I’ve been writing about methods of sustainable woodland management in my #forestschoolportfolio today (Unit 5) and was reminded by this timely post from @wildwoodtrustuk how the reintroduction of native animals such as Bison can help boost biodiversity! I’ll be pinching that example then 😃#forestschoolleader #forestschoolleadertraining #forestschool Posted @withregram • @wildwoodtrustuk Today is #EarthDay2022 and to save our planet we need to act fast! It’s going to take all of us. All in. Everyone accounted for, and everyone accountable. A partnership for the planet. We all have to do our bit and so at Wildwood we have launched our Wilder Blean project in partnership with @kentwildlife . We will be releasing a small herd of Bison into Blean woods near Canterbury, funded by players of @peoplespostcodelottery . The project will promote stronger habitats by restoring natural processes that are able to withstand the current environmental crisis and species decline, and in the long run, reverse it. In the UK, lack of woodland management is one of the eight biggest drivers of species decline. Wilder Blean aims to bring transformational change through a controlled trial with bison; a missing keystone species that is able to naturally manage woodlands. In addition to consuming great quantities of grasses and feeding on shrubs, bison influence the vegetation by de-barking trees, breaking open dense undergrowth (by literally walking right through it), and creating bare soil patches (by dust bathing), which allows pioneer plants to move in. In addition, bison disperse nutrients (dung) and seeds across their territory. Breeding birds use bison winter fur as nesting material, and magpies follow the bison herd to pick off ticks and other parasites. To put it scientifically the bison are a catalyst for biodiversity. In 2007, bison were introduced into the Kraansvlak coastal dune reserve in the Netherlands. This project has been a great success: the bison herd is thriving and – thanks to the bison and other grazers – the landscape has regained the dynamic and varied dune formations it used to be known for. #earthday #conservation #britishwildlife #biodiversity https://www.instagram.com/p/CcpurKooaMU/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=