Tessera
Folgen

Kent Wildlife Trust

@kentwildlife.bsky.social

Kent Wildlife Trust is working to ensure that our wildlife is protected and restored, now and in the future. We work to help organisations, people and communities connect to nature and care for our natural places: www.kentwildlifetrust.org.uk

654 Posts495 Follower155 Folgt
Kent Wildlife Trust@kentwildlife.bsky.social · 5d ago

Oaken Wood is a living, breathing habitat, filled with rare and exciting species - including ancient woodland indicators. 🌱 And yet a Mineral Sites Plan threatens to destroy it... How is this even a possibility when the National Planning Policy Framework is meant to protect irreplaceable habitats?

BildBildBildBild
Kent Wildlife Trust@kentwildlife.bsky.social · 6d ago

🍂 Hello, September! As summer gives way to autumn, wildlife is entering a time of change. Bats are hunting, badgers are foraging, butterflies are still on the wing and froglets are exploring ponds. 🦇🦡🦋🐸 And fungi are beginning to appear... 🍄 Stay tuned for an announcement!

Bild
Kent Wildlife Trust@kentwildlife.bsky.social · last wk.

Hothfield Heathlands is one of Kent's last heathlands – Kent Wildlife Trust has managed it for Ashford Borough Council since 1992. It costs £60,000 a year to keep this rare habitat alive for species like barn owls and keeled skimmer dragonflies. Help us continue this work – link in bio!

Kent Wildlife Trust@kentwildlife.bsky.social · 2w ago

Have you spotted some beautiful silhouettes darting and diving in the summer sky? Swifts, swallows, and house martins are all summer visitors to the UK. Here are our top tips to work out what you might have spotted! Let us know if you've spotted any on our reserves in the comments 👇

BildBildBildBild
Kent Wildlife Trust@kentwildlife.bsky.social · 3w ago

We can't afford to lose Oaken Wood. ❌ Here are our top 5 concerns about the proposed extension of Hermitage Quarry, which puts at least 41 hectares of ancient woodland at risk. The good thing is that YOU can help by responding to the public consultation (closes 10 September)! (1/2)

Oaken Wood: Our top 5 concerns and why we can't afford to lose this ancient woodland1. Ancient woodland can't be replaced. The National Planning Policy Framework says that development that destroys irreplaceable habitats like ancient woodland should be refused unless there's a wholly exceptional reason and a credible plan to compensate for the loss. Oaken Wood's allocation as a quarry site hasn't met either test. At least 41 hectares of ancient woodland are at stake.2. “Compensation” is unclear & unrealistic. Alongside compensating for the loss of ancient woodland, any quarrying within Oaken Wood would also need to deliver suitable compensation for the deterioration of the ancient woodland left behind, any legal mitigation requirements for protected species, and the delivery of a Biodiversity Net Gain. No such plan exists or has been shown to be deliverable.3. Ancient woodland is a vital carbon store. Ancient woodland makes up about a quarter of UK woodland but holds 37% of all the carbon stored in our woods and trees. Up to 75% of the carbon stored in UK forests is actually in the soil, not the trees. The woodland soils have absorbed significant amounts of carbon over centuries. No assessment has shown the true climate cost of this loss.
Kent Wildlife Trust@kentwildlife.bsky.social · 3w ago

We're shining the spotlight on one of our Wilder Kent Awards 2025/26 winners: EKC Group, Broadstairs College! Broadstairs College, who won Gold in our ceremony back in March, delivered one of the most wide-ranging and ambitious entries we had seen... (1/3)

Bild
Kent Wildlife Trust@kentwildlife.bsky.social · 4w ago

Ancient woodland can't just be "put back" once destroyed. Some of the recent claims made about the expansion of Hermitage Quarry into Oaken Wood really don't stand up to scrutiny. 🔎 The simple truth is that the proposals would result in the loss of at least 41 hectares of ancient woodland...

BildBildBild
Kent Wildlife Trust@kentwildlife.bsky.social · 4w ago

⚠️Wildfire risk is high right now, and we need your help to protect nature! Please be cautious, considerate, and aware of the factors that pose a fire risk. Our heart goes out to all the nature reserves and wild spaces across the UK that have sadly experienced fires this year. 💔

BildBildBildBild
Kent Wildlife Trust@kentwildlife.bsky.social · last mo.

This morning our Planning & Policy Officer Nick Trower spoke on BBC Radio Kent, defending Oaken Wood from quarrying. Ancient woodland takes centuries to form — soil networks, species, carbon storage — and can't be replanted. 41 hectares isn't a "continuation" (according to Gallagher). It's loss.

Kent Wildlife Trust@kentwildlife.bsky.social · last mo.

Our first BioBlitz at Vauxhall Lakes on 20 July saw over 20 volunteers logging 300+ species in a day, from firecrests and kingfishers to willow emerald damselflies and jersey tiger moths — plus plenty of beaver signs. Great data to help shape how we manage this wetland refuge.

BildBildBildBild
Kent Wildlife Trust@kentwildlife.bsky.social · last mo.

Meet the app that makes action for nature simple, rewarding, and fun! ⚡ On MyWilderKent, our free app, you can earn badges, find inspiration, take part in seasonal activities, see what your community is doing for wildlife, and so much more...

Kent Wildlife Trust@kentwildlife.bsky.social · 2mo ago

Oaken Wood update: where we are & where we're headed 👇 As many of you will be aware, Kent County Council (KCC) is progressing with their draft Kent Mineral Sites Plan which continues to allocate Oaken Wood, near Maidstone, for the extraction of hard rock...