Thursday 28 March 2013

Stop wildlife education being banned from our schools


   
Are you prepared to let wildlife education be banned from our schools?




In new proposals from Education Secretary Michael Gove references that caring for the environment and wildlife will be dropped from the national curriculum.

Wildwood Trust's Chief Executive, Peter Smith has joined other leading conservationists in making public statements condemning these short sighted proposals and we are asking all of our members to petition the Government to put wildlife back into the proposed National Curriculum.

As the leading provider of Wildlife Education in the South East we are horrified that the proposed new National Curriculum dropped its previous commitment teach children 'to care for the environment' and discover 'ways in which living things and the environment need protection'.

Wildwood's chief executive, Peter Smith, says:
"We have robbed our children of a prosperous future and now our short sighted leaders want to rob them of the knowledge to protect the natural world"
"The UK has spent the last 30 years robbing from the future, both in our economy and environment, This must stop,  It is our job to give our children the knowledge to make this world a better place and protect it for future generations. "

"Our children need the tools to understand how to care for nature. I have long been an advocate that our economic and wildlife problems stem from a form of selfish cheating, robbing wealth from future generations. We need a government that is committed to giving knowledge to our children that will stop this theft. Our schools must teach our children how to think for themselves and have the wisdom to understand that if we destroy nature we are robbing from our future selves"

Wildwood is calling on our supporters to make a public demonstration of their concern by signing one of the following online petitions calling on Michael Gove to think again.


Petitions:



Please sign one, two or all of the above petitions to ensure our future generations can learn to care for our environment and wildlife.



Wildwood Trust
Herne Common
Herne Bay
Kent
CT6 7LQ
Tel: 01227 712 111

Registered Charity No 1093702


Wildwood against government plans to ban wildlife education in schools


  

Wildwood against government plans to ban wildlife education in schools

In new proposals from Education Secretary Michael Gove references that caring for the environment and wildlife will be dropped from the national curriculum.

Wildwood Trust's Chief Executive, Peter Smith has joined other leading conservationists in making public statements condemning these short sighted proposals.

Wildwood Trust will be calling on its 52,000 members to petition the Government to put wildlife back into the proposed National Curriculum.
Wildwood Trust is the leading provider of Wildlife Education in the South East and where horrified that the proposed new National Curriculum dropped its previous commitment to teach children 'to care for the environment' and discover 'ways in which living things and the environment need protection'.

Peter Smith, Chief Executive of the Canterbury based Wildlife Charity said:

"We have robbed our children of a prosperous future and now our short sighted leaders want to rob them of the knowledge to protect the natural world"

"The UK has spent the last 30 years robbing from the future, both in our economy and environment, this must stop. It is our job to give our children the knowledge to make this world a better place and protect it for future generations. "

"Our children need the tools to understand how to care for nature. I have long been an advocate that our economic and wildlife problems stem from a form of selfish cheating, robbing wealth from future generations. We need a government that is committed to giving knowledge to our children that will stop this theft. Our schools must teach our children how to think for themselves and have the wisdom to understand that if we destroy nature we are robbing from our future selves"

Wildwood is calling on our supporters to make a public demonstration of their concern by signing one of the online petitions calling to get Michael Gove to think again.

Petitions:
· Change.org - Michael Gove: Keep Climate Change in the Curriculum


Notes to Editors

Peter Smith is available for interview contact Tel: 01227 712111 

Wildwood Trust is an award winning charity dedicated to wildlife education, we run a range of exiting education courses aimed at inspiring you minds to learn about their natural heritage.  Educating around 11,000 children and students each year.  For further information: http://www.wildwoodtrust.org/education.html

Changes to the National Curriculum
The new curriculum is shorter than the existing one, and is less detailed.  However the current consultation document has dropped many references to changes in the environment caused by humans, and references to caring for and managing the environment have also been removed.
The Reform of the National Curriculum in England 
The Government launched a review of the National Curriculum in January 2011 with the aim of "ensuring that the aspirations we set for our children match those in the highest-performing education jurisdictions, and giving teachers greater freedom over how to teach".  This consultation under section 96 of the Education Act 2002 is ongoing.


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Tel:  01227 712111www.wildwoodtrust.org
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Wildwood Trust
Herne Common
Herne Bay
Kent
CT6 7LQ
 Registered Charity No 1093702
 
 

Tuesday 26 March 2013

Wildwood's sleepy dormice get ready for release to the wild


 

Wildwood's dormice prepare to head out to the wild in Wildwood's latest release programme

Whilst people in the UK are hiding under their duvets to escape the wintry weather, the sleepy dormice at the Wildwood Trust are being woken from their slumber for an important mission to help save their species from extinction.

The tiny creatures, all bred at Wildwood, are part of the Trust's captive breeding programme designed to repopulate areas of the UK where dormice have become extinct.

Once woken and checked by the Wildwood Conservation team, the group of 11 young dormice will leave their Kent home and go to either Paignton Zoo or London Zoo (members of the Common Dormouse Captive Breeders Group) for full health checks and be paired up with specially selected partners who will accompany them out to the wild.

The release, to be carried out at a secret location, is a joint venture between the Wildwood Trust, The People's Trust for Endangered Species (PTES), Paignton Zoo, The Zoological Society of London (ZSL) and Natural England. As the studbook holder (record keeper) for hazel dormice in the UK, Wildwood has a vital role in this project not only by breeding dormice for the release but also in allocating suitable partners for the dormice from other zoos.

Hazel Ryan, Wildwood's chief conservation officer said, "We are very excited to be part of this project to reintroduce the Hazel Dormouse back to areas where they have become extinct. Wildwood is not only one of the leading dormouse breeders in the UK  but is also an important centre for research into the behaviour and captive husbandry of the species."

"The hazel dormouse is now classed as extremely vulnerable to extinction but through projects such as this, Wildwood hopes to tip the balance back in favour of the dormouse."

*********************** End **************************

Images attached

Information on the Hazel Dormouse

The hazel or common dormouse (Muscardinus avellanarius) is the only native species of dormouse found in Britain. Dormice are a predominantly woodland species, particularly associated with broad-leaved coppice. Dormice are a 'flagship species'; by managing habitat for dormice, a range of other species will benefit. They are also important as 'bio-indicators' as they are particularly sensitive to habitat and population fragmentation. Their presence should indicate that the area can sustain populations of other sensitive species.

Over the last 100 years the hazel dormouse has declined in both numbers and distribution and is thought to have become extinct in about half its former distributional range. Once widespread over most of England and Wales, dormice have disappeared from many northern areas and are now mainly found in the southern counties, especially Kent, Sussex, Devon and Somerset. The total adult population is now thought to number about 45,000, distributed among a variety of widely fragmented sites. Even in optimal habitats, population densities are less than 10 adults per hectare. Although dormice are widely distributed in Wales, individual populations are small, scattered and isolated from each other.

Hazel dormice have often been lost in the past as a result of inappropriate woodland management. They are an arboreal species and rarely descend to ground level apart from during hibernation. Factors associated with their decline include:

  • Loss and fragmentation of ancient woodland, leaving isolated, non-viable populations, where even short distances form barriers to dispersal.
  • Clearance of hedgerows, especially after the Second World War, dramatically reduced the number of habitat corridors that were used by dormice to travel between adjacent areas.
  • A decline in traditional woodland management has led to a lack of coppicing areas or inappropriate coppice which can greatly reduce species numbers. Coppiced areas should create a patchwork mosaic of different ages throughout the wood, with an adequate diversity of woody plant species, predominantly hazel coppice. Coppice in irregular patches is essential, to allow some shrubs to be flowering or fruiting whilst others are maturing. This is essential between April and November, when dormice are awake after hibernation.
  • Damage to the scrub layer and coppice re-growth by large mammals such as deer and livestock, reduces the supply of particular foods necessary to dormice, as well suppressing natural regeneration.
  • Climate change has had numerous effects on dormice, due to their specialised feeding requirements. During warm winters dormice awake from hibernation more often, wasting energy as their body temperature warms, causing an increase in metabolic rate. It is also thought that warmer autumns lead to fruit ripening at an earlier stage, sending dormice into hibernation earlier as their food reserves dwindle. Wetter summers prevent dormice from foraging.
  • Grey squirrels, an introduced species, consume autumn nuts at an earlier stage, leaving none for the dormice.

Fiona Paterson
Wildwood Trust
Tel 01227 712 111
www.wildwoodtrust.org

Friday 22 March 2013

Easter events at Wildwood


 
www.wildwoodtrust.org

Easter events at Wildwood

Easter events at Wildwood

We have lots of amazing events this Easter at Wildwood, from CSI:Wildwood (who killed Mr Bunny) to Skeletons, Bones and Teeth - there is something for every inquisitive mind!

Book early to avoid disapointment!

 

To book Easter activities - please call 01227 712 111

To book conservation courses - please call 01227 711 471 or email tara@wildwoodtrust.org

Tuesday 2nd April - Super Sleuths!
Join our fun team competition to find the best wildlife detectives, using animal skulls, skins and antlers.
2pm - 3.30pm. £3 per person, one adult free per group. Must book. Min age 5yrs

Wednesday 3rd April - CSI: Wildwood - Who killed Mr Bunny?
Crack the case and solve the woodland murder mystery using authentic forensic tecniques, just like the real CSI.
2pm - 3.30pm. £3 per person, one adult free per group. Must book. Min age 7yrs

Thursday 4th April - Brilliant Bird Beaks
Why are bird's beaks all so different? Find out how different beaks work using chopsticks and custard in our fun, hands-on workshop.
2pm - 3.30pm. £3 per person, one adult free per group. Must book.

Friday 5th April - Fantastic Flyers!
Spinners, parachutes and gliders - find out how animals and plants use flight to get around and take part in our paper aeroplane challenge.
2pm - 3.30pm. £3 per person, one adult free per group. Must book.

Saturday 6th April - Management of Ponds for Wildlife
Course tutor: John Hammond
A course for those wishing to improve their pond for wildlife. We will focus on existing ponds but will also explore the construction of ponds for wildlife, how to avoid management mistakes and the identification of pond species in the field.
10am - 4pm  £30 per person  Please book with Tara Lines on 01227 711 471 or email 
tara@wildwoodtrust.org

Monday 8th April - Springtime Rabbits and Chicks
Make springtime crafts and (hopefully) meet some of our new spring arrivals.
2pm - 3.30pm. £3 per person, one adult free per group. Must book.

Tuesday 9th April - Teeth, Bones and Skeletons
Find out why animals have different teeth and bones depending on what they eat and where they live. Hand-on session with real bones.
2pm - 3.30pm. £3 per person, one adult free per group. Must book. Min age 5yrs

Wednesday 10th April - Food, digestion and poo!
Find out what happens to the food animals eat with a real animal stomach and intestines, become a poo detective and make chocolate raisin poo!
2pm - 3.30pm. £3 per person, one adult free per group. Must book. Min age 5yrs

Thursday 11th April - Death and Decay Workshop
An amazing group of recylclers set to work when a wild animal dies. Find out who arrives first, what they do and how they clear up the bodies.
2pm - 3.30pm. £3 per person, one adult free per group. Must book. Min age 7yrs

Friday 12th April - Animal Senses
Test your animal senses in our fun, sensory workshop.
2pm - 3.30pm. £3 per person, one adult free per group. Must book

Saturday 13th April - Spring Bushcraft Experience
Learn essential bushcraft, including tracking, field signs and animal preparation.
10am - 4pm. £35 per person. Must book. Min age 12yrs, under 16yrs must be accompanied by a paying adult.

Saturday 13th April - Introduction to Kent's Amphibians & Reptiles
Course tutor: Mike Phillips
A whistle-stop tour of Kent's native frogs, toads, lizards and snakes, covering their identification and basic ecology. Includes a visit to some local amphibian and reptile sites.
10am - 4pm  £30 per person  
Please book with Tara Lines on 01227 711 471 or email 
tara@wildwoodtrust.org

Sunday 14th April - Spring Woodland Discovery Walk
A spring woodland walk to discover the plants, leaves and minibeasts that are waking up for the new year.
2pm - 4pm. £3 per person, one adult free per group. Must book. Not suitable for toddlers/pushchairs.


To book Easter activities -
please call 01227 712 111

To book conservation courses - please call 01227 711 471 or email tara@wildwoodtrust.org

The Wildwood Team