Wildlife Warriors

Aim

To create hedgehog and insect-friendly environments and teach people how to protect local wildlife.

WELSH WILDLIFE UNDER THREAT

 Do you remember a time when a car journey meant lots of squashed insects on the windscreen? Not anymore, as the number of British insects has plummeted since the 1960s. 

Animals like this shrill carder bee were once common but are now endangered. 

 WHY NOW?

We have seen long periods of rain and flooding and dry, hot summers. Climate change is helping to reduce the number of Welsh bugs, including spiders, bees, snails and spiders. The number of butterflies has plummeted to a record low. Thirteen bee species have gone extinct in the UK, with more threatened with extinction. The fall in the number of bugs has led to a reduction in birds.  Grey partridges, for example, depend on sawflies for food, and many chicks have died as there are not enough sawflies.

HOW YOUR DONATION WILL SAVE OUR WILDLIFE

We will run outdoor sessions to create hedgehog and insect-friendly spaces in Cardiff.

We also want to teach people what they can do to help protect native wildlife. We will teach people how to use wildlife recording apps and identify insects. This helps to collect information about the numbers and geographical spread of different insects, bees, and bugs. This can then be used to plan conservation work to protect the most endangered Welsh bugs.

We also teach people simple measures such as providing extra help for wildlife struggling due to the impact of climate change. This includes putting water outside during our increasingly hot summers, planting flowers and bushes that are best for bugs, and creating insect hotels.

We want people to understand how the destruction of local wildlife is threatening their environment and way of life.

EDUCATING CHILDREN AND ADULTS

Workshops will be free and will include fun scientific experiments and games. A team of volunteers and one staff member will plan and deliver the activities. We will run most activities in inner-city areas of Cardiff.

TARGETS                                                                                                                                                        

 - Deliver sessions to 300 children and adults.                                                                                                  

- Create two hedgehog and insect-friendly outdoor areas.

                                                                                                                                                                                          EVERY DONATION MAKES A HUGE DIFFERENCE

We are a small charity reliant on volunteers, so £3 really does make a difference to us. 

We rely on volunteers who help run our education programme, create hedgehog and invertebrate-friendly environments, and freeze the DNA and cells of endangered animals for conservation. We have two part-time staff who recruit, support, and organise training for volunteers. 

Our volunteers help deliver a wide range of activities and help with back-office work. We couldn't operate without them.

But although they give their time for free, there are costs. This includes DBS checks for volunteers working with children, training, travel expenses, and providing support. Your donation will pay for these costs.

WHO WE ARE

The Frozen Ark supports and undertakes the collection and preservation of genetic material from endangered species to protect and manage the genetic diversity of native species, which is under severe threat from environmental change.  Information from genetic samples can guide the reintroduction of missing genetic diversity in wildlife populations, prevent inbreeding, and identify, introduce, or preserve traits that might help a species adapt to ongoing climate change.

This project successfully funded on 6th October 2023