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Urban Wildlife Network members are involved with many other organisations. Brief information about, and links to, some of these are shown here.
Based in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, Adbusters is a not-for-profit, reader-supported, 120,000-circulation magazine concerned about the erosion of our physical and cultural environments by commercial forces. Our work has been embraced by organizations like Friends of the Earth and Greenpeace, has been featured in hundreds of alternative and mainstream newspapers, magazines, and television and radio shows around the world.
While two-thirds of Adbusters' readers reside in the United States, the magazine has subscribers in 60 other countries, with one of the most diverse readerships of any publication. Our readers are professors and students; activists and politicians; environmentalists and media professionals; corporate watch dogs and industry insiders; kids who love our slick ad parodies and parents who worry about their children logging too many hours a day in the electronic environment.
Urban Wildlife Network Chair David Nicholson-Lord has recently published an article in Adbusters - this link takes you to that article:
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An excellent site which gives a comprehensive insight into how things can be done to inform people about, and to engage people with, wildlife in urban areas. Portland has established a first-class reputation for its nature conservation work, and this site helps to explain why this is so.
This is the web page for Sheffiled Univerity's on-going research programme. BUGS 1 was part of the URGENT Research Programme (see below). BUGS 2 is building on that work by looking at garden biodiversity in five UK cities - Belfast, Cardiff, Edinburgh, Leicester and Oxford. The three year project will be completed during 2007. The research team says that 'The results of the project will provide the first systematic appraisal of gardens as a habitat and wildlife resource across different kinds of urban area in the UK, and will feed into Biodiversity Action Plans for urban areas, research on urban ecology, and debates about sustainable urban development.'
This site has been set up by Birdlife International to involve people all round the world in creating a book chronicling the relationship between birds and people. Not specifically urban, but of great interest.
The site's authors say:
'Birds have been at the heart of human culture since the Neolithic Age and are undoubtedly the life form most captivating to us. Their central place in our affections is well demonstrated by the many millions of people who support national organisations which make up the BirdLife International partnership.
For many historic societies, from the ancient Greeks and Romans to the Mexican Aztecs, birds were used to depict the nation’s central deities. In Central America, the god Huitzilopochtli was represented as a hummingbird. On ancient Greek and Roman architecture eagle statues are a universal feature, symbolising Zeus or his Roman equivalent, Jupiter. Even today Christian angels are shown with feathered wings, while the holy spirit is frequently depicted as a white dove.
The as yet untitled book will be about 300,000 words long and contain 400-500 colour photographs, depicting not only some of the most important species, but also examples of art and other cultural artefacts that have been inspired by birds. The text will examine the cultural importance of 500-1000 species, all of which play a key role in the life of local communities around the globe. Very often a single species or family has cultural significance for people right across a whole continent, and even worldwide. Owls are a good example. In Europe and North America owls are hugely popular and are often selected to stand as emblems for entire environmental campaigns, such as the Spotted Owl, in the drive to protect old-growth conifer forests of north-west USA, or the Snowy Owl in the UK, used to highlight the threat from climate change. For many cultures, however, owls often have deeply negative associations with the night, darkness, bad luck and even witchcraft. The aim is to tease out a bird’s many meanings for different societies.'
The four Black Country boroughs of Dudley, Sandwell, Walsall and the City of Wolverhampton are developing one of the most exciting and innovative programmes of environmental enhancement ever seen in the UK. They plan to invest millions of pounds over the next three decades to base the area's regeneration on its natural and other environmental assets. The idea has been short-listed for a £50M Big Lottery grant to be decided by a poll of television viewers in November. Nature reserves, country parks, rivers streams and canals, and major open spaces are all encompassed in the plans, which also include making these places welcoming and attractive to over one million people.
Cabe Space is part of the Commission for Architecture and the Built Environment and was set up in May 2003. It champions excellence in the design and management of parks, streets and squares in our towns and cities. CABE Space receives funding from the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister and support from the Department of Culture, Media and Sport.
http://www.teebweb.org/InformationMaterial/TEEBReports/tabid/1278/Default.aspx
The final report from 'The Economics of Ecosystems and Biodiversity' is now available to download.
TEEB was set up to assess sustainability and the value of our natural world.
The TEEB website states 'We are fast coming to realise that we have been consuming natural resources at an alarming rate.The history of post-War economic growth has been one of unsustainable consumption: unsustainable for the planet’s ecosystems, for its species diversity and, indeed, for the human race. By some recent yardsticks of sustainability, our global ecological footprint has doubled over the last 40 years to the point that, if the whole human population consumed at this rate, we would need 4-5 planet Earths just to keep up, just to sustain us.
By and large, we in the developed world seem to have disconnected ourselves from Nature and are struggling to find the 'value of Nature.' Take a look around: nature is the source of much value to us every day – this can be spiritually, culturally, health-wise or economically; and yet the benefits we receive from Nature mostly bypass markets, escape pricing and defy valuation. The lack of valuation has become an underlying cause for the observed degradation of ecosystems and the loss of biodiversity.
With this in mind, our study on The Economics of Ecosystems and Biodiversity is compiling, building and making a compelling economics case for the conservation of ecosystems and biodiversity. The study is drawing on expertise from around the world to evaluate the costs of the loss of biodiversity and the associated decline in ecosystem services worldwide, and to compare them with the costs of effective conservation and sustainable use. The intent of the study is to sharpen awareness of the value of biodiversity and ecosystem services and facilitate the development of effective policy, as well as engaged business and citizen responses'
Whilst obviously set in a global context the report has some useful parallels to be drawn for the domestic scene, which may provide a useful tool when justifying saving, managing or enhancing local habitats and ecosystems.
FCFCG is the representative body for city farms, community gardens and similar community-led organisations in the UK. City farms and community gardens are community-managed projects working with people, animals and plants. They range from tiny wildlife gardens to fruit and vegetable plots on housing estates, from community polytunnels to large city farms. They exist mainly in urban areas and are created in response to a lack of access to green space, combined with a desire to encourage strong community relationships and an awareness of gardening and farming.
This is the name of what used to be the Henry Doubleday Research Organisation. It's still based at Ryton in Warwickshire, and still promoting, researching and demonstrating organic gardening, farming and food. They have two other demonstration gardens, one at Yalding near Maidstone, and one at Audley End near Saffron Walden.
A really interesting and useful site run by a keen wildlife gardener in London. He says 'This site is particularly aimed at garden designers and plants-people who have grown up in the world of horticulture rather than the world of ecology, and don’t know, for example, where to find suggested plant-lists for a wildlife- friendly garden, or what books to read to expand their knowledge of ecology in relation to gardens, and don’t have time to wade through the internet trying to find the right sites or the right books.'
Groundwork is a federation of Trusts in England, Wales and Northern Ireland, each working with their partners to improve the quality of the local environment, the lives of local people and the success of local businesses in areas in need of investment and support. Groundwork's vision is of a society made up of sustainable communities, which are vibrant, healthy and safe, which respect the local and global environment and where individuals and enterprise prosper.
A site worth keeping an eye on for reports of conferences and other publications. (No free downloads of these, but they are available, usually for £21 including p&p.) The proceedings of 'Sustainable New Housing and Major Developments - Rising to the Ecological Challenges' (Bournemouth November 2005) and 'Designing Nature into Urban Development and Regeneration' (Newcastle November 2002) are of interest.
In their own words the IEEM is:
'The professional body which represents and supports ecologists and environmental managers in the UK and abroad.
Established in 1991, IEEM has around 3,000 members drawn from local authorities, government agencies, industry, environmental consultancy, teaching/research, and NGOs.
What does IEEM do?
We provide a variety of services to develop the competency and standards of professional ecologists and environmental managers and also promote ecology and environmental management as a profession.
These services include:
Training workshops
Conferences
Publications
Online Services
Provide a wider voice for ecology and environmental management through consultations
Provide a Professional Indemnity Insurance Scheme.
A wildlife rescue organisation operating in the south London area. Includes: London Wildlife Hospital, London WildcareEcology Centre, London Wildcare Field Centre
Citizen science and more writ large through a partnership between the Natural History Museum, nine universities (including the Open University and Imperial College) the Field Studies Council, Royal Parks, the Met Office and the National Biodiversity Network. They are currently running more than 30 projects, including an air quality and soil and earthworm surveys. The scheme describes itself as 'a partnership initiative celebrating biodiversity, environmental quality and people’s engagement with nature'. The website is very comprehensive and carries full details of the partners and activities.
Set in a tranquil Victorian park and only minutes from the M62 motorway, the National Wildflower Centre is a beautiful visitor attraction with a difference. With the emphasis on creative conservation and putting wildflowers back into Britain, the centre has seasonal wildflower demonstration areas, a working garden nursery, childrens’ play area, exhibitions and interactive information about wildflowers. A stunning modern building provides a 160-metre long rooftop walkway and houses a well-stocked shop, plant sales area and a cafe and conservatory.
Natural England is the successor to English Nature, most of the old Countryside Agency, and the rural payments division of DEFRA. According to its website it 'is here to conserve and enhance the natural environment, for its intrinsic value, the wellbeing and enjoyment of people and the economic prosperity that it brings.'
It also says that it 'is working towards the delivery of four strategic outcomes, which together deliver on our purpose to conserve, enhance and manage the natural environment for the benefit of current and future generations:
The Urban Forum of the UK-Man and the Biosphere (MAB) Committee is a network of managers, planners and researchers involved with the environment and nature conservation in urban areas. Its mission is to raise awareness, stimulate research, influence policy, improve the design and management of urban systems, and push urban nature conservation up the social and political agenda.
Its distinctive contribution to this goal is integrated thinking. Nature in cities crosses many specialist boundaries. The Urban Forum tries to reflect and express these specialisms, and the many and complex realities they represent. In the breadth of its agenda and the range of its membership, it is unique within the UK.
An interesting site about the work being done by the Group. They say 'The material presented in these pages reflect some of the research being undertaken by the Research Institute for the Built and Human Environment, one of two six star rated institute within the University of Salford. These pages reflect work being carried out by a multidisciplinary team of biologists, geographers and social scientists under the banner of 'Urban Nature'. The work focuses on three main areas:
Land use - green spaces, blue spaces and how we use our physical environment
Biodiversity - recording and valuing biodiversity in urban settings
Sustainable development - integrated assessment methodologies and communicating complex issues.
This site will be expanded as the research programmes progress to include information on urban landscapes and wildlife, research into the urban environment, results of ongoing studies and opportunities to get involved in various projects and share your views.'
The award winning London Wetland Centre is the first project of its kind in the world - more than 40 hectares of created wetlands in the heart of a capital city. In February of 2002 the centre was designated a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI), supporting nationally important numbers of Gadwall and Shoveler duck. Opened in May 2000, the London Wetland Centre offers hundreds of thousands of visitors the chance to see rare and beautiful wetland wildlife just a stone's throw from central London.
As with many other activities there are now web blogs focusing on wildlife. Too many to put links to all of them here, but if this is all new to you, a good start would be this site.l
This site is run by Jon Sadler of Birmingham University and is his wildlife diary of Cannon Hill Park in Birmingham. The park is less than two miles from the city centre, close to Edgbaston Cricket Ground. It is therefore heavily influenced by the surrounding urban environment. Jon's blog is part of a larger project - The Open Air Laboratories (OPAL) funded by the Big Lottery Fund. Through the site you can follow the fortunes of the Park's wildlife throughout the year. You may even be inspired to start your own blog based on part of your neighbourhood.
