Kent Wildlife Trust

Not long left to apply! ⌛ We're #hiring an Interim Head of Marketing, Communications and Advocacy who will design our approach over the next 5 years to inspire action, increase engagement, and drive our vision for a Wilder Kent, working full or part time. Find out more & apply by the 6th...👇 https://lnkd.in/e6CwbPCb

Throughout 2023 and 2024, ABEC have been working tirelessly alongside Kent Wildlife Trust, South East Rivers Trust, and other amazing partners to create, plan, and develop the DEFRA funded Darent Valley Landscape Recovery project. 🌱   Here at ABEC we have been surveying non-stop with some amazing Darent Nature Partnership volunteers for butterflies, birds, reptiles, orchids and much more. This vast dataset will provide a baseline of species and habitat conditions to measure the success of the project over its lifetime and beyond.   As part of that survey effort, we have been undertaking remote species monitoring through the use of camera traps and static audio detectors along the River Darent, attempting to capture evidence of more elusive species such as water voles, otters 🦦, and bats 🦇.   This video showcases some of our favourite captures in 2024. Watch until the end for the best one. 🦉   #remotemonitoring #wildlife #landscaperecovery

🌟 Exciting news! 🌿 Work is about to begin on a £2.1m refurbishment of our Jeffery Harrison Visitor Centre at Sevenoaks Wildlife Reserve! 🎉 Here’s what’s coming: 🚗 Improved accessibility with better parking (blue-badge + parent spaces!) 🚻 Enhanced toilet & baby change facilities ☕ A fully accessible café 🏞 Redesigned centre with French doors & windows for stunning reserve views! 🔔 Temporary closure: The Visitor Centre will close from 15th December until summer 2025, but the wildlife reserve stays OPEN! 🌳 Nature Tots, Forest School, holiday clubs, and events are still on. Check our website for updates on parking or restrictions! 🎁 Shop the Sale! 🛍️ Enjoy 15% off all shop stock before the closure – perfect for Christmas gifts 🎄 and supporting a wilder Kent! 📍 Learn more about the revamp here 👉 https://lnkd.in/ema4jJBr #SevenoaksWildlifeReserve #ExcitingChanges #AccessibilityForAll #NatureLovers

Kent's skies haven't always been wild. Red-billed choughs, missing from the region for 200 years, are making a comeback through our Chough Reintroduction Project in partnership with Wildwood Trust and Paradise Park Cornwall. But their future is uncertain. Will you help support the next generation of choughs? We must raise £50,000 by 31 January 2025 to achieve the third year of chough releases. Without funding, the breeding programme faces a critical gap, a setback that could undo years of progress. But here's some good news: between 1 - 14 December, any donations made through our partner GiveMatch and shared with two friends will be TRIPLED - making your gift go three times further! Your support provides: 🍽 Nourishing food for growing chicks 🏡 Safe shelter and expert care 🧸 Hand-rearing equipment for vulnerable chicks 🫶 Please don’t let their story end here. Let’s keep choughs soaring over Kent’s wild places, where they belong. Donate today 👉 kwtg.uk/chough-KWT

Welcome to our new #FarmingFriday series, where we highlight farmers in Kent and beyond who are dedicated to feeding the nation in a nature-friendly way. 🌾🚜 At Kent Wildlife Trust, our relationship with farmers is central to our core principles. We provide support through initiatives like Farmer Cluster groups, but for our first #FarmingFriday post, we’re visiting Tolhurst Farms in Whitchurch-on-Thames to explore how they farm sustainably while still producing enough food for everyone. Recently, our #TalkOnTheWildSide podcast presenter, Rob Smith, visited the farm to learn more. You can watch the episode here: https://lnkd.in/eBrvriy4

🐮Exciting Moos, our Dexter cattle have moooved into the National Trust site at Golden Hill, Canterbury for the next four weeks to help manage the area through their natural grazing behaviour. 🐄This is the first time in 60 years that cows have grazed the site, and they'll do a great job, the Dexter is famous for chomping away at thickets of bramble in the Spring, which helps create light and space for other plants to grow. 🌳If you want to find out more about wilder grazing and this historical site, head on over to our website 👉https://lnkd.in/enJemDtY Video Credit: National Trust / Iris Roser

The aim of BNG is admirable and certainly provides steps towards nature's recovery but what we really need are giant leaps. We need to deliver greater ambition to ensure damage to nature from development really is minimised and is actively contributing towards our net zero targets...   👉 10% should be a minimum - we need at least 20% to have a real impact but developers need to realise that often they can deliver double gains without doubling the cost. 👉 Onsite (on the same space as the development) BNG proposals may include gardens which won't necessarily provide gains over 30 years. 👉 BNG units need to be strategically included as part of the local nature recovery strategy to ensure habitats are bigger, better and more connected. 👉 Monitoring and review needs to be regular and consistent across the full 30 year period.   We are continuing to work with local authorities, councils, and MPs to flag the challenges and push opportunities for better biodiversity gains. Our teams across Kent Wildlife Trust Group are set up to support authorities, communities, developers, and land owners to create and deliver schemes that benefit nature and people. Find out more: https://lnkd.in/eC5_mvqU

💼 Interim Opportunity: Head of Marketing, Communications and Advocacy (3-6 months) 💡 We’re seeking an experienced and immediately available Head of Communications and Marketing, for an interim role to design our approach over the next 5 years to inspire action, increase engagement, and drive our vision for a Wilder Kent. Why join us?  ✔️ Impactful Role: Be part of a pioneering strategy that shapes the future of wildlife conservation.  ✔️ Collaborative Team: Work with a passionate, innovative team committed to making a difference.  ✔️ Flexible Working: We support a work-life balance with hybrid and adaptable working options. Please note that permanent recruitment for a Head of Marcomms and Advocacy will open from January 2025 and we encourage those who are interested in both to make it known. Together, let’s rebuild a Wilder Kent. 🌿 Learn more & apply here: https://lnkd.in/ecP7saee

🌳 It's #NationalTreeWeek and our Area Manager Alison has sent us this wonderful overview of the old woodland at Cowden Pond in Edenbridge. This small valley reserve boasts ancient woodland, marsh, and grasslands 👉 https://lnkd.in/eA5W6Pi8

Have great plans this week with Kent Wildlife Trust Blue Influencers for #iWill week; including exploring marine careers with The Shed Urban Wilderness - Folkestone Youth Project, developing drama based project with Be You, revealing the artist recruited by Artswork Limited to work with St Radigund's Youth Project and continuing to develop the wildlife pond and mural with Dover Big Local's Home Ed Group. I would like to say a quick thank you Tracy Sutton for her ongoing support. Robyn Riddoch from The Ernest Cook Trust - came and visited 8th Folkestone Guides last week and it was lovely to be able to show case some of our sewing skills from women's eco fashion collective a:dress. https://lnkd.in/ebHUyd86