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There
is an Indian legend, which says:
When
a human dies there is a bridge they must cross to enter into a
higher realm.
At the head of that bridge waits every animal the human encountered
during his or her lifetime. The animals, based upon what they
know of this person, decide which humans may cross the bridge
... and which are turned away.
 Welcome
to VeggieGlobal's Local Wildlife Care Across the Continents site.
We will be constantly adding to this site as area-specific information
becomes available from all corners of the world.
The
UK and Ireland section is full of useful information
and resources. Much of the information found in the UK section is
relevant to many temperate regions of the world, so you may find
plenty of information useful to your local environment.
Explore
the UK and Ireland section ...
Since this section
of VeggieGlobal and Looking-Glass was set up in 2000, we are pleased
to know that many individuals and groups have made use of it and
have established their own wildlife friendly gardens. This also
includes schools and guesthouses. We would like to thank all of
you who have written to tell us about your subsequent wildlife friendly
garden successes.
The
mission of this VeggieGlobal mini-site:
Since humans
continue to destroy so much wildlife and natural environments, it
is the duty of every citizen with a conscience to supplement the
habitat and diet of the world's dwindling wildlife population ...
starting with the visitors to your own back yard.
For example, in the United Kingdom & much of Europe the bird
population has decreased by 60%, whilst the world's amphibian population
is rapidly declining by 2% per year.
Global Warming is also contributing to the decline of wildlife.
The northern latitudes of Canada, Russia and Scandinavia, where
warming is predicted to be most rapid, up to 70 percent of habitat
could be lost. Russia, Canada, Kyrgystan, Norway, Sweden, Finland,
Latvia, Uruguay, Bhutan and Mongolia are likely to loose 45 per
cent or more of current habitat while many coastal and island species
will be at risk from the combined threat of warming oceans, rising
sea-levels and range shifts.
Of course, you can find more information about the global decline
of earth's wildlife and natural environments on many areas of VeggieGlobal
and Looking-Glass ... but instead of just reading about it, find
out here how you can help to do something about it yourself.
We aim to provide
you with concisely researched advice on what foods, habitats and
garden environments will most suit the wildlife in your area. With
this information and your action we hope to revive local wildlife
environments, and with it the visitors to your garden.
A
Note about Wildlife Protection in your Country
Before you
embark on a mission to make your garden the perfect wildlife habitat,
always check what species are protected by law in your country.
It can be illegal to move a plant or animal, even from one habitat
to a newly developed wildlife area. For example in the UK, the Dormouse,
Barn Owl, Water Vole, Bats and the Great Crested Newt are just some
of the species protected by law - in fact you even need a licence
to handle them (although you can carefully remove a bat if it has
flown into your living / working area). With flora, the bluebells
growing in your local wood are likely to be protected too.
Some cases
where the protection law can create an adverse effect are closer
to home than you may think. For example - again in the UK or the
EU - an individual wishing to help encourage the regeneration of
a protected amphibian endangered by habitat loss is not allowed
to collect their spawn / eggs to introduce into a new wildlife area
without first applying for a licence. Therefore,
even if you are a competent, law-abiding member of the public who
is simply trying to help regenerate and encourage wildlife to thrive
in a new habitat, you would be actually committing an offence even
through you would be helping to save a species! So although a common-sense
action of distributing a measured amount of eggs from one garden
pond to a friend's new wildlife pond could greatly help to increase
their numbers, the law says you can't do it. Well certainly not
that easily.
Wildlife protection
laws are primarily designed to stop building developers from destroying
habitats of rare species - and secondly to curb the trade in rare
animals. The topic of building development restrictions is a contentious
one. Often in the UK, the only discouragement a building company
might have to leave protected habitats alone is a fine of around
2000 GBP for each animal that is killed. Since it's almost impossible
to monitor the whereabouts of a tiny amphibian like a newt or even
a dormouse on an active building site full of digging machinery,
this meagre fining system is a ludicrously ineffective attempt to
discourage rich building industries from destroying our rare wildlife.
A 2000 GBP fine is nothing compared to the huge profits gained by
property building - and who knows how many "back-handers"
are passed between builders and unscrupulous council employees,
asked to turn a blind eye on the numbers of animals destroyed throughout
these potentially corruptable application processes?
The irony is that authorities are quick to act against public protesters
of who are actually trying to save wildlife habitats from the desolation
caused by new roads and buildings - but as more and more green land
gets swallowed up by housing estates, who is watching the authorities
and their relationship with the building conglomerates?
As we have
said, the main purpose of protection laws are to "deter"
developers from destroying and building on land inhabited by rare
species. That part of the law's ruling makes perfect sense but as
we have mentioned, its potential ineffectiveness, due to a paltry
fining system, gives nature no effective protection in real terms.
But contention also looms from the aspect of animal compassion,
because the legal binding of these laws can be so constricted that
they can potentially have a detrimental effect on the species they
are supposed to protect.
VeggieGlobal
will never knowingly encourage anyone to break the country's laws
of our site visitors, (however flawed some of its protection rules
may be) so always take the diplomatic route if you want the powers
that be to slowly-but-surely consider your concerns more seriously.
For example, to help encourage the re-growth of rare wildlife we
suggest that you contact your local wildlife organization to enquire
what procedures may be taken to help populate your wildlife area
with a protected species. If you are in the UK you will be directed
to English Nature (Natural England) where you can apply for a licence
which may, for example entitle you to distribute the eggs of a protected
amphibian to a new wildlife habitat.
But there is a Catch 22.
To be successful with your licence application you need to already
be well experienced in dealing with the subject at hand. But if
your application is successful, you will actually be helping to
make your own wildlife environment become a new protected area ...
and the more of these the better. If your application is rejected,
don't give up like most people will do. Instead, pester the controlling
body in question and argue why it is so difficult to get permission
to help increase the chances of a species survival (for example
spreading the eggs of a rare newt to newly founded wildlife ponds).
Argue until a solution is found, because your persistence, along
with others, could eventually encourage controlling bodies to change
rulings to help make it easier for rare wildlife in the gardens
and ponds of private house-owners to flourish again.
Also, if you feel that the red tape of some protection laws can
potentially have an adverse effect on the species they are actually
supposed to protect, then why not write to the local member of parliament
in your country? Ask how protection laws can be revised for the
better so that they don't inadvertently suppress the regeneration
of species because of over-complex procedures or badly-worded rulings.
Lobby to make it easier for responsible members of the public to
help bring back rare wildlife to their local environment.
Finally, many
garden ponds and other wildlife habitats are disappearing, and these
are the most common reasons:
- New house
owners transforming once greener gardens into sterile, ornamental
areas with decking, architectural stone, alien shrubs and wildlife-unfriendly
water features.
- Old ponds
being filled in instead of being made child-safe by lazy or overprotective
parents.
- House-owners
selling off parts of their gardens for additional housing development.
- Pretentious
"architectural" gardening trends means the loss of naturally
growing native trees and shrubs - and along with it bird nesting
and roosting habitats
If you know
of potential threats to any remaining garden ponds in your area,
you should contact your local wildlife protection organization and
explain the circumstances. Even though there are laws preventing
the handling or destruction of some species of amphibians, small
garden ponds may well be the last remaining homes to some of them;
and it's these ponds that slip past the legal quagmire - as most
house-owners destroy the evidence regardless of laws that may protect
the inhabitants of these important ecosystems. In fact, if you know
of a garden area with a pond which is home to Great Crested Newts
then the UK law says that the surrounding area up to a distance
of 500 metres must be carefully monitored and basically untouched.
So be vigilant ... if you want to help protect the green or wild
areas of your neighbourhood - which includes your neighbours gardens
- then keep an eye on local building development activities.
For more about managing a wildlife pond with frogs, toads and newts
see How
To Make A Wildlife Pond at Part 2 of the UK and Ireland section)
(For an example
of how the delicate wildlife ecosystem of a garden can fall victim
of mindless house-owners see
here)
The
UK and Ireland section is full of useful information
and resources. Much of the information found in the UK section is
relevant to many temperate regions of the world, so you may find
plenty of information useful to your local environment.
Please choose
an area closest to your country using the countries / continent
menu.
Local
Wildlife Care Across the Continents
UK
and Ireland
USA
Canada
Australia and
NZ
Europe
Africa
Asia
Central
/ South America
Others
Volunteer
Help Required
If you are a wildlife organization or even a knowledgeable individual
with useful information about caring for wildlife in your own country
we would greatly appreciate your help as we compile this area of
VeggieGlobal. You will of course be fully credited for your contribution.
Please get in touch via the contacts
page if you can help. Thank you.
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