Be on red alert and protect wildlife this summer - Northumberland Wildlife Trust

As the UK now has a Red Extreme Heat Warning in place, Northumberland Wildlife Trust is issuing a plea for the public to be nature conscious and vigilant when out in the countryside.

A spell without rain means many heathlands, moorlands and grasslands are ‘tinder dry’ and run the risk of catching fire from the tiniest hot ember or spark which would leave the land scorched and nature without a home.

Last summer, some parts of the UK experienced the driest weather since 1935. In this region it was exceptionally dry with the peat on Northumberland Wildlife Trust’s Border Mires reserves seriously affected as the sphagnum moss that covers peat turned white instead of green which not only became a fire risk, but it also affected the many birds, mammals and insects relying on the mosses for survival.