The Wildlife Park is about to get wilder Jessica Leaper
Every October since 2009, the Alameda Wildlife Conservation park( AWCP) has opened its gates to welcome the local community in for a Halloween fundraiser, in aid of various conservation projects or campaigns supported by the park. Sadly, during the pandemic, such events are just not possible. Not to be held back, throughout the pandemic, the AWCP has turned to social media to get their‘ big message’ across to the local community and beyond. This Halloween, the Park will be open to the public as usual and although large events are not possible, there will be Halloween-based activities and more surprises on offer, so keep an eye out for updates on social media!
As part of their Habits for Habitats campaign, launched last year, the AWCP enlisted the support of most of Gibraltar’ s schools for the JUST ONE Tree, Green Uniform Day, or‘ Green Day’( as it became known locally). JUST ONE Tree are a UK-based entity encouraging individuals, schools and businesses to spend just £ 1 to plant a tree, to restore habitats and ecosystems around the world. The last event in Gibraltar was organised by the AWCP, liaising with local schools to get them involved. The event on Valentine’ s Day this year was a great success, raising over £ 3000 and planting over 3000 trees in Madagascar. This October 16th, Green Uniform Day will take place again in the UK and here in Gibraltar, as many schools have signed up to take part again.
The global pandemic has highlighted the urgent need for us to take care of the planet and to reconnect with nature on a global scale. Habitat and ecosystem restoration is about to become the focus of the United Nation’ s next ten year plan. 2021-2030
has been named the UN’ s‘ Decade of Ecosystem Restoration,’ highlighting the need for global cooperation to restore degraded and destroyed ecosystems, contributing to efforts to combat climate change, safeguard biodiversity, food security and water supplies.
Rewilding is a form of ecosystem restoration that allows habitats to return to their natural state. It is already becoming a big deal in the UK & Europe, with entities such as Rewilding Britain and Rewilding Europe, leading the restoration of native habitats and reintroducing native species. So why is this so important and what problems will this solve? Rewilding promises to reverse centuries of ecological damage. It also aims to reconnect people to nature, providing jobs, opportunities and a new way of living alongside nature, rather than against it.
The AWCP, along with its charity, Wild Animal Conservation Trust( WildACT), have recently been helping to develop an ecosystem restoration project in the Algarve, Portugal. Although still in the early stages of development, the team at the Wildlife Park are working on the strategic planning for the site and species conservation plans for native Iberian species. The project will be looking for interested parties, partners and funders for this exciting project. In the coming few months, WildACT will be looking to launch its‘ Wild Guardians Campaign,’ offering individuals and companies the chance to offset their carbon whilst safeguarding a‘ Patch of Wild’. More on this, coming soon! For more information on this or other campaigns and events at the AWCP, or to get involved, contact the AWCP at: info @ awcp. gi or follow us on Instagram, Facebook & Twitter.
OTWO 15 / OCTOBER 2020 31