Climate change is a huge threat to our wildlife and we need to act now...
We are putting plans in place to help our local wildlife adapt to and cope with climate change.
Latest figures suggest that even a 1°c temperature rise could threaten 10% of species with extinction.
Reductions in river flow, changing climate suitability for certain species, threats from sea level rise to coastal habitats and increasing aridity present challenges to the East of England.
UK Climate Change Risk Assessment.
Whereas in previous climate changes such as the Ice Age where wildlife chased suitable climates northwards, this time around there are some important differences.
The temperature is increasing from an already warm period; Britain is now an island and our landscape is separated by roads, railways, cities and towns; intensive farmland renders most of the countryside hostile to wildlife and semi-natural habitats survive mainly as small, isolated fragments.
The climate change of recent years is pushing our wildlife to new extremes.
Earlier this year, the Government published a UK Climate Change Risk Assessment.
To mitigate the effects of climate change, we are creating Living Landscapesto join up green spaces to help wildlife move easily through our area, by creating green corridors from our nature reserves to individual gardens, farms and fields.
It is one of our biggest ambitions to join up these important habitats to make them better connected to help our wildlife survive climate change.