Campaigns: Standing up for nature
Part of the Trust's role is to actively defend wildlife and wild places under threat and persuade others to take action to help increase local biodiversity.
- Sometimes that means lobbying MPs and local or regional government.
- It can also mean providing evidence to demonstrate to decision-makers what course of action should be taken.
- It may means raising much-needed funds to take practical action to save wildlife or protect a threatened habitat.
- But occasionally it means saying out loud when something is badly wrong and we need to draw attention to it - and you can help!
The Trust has identified a number of ways we can all help wildlife and our environment.
Current campaigns
Great South Run
The Great South Run, part of BUPA's Great Run series, follows a 10 mile long course through Portsmouth and Southsea, passing some of Britain's greatest naval heritage along the way. The event is open to 21,000 runners and attracts entrants from a wide range of athletic backgrounds. To kick off the HIOWWT's 50th Anniversary celebration, an intrepid team of staff and partners, including some experienced heads and other slightly fresher faces, will brave the coastal elements this October to compete in Europe's leading 10 mile road race. Click to learn more. Please make a donation to the Trust via Virgin Money or on our website.
Kingfisher Appeal
Every £1 Donated Raises £20!
We are asking for your support towards our Kingfisher Appeal to raise money to restore neglected habitats along the Itchen Navigation, an important wetland corridor between Southampton and Winchester. Find out more.
Dibden Bay
Plans to develop a new deep water container port at Dibden Bay in Southampton Water could have a serious impact on internationally important wildlife sites. The saltmarsh and mudflats are vitally important feeding grounds for wintering birds, feature a number of scarce plants and provide a valuable breeding site for lapwing and skylark. Such valuable wildlife habitats could all too easily be destroyed ……. Read more.
Reservations about eco-towns announcement
The Trust is very concerned over some elements of John Healey's recent announcement on the eco-towns Planning Policy Statement, which named potential sites for development, and is disappointed that the Bordon-Whitehill site in Hampshire is still on the list. ...... Read more.
Progress with 'Living Landscapes'
The Government certainly seem to be listening to our lobbying and publicity around the idea of "Living Landscapes"
In his party conference speech yesterday, Hilary Benn announced the launch of a review into the UK's ecological networks. To report by June 2010, the review will explore if our current collection of protected sites represents a coherent and robust ecological network for England, capable of responding to the challenges of climate change and other pressures.
The draft text of his speech included: "Why we are doing the review? There is a general recognition, illustrated by the Wildlife Trusts' 'Living Landscapes' campaign <...> that conservation needs to be practised over larger areas." This direct reference to The Wildlife Trusts and A Living Landscape was not in the final speech but, of course, this is still an exciting development, and one which we will work to be closely involved with. We are confident that the review has been launched in response to lobbying by the Wildlife Trusts.
You can read The Wildlife Trusts' response to the announcement and Defra's press release by clicking on these links.
Recent campaigns
Knighton Down Appeal
We are delighted to announce that thanks to the wonderful generosity of individual supporters and an amazing donation of £13,500 from The Southern Co-op the Trust will now be able to complete the purchase of Knighton Down on the Isle of Wight thus safeguarding this fantastic wildlife haven in perpetuity. Find out more .....
Join ‘The Wave'
The UK's biggest ever demonstration in support of action on climate change. On Saturday 5 December The Wildlife Trusts joined tens of thousands of people marching through London to demonstrate our support for a safe climate future. The march was being organised by the Stop Climate Chaos Coalition ahead of the crucial UN climate summit in Copenhagen.
Click here for more details. Click to see the Trust's contribution to the 'The Wave' promotional video.
Draft South East Plan
We have very serious concerns about how sustainable the draft South East Plan, a key regional planning document that sets out how the south east, and our counties, will change in the next twenty years. It includes plans for at least 144,000 new homes to be built in Hampshire and the Island without clearly addressing the need to achieve this without irreparably damaging national and internationally important wildlife habitats. We have lobbied hard at a local and regional level to achieve some important changes to the original Plan and we have mobilised our members and supporters to make their views felt to local MPs.
A copy of our concerns can be seen for background information. We are now awaiting the final Government-approved document.
