An exciting new report from The Wildlife Trusts has been launched today. 'Let nature help - how nature's recovery is essential for tackling the climate crisis' calls for greater investment in carbon-capturing landscapes. The report reveals that degraded habitats could absorb a whopping third of the UK's CO2 emissions if they were to be expertly restored.

View the report here: Let_Nature_Help_Report.pdf

Success in Scilly!

Here in Scilly we have our very own projects managed by our dedicated Ranger team, helping to yield the carbon capturing power of our landscapes.  The Lower and Higher Moors SSSI wetlands on St Mary’s have dried up over the past 25 years, but the team here at the Isles of Scilly Wildlife Trust is re-wetting these sites, through active management. Increased freshwater storage, improved water quality and increased biodiversity have resulted from the work, providing the right conditions for these wetlands to store carbon at a level of  up to 76 tonnes per hectare, that’s over 2,000 tonnes just within the top 15cm of soil!

The Trust has re-instated rotational reed cutting on the site of varying lengths that are best suited for breeding birds, but at the same time opening up the ground to more light levels that will encourage more desirable plants to flower.

The selective removal of Grey Willow during the winter at Higher Moors helps to reduce water loss during the summer months.  The large willow carr to the west and the carr that bounds the western edge of the pool are being coppiced on a short rotation to create a varied age-structure across the site, providing feeding and breeding grounds for a wider variety of invertebrates and birds. The opening up of the understorey has seen increases in species such as Royal Fern and Purple loosestrife within 12 months of management.  Watch our short video below to see the incredible difference just six months can make! 

If we all piece our efforts together, it is not too late to maximise the carbon capturing power of our incredible landscapes and enable us to bring nature back across at least 30% of land and sea in the UK, by 2030.