Kittiwake Dover Kent

Kittiwake Dover Kent, a photo by Kinzler Pegwell on Flickr.

Quantock Hills Somerset

Almost exactly a year ago, 38 Degrees members finally managed to stop the terrible plan to sell off England's woodlands. It was a huge victory for people power and over 500,000 of us played our part in it.

We've helped keep our national forests safe. But beautiful wild places owned by local councils could still be under threat. We can work together to protect these precious places too.

38 Degrees members in Somerset have been in touch to ask for our help. Their council is trying to sell-off a local natural treasure, known as the Quantock Hills.If the sale goes ahead, a beautiful area of woodland and open countryside could be at risk.

A huge people-powered petition can make Somerset Council think again and safeguard the Quantock Hills for future generations. Add your name now – local 38 Degrees members will deliver the petition to the Council before they decide:https://secure.38degrees.org.uk/protect-quantock-hills

The Quantock Hills are beautiful. Famous English poets like Wordsworth and Coleridge have written about them.Rare plants and animals thrive there.Hundreds of thousands of people visit every year.

If they're sold, there's every risk we'll see fences going up and crucial habitats in danger.

If Somerset Council get away with this, other councils across the country could start trying to sell off local wildlife havens too. Stopping Somerset Council should help stop these kinds of sell-off schemes becoming a new national menace. So it makes sense for all of us who stood together to protect woodland owned by our national government to speak up against Somerset Council's local sell-off plan.

Add your name now in time for the Somerset council meeting this week:https://secure.38degrees.org.uk/protect-quantock-hills


Thanks for being involved,

Hannah, David, Johnny, Cian, Marie, Becky and the 38 Degrees Team

KENT WILDLIFE TRUST TASK STONELEES

A big thank you to all those volunteers that turned up today for the scrub clearance task at Stonelees, Pegwell Bay.

Although the snow is still on the ground and temperatures near 0 the atmosphere was light hearted and in between the snow ball fights a large area was cleared!

MANY THANKS

STEP UP & OPPOSE THE THAMES ESTUARY AIRPORT

 

The spectacular coastal wetland that is the Thames Estuary is globally recognised, and protected, because it is vital for hundreds of thousands of wildfowl and wading birds.

Over the past few decades we have tirelessly campaigned alongside local communities and have saved this world-class coastal wetland from a series of ill-thought out airport proposals. All were rejected on a combination of business, aviation, safety and environmental grounds. As time has moved on our knowledge has increased and we can add climate change to the list of dangers presented by airport expansion in the Thames Estuary (or indeed anywhere else).

So you can imagine our disappointment now that it looks like we are going to have to start campaigning all over again.

The idea of an airport in the Thames Estuary has been catapulted back to prominence by the Mayor of London, Boris Johnson, who has his own proposal – referred to as ‘Boris Island’. And more recently by Norman Foster unveiling his vision for a four runway airport on the Isle of Grain in North Kent.

Any Thames Estuary airport would cause immense damage to the wildlife and environment in the area, which includes some wonderful RSPB Nature Reserves including: Cliffe Pools, Northward Hill, Rainham Marshes, West Canvey Marshes, Vange Marshes, and Shorne Marshes.

Advocates of a Thames Estuary airport were encouraged by the Chancellor’s portrayal of the environment as a barrier to economic growth in his autumn statement last November. This gave them the confidence to propose any development, no matter how damaging, as now it could be dressed up as the answer to our economic woes.

Fortunately the reality is that we don’t have to choose between the economy and the environment. Far from being a barrier, the environment actually underpins economic growth – and we’ve got the research to prove it.

Step up for nature today and help us get the message across to the Chancellor.

Tell him we don’t need damaging developments like a Thames Estuary airport – instead he should use his upcoming Budget to put the environment at the heart of the UK's economic recovery.

Yours sincerely

Chris CorriganRegional Director
RSPB South East England

Goldfinch Woods Mill Sussex

Goldfinch Woods Mill Sussex, a photo by Kinzler Pegwell on Flickr.

Redshank Pagham Harbour

Redshank Pagham Harbour, a photo by Kinzler Pegwell on Flickr.