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Adopt a species

 

 

Warwickshire Wildlife Trust is inviting you to adopt one of the county's native species most in need of our help and help us to make a difference to the wildlife and wild places of Warwickshire. Why not give an adoption as an unusual gift to family, friends or loved ones? There are now 8 species you can adopt…

New! Now you can adopt a bittern or wood white butterfly!

 

Wood white for £15

The wood white has declined significantly in England and Wales and has been identified as a priority Local Biodiversity Action Plan (LBAP) species in Warwickshire. In Britain the wood white is listed on Schedule 5 of the 1981 Wildlife and Countryside Act, which only protects the species from sale.
The Trust follows sympathetic woodland management practices on all woodland reserves and the wood white has successfully re-colonised Ryton Wood SSSI.

Call Membership on 024 7630 8999 to adopt the Wood white butterfly

 

Bittern for £30

Its dependence on reedbeds and the very small population of bittern make it one of the most threatened species in the UK and at risk of extinction. It has been placed on the Red Data List and is also listed on Schedule 1 of the Wildlife & Countryside Act 1981, which affords it special protection at all times.
As a result of extensive reedbed enhancements at the Trust's flagship reserve, Brandon Marsh SSSI, bitterns have become more regular here in Warwickshire, with a few wintering birds at Brandon, and other local wetland sites annually. It is hoped that bittern will soon be encouraged to breed at the site in future years.

Call Membership on 024 7630 8999 to adopt the Bittern

 

Great crested newt for £10

The great crested newt is the least common amphibian in Warwickshire and is protected by European legislation. Threatened with extinction in several countries, Britain is one of its remaining strongholds. Therefore it is vital that its numbers are maintained here. Threats facing great crested newts include the infilling of ponds, the introduction of fish to ponds and loss of the terrestrial habitat on which they depend for part of their live.  Warwickshire Wildlife Trust is working to counter these threats by protecting and recreating the habitats where these fascinating amphibians lives.

 

Dormouse for £12

The dormouse has become extinct in seven other counties in the UK. In Warwickshire we have just a few remaining populations but it is not too late to act. Due to changes in land management practice, the patches of habitat where dormice can live have become fragmented. This can leave them isolated and vulnerable. Projects like our large areas scheme in the Princethorpe Woodlands aim to create corridors to allow these elusive creatures to travel through the tree canopy and colonise new areas of woodland.

 

Water vole for £15

Once immortalised as Ratty in Wind and the Willows, over recent years the water vole has undergone one of the most catastrophic declines of a mammal species ever seen in the UK. In Warwickshire, there are just a handful of isolated populations left and if we don't act now within 2 years the water vole is likely to be extinct in Warwickshire.  Urgent work in the Tame Valley will encourage water vole populations to recolonise the river banks and increase their chances of survival.

 

Snipe for £20

These secretive, highly camouflaged birds spend much of their time hiding in wet, rushy meadows and tall marshy grass where they nest. Snipe breeding populations plummeted by 90% between 1972 and 1996 due to the draining of wet grassland, habitat destruction, climate change and physical disturbance. By creating suitable habitat in places like Brandon Marsh and the Tame Valley, we hope to contribute to reversing this dramatic decline.

 

Otter for £30

Even as recently as 8 years ago, the otter was facing extinction in Warwickshire.  Today this decline is reversing due to the efforts of the Trust and partners in maintaining and improving wetland habitats, speaking out against threats from development and creating river corridors suitable for otters. Recently, otter have been sighted at Brandon Marsh Nature Reserve and in the Tame Valley, however we still have a long way to go to safeguard this charismatic mammal.

 

Barn owl for £50

This magnificent bird of prey with the heart shaped face is one of our best loved native birds. Habitat destruction, particularly the rough grassland inhabited by the small mammals on which they prey, has played a major part in the 50% decline in barn owl populations since 1930.
By 2000, Warwickshire had just 40 pairs remaining. By publicizing the introduction of nest box schemes, educating landowners and the public and habitat improvement we hope to secure the future of the barn owl in Warwickshire.

 

Adoptees will receive...

A factsheet about the species
Adoption certificate
A fun pop-up species to cut out and put together

New species

 

All species for adoption have been identified as priority species in the Local Biodiversity Action Plan for Coventry, Warwickshire and Solihull. Warwickshire Wildlife Trust protects and enhances the habitats required for these species to survive through conservation work on our nature reserves and by offering education and advice to landowners and the public. The money raised by your adoption will go towards the costs of carrying out this work, directly contributing to the survival of these species so that populations can continue to grow.