These newsbytes have appeared on our social media sites, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram during the month and have been pulled together here.
Wildlife Tower!
Kevin, one of our Trustees, has been busy building his very own timber Wildlife Tower! You can find out all about Wildlife Towers on our website here.
Rodenticides…
Sadly, most Barn Owls are contaminated with rat poison. Here’s how to control rats as safely as possible.
Here is a recent post on the matter from the Barn Owl Project in Ireland:
“Look at this beautiful male Barn Owl. Some people would love getting this close to a Barn Owl but not me. This Barn Owl made no attempt to fly or to get away in fact I could have picked it up. This is not the first time we have come across this behaviour – it’s a result of secondary poisoning. In this case there was a female on-site so we decided to monitor him with one of our wireless cameras. It was either that or take him away from the female and lose the chance of breeding this year. In the last few weeks we had two beautiful Barn Owls, a male and female, turn up dead from secondary poisoning in Kilkenny
The studies in Ireland and England show that most birds of prey, indeed most predators, have signs of rodenticides, or rat poison. Most birds of prey are treated for poison after coming into rescue centres no matter what they come in for. That has to tell you something?
You can find plenty of reports from NPWS on Rodenticides and secondary poisoning in Ireland online. People do not realise the rat poison is wildlife poison. Rodenticide is turning up in loads of wild animals, even in garden birds. Probably the most affected group are our birds of prey and in that group Barn Owls and Kestrels are the most impacted. Both are in trouble in Ireland at the min.
Do not believe the companies that sell rodenticide when they say it is safe – these days that’s nothing but lies You cannot use rodenticide in a safe way, it’s just not possible, fact. Make a difference and do not use wildlife poison.”
Be remembered on our Memory Tree
The Barn Owl Trust relies on your generous donations to help look after Barn Owls. Some of our supporters kindly choose to leave us a gift in their wills. Leaving a legacy to the Trust is a very worthwhile way to make a difference and to be remembered in years to come. This is, after all, a final opportunity to have a positive influence on the heritage we leave for future generations.
Legacies and donations in memory have allowed us to undertake several very important Barn Owl conservation projects.
If you have already made a will, but you’d like to leave a Legacy to the Barn Owl Trust, you can make an addition or change (a Codicil) without re-writing your current will.
Find out more about how legacies & donations in memory have helped Barn Owls. Thank you for choosing to support our vital work.
Composting!
This is a recent post from The Climate Coalition, with an idea that could help support small mammal populations amongst many others.
The Climate Coalition
Composting is a great way to recycle your food waste But did you know your compost heap is also a much needed cosy home for frogs, insects and other small creatures? Avoiding disturbing your compost until about April means these little lodgers can stay warm until spring arrives
For more info on creating your own compost heap head to https://www.theclimatecoalition.org/wildlife-gardening
Calling all Poets!
The Barn Owl Trust’s Wildlife Poetry Competition 2022 is now open!
All profits support our vital conservation work & help provide care for rescued owls.
“The latest IPCC report shows that the impacts of climate change are getting worse”
The latest IPCC report shows that the impacts of climate change are getting worse, and hitting those least responsible the hardest. Every day that passes without action gives us less time to protect what we love, but if we act now we can still create a greener, safer world for generations to come.
We need visionary leadership from our government and every government around the world to tackle the fight that unites and impacts all of us. Write to your MP to urge them to take action today. http://www.theclimatecoalition.org/…/green-heart-mp-action
We are recruiting!
We currently have three varied and exciting opportunities to join our team. Check out our Job Vacancies page for more information.
Reserve Officer & Volunteer Co-ordinator vacancy
We are recruiting for a new, full-time 12 month fixed term post. The work of the Reserve Officer & Volunteer Co-ordinator is principally to carry out various practical tasks on the Trust’s 26-acre nature reserve, as part of the Conservation Team, and led by the Senior Conservation Officer; additionally the post-holder will co-ordinate land volunteers for the Barn Owl Trust, which is a small, registered conservation charity based at Ashburton, Devon.
Part-time Nestbox Builder
A vacancy has arisen for a competent woodworker to join our nestbox production team. The job will include using torch on roofing felt (blowtorch) circular saw, jigsaw and cordless drill. Experience of these is helpful but training will be provided for the right applicant. Regular tasks to include: batch cutting of plywood and baton, jig sawing holes and hatches, flat packing parts, finishing and final assembly of boxes and applying roofing felt. Boxes are also packed up ready for dispatch.
Legacy Officer
This new member of the admin team will focus on updating and implementing the Legacy Income Strategy, with a view to increasing the amount of income raised through Gifts in Wills. The appointee will identify new ways to interest people in leaving a gift to the Barn Owl Trust in their wills, and will work for one day a week on implementing the new strategy.
Comments are closed.