Neville the toad is eight years old

But Neville’s lonely - Sometimes he wonders if he’s the last of his kind

Bit by bit the woods and meadows where the toads lived and spawned disappeared and Neville was cut off

But one day men came to build a special toad tunnel under the new road

What’s new?

23 July 2007

Why did the lonely toad cross the road? Because he had to

Thinking big means happy toads

Not the funniest joke you’ll ever hear but telling it to your friends could be a great way of raising awareness on how climate change is affecting wildlife – and how we all need to ‘think big’ to help.

Wildlife Watch is the UK’s leading environmental action club for kids and the latest issue of its magazine, Watchword, – out this month - explains why making sure wildlife can easily move around is so important.

Through the eyes of Neville the toad, we learn that moving around to find a mate is becoming more difficult in many places because of developments such as new roads. Also, as climate change takes effect, some places where animals live become unsuitable for them and they may have to move elsewhere to survive. They may need to find somewhere shady or head further north, where it’s cooler. They need corridors like hedges, long grass and streams to be able to do this.

The Wildlife Trusts are creating huge areas of joined-up habitats such as meadow, woodland, wetlands and ponds. These are known as ‘living landscapes’ and make sure wildlife can move around more easily, standing a better chance of survival.

Julie Fulton, head of people and wildlife for The Wildlife Trusts, said: “We need to find ways to help our wildlife adapt to the challenges it faces in the future. Driven by local people and their hopes, The Wildlife Trusts play a leading role in gathering support to allow communities to make their own changes. We work closely with community groups, businesses, managers and local authorities on landscape-scale projects around the UK. Young people can help by encouraging schools and families to build new ponds and plant hedgerows. All our actions will give wildlife a long-term chance and allow future generations to enjoy nature as we have.”

Please follow the link to find out more about joining Wildlife Watch or get in touch with Amanda Swinford, Wildlife Watch officer on 01604 405285 or email amanda.swinford (at) wildlifebcnp.org

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