The UK is one of the world’s most nature-depleted countries. Since the Industrial Revolution, from the 1750s, we have lost over half of our wildlife. Today, one in six UK species, including the great crested newt (above), face the threat of extinction. This alarming decline has been so gradual that many now accept it as normal. This specific mindset is called the Shifting Baseline Syndrome - where each generation grows used to a more degraded environment, gradually lowering expectations for what a healthy, vibrant natural world should look like.
In response, there is now a major push to restore nature across the UK through large-scale conservation projects. These focus on re-establishing natural processes such as wetland restoration and mixed grazing. Creating a mosaic of landscapes, which consist of a variety of habitats, has been proven to boost biodiversity.
Restoring and increasing wildlife populations, both in isolated areas and across landscapes, is critical for building resilience. Stronger populations are better able to withstand threats from climate change, pollution, habitat loss, and disease. The Species Survival Fund is at the forefront of these efforts. Working across 18 sites in Dorset, it will implement a mix of traditional and modern conservation techniques, including rewilding, water restoration, and downland recovery.
By expanding and connecting these areas, we can create larger, healthier spaces where nature can thrive. This also involves collaborating with local farmers, landowners, and communities to support these changes. Together, these will create thriving nature recovery networks in Dorset and beyond.
Find out more at dorsetwildlifetrust.org.uk
One of the UK’s largest ducks, growing as large as some geese, shelducks (pictured) can be seen on Dorset’s coast, feeding on the small invertebrates it finds in tidal mud flats and on sandy beaches. Look out for a big, white duck, with a dark green head, bright red bill, orangey-brown band around the breast, and black patches on the back and wings. It nests underground in abandoned rabbit burrows, in tree holes or haystacks!
This distinctive looking fungus is found in deciduous woodlands, so you might spot it this month. The ear-shaped cups (pictured) appear in groups on the soil and leaf litter of mixed and deciduous woodlands, often near paths. Fungi get their nutrients and energy from organic matter, rather than photosynthesis like plants. It is often the fruiting bodies, or 'mushrooms' that are visible to us, arising from an unseen network of tiny filaments called 'hyphae'.
Despite the colder weather, November is a good time to create a bog garden on your patch. These can be created by adapting an existing soggy area, or from scratch at the edge of a pond. It creates a place where moisture-loving plants thrive. These plants are different to those suited to the standing water of a pond, so will attract a host of different wildlife. Species that thrive in these conditions include marsh marigold (pictured), creeping Jenny and hemp-agrimony.
