As wildlife revels, lockdowns put British nature reserves at risk

As wildlife revels, lockdowns put British nature reserves at risk

Lockdown is encouraging wildlife to move into many urban areas, but it's nonetheless dealing a serious blow to nature reserves.

Emer McCarthy reports.

Lockdowns may have seen goats overrun Welsh towns and deer return to suburban London, but it's having a devastating impact on the UK's nature reserves.

Tough restrictions are placing an enormous financial strain on reserves dependent on visitor revenue.

Sarah Kessell is the CEO of the Wildlife Trust of South and West Wales.

She says since the lockdown, income from tourists has been 'switched off'.

(SOUNDBITE) (English) CEO OF THE WILDLIFE TRUST OF SOUTH AND WEST WALES, SARAH KESSELL, SAYING: "It is definitely keeping me awake at night.

Like most charities, we haven't got many months' worth of money tucked away as financial reserves, that's generally not what charities have." Like other conservation organizations dependent on visitors, the trust says it may struggle to survive for more than a few more months unless it can secure additional support.

The loss in revenue putting vital conservation work on hold.

Over in Norfolk in the east of England, Jake Fiennes--the head of conservation at the Holkham National Nature Reserve, says nature is breathing a sigh of relief.

It receives about a million visitors each year.

(SOUNDBITE) (English) GENERAL MANAGER OF CONSERVATION AT HOLKHAM NATIONAL NATURE RESERVES, JAKE FIENNES, SAYING: "You would see the deer that would keep hidden in the brambles would then be walking down the tracks, we would see birds breeding where historically there would be cars parking." Kessell is hoping that the UK government and the Trust's supporters will be able to lend a hand to get her organisation through the crisis.