Wildlife expert Chris Packham CBE has launched Bristol Zoological Society’s Recover Local Nature Appeal – calling on the public to help save and protect species that are under threat of disappearing forever.
In the last 50 years, 56% of species in the UK have declined as human development, agriculture, pesticides, pollution and climate change continue to devastate natural habitats and destroy wildlife, with urgent action needed.
Bristol Zoological Society has a dedicated UK Conservation team that runs projects including white-clawed crayfish conservation, monitoring of the only known population of silky wave moths in England, and coordinating toad patrols in the Bristol area. Conservationists also survey the Wild Place Project, monitoring resident native species such as mammals, birds, invertebrates, reptiles, amphibians and plants.
The Recover Local Nature Appeal is aiming to raise £10,000 so the Society’s conservationists can continue their vital work, saving and protecting native species.
Last year, Chris joined conservationists from Bristol Zoological Society to release almost 200 white-clawed crayfish – one of the UK’s most endangered native species – into the wild to help boost the rare crustacean’s dwindling numbers.
Launching the appeal he said: “Seeing firsthand how hard conservationists from Bristol Zoological Society worked to successfully breed this endangered species and return them to their natural habitat was a very special moment for me.
“Nature is in serious decline across the UK and it’s vital we all do what we can to save wildlife together. That’s why this appeal is so important.
“Supporting the Recover Local Nature Appeal will help conservationists continue their important work, running breeding programmes, surveying and reintroducing species to the wild, and restoring habitats, so wildlife can be part of all our lives.”
Dr Jen Nightingale, UK Conservation Manager with Bristol Zoological Society, said: “Our conservationists dedicate their lives to protecting wildlife. We know that people are increasingly concerned about the decline of our nation’s wildlife and want to help. Supporting this appeal will ensure our conservationists can continue to protect native species that are under threat of disappearing forever if we don’t act now.”
Money raised from the appeal will directly support Bristol Zoological Society’s work and conservationists who protect local wildlife and restore habitats.
Fact file:
· £25 could enable a session where students and volunteers participate in a wetland restoration project.
· £50 could help pay for the control and reduction of invasive species to enhance native biodiversity.
· £100 could enable the planting of 50 trees at the Wild Place Project site.
· £200 could help undertake a study to assess the local water vole population to develop a recovery plan.
· £1000 could help run a hatchery to hatch, rear and release captive-born white-clawed crayfish into the wild.
Donate here https://bristolzoo.enthuse.com/cf/recover-local-nature
Bristol Zoological Society and Wild Place Project
Bristol Zoological Society is a registered charity that owns and operates Wild Place Project and Bristol Zoo Gardens (which closed to the public in September 2022 but is still home to animal species and delivers Further Education courses).
Wild Place Project opened in 2013 in South Gloucestershire, covers more than 50 acres and is home to animals from around the world including giraffes, cheetahs, zebras, gelada baboons and lemurs. It protects threatened habitats on our doorstep, such as British woodland, and around the globe, including Madagascar, Cameroon and the Congo, and includes the Bear Wood exhibit, which opened in the summer of 2019 and is home to brown bears, lynxes, wolverines and wolves.
In November 2020, Bristol Zoological Society revealed its new strategy that included exciting and ambitious plans up to 2035 when the charity will celebrate its bicentenary. Central to the strategy is the charity’s vision for creating a new Bristol Zoo at its Wild Place Project site, with spacious, modern facilities and a ground-breaking, innovative visitor experience. The new Bristol Zoo will be perfectly placed to engage and inspire the conservationists of the future – ensuring future generations can come face-to-face with animals in nature.
To deliver this ambitious new vision and secure the future of Bristol Zoo, the Clifton site (which is now closed to the public) will be sold. A planning application is currently live on the Bristol City Council website. Construction on the new Bristol Zoo is expected to begin in 2024, and will be completed in phases over a number of years. Wild Place Project will remain open throughout.
To find out more about the exciting future of Bristol Zoological Society, visit future.bristolzoo.org.uk/
Tickets for Wild Place Project can be bought online, for specific entry times, or on the day of the visit: www.wildplace.org.uk/plan-your-visit/online-tickets. Visit www.wildplace.org for more information.
Chris Packham’s Nature Handbook
£13.15
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