Time is running out to save this wildlife haven

Help save this ancient woodland and make sure it's protected forevermore

Can you help us save South Hoath Wood?     Many of the animals and plants that live in South Hoath Wood are extremely special and very rare, creating a diverse ecosystem that must be protected, By making a donation today you too will become a guardian of this beautiful woodland and all of the amazing creatures that are harboured within it.   DONATE NOW »   With only one week left to save South Hoath Wood, please donate today and help us ensure its protection for future generations!     DONATE NOW »   Why is it so important to buy this woodland?   South Hoath Wood is a very important site that has been documented back to medieval times and is a relic of the original ancient wild woods that once covered Britain. It is now part of one of the largest concentration of ancient semi-natural woodland and conifer plantations left in England. The forest complex is of national and international significance and has received the highest conservation designations, including Site of Special Scientific Interest, Special Area of Conservation and National Nature Reserve.   The woodland we are seeking to save, is home to an outstanding breeding bird community, with over 50 species recorded, many which are very rare including the RSPB red listed nightingale, grasshopper warbler, willow tit, woodcock and tree pipit. All of these species have seen their numbers drastically declining in recent years. This site is also particularly important for the hobby, long-eared owl and the secretive nightjar.   DONATE NOW »     We must protect this diverse ecosystem   South Hoath Wood also harbours to a wide variety of insect life including a rare species of ladybird and the globally threatened stag beetle. The woods are famed for colonies of the iconic red wood ant, which constructs towering and impressively engineered woodland cities from the multitude of woody materials on the forest floor.   It is also a particularly vital habitat for the heath fritillary, one of Britain’s rarest butterflies. This endangered butterfly can only thrive where the woodland supports the growth of food plants such as cow wheat. Other species found include the nationally scarce lead coloured pug moth and the pearl bordered fritillary butterfly, now one of our most threatened butterflies.   This woodland is ideal habitat for the hazel dormouse and other endangered mammals such as the pine marten and the red squirrel. Wildwood Trust is involved in local reintroduction programmes across the UK, and in the future, it may become possible to reintroduce the pine marten and the red squirrel to this area. Other woodland mammals with the potential to recolonise this woodland include the yellow necked wood mouse, hedgehog and some particularly rare bat species.   The woodland is a very special place for many of Britain’s rarer bat species, some of which include the brown long-eared bat, the naterrer’s bat and the whiskered bat – all bats are protected and declining within the UK.   Can you help us to save this woodland and ensure that all of the wildlife that lives there remains protected too?   DONATE NOW »     How can you help?   Your gift will help to pay for the purchase of the woodland, ensuring its ongoing care and development as a centre of scientific study and teaching.   Protecting this site will not only support Kent’s most endangered wildlife.  Just as importantly, people like yourself will benefit too.  Our aim is to use these woods as a resource for people of all ages and abilities to learn about wildlife, helping children and young people discover the joy of learning outdoors and getting close to nature. Through our award-winning education programmes and woodland ecology courses, we will be able to train the next generation of wildlife conservationists and scientists as future guardians of our precious wild spaces.   However, the cost of woodland across the UK has spiralled out of control due to terrible government policies. Mass privatisation, counterproductive tax breaks and subsidies have allowed greedy developers to push up prices, often beyond the ability of charities to protect places like this. This means we needed to raise over £55,000 for the purchase of the 5 years of our agreement. We still have £23,000 to complete the purchase of this woodland and the next £11,500 is desperately needed by the end of this month, if we can't make this payment, then we will lose the woodland!   DONATE NOW »     What will your donation achieve?   £50 will pay for 200 square foot of woodland habitat. £100 will pay for the installation of a dormouse nest box or bat box and ongoing monitoring to help a threatened species. £250 will pay for 1,000 square foot of woodland habitat. £500 will pay for an expert conservationist to coppice selected trees, allowing more light into areas of the wood and enabling a whole range of connected wildlife to flourish. £1,000 will pay for 4,000 square foot of woodland habitat to remain safe forever!     Enduring ownership by a dedicated conservation charity like Wildwood Trust, is the only way to guarantee that the site will have the sympathetic woodland management that it needs to support the delicate balance of its native ecosystems. With our protection, we can ensure the woodland has a sustainable future, where wildlife will be able to return it to its former glory and can continue to flourish forever.   Thank you so much for your support, we can't do it without you, but with your help we really can make a difference. If you have any questions relating to this appeal, please don't hesitate to contact us.

Wildwood Trust | Copyright - © 2018 Herne Common Herne Bay Kent CT6 7LQ Registered Charity No: 1093702 Wildwood Kent: 01227 712 111 Wildwood Devon: 01404 822 188 appeals@wildwoodtrust.org   To no longer receive emails from us please follow this link

 

Whisker-watch – uncovering how animals find their way in the dark could save us from nuclear disaster & explore alien worlds

Whisker-watch – uncovering how animals find their way in the dark could save us from nuclear disaster & explore alien worlds

Whisker-watch – uncovering how animals find their way in the dark could save us from nuclear disaster & explore alien worlds. Cutting edge research at Wildwood Trust may one day lead to averting nuclear disasters, discovering alien worlds and even the creation of terminator war robots, but how can the amazing research of top scientist, Dr Robyn Grant get all of this from dormouse whiskers? World leading ‘whisker’ scientist, Dr Robyn Grant has been uncovering the hidden world of touch and feel with the animals of Wildwood. Using Infra-red high-speed cameras, Dr Grant’s team have worked with Wildwood keepers to push the boundaries of knowledge as they peer into the hidden world of animals finding their way in the dark. An interview with Dr Robyn Grant and the results of her work at Wildwood can be seen here: https://youtu.be/uC3Hu3xE92M The science of ‘whiskering’ is helping develop the new robots of tomorrow that could save us from nuclear disaster, explore alien planets and discover the secrets deep on the ocean floor. But first the research team from Manchester Metropolitan University must find out how whiskers help animals navigate in the dark, exploring complex 3-dimensional habitats and build a mental map of the world around them only through the tiny rapid movements of whiskers & touch.

Dr Robyn Grant, a Senior Lecturer, from Manchester Metropolitan University is a leading authority on the science of whiskers: "Whiskers are used for an animal's sense of touch, much like our fingertips. And, like our fingertips, animals move and position their whiskers to better explore objects and surfaces" Robyn is trying to understand how different animals move and position their whisker, so they can get the most from exploring.  "We see that nocturnal climbing animals have the most whisker movements, they move them backwards and forwards in a process called whisking, that can be up to 25 times per second in harvest mice, it is one of the fastest movements that mammals can make!" Supported by the keeping and conservation staff at the Wildwood Trust, Robyn has been filming many animals, including brown rats, harvest mice, wood mice, house mice, dormice, water shrew, water vole, hedgehog, weasel, otter, stoat and fox. "The foxes can actually move their whiskers; even though they tend to keep their whiskers out the way so that they can put their nose close and smell the object, every now and then they move them" Trying to understand more about animal behaviour and sensing is key to understanding how animals explore and move around their habitats. A recent study that Robyn did (https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s00359-017-1146-z), in collaboration with Wildwood, showed that dormice used their whiskers to guide safe footfalls in their dark. Dormice are very shy animals that move around the canopy at night. Robyn found that when dormice reached a gap that they could not reach over with their whiskers, they paced and reduced feeding. This indicates that even very small gaps in the canopy can have an impact on dormouse behaviour. Robyn added: "Gaining access to these species through the Wildwood Trust has been a rare and invaluable insight into the behaviour of many British mammals, and has implications for the way in which British woodlands and hedgerows are managed. Joining up habitats with structures such as hedgerows will allow many animals to find food and shelter in the dark, using their finely-tuned sense of touch"   This work is part of a larger project, funded by the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC). Robyn and her collaborators at London South Bank University and UCL, are trying to understand how whisker shape, movement and positioning affects the mechanics of sensing as part of their MMEAW grant (Modelling the Mechanics of Animal Whiskers). Wildwood’s Peter Smith said: “We are enormously grateful to Robyn and her team; the hidden world of whiskers is fascinating, and we are very proud of the growing role Wildwood plays in such ground-breaking scientific research. Many of our visitors so rarely get to see the amazing work of our conservation and keeper teams and the tremendous value an understanding of animals has for humanity’s future.” For more information contact: Interviews with Dr Robin Grant are avaialble on request over the next week as she continues to work at Wildwood contact: Peter Smith: peter@wildwoodtrust.org 07986 828229 Video: An interview with Dr Robyn Grant and the results of her work at Wildwood can be seen here: https://youtu.be/uC3Hu3xE92M more video is avialble on request

Wildwood Trust Herne Common Herne Bay Kent CT6 7LQ Registered Charity No: 1093702 Wildwood Kent: 01227 712 111 Wildwood Devon: 01404 822 188 info@wildwoodtrust.org

Whisker-watch – uncovering how animals find their way in the dark could save us from nuclear disaster & explore alien worlds

Whisker-watch – uncovering how animals find their way in the dark could save us from nuclear disaster & explore alien worlds

Whisker-watch – uncovering how animals find their way in the dark could save us from nuclear disaster & explore alien worlds. Cutting edge research at Wildwood Trust may one day lead to averting nuclear disasters, discovering alien worlds and even the creation of terminator war robots, but how can the amazing research of top scientist, Dr Robyn Grant get all of this from dormouse whiskers? World leading ‘whisker’ scientist, Dr Robyn Grant has been uncovering the hidden world of touch and feel with the animals of Wildwood. Using Infra-red high-speed cameras, Dr Grant’s team have worked with Wildwood keepers to push the boundaries of knowledge as they peer into the hidden world of animals finding their way in the dark. An interview with Dr Robyn Grant and the results of her work at Wildwood can be seen here: https://youtu.be/uC3Hu3xE92M The science of ‘whiskering’ is helping develop the new robots of tomorrow that could save us from nuclear disaster, explore alien planets and discover the secrets deep on the ocean floor. But first the research team from Manchester Metropolitan University must find out how whiskers help animals navigate in the dark, exploring complex 3-dimensional habitats and build a mental map of the world around them only through the tiny rapid movements of whiskers & touch.

Dr Robyn Grant, a Senior Lecturer, from Manchester Metropolitan University is a leading authority on the science of whiskers: "Whiskers are used for an animal's sense of touch, much like our fingertips. And, like our fingertips, animals move and position their whiskers to better explore objects and surfaces" Robyn is trying to understand how different animals move and position their whisker, so they can get the most from exploring.  "We see that nocturnal climbing animals have the most whisker movements, they move them backwards and forwards in a process called whisking, that can be up to 25 times per second in harvest mice, it is one of the fastest movements that mammals can make!" Supported by the keeping and conservation staff at the Wildwood Trust, Robyn has been filming many animals, including brown rats, harvest mice, wood mice, house mice, dormice, water shrew, water vole, hedgehog, weasel, otter, stoat and fox. "The foxes can actually move their whiskers; even though they tend to keep their whiskers out the way so that they can put their nose close and smell the object, every now and then they move them" Trying to understand more about animal behaviour and sensing is key to understanding how animals explore and move around their habitats. A recent study that Robyn did (https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s00359-017-1146-z), in collaboration with Wildwood, showed that dormice used their whiskers to guide safe footfalls in their dark. Dormice are very shy animals that move around the canopy at night. Robyn found that when dormice reached a gap that they could not reach over with their whiskers, they paced and reduced feeding. This indicates that even very small gaps in the canopy can have an impact on dormouse behaviour. Robyn added: "Gaining access to these species through the Wildwood Trust has been a rare and invaluable insight into the behaviour of many British mammals, and has implications for the way in which British woodlands and hedgerows are managed. Joining up habitats with structures such as hedgerows will allow many animals to find food and shelter in the dark, using their finely-tuned sense of touch"   This work is part of a larger project, funded by the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC). Robyn and her collaborators at London South Bank University and UCL, are trying to understand how whisker shape, movement and positioning affects the mechanics of sensing as part of their MMEAW grant (Modelling the Mechanics of Animal Whiskers). Wildwood’s Peter Smith said: “We are enormously grateful to Robyn and her team; the hidden world of whiskers is fascinating, and we are very proud of the growing role Wildwood plays in such ground-breaking scientific research. Many of our visitors so rarely get to see the amazing work of our conservation and keeper teams and the tremendous value an understanding of animals has for humanity’s future.” For more information contact: Interviews with Dr Robin Grant are avaialble on request over the next week as she continues to work at Wildwood contact: Peter Smith: peter@wildwoodtrust.org 07986 828229 Video: An interview with Dr Robyn Grant and the results of her work at Wildwood can be seen here: https://youtu.be/uC3Hu3xE92M more video is avialble on request

Wildwood Trust Herne Common Herne Bay Kent CT6 7LQ Registered Charity No: 1093702 Wildwood Kent: 01227 712 111 Wildwood Devon: 01404 822 188 info@wildwoodtrust.org

Whisker-watch – uncovering how animals find their way in the dark could save us from nuclear disaster & explore alien worlds

Whisker-watch – uncovering how animals find their way in the dark could save us from nuclear disaster & explore alien worlds

Whisker-watch – uncovering how animals find their way in the dark could save us from nuclear disaster & explore alien worlds. Cutting edge research at Wildwood Trust may one day lead to averting nuclear disasters, discovering alien worlds and even the creation of terminator war robots, but how can the amazing research of top scientist, Dr Robyn Grant get all of this from dormouse whiskers? World leading ‘whisker’ scientist, Dr Robyn Grant has been uncovering the hidden world of touch and feel with the animals of Wildwood. Using Infra-red high-speed cameras, Dr Grant’s team have worked with Wildwood keepers to push the boundaries of knowledge as they peer into the hidden world of animals finding their way in the dark. An interview with Dr Robyn Grant and the results of her work at Wildwood can be seen here: https://youtu.be/uC3Hu3xE92M The science of ‘whiskering’ is helping develop the new robots of tomorrow that could save us from nuclear disaster, explore alien planets and discover the secrets deep on the ocean floor. But first the research team from Manchester Metropolitan University must find out how whiskers help animals navigate in the dark, exploring complex 3-dimensional habitats and build a mental map of the world around them only through the tiny rapid movements of whiskers & touch.

Dr Robyn Grant, a Senior Lecturer, from Manchester Metropolitan University is a leading authority on the science of whiskers: "Whiskers are used for an animal's sense of touch, much like our fingertips. And, like our fingertips, animals move and position their whiskers to better explore objects and surfaces" Robyn is trying to understand how different animals move and position their whisker, so they can get the most from exploring.  "We see that nocturnal climbing animals have the most whisker movements, they move them backwards and forwards in a process called whisking, that can be up to 25 times per second in harvest mice, it is one of the fastest movements that mammals can make!" Supported by the keeping and conservation staff at the Wildwood Trust, Robyn has been filming many animals, including brown rats, harvest mice, wood mice, house mice, dormice, water shrew, water vole, hedgehog, weasel, otter, stoat and fox. "The foxes can actually move their whiskers; even though they tend to keep their whiskers out the way so that they can put their nose close and smell the object, every now and then they move them" Trying to understand more about animal behaviour and sensing is key to understanding how animals explore and move around their habitats. A recent study that Robyn did (https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s00359-017-1146-z), in collaboration with Wildwood, showed that dormice used their whiskers to guide safe footfalls in their dark. Dormice are very shy animals that move around the canopy at night. Robyn found that when dormice reached a gap that they could not reach over with their whiskers, they paced and reduced feeding. This indicates that even very small gaps in the canopy can have an impact on dormouse behaviour. Robyn added: "Gaining access to these species through the Wildwood Trust has been a rare and invaluable insight into the behaviour of many British mammals, and has implications for the way in which British woodlands and hedgerows are managed. Joining up habitats with structures such as hedgerows will allow many animals to find food and shelter in the dark, using their finely-tuned sense of touch"   This work is part of a larger project, funded by the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC). Robyn and her collaborators at London South Bank University and UCL, are trying to understand how whisker shape, movement and positioning affects the mechanics of sensing as part of their MMEAW grant (Modelling the Mechanics of Animal Whiskers). Wildwood’s Peter Smith said: “We are enormously grateful to Robyn and her team; the hidden world of whiskers is fascinating, and we are very proud of the growing role Wildwood plays in such ground-breaking scientific research. Many of our visitors so rarely get to see the amazing work of our conservation and keeper teams and the tremendous value an understanding of animals has for humanity’s future.” For more information contact: Interviews with Dr Robin Grant are avaialble on request over the next week as she continues to work at Wildwood contact: Peter Smith: peter@wildwoodtrust.org 07986 828229 Video: An interview with Dr Robyn Grant and the results of her work at Wildwood can be seen here: https://youtu.be/uC3Hu3xE92M more video is avialble on request

Wildwood Trust Herne Common Herne Bay Kent CT6 7LQ Registered Charity No: 1093702 Wildwood Kent: 01227 712 111 Wildwood Devon: 01404 822 188 info@wildwoodtrust.org