In this short film, we speak with Steve Oliver (Dorset Wildlife Trust) and Gen Crisford (National Trust) as they host an event inviting locals to explore wildlife in the Corfe River.
Steve explains that events like this engage local people by helping them to understand the biodiversity around them. He goes on to say; “Most of our rivers out failing, sadly, so organisations like Dorset Wildlife Trust and the National Trust are working with landowners to find out how they can improve land management and how that will improve the water quality. The result will be more biodiversity, more wildlife; more life! Times are changing and we all need to do something about it, It’s so important that we appreciate what’s around us and that we are connected with living things.
Gen Crisford, who works on restoring wetlands within Purbeck says; “Our wetlands do all sort of wonderful natural processes; they help with climate resilience, they protect against flooding and drought. Wetlands are a valuable habitat for many other species; around 40% of species need wetlands to survive, so we need to work on restoring these natural habitats so that nature can benefit from that”
Local attendees said that they enjoyed being able to go into the river and explore it with someone guiding them to show see all the different creatures. It really made the kids day to discover what they have around them.
For information on forthcoming events check out the Dorset Wildlife Trust’s website: https://www.dorsetwildlifetrust.org.uk/events
