“Eden: Untamed Planet” is a new series which looks at the secrets of the few regions that are isolated from the rest of the world and have been  largely protected from human interference.   As the programme’s webpage says,  life exists as nature intended. 

The series skicks off in Borneo, home to 60,000 species of plants and animals and is very biodiverse indeed.  Watch out for proboscis monkeys, orangutan babies,   caterpillars and a lot more!

The programme warns that orangutans have lost 80% of their habitats in the last two decades – their numbers have dropped hugely.

Please visit our page listing orangutan charities to see how you can help and please watch the series.  There are six programmes and I will put up information about ways to help along the way.   

Find out how you can help orangutans with the Orangutan Foundation
Swing over to their website here
Image ©Orangutan Foundation

Please also take a look at the Bornean Sun Bear Rescue Conservation Centre which is a is a sun bear rescue and rehabilitation facility being developed in Sabah, Malaysian Borneo.

The episodes of "Eden:  Untamed Planet" cover:

• Borneo: Sacred Forest - home to 60,000 plants and animals, of which 10% are unique.  More species are discovered every day.
• The Namib:  Skeleton Coast and Beyond which covers the world's oldest desert

- Desert Lion Conservation  gathers data on the desert lions in the area, undertakes research and collaborates with the government and agencies to further lion conservation and reduce human-lion conflict
- Giraffe Conservation works to conserve giraffe populations 
- The Conservation Institute has informatoin about the Namib Desert
- Elephant Human Relations Aid  is "to implement practical solutions that help combat elephant-human conflict, and thereby secure a future for Namibia’s desert elephants."

• Luangwa:  The Emerald Valley, which sits at the end of East Africa's Great Rift Valley, and which experiences an annual flood of the Luangwa River
  
  - Save the Rhino  have a North  Luangwa Conservation Programme works to protect the wildlife and habitats of the North Luangwa National Park and surrounding areas. It is home to the only population of black rhino in Zambia.
  - The North Luangwa Conservation Programme is a partnership between the Frankfurt Zoological Society and the Zambian Deparmtent of National Parks and   Wildlife to conserve the North Luangwa ecosystem 
  - Conservation South Luangwa works with the community and conservation partners to protect wildlife and habitats in the area.  It’s vision is the long term survival of wildlife and habitats there under the custodian of the Zambian people.  The conservation charity Tusk works with CSL

• Galapagos:  Enchanged Isle - home to the Giant Tortoises and home to 2,000 species found nowhere else - 97% of its reptiles and mammals are unique
  
  - Galapagos Conservation Trust The UK registered charity focuses on the conservation of the islands. It supports and delivers projects in the Galapagos and responds to threats facing the islands.  It concentrates on restoring natural habitats and conserving threatened species and more!
  - The Galapagos Conservancy is based in the US and it’s dedicated to the long-term protection of the Galapagos Islands.
  
  
• Patagonia:  at the far tip of South America, this is a land frozen in time and called "The End of the World".
  
  - In Patagonia, the Tompkins Foundation  “protect and rewild nature in urgent response to global biodiversity loss and the climate crisis”.
  - The Wildlife Conservation Society  works in Chile and Argentina, and it has sound, robus scientific approaches to conservation.  It works with partners to manage Chile's Karukinka Natural Park, home to significant marine and terrestrial wildlife. And it works also in the Grand Jason and Steeple Jason Islands/Islas Salvajes*, home to globally important populations of marine bird

• Alaska: The Last American Frontier - with possibly the richest temperate rainforests at all
  
  - The Alaska Conservation Foundation  is dedicated “to protecting Alaska’s natural environment and the diverse cultures and ways of life it sustains.” 
  - The Alaska Wildlife Alliance gives a voice to Alaska’s incredible wildlife.  It promotes an ecosystem approach to management from the ground up and you can see its goals here.

The areas covered are visiting “delicately balanced, species-rich, unique ecosystems” and nature now needs our help to make sure they stay that way.  We cannot do without them.

Please let’s all see if we can take just even one action to make a difference and protect nature as the series unfolds. 

Visit the programme’s website on BBC2 here.

Buy an Orangutan BATH BOMB and help
Protect, rewild and regenerate West Toba Forest  From £4.00 
available from Lush.com
 Funds raised will help protect the forest for the future, so people, orangutans and the planet can thrive.

There's a programme on the UK's Channel 4 at 8:15pm on Saturday 7th May 2022 called Devon and Cornwall:  Greener Lives.

The programme meets locals living in this beautiful part of the UK (it's in the south west) who are working to bring balance back to both land and sea and working hard to protect nature.

A farmer, Cyril, in Devon is returning to traditional hay meadows
Previously he was depleting them through intensive farming during the 1960s.  As the programme points out, during and after the war, a nation needed feeding, regardless of the impact the push for growing food had on wildlife and nature.  The farmer wants to put something back to the land and let nature do the work.  He makes hay meadows.  The seeds from the hay meadows are spread quickly in fields on other farms.  Like other farmers, Cyril is returning hay meadows to Devon - and with those come wildlife such as voles and barn owls - and Cyril is looking after the wildlife as well now!

Volunteers paddle to coves to clear plastic from the beach. 
For instance, Steve and his beautiful dog Rosie are thinking global but working to make a difference locally.  At times Rosie jumps off Steve's boat to collect rubbish and bring it back to the boat!  And Steve has a band of volunteers helping him, navigating in and out of the coves to collect rubbish.  He is determined to clear beaches of rubbish and to leave the planet in a cleaner place when he leaves it.  You can join a beach clean organised by the Marine Conservation Society.  

David, Mertle and Bill the horse are busy clearing bracken

 The beautiful island of Lundy, where the National Trust,
RSPB, English Nature (now Natural England) and Landmark Trust
have been working to help the Manx Shearwater.

And Dean, the warden on Lundy Island, watches for the puffin to reappear. 
As well as puffins, the Manx Shearwater has made a big comeback to the island - find out more from the National Trust.

The book "RSPB Spotlight: Puffins" is available from the RSPB's online shop

Beavers are back in the River Otter!
Beavers have been very busy here, building a dam and maintaining it.  And a fox has been spotted checking out the beavers too!  The Devon Wildlife Trust is working with landowners to make sure the beavers don't cause any problems e.g. interfere in cider making!  

Visit Devon Wildlife Trust and Cornwall Wildlife Trust to see how you can help - even from a distance!  And you can find your local  Wildlife Trust in the UK here - there are 46 of them.

Don't miss it - it would be a great way to be inspired by other people taking action and also to pick up ways to get involved and make a difference! 

The more people we can all get involved, the better!

Get involved in the Great British Spring Clean 2022!

PLEDGE HERE to join the #BigBagChallenge

The Great British Spring Clean is in its 7th year in 2022 and this year, you can join in the #BigBagChallenge and pledge to pick up as much litter as you can during the campaign. 

This is something you could do as an individual, as a couple of people, as a family, a group of friends, a club - whatever you want.  Why not do it at work, and make it a team group activity?  

There's lots of advice and tips on the website to help you including covering aspects of health and safety, insurance and disposing of your litter and recycling.

You can pick up litter when you're walking your dog, walking to work or school, even jogging.

And the great thing about litter picking is that you know you are making a difference.   New research from YouGov in conjunction with Keep Britain Tidy, 60% of children aged 6 to 17 feel happier when taking eco-action outside, such as picking up litter.  You can pledge as a school, to get involved.

And it can give you a feeling of taking control and doing something positive for our environment.  Cut litter, end waste and help protect wildlife - far too many get injured or killed because of our litter, so you will be protecting them at the same time!

COVID Advice for those taking part

Earth Hour is back, and this time it is on Saturday 26 March 2022 at 8:30pm local time to you! 

This is a great chance to switch everything off.

Earth Hour started back in 2007 by WWF and partners in Sydney to raise awareness of climate change and it's a huge grassroots movement for the enviornment.  Every year people in over 190 countries and territories take part and take action.   

You can simply switch off your lights - why not enjoy the night sky for an hour?  Or take part in an event, or hold your own event and find out more about climate change and  habitat loss. 

Twitter:  @EarthHour
Facebook: @EarthHour
Instagram:  @EarthHourOfficial

You could share your stories online of what you personally are doing to take action and join groups who are making a difference.  

Why not make a start by calculating your own footprint on the planet?  You can do this on the WWF website and then it has suggestions of what you can do to reduce it.  Give it a go!

Above all, you can go beyond the hour - and see what you can do to change your lifestyle to reduce your impact on climate change, and to put pressure on goverments and companies to make the right decisions, for people, for the planet and of course for wildlife.

Visit the website here