I read an interesting but sad article this evening about our precious wildlife disappearing.
It said 60% of wildlife has disappeared globally since the 1970’s. That’s an awful lot.
The RSPB reported that 40 million birds have disappeared from the UK since 1970.
Our hedgehogs are down by 50%, and Barn Owls, bees, frogs and water voles are all seriously struggling because of climate change, pollution, and habitat loss.
It went on to say about the new dual carriageway planned between Oxford and Cambridge. If it does go ahead it will cut right through Otmoor’s wetlands (just outside Oxford). This site is one of the best butterly sites as well as home to huge numbers of wintering wildfowl. More than 4,000 golden plovers, lapwings, wigeon, pintails teal and shovelers as well as many geese and swans use it as their winter home.
Now they are planning to build a road right through it!
Same as that HS2. That will also destroy hundreds of wildlife sites, and the government seem oblivious to this.
The Natural History Museum’s website says the UK has led the world in destroying the natural environment. We are now one of the most nature-depleted countries in Europe. This article said things need to change rapidly, or we will become nothing but a complete wasteland.
Our Gt. Grandchildren will never see the creatures in their natural habitats like we did when we were kids. So sad.
I can see that nobody has enough say to stop the destruction of the wildlife…as for the declining Forests at an alarming rate…
Nobody can stop the worlds greed in my view.
One reason for the disappearing hedgehog is apart from disease and roads, is the fashion for fences thereby restricting the area hedgehogs have to roam.
I leave gaps in my fence but people like my neighbour the builder ( May pigeons poop on him ) put up animal proof fences like fort Knox as if people (apart from myself ) want to do him harm .
The poor hedgehogs have meet with obstructions .
Much as I love the Rich brothers I think that all these fancy garden makeovers aren’t wildlife friendly either
@gumbud ,Sorry gummy, l fink l accidently flagged your post ??
I’m not sure where me fingers are lately buddy !!
Oooer! Looks like l bookmarked you too!!
Donkeyman!
Terrible. But, on a little positive note, the school we walk around has now left a big margin off the playing fields to grow wild. So far it has been wild flowers but, in time, we might see some birds nesting.
Where I live in Redditch the council have had the go ahead to turn a field meadow into a cemetery. There’s been a lot of opposition to it but it will go ahead anyway, the meadow has always been there.
This government is back peddling on anything environmental.
Bumbling Boris believes recycling plastic is a waste of time, despite the fact that if he stopped our plastic from being dumped in third world countries, it would end up being recycled.
Bumbling Boris & his merry men want to allow more sewage to be dumped into our rivers.
Bumbling Boris’s merry men agreed that a known bee damaging pesticide could be used on suger beet, earlier this year & although it was never used. The fact is, they agreed it could be used as a result of pressure from the NFU.
Bumbling Boris & his merry men offer no real protection for ancient woodlands. With current legislation being described as weak & funding to protect it, as dwindling.
Bumbling Boris & his merry men are currently passing the Environmental Bill through the house. It has so called principals. But Councils are not required to abide by those principals & bumbling Boris’s merrymen will make more final decisions, than at present & we all know how the merry men look after their friends. Also there are no agreed baselines for what defines what we want to protect & at what level. It is all open to interpretation & potential abuse by a group of merrymen who have repeatedly shown themselves more than willing to support friends & party supporters.
Another reason for disappearing hedgehogs is badgers! They are a real menace and should be culled. For farmers they are vermin and for me a flaming nuisance. My garden backs onto a nature reserve and within a couple of yards is a badger set. It doesn’t matter how many barriers and blockades I build, badgers can get through anything. Some years ago a badger tried to get into my house via the cat flap at around 1.30am. I managed to scare it off and it tore down part of my fence in it’s panic to get away. They can rip up large parts of my lawn looking for grubs, and it can take three years to repair. SO…I installed the final solution - an electric fence. Works brilliantly - low enough for me to step over - on a timer - easy to dismantle for mowing.
Interesting. My next door neighbour found a hedgehog in his garden today. The woman across the way found one in her’s a few days ago. Badgers? I don’t ever recall seeing one. Were you just lucky in your case?
Are they just nocturnal? We lived on a farm with a lot of land. Much of it agricultural plus about 3,000 sheep. I just don’t recall seeing any. evidence of them or of them being a nuisance.
unfortunately if you have a dog that might end up in the neighbour’s garden you can’t have holes in the fence. Foxes seem to jump over the highest fence no probs and I put down the increase in fox numbers to the decrease in hedgehogs.
As far as I know - yes. They’re reputed to give tb to cows, so not popular with farmers. Where I live - there’s a sett just behind my back garden and another gang of badgers who roam into the front gardens from across the main road. The gardens in an adjacent road, are attacked regularly by badgers. They don’t bother with lawns or flower beds unless they put food out for them every night!
