In today's round-up, we look at Prince Harry's words about saving the planet, reveal how changing the way we manage roadside verges could boost wildflower numbers and support wildlife; discover the 'extinct' moth that is once again calling Britain home; and find out why growing numbers of animals are dying on Dartmoor.
‘Conservation is fundamental to our survival… we must overcome greed, apathy and selfishness’
HRH Prince Harry has written an article for the Daily Telegraph about conservation, the climate and the delicate balance between man and wildlife.
The Prince, currently touring Africa with his wife Meghan and baby Archie, is eloquent, sensible and positive in the piece, which is headlined ‘Conservation is fundamental to our survival and we must overcome greed, apathy and selfishness to make real progress.’
‘Conservation fails unless you put people at the heart of the solution and for far too long, that hasn’t been the case,’ he writes. The Prince discusses land use, fishing, the setting of fires and the role of eco-tourism in providing an opportunity to help turn things around.
‘From what I’ve seen on the ground, it is when communities are incentivised to safeguard and manage their natural assets – be it water, trees or wildlife – that everyone benefits.
‘The natural order is restored and the symbiotic relationship between humans and wildlife is re-balanced. This may well sound hippy to some, but we cannot afford to have a “them or us” mentality. Humans and animals and their habitats fundamentally need to co-exist, or within the next 10yrs, our problems across the globe will become even more unmanageable.’
Smart verge management could give us 400 billion more flowers
Small changes to the way the 313,500 miles of rural roadside verges are managed across the UK could have an extraordinary impact, producing 400 billion more flowers, boosting natural habitats and supporting wildlife.
All it takes, according to new guidelines published by Plantlife and backed by the National Highway Agency and Natural England, is cutting verges twice a year and doing so only after flowers have set seed.
’Extinct’ moth makes a comeback in the UK
The Clifden Nonpareil, a large moth with a blue stripe on its hindwings that stopped breeding in Britain in the 1960s, has been spotted across southern England, in the Midlands, East Anglia and Wales, in Ceredigion and Monmouthshire, leading experts to believe it may have recolonised our shores.
Scientists are now asking the public to report any sighting, in a bid to map the current range of the species in Britain.
Speeding motorists put moorland animals at risk
Cars tearing too fast across the moors are responsible for a growing number of animal deaths. In just ten days, from September 8 to September 18, three ponies and six sheep were killed on Dartmoor.
Don’t understand why people break the speed limit across #Dartmoor. Saw sheep, foals and highland cattle on the road today, plus sign informing that 133 animals had been killed so far this year due to moronic driving. #moorcare #Devon pic.twitter.com/92DtmMZrx8
— Charlie Edwards (@Charliebird42) August 24, 2018
Research has shown that speeding on the moors has increased, leading to calls for motorists to slow down.
Full story (East Cornwall Times)
Watch out for deadly dog disease
Lungworm, a parasite that can seriously harm or kill dogs, is spreading across the UK, with the highest numbers of cases in Southern England and South Wales, but infections also reported in Northern England and Scotland.
To protect their pets, owners should talk to their vet about regular prevention treatment and should avoid leaving dog toys and water bowls out in the garden.
On this day… BBC Radio 1, 2 and 3 launched in 1967
September 30, 1967 was a momentous day for radio in the UK. The BBC launched its Radio 1 pop music service and replaced its Light Programme with Radio 2, its Third Programme and Music Programme with Radio 3 and the BBC Home Service with Radio 4.
The first ever programme to be broadcast on Radio 4 was Farming Today, which had begun airing in 1960 and had migrated to radio 4 from the Home Service. Two more Home Service imports were the Today Programme, which had started in 1957, and Desert Island Discs, which had originally been launched in 1942 on the BBC Forces Programme.
Norfolk hamlet fights to keep its postal address
Residents of Beckhithe, near Norwich, are opposing plans by the Royal Mail — which were triggered by a request from South Norfolk Council — to delete their hamlet’s name from the postcode address file.
Thirteen people have written to the Address Management Unit to reject the proposed change.
And finally… there’s a new spider in town
A team of Warwickshire scientists has helped discover a new species of spider in India. The tiny arachnid is not a looker but it’s very useful — it eats certain types of disease-spreading mosquitoes (while not being harmful to humans).
From Warwickshire to India https://t.co/sh1DRzLesE
— CoventryLive (@live_coventry) September 27, 2019
Plus, as Professor Richard Pearce of Moreton Morrell College says, at the time when the planet is losing so much of its biodiversity, ‘discoveries such as this give us hope.’
Country Life Today: the Scottish farmer who wants to create the first official mobile blackspot
In today's round-up, we reveal why a Scottish farmer is turning her back on mobile phones, explain how people can
