Some private experts believe that habitat loss, i.e. the destruction or degradation of ecosystems, is one of the most serious aspects of the climate crisis. One reason is that this is causing very large population loss for species of many kinds, including animals, fish, birds, insects and plants, including many extinctions. These losses are important for many reasons: not only to maintain diversity and respect non-human life, but also because of the impact they are already having on food production and other human needs. To read more about this issue, and antidotes such as regenerative agriculture, see this blog on the book by Charles Eisenstein, Climate – A New Story. There are a number of local projects involved in habitat renewal and conservation. Here are some of them:
Bridport Tree Planting:
This is a volunteer project which plants trees in both public and private spaces, and can provide trees at little or no cost in small numbers for people to plant in their own gardens. It is coordinated by Joe Hackett in conjunction with West Dorset Friends of the Earth: see more at Bridport Tree Planting.
Dorset Wildlife Trust:
DWT runs a range of conservation sites across the county, and relies heavily on volunteers to help maintain them, as well as carrying out wildlife surveys and other tasks. See www.dorsetwildlifetrust.org.uk.
Allington Hillbilles:
This is a voluntary group which maintains the area around Allington Hill on the north-west edge of Bridport, and has frequent groups for conservation volunteers. See www.allingtonhillbillies.org.uk.