London Wildlife Trust is the only charity dedicated solely to protecting the capital’s wildlife and natural green spaces. Its vision is a city rich in biodiversity, where all people treasure wildlife and where access to quality natural green space is a right for all. Established in 1981, the Trust has 9,000 members, employs 60 staff and supports over 600 volunteers. The Trust’s work falls into three main categories:
• nature conservation
• people engagement
• policy and campaigning
London Wildlife Trust manages over 40 nature reserves across the Capital, to:
• further the conservation of habitats, species and other natural features
• enable people to have access to, engagement with, and benefit from direct contact with the natural world
• provide opportunities for voluntary activities to further nature conservation;
• carry out and provide opportunities for outdoor education, training and research to further nature conservation
• to demonstrate best practice on all of the above.
It is primarily on its nature reserves that the Trust will implement its Climate Change Adaptation Strategy, but it endeavours to further adaptation strategies and interventions to help in the conservation of London’s biodiversity – through its engagement with the London Local Nature Partnership, All London Green Grid, river Catchment Plans, and other local and regional activities.
There are three other specific areas, which the Trust will further climate change adaptation measures:
London Wildlife Trust is developing an aspirational vision for Living Landscapes in London, where ecologically-functioning landscapes, such as river catchments, can adapt to climate change; provide resilience and connectivity for wildlife; allow access and enjoyment for people; and provide a sustainable, low carbon contribution to the economy. For further details click here.
A one-year project which aims to develop good practice guidance for social landlords and their resident communities to design and manage their landscapes to make them more resilient to climate change. Social housing residents, due to their location and poor quality landscapes, are more vulnerable to the impacts of climate change. A Cool Place to Live contributes to the Neighbourhoods Green programme.
London: Garden City?, published in partnership with the GLA and GiGL in 2011, has shown that 3,000 ha of vegetation disappeared from London’s 3.8 million gardens between 1998-2008 (about 2.5 Hyde Parks per annum). This worrying trend further demonstrates the need for adaptation means through green infrastructure to be delivered across the public and private realm. Garden for Living London is a campaign to help promote the management of private gardens for wildlife, and to help them become more climate resilient – for further details, click here.
Mathew is an urban ecologist with over 23 years’ experience of land management policy and practice in nature conservation with voluntary organisations, public bodies and Government agencies, such as the London Ecology Unit, London Wildlife Trust, English Nature and Peabody. He has managed nature reserves, and developed policies to advocate the protection and creation of green infrastructure.
Mathew helped to establish Neighbourhoods Green, a programme to raise the quality of the landscapes owned and managed by social landlords, now being taken forward by the National Housing Federation and other partners. A member of the Institute of Ecology & Environmental Management, he is also a Green Flag Award judge and a Design Council CABE Adviser.
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