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20/04/2022

19/04/2022

Boosting biodiversity
From primroses peppering mossy woodland glades to ragged-robin splashing hedgerows with pops of colourful brilliance, wildflowers have provided escapism like never before this spring. The UK is one of the world’s most nature-depleted changes, but experts are hopeful that lockdown may turn things around.

May is a lynchpin month for biodiversity, and so with lockdown restricting usual council activities, such as strimming and mowing, flora and fauna could get a much-needed boost. Rewilding advocacy and travel group Scotland: The Big Picture recommends taking photos (if it’s safe to do so) of blooming verges to campaign for permanent change. Meanwhile, Frans Schepers, managing director of Rewilding Europe, reminds us that, ‘The fact that we can see more wildlife is mostly because we are now seeing the benefits of longer-term efforts: better protection, less poaching, habitat improvements, safe havens, less hunting.’

Less tangible forces are at play, too. Dr Phoebe Carter, chief ecologist at Habitat First Group, is optimistic, ‘With less traffic, birdsong has never sounded so clear, hedgehogs are likely suffering fewer casualties, and wildlife is benefitting from public green spaces being less manicured. The lockdown has helped many people reconnect and we must now become “nature inclusive” in all that we do.’

Having drawn so much solace from natural wonders on their doorstep over the last couple of months, conservation-led places to stay in the UK hope this will boost future bookings. One example is Elmley national nature reserve in Essex, where guests can watch barn owls gliding over reeds or hares feeding just a couple of feet away.

18/04/2022

Funding conservation
Lockdown camera traps have revealed elusive leopards prowling South Africa’s Walker Bay Fynbos Conservancy and pampas cats roaming close to organic vines at Condor Valley in Argentina. A generation of humpback whales are experiencing silent seas for the first time (as cargo and cruise ships fall still), and, from Costa Rica to Indonesia, green and hawksbill sea turtles are having a bumper laying season on deserted beaches.

While it’s reassuring to see nature thriving in the absence of humans, in reality, much conservation work is at risk; without tourism to fund the protection of ecosystems and wildlife, thousands of acres and species are vulnerable to exploitation.

In Botswana, one of the safest rhino habitats in the world, poaching increased so much in March that critically endangered black rhinos are being relocated. In Cambodia, the CEO of Yaana Ventures, Willem Niemeijer, is also concerned. Wildlife protection in the 18,000-hectare Botum Sakor National Park is threatened by our inability to receive clients,’ he says. ‘Cardamom Tented Camp is a not-for-profit operation, with profits funding the ranger station and patrol activities… everyone has been hard hit and so poaching is on the rise.’ The Wildlife Conservation Society believes that three critically endangered giant ibis were killed for meat in April as a result of the closure of tourism in Cambodia.

Illegal fishing is also on the up in some of Indonesia’s conservation hot spots. In April, rangers at the 120,000-hectare Misool Marine Reserve caught poachers taking advantage of the sudden vacuum created by the collapse of tourism in Raja Ampat. With the support of the marine police, rangers confiscated 150kg of fish, including ecologically sensitive species.

Besides offering a financial incentive to protect wildlife, tourists, rangers and guides provide much-needed eyes and ears on the ground. Without them, decades of conservation is in jeopardy, particularly in places where poaching for bushmeat will increase if people lose jobs due to the decline in tourism.

Delphine King, executive director of The Long Run, says, ‘When we do travel again, supporting those funding conservation and investing in local communities will be critical, alongside accepting where might benefit from a continued respite.’

17/04/2022

From plummeting carbon emissions to animals taking over cities, the lockdown has given us a tantalising glimpse of a more environmentally harmonious world. As scientists relish the opportunity to capture data in quieter oceans and traffic-reduced cities, the media is awash with talk of green shoots.

Unfortunately, this hiatus for the natural world has followed a devastating loss of livelihoods, and lives. As the tourism industry reels amid a grounded planet, those who rely on it the most are struggling to put food on the table. There’s an uneasiness in the conservation world, too. For every chunk of wilderness thriving with less human intrusion, numerous ecosystems are devastatingly at risk.

Green shoots thrive when nurtured, and so in travel as much as in any other walk of life, now’s the time to reset for a cleaner, greener future.

15/04/2022

Nairobi, 9 March 2022 – The UN has published a call for countries to nominate World Restoration Flagships to honour the most ambitious and impactful global initiatives to rebuild degraded ecosystems. Governments are invited to present their most inspiring efforts by 31 March 2022. More than 80 expressions of interest have already been registered and the first 10 World Restoration Flagships will be celebrated on the margins of the UN General Assembly in September 2022.

Over 75% of Earth’s lands and 66% of oceans are currently severely altered by human activity. A recent report found that as part of international climate and biodiversity goals, countries have promised to restore one billion hectares of ecosystems – an area larger than China.