Positive Conservation News - May 2019

May 31, 2019

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The world's favourite season is the spring. All things seem possible in May.
 - Edwin Way Teale

Today's post is a summary of more successful conservation news from this past month. May saw exciting results for Green politics across Europe, new areas around the world granted protected status, and success for a crocodile breeding project in Cambodia! A wave of local, regional and national governments declared a 'Climate Emergency' this month as the pressure rises for them to start taking Global Warming seriously.  Read on for much more, and feel free to share your favourite recent conservation news with us in the comments. 

Do New Laws Surrounding Grey Squirrel Release Go Too Far?

May 24, 2019

In October this year, UK laws surrounding non-native species will change, and licences will no longer be issued for the rescue and release of grey squirrels. This is mainly because grey squirrels pose a threat to the native red squirrel, both through the transmission of the squirrel pox virus (SQPV), and through ecological displacement. Having volunteered at a rescue centre and helped in rehabilitating grey squirrels myself, but also being a conservationist, the issue is a tough one for me. Whilst I agree that some control is necessary in efforts to save the red squirrel, I believe that this latest measure goes too far. A lot of unnecessary suffering will be caused for grey squirrels, as well as emotional anguish for the people who usually care for them. The laws will leave rescuers and rescue centres in limbo, where any squirrel that is brought in cannot be released, so either needs to be euthanised or kept in captivity forever.

In response to the imminent change in laws I signed a petition earlier this year, entitled: 'Make grey squirrel rescue exempt from Invasive Alien Species Order 2019'. It has now generated over 570,000 signatures, although the government has responded by saying that they have no intention of making grey squirrels exempt. However, as a result of signing the petition I recently received an email from a group of MP's called the 'Environment Audit Committee' inviting me to put across my views on invasive species. Feeling that this might be the only forum where I could air my concerns about the change in the invasive species laws, I decided to do some research on the subject of grey squirrels and their control, as well as how they affect reds, in order to write an informed response.

Green Technology: 6 Apps to Help You Live More Sustainably

May 08, 2019


It's easy to feel overwhelmed when thinking about environmental issues such as climate change, sustainable products and food waste. Technology can be a valuable tool for raising awareness and sharing information and there are many apps and websites that we can utilise to make easy changes to help the environment. Here are 6 to get you started!  
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