#defendnature

Campaign Defend Nature

#defendnature is a new campaign by the RSPB. This campaign has come about due to the EU wanting to weaken the  Directives that protect many species in the UK as well as across Europe, that otherwise might not be there. 

Having a good knowledge of both the Habitats Directive, the Bird Directive and the success stories that have come about because of them, I know how important they are for hundreds of species throughout Europe. 

The Natura Network 2000 is made up of protected areas set out by the habitats directive. These sites have been shown to play a big part in the recovery of threatened species.

As well as protecting habitats, these directives protect many species of bird including the Red Kite which is now quite a common site in many parts of the UK because of measures set in place to protect them. 

Many mammals are also protected from otters to water voles as well as bears, lynx and wolves which even though were hunted to extinction in the UK, still live in the wild in other countries in Europe.

Watch the following video to see the beauty of whats at stake:

Do your bit to try and protect the wildlife that doesn't have a voice to protect itself. 

To show your support or if you want to find out any other information on this campaign visit rspb.org.uk/defendnature.

I'm going to Borneo!!!

Next month I am going to be jetting off to the wonderful island of Borneo!

This is for my Tropical Field Ecology module. This is one of the modules that I was most looking forward to this year. I'm only there for 2 weeks and the trips split into 2 halves. The first half will be by the coast, looking at coral reefs and the second half will be based inland in the jungle/rain forests.

This trip has crept up on me a little bit, I have had a crazy workload recently and I've realised just how soon I actually leave! Luckily I have most of what I need for the trip, including a new Go pro to play around with!

So now I just have four weeks, four pieces of coursework, one lab book, two tests and two presentations to get out of the way before I leave! And then I'm allowed to get excited ;) !

Oh and so many fish to learn! 

Big Garden Birdwatch 2015

So it’s that time of the year again! 

The Big Garden Birdwatch is a brilliant way to see how wildlife is doing across the UK. About half a million people got involved last year and over 7 million birds were recorded. This has been going on for 35 years so the information collected can be compared to the past 35 years of results and see how wildlife across the UK is changing.    

It's incredibly simple to take part, just spend an hour in your garden between the 24-25th January and count which species of birds you see and the highest number of each species that can be seen at the same time! 

You don't need to be a member to take part; you can either register for a free pack to be sent to you or download one online at: RSPB BGBW 

This is a great activity to do with children, especially as it gets them outdoors and interested in nature! There are instructions of how to make bird feeders on the website in order to attract birds to your garden. Or just have look around on the internet there are LOADS of tutorials of things to make. It can get a bit messy depending on which ones you do, however I know from experience that kids love getting their hands dirty and it really is a great way in getting them involved with nature.

Don't let the fact that there may not be many birds in your garden stop you from getting involved. What isn't there can be just as big of an indicator as what is there! 

And it’s not just about counting birds! The RSPB aren't just interested in birds, but in all of nature. So there is also a section for badgers, squirrels, deer and a few others... 

So 'Count the Wildlife that's Counting on You!'

Big Cat Photography Training Day.

Big Cat Wildlife Photography.

For my 21st Birthday, I got asked if I wanted to do a Jessops Big Cat Photography Course.. Of course I did!!! 

It's a day course based at the Cat Survival Trusts Sanctuary in Hertfordshire.  They have lots of cats, as well as a couple of owls. The cats there include the Snow Leopard, Servals, Eurasian Lynx, Amur Leopard, Puma and Jaguar as well as some others. 

The course was run by a handful of experienced, friendly, lovely people.  The beginning of the day started with introductions and a talk about how your camera works and how to use it properly for wildlife photography. You then got a chance to go out and photograph the cats with your new knowledge. Lunch and beverages were provided and then more short talks, including one on the conservation efforts of the Cat Survival Trust. Then you were let loose for the rest of the day able to take pictures of the cats with the staff there to be able to lend a hand and help out anyone who needed it. 

If your interested in doing this course head over to: Jessops Big Cats Course.

The Cats are beautiful! It is horrible to think that these are endangered species that people kill for their fur and bones. The Cat Survival Trust is a registered charity run solely on volunteer staff. The cats here are surplus, unwanted zoo cats and impounded cats from unlicensed private ownership. this allows the cats to be able to live in an improved stressless environment.

The Cat Survival Trust is not open to the public as of yet; however a personal guided tour can be arranged for members, as well as for educational groups such as schools, which they encourage to visit them. 

to find out more about the Cat Survival Trust and their vital work that they're doing abroad head over to: Cat Survival Trust's Website

None of these photos are edited apart from the last two, so theyre not as good as they could be if i had time at the moment to go through my 700+ photos I took there.... 

So now for A LOT of photos of Big Cats!!!

Snow Leopards

Amur Leopard

Jaguar

This jaguar was called Jagsy (not 100% sure on the spelling), the only cat there that responded to her name being called. 

Lynx

Serval

Puma

These cuties were only 3 months old, They were even more adorable in real life. I just wanted to give them a big cuddle, although I don't think they'd be best pleased with the gesture.

The next two photos I have only edited the background to put more emphasis on the Puma, I had to edit this one as It was almost dusk and the light on her face was so warming, its my favourite by far.

Make sure you check out the Cat Survival Trust's website as the work they do really is vital to the conservation of these magnificent animals.