To mark this year's World Environment Day, we reflect on some of the recent projects our teams across the UK have undertaken to help protect and restore the ecosystems under our stewardship.
Here at The Donkey Sanctuary, we are very fortunate to have access to beautiful landscapes and land to help us provide donkeys in the UK with excellent care and welfare, letting them enjoy safe and fulfilled lives.
Our land allows the donkeys in our care to enjoy appropriate physical exercise and mental stimulation and helps them engage in natural behaviours. Our land also provides our resident donkeys with summer grazing pastures and haylage for the winter.
We are always exploring ways to integrate the health and wellbeing of donkeys, people and the natural environment and recognise that we can enrich our donkeys' lives by safeguarding the longevity and quality of our wildlife habitats. Our donkeys share our land with a range of wildlife, including butterflies, birds and bats. Many of these species find sanctuary in the hedgerows and the trees that border our fields, using them to forage and shelter. The presence of these other animals is an important indicator of the habitat quality across our sanctuaries.
Recently, our teams at Woods Farm in Devon and The Donkey Sanctuary Manchester have participated in environmentally friendly projects which has seen them regenerate and replant hedgerows around their sites.
Flood-friendly hedge planting at Woods Farm
In February, our team at Woods Farm partook in a scheme to help reduce flooding and improve water quality in the Otter Valley, East Devon.
Funded by South West Water's Upstream Thinking project and working in partnership with Devon Wildlife Trust, the team planted 3,500 young hedge plants, including silver birch, field maple, hawthorn, blackthorn and hazel, to help restore and create new hedgerows.
The scheme aims to reduce sediment and water runoff from Woods Farm, improving water quality and helping to reduce the risk of flooding across the catchment of the nearby River Otter.
Woods Farm is home to rare, threatened farmland birds such as linnet and yellowhammer, which we expect to benefit from the new hedgerows when fully grown. We also hope they will provide a habitat for the rare brown hairstreak butterfly.
Ruth Angell, our Ecology and Conservation Manager, said: "The Upstream Thinking project has been a great opportunity for us to improve the landscape at this farm for donkeys and wildlife, as well as the environmental benefits of reduced flood risk and improved water quality.”
Planting trees for a greener future for Leeds
In March, the team at The Donkey Sanctuary Leeds participated in the Woodland Creation project, which aims to provide cleaner air for the city of Leeds and provide a healthy environment for local wildlife.
Funded by Leeds City Council, the project saw the team at The Donkey Sanctuary Leeds plant around 1,000 trees and shrubs.
The plant species, including field maple, beech and hazel, will provide added protection from the elements and a host of enrichment and browsing opportunities for the donkeys when fully grown. They will also help with drainage and reduce flood risk by absorbing moisture in the soil.
Cathryn Hampshire, The Donkey Sanctuary Leeds Centre Manager, said: "As well as bringing many benefits for our donkeys, we are proud to have created new heritage at The Donkey Sanctuary Leeds by planting a woodland that will be here for generations to come.
"Planting trees improves the environment by creating more oxygen for us to breathe and helps remove carbon dioxide from the air, significantly reducing pollution. Equally important is the encouragement it provides for a healthier lifestyle and greater appreciation of the environment."
