Latest news with #Purbeck
BBC News
a day ago
- BBC News
New Purbeck shuttle bus serves 'impossible to reach' attractions
A new bus has launched for the summer, linking rail services to rural tourist attractions and campsites in shuttle runs from Wareham Station to the Blue Pool and RSPB Arne on Wednesdays and makes an additional stop at Purbeck Park - near Corfe Castle and Swanage Railway's Norden Station - on by Dorset Community Transport (DCT), it is the result of a partnership with the Blue Pool, RSPB Arne and Purbeck Community Rail Partnership (CRP).The Purbeck Shuttle will run until the end of August. The shuttle, which is also supported by Dorset Council, follows a successful pilot project by the RSPB to operate a bus between Wareham Station and RSPB general manager Tim Christian said the new shuttle would "provide access to places otherwise impossible to reach on public transport".He said: "When we work together, everyone benefits - local venues, tourists, residents - and the environment."For some residents, this is the only way they can access these locations." You can follow BBC Dorset on Facebook, X (Twitter), or Instagram.
Yahoo
29-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
National Trust acquires major stretch of Dorset coastline
THE National Trust has bought a major stretch of the Dorset coastline 'to protect for the nation'. Its latest acquisition is a 26-hectare strip of coastal grassland in Purbeck. The site lies between two farms already looked after by the Trust near Swanage, and is the final piece of the jigsaw in a continuous five-mile stretch in the charity's care. It will be grazed by livestock and provide room for wildlife, including rare wildflowers such as early spider orchids, and butterflies like the Lulworth skipper. The Trust says it will also improve the area for walkers, including widening the South West Coast Path to make it safer and easier to navigate. The latest acquisition means almost 900 miles of coastline in England, Wales and Northern Ireland are now protected to the generosity of the UK public, the National Trust has announced. As a result of new detailed mapping, the charity can reveal that it looks after 896 miles of coast, over 10% of the total coastline of the three countries, on behalf of the nation. The news comes on the 60th anniversary of the Trust's major coast campaign, Enterprise Neptune, which is one of the longest-running environmental campaigns in Europe, and regarded as among the most successful endeavours in the charity's 130-year history. Since its inception in 1965 to address the rising threat of overdevelopment of the coast, the campaign has raised over £114m through donations, many of which have been left as gifts in people's wills. Three quarters of the 896 miles cared for by the Trust since its founding in 1895 have been acquired through Enterprise Neptune. Hilary McGrady, Director-General of the National Trust, said: "This extraordinary coming together of public generosity over 60 years means the UK coast is one of the best protected in the world. To reach 900 miles - or almost! - is testament to everyone who has been part of this enduring campaign. "Generations of people have left gifts in their wills, or given money in memory of a loved one, or simply wanted to protect a place they love. Every donation has a reason behind it, and together they tell an incredible story about the UK public's affinity with its coastline. "It's because of this shared endeavour that we can all freely access and enjoy the White Cliffs of Dover, the inlets of Cornwall and the North Antrim coast, and our sandy Pembrokeshire beaches. In fact, it is hard to imagine what our coastline would look like without Neptune.' Recent acquisitions made by the National Trust include a former coastal golf course in Lincolnshire (2020) and a picturesque stretch of cliffs at Tintagel in Cornwall (2023). Other landmark sites saved include fields atop the White Cliffs of Dover, which were bought after an appeal backed by Dame Vera Lynn in 2017 raised £1m in just a few weeks. In recent years, the Neptune campaign has focussed on conservation, including responding to the challenges posed by climate change, such as sea level rise and extreme storms. Projects have included a major coastal adaptation scheme on Northey Island in Essex, where the creation of saltmarsh is protecting rare bird habitats from rising sea levels. However, the Trust continues to acquire areas of coast where it can make a significant contribution to restoring nature and provide access and enjoyment for people. Hilary continued: "As today's news shows, Neptune is still going strong. In fact, the current threats facing our coastline, such as rising sea levels and more extreme weather events, mean Neptune is needed as much as ever. So if people want to be involved in the next chapter of this historic campaign, we would love to talk to them.' Enterprise Neptune began in May 1965 when geography professor Dr John Whittow and a group of 33 students and three fellow teachers from Reading University set out to survey the entire coastline of England, Wales and Northern Ireland[3]. With limited technology available, the students trekked around the coast, camping in tents and painstakingly colouring-in hundreds of Ordnance Survey maps. On analysing the data, Dr Whittow found that a third of the total coastline was in pristine condition but in need of protection from encroaching development and overtourism. The National Trust launched the campaign that same year, acquiring Whiteford Burrows on the Gower Peninsula as its first purchase with Neptune funds. Back then, the site had been earmarked for landfill; today it is one of the best dune systems in Britain, supporting a range of rare and important species. Eight years later, in 1973, the campaign had reached its original £2m target and had saved over 300 miles of coast. Some stretches of coastline that were deemed 'beyond redemption' in the 1965 survey have since been bought by the Trust, with several having undergone a remarkable transformation. Stretches of the County Durham coastline (purchased 1988-90), once black with coal waste, are now home to wildflower meadows. The peninsula of Orford Ness in Suffolk (1993) was a military testing ground in the mid-20th century – today it's a thriving nature reserve filled with birds, and most recently, a colony of grey seals. In 2014, the University of Leicester repeated the original survey – albeit digitally this time – to understand how land along the coast had changed since 1965. The data revealed that of the 3,442 miles of coastline deemed 'pristine' in the original survey, 94% was now protected either by the Trust or by statutory designations. Sean Fletcher, TV presenter and National Trust Ambassador, said: 'I've visited coastal sites around the globe, and I'm always struck by how the UK's coastline stands shoulder to shoulder with the world's best. The Trust's Neptune campaign to protect our coastline has preserved some wonderful natural gems, which we can all enjoy.' The charity is encouraging people to donate to its 60-year coastal campaign by going to the webpage and selecting 'coast'.
Yahoo
06-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Restoring species such as beavers, elk and bison ‘crucial' for nature
Successfully restoring keystone species such as beavers, elk and bison is 'crucial' to bringing nature back to life in the UK, conservationists have said. Nature charity Rewilding Britain said that successfully reintroducing missing species could help repair natural systems and benefit wildlife, people and climate, as it announced the latest round of funding for rewilding initiatives. The latest recipients of the charity's rewilding innovation fund, which provides up to £15,000 for schemes, includes projects to restore lost species such as beaver, European bison – a close relative to the extinct bison that was once found here – and European elk. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement According to Rewilding Britain, rewilding is the large-scale restoration of nature to the point it can take care of itself, by bringing back habitats and natural processes and, where appropriate, reintroducing lost species such as beavers. The first licensed release of beavers to the wild in England took place in Purbeck earlier this year after the Government gave the go-ahead for wild reintroductions. Questions have been raised about the release of large animals following illegal releases in Scotland's Cairngorms of pigs, which were caught and culled, and four lynx, one of which died shortly after capture. But Rewilding Britain said successful reintroductions, done right with feasibility studies, impact assessments and community consultations, could be a positive move. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Rebecca Wrigley, chief executive of Rewilding Britain, said: 'Keystone species like elk, bison and beaver play a vital role in bringing nature back to life. 'They help repair ecosystems and shape wild places in ways that benefit wildlife, people and the climate. 'Successfully reintroducing missing species like these is absolutely crucial. A project to release bison is among those receiving funding (Gareth Fuller/PA) 'It's a complex process involving multiple stages of research and development, feasibility studies, impact assessments, and community consultations. By taking the time and effort to get it right, we can create a more hopeful future for everyone.' Among the schemes receiving funding is a joint project by Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire wildlife trusts exploring reintroducing European elk, which are forest and wetland grazers which engineer their landscapes, and are naturally found in freshwater wetlands where beavers also live. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Although beavers are making a comeback in Britain, the UK has no wetlands containing both beavers and elk, and the project by the wildlife trusts is looking at reintroducing elk into two existing beaver enclosures in the counties. Rewilding Britain said the move would bring the two 'keystone' species – so called because they play a key role in an ecosystem – together for the first time in 3,000 years in the UK. A project led by Wildwood Trust to reintroduce bison to a currently confidential site in the south of England within five years, drawing on the Wilder Blean project which was the first initiative to release the animals into an enclosure in Kent, has also received funding. While European bison are not native to the UK, its close relative – the globally extinct forest bison – was here, at least during the last ice age, conservationists said. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Paul Whitfield, director general at Wildwood Trust which is leading the project, said: 'This funding from Rewilding Britain is enabling us to take the next step in supporting bison reintroduction projects across the UK and inform policy to move the boundaries of bison rewilding. 'The success of Wilder Blean has demonstrated what an astonishing impact bison can have on their environment in a relatively short space of time, as well as the amazing opportunities their reintroduction presents for eco-tourism and education. 'We'd love to see reintroduction projects like Wilder Blean taking place at appropriate sites across the UK, bringing the benefits of this amazing keystone species to multiple habitats.' A project by Trees for Life has been awarded funding to help bring back beavers to the northern Scottish Highlands, working with communities, landowners and partners to find suitable places for the animals which shape their landscape to help other wildlife, store carbon and curb flooding. A further 10 projects have been awarded up to £15,000 each from Rewilding Britain in this round of funding, including increasing tree species diversity in the Highlands, and a feasibility study into restoring seagrass in Cornwall.
