened and endangered wildlife will benefit, including water voles, pine martens, red squirrels and native white-clawed crayfish. Ben McCarthy, head of nature and restoration ecology at the National Trust, said: 'The locations selected here have huge potential to dramatically increase the benefit they offer for boosting biodiversity and capturing carbon at a landscape scale. 'By taking impactful actions on the ground, working with others and with support from funders like the Garfield Weston Foundation, we will create bigger, better and more joined up habitats rich in wildlife.' At Arlington, the funding will support conservation work across 75 hectares of woodland to encourage its natural expansion. In the High Peak area of the Peak District, the money will support restoration work across 3,024 hectares of moorland habitat, including 1,000 hectares of degraded blanket bog, which can trap carbon, store rainwater and provide homes for golden plover, dragonflies and lizards. The trust will also continue to work with the Yorkshire Peat Partnership and the Environment Department (Defra) in the Yorkshire Dales to restore 600 hectares of peatland at Upper Wharfedale and Malhamdale. And at Wallington, wetlands, woods and grasslands will be created over 70 hectares of the Fallowlees Burn corridor, while a third ark site for the UK's only native crayfish will be built. Sophia Weston, Garfield Weston Foundation's deputy chair, said: 'We recognise that nature is in trouble in the UK and in need of urgent help. 'The steps the National Trust takes now to carry out vital conservation work across some of the country's most cherished landscapes will ensure that nature can thrive in the future.' The project comes as part of wider National Trust ambitions to create 250,000 hectares of nature-rich landscapes in the next decade, helping to tackle the severe decline in nature across England, Wales and Northern Ireland.
Yahoo
08-02-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
Charity disheartened by 'devastating' impacts of recent conditions on key species: 'The overall trends are alarming'
A worrying decline in insects and birds has conservationists speaking out. The National Trust, a conservation charity, has recorded a significant drop in a variety of species as a result of inconsistent weather patterns, according to a report by the Guardian. The National Trust's 2024 annual report reveals the consequences of unstable weather patterns, as the populations of bird and insect species have experienced major declines in the United Kingdom. According to the report, certain bee and butterfly populations have "crashed" in some parts of the U.K. this past year. Some species noted in the report include the globally threatened Arctic tern, which experienced a clear decline the National Trust described as "very shocking." "There have been alarming declines this year in some insect species, including bees, butterflies, moths, and wasps, while many seabirds have also been 'hammered' by unstable weather patterns caused by the climate emergency," according to the Guardian. Ben McCarthy, the National Trust's head of nature conservation and restoration ecology, emphasized the climate crisis as the key factor in the species decline. He informed the Guardian that the "drier conditions since the summer of 2022 and through much of 2023 to a very wet and mild 2024 — bookended by fierce storms — had had a 'devastating impact.'" When one species' population declines, it triggers a domino effect that impacts the entire ecosystem. Declines in bees and butterflies, for example, affect the reproduction of plant species. Pollinators, especially, play a crucial role in protecting our food supply. Rising global temperatures are impacting ecosystems as countries continue to use dirty energy. With warmer temperatures come more powerful and frequent storms, which are threatening the survival of many species. "The unpredictability of the weather and blurring of the seasons is adding additional stresses to our struggling wildlife," McCarthy told the Guardian. "The overall trends are alarming." Scientists and conservationists are sounding the alarm, as the impact of rising temperatures is now more apparent on different species. While certain insect and bird populations in the U.K. are declining because of the climate crisis, some species are bouncing back thanks to conservation efforts. Do you think America does a good job of protecting its natural beauty? Definitely Only in some areas No way I'm not sure Click your choice to see results and speak your mind. Recent conservation projects have helped revive some species in the U.K., including one of the world's rarest bird species. The British government has also prioritized conservation by appointing the first-ever nature envoy specifically tasked with combating environmental decline. Join our free newsletter for good news and useful tips, and don't miss this cool list of easy ways to help yourself while helping the planet.
