Great British nature is in trouble. From polluted waterways to the threat of invasive species, Britain is one of the most nature depleted countries in the world. And yet native species are receiving help from heroic conservation projects restoring habitats, educating communities and even reintroducing species.
23 native species conservation projects, undertaken by British zoos and aquariums, have been shortlisted for a prestigious national award in recognition of their heroic efforts. The Great British Wildlife Restoration seeks to shine a light on conservation going on all around us, with a winner depending on the votes of Members of Parliament and the House of Lords.
The competition shows a huge diversity in the types of conservation going on in Britain. They include preventing the extinction of Wales’ rarest tree, reintroducing Harvest Mice in Northumberland, the creation of nesting sites for Swifts in Hertfordshire and even the breeding of Medicinal Leeches in Scotland.
Andy Hall, BIAZA’s Communications and Public Affairs Manager and the founder of the Great British Wildlife Restoration said: “The shortlist shows the depth and breadth of work going on in our great British zoos and aquariums to save the nature on our doorstep. We need to recognise and reward this incredible work and I hope politicians of all stripes will get behind these awards.”
Scientific evidence shows these projects are much needed. The Living Planet Index, from WWF and the Zoological Society of London (ZSL, which runs London Zoo and Whipsnade Zoo), shows a catastrophic decline of 73% of wildlife populations over the last 50 years.
Hannah Stone, Chair of BIAZA’s Native Species Working Group commented: “This shortlist shows all organisations, from the largest to the smallest, have a role to play in conserving native species. Whether that is creating homes for our under-loved invertebrates or nesting sites for our bird species. Every action is important and every project contributing to a future where British wildlife thrives.”
Professor Karim Vahed, Buglife’s England Manager shared: “The shortlist contains an amazing array of species projects, many of which have an invertebrate focus. Buglife is pleased to be partnering with, and supportive of, some of the zoos and aquariums for a number of the nominated projects, including the Midlands’ Crayfish Project with the National Sealife Centre and the Feisty Five with Royal Zoological Society of Scotland. We look forward to the winner being announced in January, and would like to wish all those nominated the very best of luck but especially our project partners.”
The winner of the Great British Wildlife Restoration will have received the most votes from supportive Members of Parliament or Members of the House of Lords and will be announced at a special reception in the Houses of Parliament in January.
The full shortlist:
- The Jewel of York- conserving Tansy beetles – Askham Bryan Wildlife & Conservation Park
- Beaver reintroductions – Five Sisters Zoo
- Pool frog conservation – Banham Zoo
- Restoring our waterways by preventing invasive non-native species – AQUA campaign – Bristol Zoo Project
- Preventing the extinction of Wales’ Cotoneaster Cambricus – Chester Zoo
- Say Cheese! Camera trap loan scheme with schools – Colchester Zoo
- Exploring North Leigh Common – monitoring native reptiles – Crocodiles of the World
- Conserving Kentish Glory Moths – Twycross Zoo
- School nature project – Fenn Bell Conservation Project
- Big bird box build – Swift nesting boxes – Hertfordshire Zoo
- Conserving Suffolk’s native birds – Jimmy’s Farm and Wildlife Park
- Cryopreservation – Natures Safe
- Reintroducing Harvest Mice – Northumberland Zoo
- New Forest Cicada Project – Paultons Park
- The feisty five – Royal Zoological Society of Scotland
- Conserving the Tiger Beetle – Sparsholt College
- Protecting butterflies – Tropical World Leeds
- Herbert’s legacy: Slapton Ley National Nature Reserve – Wild Planet Trust
- Reintroducing Red-billed Chough to Kent – Wildwood Trust
- Slimbridge’s pollinator benches – WWT
- Conserving the European Eel – Zoological Society of London
- Devils Spittleful restoration – West Midlands Safari Park
- Midlands Crayfish project – National SeaLife Centre
Main Image Credit: White-clawed Crayfish (Austropotamobius pallipes) © Liz Oldring
