Eco

We are passionate about wildlife and not just our feathered friends in the “Turtle Towers” garden; we believe marine conversation is an important and often overlooked area too.

Following the recent explosion and subsequent sinking of the BP-leased Deepwater Horizon rig in the Gulf of Mexico, marine conservation and the impact this event will have on marine life has come to the fore; as there is increasing concern about both the short and long-term damage the continuing spill of oil will have on the area’s wildlife.

Figures from the Marine Conservation Society show that well over 30 turtles have already washed up dead along the Mississippi coast after eating food contaminated by oil.

Sea turtle species are highly vulnerable to events such as this and with important nesting beaches along the coastline, the impact is felt even more keenly.

So what can we do? As you may have spotted in our catalogues, we have been supporting the Marine Conservation Society (MCS) for a number of years, specifically in their vital work to save marine turtles from extinction and now could not be a better time to get involved too.

This Sunday is World Turtle Day and one key way to make a difference is to Adopt a Turtle with the MCS – with only 1 in 1,000 baby turtles making it to adulthood in some parts of the world, due to various factors including the black market trade in turtle eggs and destruction of habitats your support can make a real difference.

Visit http://www.mcsuk.org/ to find out more about the great work the Marine Conservation Society does both here and abroad and how you can get involved.

Adopt a turtle for World Turtle Day with the MCS - http://www.mcsuk.org/support_mcs/Join Donate Adopt/Adopt a turtle/Adopt a turtle

Well, spring has definitely sprung since our last spring watch update, with one of the driest and sunniest Aprils we can remember – the sunglasses and flip flops have already made an appearance! In fact we’ve sprung so far we’re almost in summer.

No longer is spring hiding its modesty behind early morning frosts and hazy showers, now it is out in all its splendor; our gardens and their visitors are testament to that.  We have an abundance of colour from poeticus daffodils proudly and fragrantly showing us their wares to the blossom in its final farewell for the year, leaving in its wake a confetti-like trail of petals.

Our “Turtle Towers” visitors are still setting up camp around our feeders. We have desperately been trying to snap a few shots of our resident yellow hammer but he seems to be a little camera shy! The Jackdaws in all their foreboding menace are however strutting around the feeders like Mike Jagger at his finest and have been since about the beginning of the month. Also spotted: finches, sparrows and tits. No return however of the woodpecker.

Of course, how could we forget April also means spiders – whether you love them or loathe them you’ll find them basking on some sunny wall. When dealing with our eight-legged friends we tend to follow the old English rhyme:

“If you wish to live and thrive, let a spider run alive.”

We’ve been propagating like crazy– white Black Eyed Susan (Thunbergia alata Alba) for which we are having mixed success with only 50% germinating, the ubiquitous sweet peas, Cosmos and other annuals; as well as veg a plenty.

Finally, there’s some rain forecast for this weekend (typically just in time for the bank holiday!) so if you plan to be out in the garden come rain or shine like us, then don’t forget your Turtle Mat at the back door for those muddy wellies!

Image by ChiefBraun via Flickr

Making your home environmentally friendly can be a truly motivating process. Not only you will be helping to save the planet from pollution, but you’ll be also making savings for your budget by using less energy.

You might want to start by something extremely simple. Make it a house rule that everybody turns out all lights anytime they leave a room. You can also do something as simple as getting up earlier everyday – this will prevent using the artificial light and also save money and energy. (more…)

Have you ever wondered how you can help the environment and change the world? Now there is a chance to make a major step forward in the world history. With a small effort you can change the marine environment and become a parent of a small turtle. MCS is giving you such possibility!

What MCS is and what does it do? MCS is the Marine Conservation Society in the UK. This charity is dedicated to caring for seas, shores and wildlife. Since it’s foundation in 1977 MCS has worked successfully to highlight issues of concern and threats to marine wildlife and the wider marine environment. By using education and community involvement MCS raises awareness of the many threats that face our seas and promotes individual, industry and government action to protect the marine environment.
(more…)