ABOUT
About Nature Chain
In 2021 enthusiasts from local parishes set up ‘Nature Chain’, an action group/forum to encourage the neighbourhood to create more wildlife habitat in village gardens and local landscape. The Limpley Stoke Parish Council generously set aside some funding in the 2021 budget to kick start this initiative, and we have also received a donation from FLiSCA.
Receive a Nature Chain plaque
If you would like to show your support for our initiative by displaying an attractive wooden plaque with the Nature Chain logo carved into it, please email thenaturechain@gmail.com. We simply ask for a small donation to help cover the cost of production.
Why are we doing it?
We are all aware of the alarming decline in wildlife across the UK. We have lost a devastating number of insects, birds, small mammals and amphibians. The main problem is the loss of suitable habitat, including foraging, nesting and breeding sites. Our gardens are one of the keys to the recovery of our insect, bird and small animal populations. Around 87% of households in the UK have a garden and according to The Wildlife Trusts, these cover a larger area than all our nature reserves combined. By making small changes in our gardens and farmland we can give a vital boost to the wildlife in our beautiful valley and beyond, whilst building resilience against our changing climate.
Where are we doing it?
In gardens in Limpley Stoke and Freshford. King George V playing field, our local park, is a showcase for mixed habitat demonstrating how to leave some areas wild, and how to plant for pollinators, birds and other wildlife whilst still allowing the park to be used by children and adults. The Tyning in Freshford has wonderful plans for increasing habitat.
When are we doing it? NOW!
. . . . . . there is no time to lose
Worrying statistics
• Turtle doves: In 1960’s estimated 350,000; now fewer than 5,000
• According to RSPB in 1966 there were 40 million more birds than there are today.
• 2013 ‘State of Nature Report’ says Britain’s endangered species have more than halved since 1970 with 1 in 10 species threatened with extinction.
• Moths have declined by 88%
• Beetles 72%
• Butterflies 76%
• Vanishing Flora report: 1 plant species becomes extinct every other year in 16 counties of the UK
• Hedgehogs, waterholes, & dormice have become scarce
Good news
There has been some recovery but only to a fraction of their former levels.
• Greater horseshoe bat numbers have increased due to legal protection
• New reed beds mean bitterns have increased from just 11 pairs in 1997 to 156 in 2015
• Red kites, beavers have been reintroduced
