The Forest Bridge Trust’s Post

Community Unite for Possum Control! Residents of Wyllie Road in Warkworth have come together to tackle their possum problem, showcasing a strong community commitment to protecting their environment. This initiative was sparked by a local resident who sought possum control advice from The Forest Bridge Trust at the Warkworth A&P Lifestyle Show Recognising the potential of a collective effort, Trudy rallied her neighbours to form a predator control group. The response was overwhelmingly positive. With support from The Forest Bridge Trust, traps are now being set up on most properties at the top of Wyllie Road. Residents are maintaining these traps, all with the shared goal of safeguarding native species. Crucial funding was received in October 2023 from the Rodney Local Board via Auckland Council, aimed at supporting areas of ecological value within Rodney that require intensive possum control. This funding allows for the deployment of 450 Flipping Timmy’s and 13 AT220 traps by June 2024, not only on Wyllie Road but also in other ecologically diverse areas needing protection. Possums pose a severe threat to New Zealand's biodiversity, consuming vast amounts of native vegetation and preying on birds and insects. The Wyllie Road initiative, supported by TFBT, demonstrates the power of community action in tackling environmental challenges. Hopefully, this effort serves as an inspiring model for other communities to follow. Read more about this community conservation initiative https://lnkd.in/dzkBEzuz Auckland Council #CommunityAction #possumcontrol #warkworthn #Biodiversity #conservationnz #pestfreenz

The Waikato Catchment Ecological Enhancement Trust, or ‘WCEET’, is a collaboration between Mercury Power and the conservation groups that were involved in the re-consenting process for the company’s Waikato River dams. Together they manage an enhancement fund that supports efforts to environmentally compensate for the dams’ impact. WCEET’s financial support has had a hugely positive impact on the Waikato and Lake Taupo catchments since it was established two decades ago – its funding of 300+ conservation projects has collectively enhanced 2600+ hectares of wetland and 2600+ hectares of riparian habitat, with 2.43 million natives planted and predator control applied to 7200+ hectares. “We’ve supported some truly inspirational volunteer groups, landowners and businesses dedicated to protecting and enhancing the environment,” said Trust Chair Gwyn Verkerk. “Without any promotion, our funding rounds are always over-subscribed. So we’ve set up the WCEET Fund with Momentum Waikato, as both a new investment income stream in its own right, and to provide an easy way for the public to donate towards the expansion and long-term sustainability of this crucial local conservation funding.” Read more https://lnkd.in/gChXwqBV

Thanks to funding from The National Lottery Heritage Fund a new phase of Cumbernauld Living Landscape, an ambitious partnership initiative with an ecosystem approach to land management, is set to begin. Led by the Trust, the Nurturing Natural Connections project will further enhance, restore and reconnect vital green spaces across #Cumbernauld, following an initial one-year development grant of £181,200. The development phase forms part of a six-year project to tackle biodiversity loss and climate change across the town’s green spaces and watercourses. Nurturing Natural Connections will build on more than a decade of successful partnership working in Cumbernauld to date. The previous four-year project completed last year and resulted in the planting of over 13,000 native trees; management of more than 4 hectares of wildflower meadows; removal of 950 large sacks of litter; restoration of approximately 5 hectares of peatbog; improvement of 3 kilometres of paths; attendance of more than 6,000 people to educational workshops, wellbeing sessions and practical conservation days; and 960 hours of local volunteers’ time to carry out conservation tasks. Read more. https://lnkd.in/dastFizd Tracy Lambert | North Lanarkshire Council | Ally Corbett | Glasgow City Region | The Conservation Volunteers | #LivingLandscapes #WorkingforWildlife #climatechange #natureconnection #greenspaces #bluespaces #wellbeing #ecosystems #biodiversity #funding #naturerestoration

Community-based organizations often negotiate with private partners to use their natural resources in return for income, jobs, or other benefits. How do these communities know if the deal that they are being offered is good or not? That is the question we seek to answer with our partners SULi - IUCN Sustainable Use and Livelihoods Specialist Group with a questionnaire aimed at people closely involved with community conservation. Find out more about the survey in our blog, and answer our survey (link at the bottom of the blog) if you work for/with a community-based organization!  https://lnkd.in/dxBmM4js

My perspectives on community-based and community-led conservation approaches: 1. Community-based is not synonymous to community-led! 2. Community-led approaches are those that are initiated, managed and led (decision making) by communities for communities. 3. Community-based may not be led by communities but have objectives centred on communities. Decision making is usually done by authorities like conservation agencies or government agencies on behave of communities. Therefore, elite capture is a likely feature in community-based approach. 4. Community-led is of higher order and should be the ultimate approach for conservation where communities live and interact with nature/environment in their respective ecosystems. Community-based should transcend to community-led. 5. Efforts should be exerted to finding ways of how the current community-based approaches can transcend to community-led approaches. Community-led approaches should be established and enhanced. #Communitybased #indigenouscommunities #biodiversityconservation

Community-based organisations often negotiate with private partners to use their natural resources in return for income, jobs or other benefits. How do these communities know if the deal that they are being offered is good or not? That is the question we are seeking to answer with our partners SULi - IUCN Sustainable Use and Livelihoods Specialist Group with a questionnaire aimed at people who are closely involved with community conservation. Find out more about the survey in our blog, and answer our survey (link at the bottom of the blog) if you work for/with a community-based organisation! https://lnkd.in/d4Kg6xRt

📢 🎉 We've done it! 📢 🎉 Ground-breaking first biodiversity net gain S106 completed in Braintree District A developer working in Braintree District secured the required off-site habitat units from our pioneering nature recovery project after maximising the on-site compensation they could achieve. This approach was supported by Braintree District Council through the planning process and secured using the first BNG Section 106 agreement in the district. Edward Worthy ably supported the estate through the legal process. An area of 1.3 hectares of new grassland and scrub will be created and maintained at Spains Hall Estate for at least the next 30 years. Archie Ruggles-Brise, Estate Manager of Spains Hall Estate, said, “This deal is fantastic as it will enable us to dedicate some of our less productive land to nature. This fits brilliantly alongside our transition to sustainable farming and other nature based projects (including our famous beavers who continue to reduce flood risk in Finchingfield!) We hope it is the first of many such deals we secure as we aim to restore over 100 hectares of wildlife habitats on the farm through our Ecological Landscape Plan." Archie added, “Credit should also go to the team at Braintree District Council. This is the first BNG Section 106 agreement they’ve approved, and their collaborative approach was instrumental in getting it done. We hope it will ultimately help establish Braintree District as a focus for sustainable development that results in nature recovery as well as economic growth. ” This first BNG deal builds on many years pioneering work to restore nature at the Spains Hall Estate. Since 2020 the estate have been one of only five Natural England Biodiversity Net Gain pilot sites, helping the government and regulators develop the policy that underpins this and other BNG deals. The estate now offers BNG Units to developers through the country, but with a focus on East Anglia and London. #BNG #Naturerecovery #Sustainability #environmentact #climatechange

🌱 Planning Conservation with the Community in Mind🤝 Conservation isn't just about protecting nature—it's about people too. When we engage communities in conservation planning, we: 1️⃣ Ensure sustainability by addressing both environmental and social needs. 2️⃣ Empower local communities to take ownership of their natural resources. 3️⃣ Create long-term solutions that benefit both ecosystems and livelihoods. In this photo, Derick Wanjala and Victor Ndombi from Save the Elephants were engaging with villagers in Kajire, incorporating local knowledge as they planned for a human-elephant coexistence project there. By working directly with communities, we can foster sustainable solutions that benefit both wildlife and people. 🌍 When nature thrives, so do communities. Let’s continue working together for a future where people and nature coexist in harmony. 🌿 #Conservation #CommunityEngagement #SustainableDevelopment #PeopleAndNature #ConservationPlanning #HumanWildlifeCoexistence

Human-Elephant Conflict (HEC) is alarmingly on the rise in India. According to data from the National Institutes of Health (NIH), HEC results in approximately 400 human deaths annually (more than 605 in 2023), 100 elephant deaths, damage to 10,000 to 15,000 properties, and crop damage to 1 million hectares of farmland, directly affecting over 500,000 families annually. Delighted to share an exciting feature about our project, Project Edible Forest.  Through innovative approaches like beehive fencing, we are making a significant impact on reducing HEC and supporting local communities. Discover how we are fostering harmony, sustainable livelihoods, and long-term ecological restoration.