Welsh Country - Issue88 - May - Jun 19

NATURE
The eagles are only part of a much larger project, one
small piece of the jigsaw puzzle towards a greater goal,
upland restoration. Wilder Britain wants to successfully
re-introduce the birds and use them as an icon towards this
goal. Currently our uplands need complete restoration, with
tree management, wild meadows, good river systems and
other apex species to improve a currently poor ecosystem.
Wilder Britain along with Lancaster university have been
undertaking a number of studies to see if the environment in
Snowdonia will be fit to release a small population of Golden
Eagles back into the wild. These birds will be monitored
daily and have the most up to date GPS tracking systems for
monitoring.
Not only would this be a great step towards a high profile
re introduction but it would improve tourism, the economy
and assist the Welsh Government to meet its biodiversity
commitments.
The next steps will be to hold a number of local public
consultations with stakeholders and the general public for
engagement. In these meetings a number of things will be
discussed to find out will livestock be affected and what
could it mean for the local economies and of course the
safety of the birds. It could set a precedent for conservation
in Wales and maybe return an icon to the Welsh skies.
For more info on this project visit www.wilderbritain.com
Words & Pictures: Lewis Phillips
“
Not only would this be a great
step towards a high profile
re-introduction but it would
improve tourism, the economy and
assist the Welsh Government to
meet its biodiversity commitments.
”
May - Jun 2019 15