As I reflected upon in yesterday’s blog, this week the UK Government has formally started a process that will redefine our place in the world.
Irrespective of our future relationship with the Europe Union, the UK has and will continue to have obligations to protect our most threatened species from extinction (such as Aichi target 12 under the UN's Convention on Biological Diversity). For us, the status of threatened species is a critical test of whether we are living in harmony with nature. It it is why, throughout our history, we have invested an enormous amount of effort to recover species such as great crested grebe, avocet, osprey, cirl bunting, stone-curlew, corncrake, red kite, white-tailed eagle, crane, albatrosses, Gyps vultures and spoon-billed sandpipers.
Yet, the number of threatened species within the UK has grown - for example, 361 species have been identified as in imminent danger of being lost from England whilst a further 785 are threatened, rare, range-restricted or declining. This is why we have had to think and act differently to scale up our conservation efforts.
Black-tailed godwit - one of the species that will benefit from the funding - by Gordon Langsbury (rspb-images.com)
Today, I am delighted to report the fantastic news that the National Lottery has agreed to invest £4.6m in backing one of the most ambitious conservation projects ever undertaken in the UK. The RSPB has joined forces with Natural England, the Amphibian and Reptile Trust, Bat Conservation Trust, Buglife, Bumblebee Conservation Trust, Butterfly Conservation and Plantlife to develop new ways ways of working together to inspire people to take action for threatened species.
The project is a mix of targeted work for 20 of our most threatened species alongside action in landscapes across England from the Yorkshire Dales to Cornwall to help a further 200 species including the grey long-eared bat, pine martin, willow tit, large garden bumblebee, lesser butterfly orchid and hedgehog. Back from the Brink is ambitious, it is exciting and I am confident will deliver fantastic results of nature.
We intend to pilot new approaches to inspire action from our own supporters, landowners, farmers and local community groups who will be recruited to observe and record these threatened species and help provide the habitats and help they need.
This has project has been a long time in development. With funding now in place, we can start to build the team to put life back into England's green and pleasant land.
I look forward to reporting more good news about this project soon...
Hi Fiona, here is the list...
Adonis annua Pheasant’s-eye
Adscita statices Forester
Agroeca cuprea Golden lantern-spider
Ajuga chamaepitys Ground-pine
Alauda arvensis Sky Lark
Alopecosa fabrilis Great Fox-spider
Altella lucida Dorset Mesh-weaver
Amara fusca Wormwood Moonshiner
Amiota variegata Variegated Fruit-fly
Ampedus nigerrimus Black Click Beetle
Ampedus rufipennis Red-horned Cardinal Click Beetle
Anaptychia ciliaris subsp. ciliaris Eagles Claw
Andrena tarsata Tormentil Mining Bee
Anguis fragilis Slow-worm
Anisus vorticulus Little Whirlpool Ram's-horn Snail
Anthophora retusa Potter flower bee
Anthus trivialis Tree pipit
Arabis glabra Tower mustard
Artemisia campestris Field Wormwood
Arvicola amphibius Water Vole
Asilus crabroniformis Hornet Robber Fly
Astragalus danicus Purple milk-vetch
Bacidia incompta
Barbastella barbastellus Barbastelle bat
Blarneya hibernica (= Tylophoron hibernicum)
Blysmus compressus Flat Sedge
Boletus pseudoregius The Pretender
Boletus rhodopurpureus Oldrose Bolete
Bombus humilis Brown-Banded Carder Bee
Bombus muscorum Moss Carder Bee
Bombus ruderarius Red-shanked carder bee
Bombus ruderatus Large garden bumblebee
Bombus sylvarum Shrill carder bee
Bombylius minor Heath bee-fly
Brachygonus ruficeps
Bromus interruptus Interrupted brome
Bryum calophyllum Matted bryum
Bryum warneum Sea bryum
Buellia asterella Starry breck lichen
Bufo calamita Natterjack Toad
Bupleurum rotundifolium Thorow-wax
Burhinus oedicnemus Stone Curlew
Calicium adspersum
Caloplaca flavorubescens
Caloplaca coralliza
Caloplaca herbidella Geranium Firedot
Caloplaca lucifuga
Caloplaca luteoalba Orange fuited Elm lichen
Calosoma inquisitor Caterpillar-Hunter
Caprimulgus europaeus Nightjar
Carabus monilis Necklace ground beetle
Carduelis cabaret Lesser Redpoll
Carduelis cannabina Common Linnet
Carex ericetorum Rare Spring Sedge
Carterocephalus palaemon Chequered Skipper
Catapyrenium psoromoides Tree Catapyrenium
Catillaria alba (= Biatora veteranorum)
Cephalanthera longifolia Narrow-leaved Helleborine
Cephaloziella nicholsonii Greater Copperwort
Cerceris quinquefasciata 5-Banded Tailed Digger Wasp
Chaenotheca gracilenta
Chamaemelum nobile Chamomile
Chlorencoelia versiformis Flea’s ear
Chortodes extrema Concolorous
Chrysotoxum octomaculatum Broken-banded Wasp-hoverfly
Cicendia filiformis Yellow Centaury
Cicindela hybrida Northern dune tiger beetle
Cicindela sylvatica Heath Tiger Beetle
Clinopodium acinos Basil Thyme
Coenagrion mercuriale Southern Damselfly
Coenonympha pamphilus Small heath
Coleophora tricolor Basil-thyme Case-bearer moth
Collema fragrans
Coronella austriaca Smooth Snake
Cosmia diffinis White-spotted Pinion
Crex crex Corncrake
Cryptocephalus primarius Rockrose Pot beetle
Cryptolechia carneolutea
Cupido minimus Small Blue
Cyclophora porata False Mocha
Dactylorhiza viridis Frog Orchid
Dendrocopus minor Lesser Spotted Woodpecker
Didymodon tomaculosus Sausage beard-moss
Ditrichum cornubicum Cornish Path Moss
Emberiza calandra Corn Bunting
Emberiza cirlus Cirl bunting
Emberiza citronella Yellowhammer
Emberiza schoeniclus Reed bunting
Enterographa elaborata
Enterographa sorediata
Eresus sandaliatus Ladybird Spider
Erinaceus europaeus Hedgehog
Erotettix (=Macrosteles) cyane Pondweed Leafhopper
Erynnis tages Dingy Skipper
Euphydryas aurinia Marsh Fritillary
Filago lutescens Red-tipped cudweed
Filago pyramidata Broad-leaved cudweed
Formica exsecta Narrow headed ant
Fumaria purpurea Purple ramping-fumitory
Galeopsis angustifolia Red hemp-nettle
Galium pumilum Slender Bedstraw
Gentianella anglica Early Gentian
Gentianella campestris Field Gentian
Gnophomyia elsneri Royal Splinter Cranefly
Gnorimus nobilis Noble Chafer
Gnorimus variabilis Variable Chafer
Grapholita pallifrontana Liquorice Piercer
Gryllus campestris Field Cricket
Gyalecta ulmi
Hamearis lucina Duke of Burgundy
Harpalus froelichii Brush-thighed seed-eater
Hericium coralloides Coral Tooth
Hericium erinaceus Bearded Tooth
Herminium monorchis Musk Orchid
Hipparchia semele Grayling
Homonotus sanguinolentus Bloody Spider-hunting Wasp
Hydnellum spongiosipes Velvet Tooth
Hypebaeus flavipes Moccas beetle
Hypopitys monotropa (= Monotropa hypopitys) Yellow Bird's-nest
Iberis amara Wild candytuft
Illecebrum verticillatum Coral Necklace
Juniperus communis Juniper
Lacerta agilis Sand Lizard
Lacon querceus Oak Click Beetle
Lecanographa amylacea
Lecanora quercicola
Lecanora sublivescens
Leersia oryzoides Cut-grass
Leptidea sinapis Wood White
Lepus europaeus Brown hare
Limenitis camilla White Admiral
Limoniscus violaceus Violet Click Beetle
Limosa limosa Black-tailed Godwit
Lithostege griseata Grey carpet
Locustella naevia Common Grasshopper Warbler
Lolium temulentum Darnel
Lophozia capitata Large-celled Flapwort
Lucanus cervus Stag Beetle
Lullula arborea Woodlark
Lycopodiella inundata Marsh Clubmoss
Lyophyllum favrei Gilded Domecap
Maculinea arion Large Blue
Martes martes Pine Marten
Megapenthes lugens Queens Executioner
Melampyrum cristatum Crested Cow-wheat
Melandrya barbata Bearded False Darkling Beetle
Meloe proscarabaeus Black Oil Beetle
Meloe rugosus Rugged Oil beetle
Meloe violaceus Violet Oil Beetle
Mentha pulegium Pennyroyal Mint
Micromys minutus Harvest mouse
Microthlaspi perfoliatum Cotswolds Pennycress
Midia midas Midas tree-weaver
Minuartia hybrida Fine-leaved Sandwort
Motacilla flava subsp. flavissima Yellow Wagtail
Muscicapa striata Spotted Flycatcher
Mycena renati Beautiful Bonnet
Myolepta potens Western Wood-vase Hoverfly
Myotis bechsteinii Bechstein’s Bat
Natrix natrix Grass Snake
Noctua orbona Lunar-yellow underwing moth
Nyctalus noctula Noctule
Oenanthe fistulosa Tubular Water-dropwort
Opegrapha prosodea
Ophonus laticollis Set-aside downy-back beetle
Ophrys insectifera Fly Orchid
Orchis anthropophora (= Aceras anthropophora) Man Orchid
Oria musculosa Brighton wainscot
Pareulype berberata Barberry carpet moth
Passer domesticus House sparrow
Passer montanus Tree sparrow
Perdix perdix Grey partridge
Pertusaria velata
Petalophyllum ralfsii Petalwort
Phellodon confluens Fused Tooth
Physcia tribacioides Southern Grey Physcia
Pilularia globulifera Pillwort
Pipistrellus pygmaeus Soprano pipistrelle bat
Piptoporus quercinus Oak Polypore
Platanthera bifolia Lesser Butterfly Orchid
Platycis cosnardi Cosnard's Net-winged Beetle
Plebejus argus Silver-studded Blue
Plecotus auritus Brown long-eared bat
Plecotus austriacus Grey Long-eared Bat
Podoscypha multizonata Zoned Rosette
Poecile montanus Willow Tit
Poecile palustris Marsh Tit
Poecilus kugelanni Kugelann’s Green Clock
Polia bombycina Pale shining brown
Potamogeton acutifolius Sharp-leaved Pondweed
Prunella modularis subsp. occidentalis Dunnock
Pseudepipona herrichii Purbeck Mason Wasp
Pulsatilla vulgaris Pasque Flower
Pyrenula nitida
Pyrgus malvae Grizzled Skipper
Pyrrhula pyrrhula subsp. pileata Bullfinch
Ramonia chrysophaea
Ramonia nigra
Ranunculus arvensis Corn buttercup
Ranunculus tripartitus Three Lobed Watercrowfoot
Rhinolophus ferrumequinum Greater horseshoe bat
Rhinolophus hipposideros Lesser horseshoe bat
Rinodina isidioides
Satyrium w-album White-letter Hairstreak
Scandix pecten-veneris Shepherd’s needle
Schismatomma graphidioides
Scleranthus annuus Annual Knawel
Scleranthus perennis subsp. prostratus Prostrate Perennial Knawel
Scotopteryx bipunctaria Chalk Carpet
Silene gallica Small-flowered catchfly
Silene otites Spanish catchfly
Squamarina lentigera Scaly breck lichen
Stethophyma grossum Large Marsh Grasshopper
Streptopelia turtur European turtle dove
Thyridanthrax fenestratus Motteld bee-fly
Torilis arvensis Spreading hedge-parsley
Tremella moriformis Mulberry Brain
Trichopteryx polycommata Barred Tooth-striped
Triturus cristatus Great crested newt
Valerianella rimosa Broad-fruited cornsalad
Vanellus vanellus Lapwing
Veronica triphyllos Fingered speedwell
Veronica verna Spring speedwell
Viola lactea Pale Dog-violet
Vipera berus Adder
Wadeana dendrographa
Wadeana minuta
Weissia squarrosa Spreading-leaved beardless-moss
Zootoca vivipara Common Lizard
Zygodon forsteri Knothole Moss
Hi Martin, Thank you for your blog. Can you direct me towards a list of the 20 and the 200 species please?
Fiona Hewer, Wild Maidenhead
That is excellent news for threaten species such as our Turtle Doves, Martin. While I do not think it is right that the conservation organisations you list and that will benefit from this Lottery grant should merge in any way, nevertheless practising how to work together is so important and this practice can now take place in a meaningful way. Experiencing how to work together may well prove very useful when and if it comes to defending our EU based wildlife and environmental laws during the negotiations for leaving the EU and after.
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