Autumn is a wonderful time of year to take a walk in and there’s nothing like walking alongside water.  

Walking is great exercise – you can stretch your legs, drink in the view, watch the wildlife, enjoy the autumn colours in all their glory and breathe in some fresh air.

©Canal and River Trust

Even if you don’t live in the sea, you may find yourself near a lake, a loch, a river or a canal.

©Canal and River Trust

The Canal and River Trust has lots of wonderful walks for everyone to enjoy – and they have information about dog friendly walks on their website.

Walking your dog by a canal or river...some tips

• Keep your dog on a short lead around busy spots like locks and bridges – you don’t want them jumping into a lock or into a canal from a bridge, for instance
• Ensure they are wearing a collar with an ID tag
• They respectfully ask that you pick up anything your dog might drop and put it into a bin
• Don’t let your dog swim in the canals – they may upset the ducks

Don’t forget to take water for your dog – dogs get thirsty as well!

In winter, it’s particularly important to keep your dog on the lead in case they are distracted by geese and ducks and try to jump into the canal to go after them.  Your dog may think ice on a canal is a solid base.  

If your dog should fall in, the Canal and River Trust advise you not to jump in after your dog; keep your voice calm and encourage him or her to swim to you where you can lift them out safely.  And if they can’t do this, try to reach them with a line or long branch.

And if you don’t have a dog, go for walkies anyway and enjoy yourself!   Woof, woof! 

Go to the Canal and River Trust's website - why not volunteer or become a member? 

The  Government has just created 41 Marine Conservation Zones, stretching from Northumberland in the North East to Norfolk, to the Isles of Scilly and beyond.  These will help marine life recover and thrive in protected areas.

A group which was important in gathering the information to help decide which areas should be protected was that of volunteer divers.

They are members of an organization called Seasearch.

Seasearch is a project for volunteer scuba divers who are interested to find out and discover more about what they see under water.  They also want to help protect the marine environment around the coastlines of Britain and Ireland.

Seasearch divers record what lives in each area, and establish the richest sites for marine life.  They also pinpoint sites where there are problems for marine life – and those areas which need protection.  Visit their Recording page for more information.

These findings helped the government decide which marine areas should be protected. 

So if you enjoy scuba diving and want to make a difference, take a look at Seasearch.  My husband did one of their courses and really enjoyed it.

Here’s a list of Seasearch groups around the country.

I’m putting a more sombre touch to this website today to give some time and thought to all the animals and peoplel who have been killed or injured by war.

If you’re in London, one thing you could visit is the Animals in War Memorial at Brook Gate, Park Lane, (map here) on the edge of Hyde Park. It’s on the edge of Hyde Park . 

The Animals in War Memorial was created to remember and pay tribute to all the animals who’ve served with our Forces in the wars and conflicts of the 20^th century.   They served, suffered and died alongside British, Commonwealth and Allied forces and deserve to be remembered. 

Horses, mules, donkeys, dogs, pigeons, cats, elephants, oxen, bullocks, canaries and even glow worms served in the wars.

They had no choice.

The Animals in War memorial is a beautiful tribute to them, but if only the wars had never happened, so much suffering and death could have been avoided for millions of animals and people.

Today on D-Day, let us remember them.

Visit the Animals in War Memorial’s website to find out more here

There are new arrivals to celebrate at the Zoological Society of London (ZSL)!

ZSL London Zoo have a new sloth called Elio which is a Spanish name from ‘Helios the sun god’ following the youngster’s sunset arrival.

 

And ZSL Whipsnade Zoo have a new reticulated giraffe called Khari, all six feet of him!  He's a very confident newcomer, and very  inquisitive too!

 

 

   

 

He was born as part of the European Breeding Programme (EEP) for the Endangered species.   First time mum Luna is doing very well looking after him, and the birth was a family affair;  Dad Bashu rubbed Luna's neck encouragingly during the 4 hour labour and grandmother Ijuma helped clean him after the birth.  

Khari has started to venture outside, under the watch of his parents so he's obviously keen to explore his new surroundings. 

Visit ZSL London Zoo and ZSL Whipsnade Zoo. 

So here’s a new version of the Tug of War game.

This time, it’s between two donkeys and it involves a Wellington Boot.

Who will win?   Wiggins or Harry?

You'll find this video on You Tube here 
©Redwings Horse Sanctuary

The donkeys live at the Redwings Horse Sanctuary.  The sanctuary rescues abandoned, mistreated and neglected horses and donkeys from across the UK.  IT gives them a safe place to live and provides all they need for life long care, including veterinary treatment and rehabilitation.   Crucially, it also educates current owners and future generations about the value of horse welfare. There are about 2,000 animals at Redwings, all being looked after.

The sanctuary has 5 visitor centres in Norfolk (there are 2 there), Essex, Warwickshire and Scotland.  If you love donkeys or you’re mad about mules or want a cuddle with a Shetland, take a look at Redwings’ visitors page to find out more.  It’s free to visit (but you can always donate on your way out to help the sanctuary look after these wonderful animals. 

Can’t visit?  That’s okay! 

There are plenty of ways to help support Redwings Horse Sanctuary - here are just a few of them.

• Visit and subscribe to their You Tube channel and enjoy the videos
• Spread the word on social media :-) 
• Visit if you’re in their area – I’d say it’s always best to check they are open before you go
• Adopt a donkey
• Support their shop (check out their Redwings Charity Shop) which gives a gift to the animals themselves
• Volunteer – these aren’t hands on roles but there’s plenty to do to lend your support to the charity including fundraising and ultimately enable it to provide the best care possible for the animals with them and those who need help and rescue 
  
  

CANTER SWIFTLY AWAY TO
REDWINGS HORSE SANCTUARY’S WEBSITE

It's International Polar Bear Day every year on 27th February.  The day is a great opportunity to discover more about polar bears and in particular the challenges they face and how we can all help.

Polar Bears International is a non-profit charity located in North America. 

And they've been studying polar bears for years.   Their mission is to conserve polar bears and the sea ice they depend on.  And they work to inspire people to care for the Arctic and make that vital connection between the Arctic and our global climate.

Polar Bears International have a short video on You Tube which shows a journey to the Arctic through the eyes of Ursula, a polar bear. 

Produced by Handcraft ©Polar Bears International

Visit Polar Bears International here

They have lots of wonderful information about polar bears and how you can get involved and help them.

Have you got 20 minutes to spare?  If so, the British Trust for Ornithology need some help!

They are running a Tawny Owl Survey and they need as many people as possible to exercise their ears and listen out for these beautiful animals.

All you have to do is listen for just 20 minutes during at least one evening between now and 31 March 2019.  You’re listening for the beautiful Tawny Owl, and you don’t have to have a garden – you can lie in bed and listen for the Tawny Owl or head to your local park or woodland. 

Even if you don’t hear anything, that will help.   Every survey answer helps, even zero.  The video below from You Tube shows you what to listen out for.

You can listen for their hooting and kee-wick calls between sunset and midnight.   You need to let the BTO know the date, start time of your survey, estimated cloud cover and whether or not you hear an owl!

If you hear a Tawny Owl at another time of the week outside the survey, you can record that as well, and you can record your weekly results online.

It will be even more helpful if you can repeat your survey in the weeks leading up to 31 March 2019.   The more weeks you can listen the better – gaps between them don’t matter – but do as many weeks as you can.

If you enjoy taking part you can repeat your survey in subsequent weeks. The more weeks that you can listen the better, but you can do as many or as few weeks as you are able. Gaps between weeks don't matter.

Download the instructions here.

If you'd prefer to record on paper recording sheets rather than use our online system, you can - email us at [email protected] or call 01842 750050.

Just take a look at this You Tube video from Chester Zoo..... and see Kyra being a little bit clumsy, bless her...

Kyra is a Sun Bear and the first of this species to be born in the UK!

Visit Chester Zoo's website here to find out more

The lions at ZSL London Zoo have had a great time playing with Christmas trees at ZSL London Zoo....

Visit ZSL London Zoo or Whipsnade Zoo to see the animals there. 

Did you hear about the Alpaca who walked into an opticians in the town of Hennebont in Brittany?

This is no joke - it did happen! 

The BBC reported that the alpaca had been passing the shop when he or she stopped.   The automatic doors automatically opened and the alpaca wandered in, very quietly.   

The alpaca spent a quiet half hour browsing the shelves and checking out lenses in the opticians.  Staff at Les Opticiens Mutualistes closed the door and called the police.   The owner arrived half an hour later to collect the alpaca.

I bet the staff at the opticians couldn't believe their eyes when they first saw the alpaca wondered in from the street.

Anyway, you don't have to head for the beautiful town of Hennebont in Brittany to see an alpaca.  Buy a Gift have a couple of alpaca experiences   in the UK you could treat yourself and/or alpaca loving friend to.  Check them out here.

Buy a Gift have a couple of alpaca experiences - check them out here

By the way, on the edge of Hennebont, there's an impressive national stud farm where you can see traditional Breton carthorses and other equine species here, and find out about the different trades involved in looking after horses.   Canter off to find out more about Hennebont here