Chester Zoo is helping to restore lost woodland areas in Cheshire by planting tens of thousands of new trees.
In a bid to transform a low-biodiversity silage field into a major new sanctuary for UK wildlife, almost 19,000 trees have been planted on the Chester Zoo‘s land in Upton in Chester – which spans more than nine hectares – making it the zoo’s biggest habitat creation project to date, and one of the largest tree planting projects to take place in Cheshire in several years.
Forming part of a wider wildlife corridor across the North West region, a diverse mix of UK native broadleaf trees species have been planted – including oak, beech, and hazel.
The tree species have been chosen to provide “high biodiversity benefits” and a “resilience to climate change”, according to the zoo, while the layout has been designed to help butterflies, small mammals, and birds thrive.
We’ve planted a WHOLE woodland to help save UK Wildlife 🌳🐝
Planting 19,000 trees is seriously hard work! 😮💨 But this special place will be a thriving sanctuary for hundreds of species including bees, birds, badgers, foxes, harvest mice and a whole of variety of butterflies and… pic.twitter.com/SzVq7yqbYk
Woodland once covered large areas of Cheshire, however, this has now significantly reduced from the county, largely due to several development projects, agricultural expansion, pollution, invasive species, and also disease.
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Conservationists at the zoo are hoping the new woodland will provide a home for a variety of plants and animals, as well as help to improve soil health and carbon storage to combat climate change.
According to Chester Zoo, the location for this new tree-planting initiative has been specially selected to link with two smaller woods and form one continuous woodland, which will ultimately improve habitat connectivity for local wildlife, and increase resistance to pests and diseases too.
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Chester Zoo has planted 19,000 new trees to help restore Cheshire’s lost woodlands / Credit: Chester Zoo
“Woodland cover in Cheshire is significantly lower than the national average, explained Dr Simon Dowell, who is the Director of Science and Policy at Chester Zoo, “that’s why it’s so important, and so exciting, to have created such a valuable new habitat here at the zoo.”
He continued: “Chester Zoo is widely known for its work to protect species in places right across the world, but it’s important that we look after nature on our doorstep too.
“Having already established a nature reserve at the zoo, the creation of this latest large-scale habitat will deliver benefits for wildlife for decades to come, making a vital contribution to reversing the decline in biodiversity we’re facing here in the UK.”
Featured Image – Chester Zoo
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Drivers warned of ‘bad habit’ that could land them with £1,000 fines this winter
Emily Sergeant
Drivers are being warned of a ‘bad habit’ on the roads that could seem them hit with hefty fines as winter rolls around.
Once the temperatures drop, and the days get shorter and darker, fog tends to become a more common weather occurrence around this time of year – but an eye-opening new survey has found that most drivers don’t really how to use their fog lights correctly.
According to guidance from the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA), fog lights should only be used on British roads when visibility drops below 100 metres, yet the new research by eBay has found that 60% of drivers use their fog lights at the wrong times, and what’s more is that one in 10 say they switch on their fog lights when visibility is less than 300 metres.
48% of drivers who took part in the research admitted that they activate full-beam headlights when it’s dark, regardless of oncoming traffic and other road users.
Drivers are being warned of a ‘bad habit’ that could land them with £1,000 fines this winter / Credit: Nabeel Syed (via Unsplash)
The RAC says these stats reveal a ‘worrying trend’ among motorists, and have warned that these habits could actually means drivers are risking fines of up to £1,000 and three penalty points on their licence.
If the incorrect usage of fog lights wasn’t bad enough as it is, the new research also found that many Brits say they do not stay on-top of regular car maintenance when it comes to car fog lights, either – with just 15% saying they check them every month, and shockingly, 24% stating they’ve never checked them before.
Due to the ongoing issue of headlight glare, in whatever form that may be, The RAC has found that as many as one in four drivers (25%) who find headlights ‘too bright’ are actually driving less as a result.
“Unfortunately for a lot of drivers, the annual onset of darker evenings coincides with another unwelcome arrival – that of overly-bright headlights that they believe make driving more difficult due to dazzle and discomfort,” explained Rod Dennis, who is the Senior Policy Officer at the RAC.
“While most of us have no choice other than to adapt to driving at night more often as the clocks go back, the fact headlight glare is the leading cause of nervousness underlines it’s a problem that needs tackling.
“At the same time, it’s important to remember that brighter headlights can give drivers a better view of the road ahead, so there’s a balance to be struck.”
Featured Image – Robin the Bird (via Unsplash)
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Police investigation underway following ‘shocking’ arson at Marple Cenotaph on Bonfire Night
Emily Sergeant
A public appeal for information has been issued after a fire was started near a war memorial in Stockport on Bonfire Night.
Greater Manchester Police (GMP) is currently investigating after officers were called out around 9:50pm on Bonfire Night (Wednesday 5 November) following reports of a group of males near to the Cenotaph in Marple.
When police arrived at the scene, they found that a fire had been started in a bin and wooden pallets had been set alight – with the ground nearby having been damaged.
Neighbourhood officers in Marple are now investigating and are appealing for information in relation to this incident.
The incident has been described as a reckless act that could have ended with more damage and even serious injury.
“The Cenotaph means a lot to the community and incidents like this are deeply upsetting, particularly at a time when we should be honouring the memory of our war veterans,” explained Sergeant Rachel Walton, of GMP’s Stockport East Neighbourhood Policing Team.
“We are working closely with partners at Stockport Council and the fire service to ensure the area is cleaned and restored.
“We want to identify the individuals responsible, and we will have extra high-visibility patrols in the park each evening leading up to the Remembrance Day service on Sunday (9 November).”
This incident is just one of a total of 350 calls related to fire or fireworks that GMP responded to on Bonfire Night, which is said to be an increase from 203 last year.
A total of 27 arrests were made across Greater Manchester, with four weapons and hundreds of fireworks seized.
Emily Sergeant -
2nd October 2024 
