Avon Wildlife Trust

If you watched Countryfile last Sunday (16 January 2022) you would have noticed the Grow Wilder feature celebrating the 10-acre site and all that it encompasses.

As manager Chris explains Grow Wilder is a "Centre for ecological education, for wildflowers and sustainable food growing". From land partners to the wildflower nursery and the impact of volunteers, we are proud to own such an engaging site making a big difference to the local community and wildlife. Missed the programme? Why not catch up on BBC iPlayer.

Find out more about the site and our vision for Grow Wilder: avonwildlifetrust.org.uk/grow-wilder-engagement-hub

We have found wild beavers thriving in the Avon catchment area. That makes us one of the first regions in the UK in which this endangered species has established itself without human assistance or interference for over 400 years.

The Wildlife Trusts have been at the forefront of beaver conservation in Britain, and we are now delighted to have beavers on our own patch. The family of beavers which has been recorded in the area includes three baby beavers (kits) that were born this year.

This finding is extremely significant. Beavers are a keystone species and they have an extraordinary ability to change habitats to suit their needs while creating ecosystems for other species to thrive. The presence of this beaver population will support other wildlife and help us to tackle the ecological emergency.

We will be working with partner organisations in the Bristol Avon and Somerset Frome Beaver Management Group to monitor and protect Avon's beavers as well as working with local people and land owners to help them live alongside this amazing species.

A five-year scientific study conducted by the Wildlife Trusts shows that the presence of beavers has a wide range of positive effects on biodiversity, nature and people. The research found that active beavers improve water quality, reduce flood risk and increase biodiversity. Ponds created by beavers may host 50% more unique species than other wetlands. These beavers could do this and so much more for Avon's people and wildlife. Visit our website to find out more about what they could achieve: https://www.avonwildlifetrust.org.uk/beavers

The publication of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change's report on Climate Change has caused a flurry of media attention and anxiety across the globe. The key messages are clear - climate change is widespread, rapid and intensifying.

The IPCC states that it is indisputable that human activity is causing climate change with profound effects for the biosphere. Unfortunately, impacts have grown more quickly than predicted. We have seen the effects here in Avon with extreme heat, heavy rainfall and drought-like conditions all within one season. The report says that 1.5C global warming increase is largely inevitable by 2040 or sooner.

However, if the world manages to achieve global net zero by 2050, it is considered to be extremely likely that global temperature increase can be limited to below 2C. The call to action is clear:

• Reduce the emission of greenhouse gases

• Governments need to make Net Zero a core part of their commitments to the Paris Agreement

• A call for joint action on climate and biodiversity loss

• COP26 will be the best change to get agreement to the action needed!

Our new ten year strategy, which is to be launched later this year, sets out clear targets to secure 30% of land and sea for wildlife by 2030 with the joint benefit of increasing biodiversity and fighting climate change by storing more carbon in good-quality habitat. We are also committing more to nature-based solutions - improving and creating new habitats that can remove harmful carbon emissions from the atmosphere as well as increasing the abundance of wildlife across our landscape.

If you want to find more ways that you can help increase the abundance of wildlife and help tackle the climate and ecological emergencies on your doorstep, visit our actions pages on our website.