12 Christian Aid Week Wildlife and habitats
Here in Dumbarton we are very fortunate with the variety of habitats that we have (hill/ crag/ moor, woodland, salt water shoreline, fresh water shoreline/ river/ burns) and the variety of wildlife (foxes/deer/rabbits/otters; gulls, oyster-catchers, herons, egret, dippers, ravens, house martins, finches, sparrows, crows etc etc). But so often the shoreline or the paths through the woods are marred by litter (blown there, dropped there, or washed up on the tide). New development revives the town, but it takes away land where animals or birds lived and fed, and can upset patterns of drainage.
Across Scotland and Britain as a whole many habitats have already disappeared under new developments or new farming practices. Some species (including humble pollinators required for growing crops) have fallen very significantly in number and are now considered at risk. They aren’t just ‘nice to spot’ things but have a part in the overall balance of the environment. As with dodos, once they’ve gone, they’ve gone.
It isn’t just here that there are threats and changes. Whether it’s deforestation in the Amazon, the spread of the desert along the Sahel in Africa, overfishing, climate change making areas unwelcoming to trees or bushes traditionally grown there (some food-linked, like coffee or cacao bushes) it has a major impact for human beings, animals and plants, and impacts that are not just felt locally
Lord, we love the rich diversity of the planet we live on but we are not looking after it well. Inspire governments and businesses to find ways to protect wildlife and habitats, to think of future generations not just immediate gain, and to take the necessary actions. Help us to know what we can do to support and preserve wildlife and habitats locally
PS Summer Isles looking West
