Dogs equipped with backpacks are being recruited to restore urban nature reserves in the UK Biodiversity

Wolves in England became extinct before they were huntedBy the 1760s, they roamed large areas, often covering 20 km or more each night. In doing so, wolves unknowingly pick up wildflower and grass seeds in their fur, dispersing them miles away and helping to establish new colonies of plants, which are vital to biodiversity and the richness of ecosystems.

The Railway Land Wildlife Trust project in Lewes, funded by Ouse Valley Climate Action, seeks to Recreate this environmental benefit Equipping local dogs with backpacks full of seeds to help replant the landscape. The project is believed to be the first of its kind in the country.

Dylan Walker, project manager, told the Guardian that wildlife reintroduction processes often involve the reintroduction of large herbivores such as bison or wild horses, but this is more difficult to do in a small urban nature reserve. “Therefore, we sought to use the large number of dog walkers who visit the natural reserve on a daily basis to replicate the effect these animals have on the ecosystem.”

The project in Lewes is built on a project carried out in Chile in 2019, in which two women, with the help of their three dogs, planted seeds in areas of the country devastated by wildfires. The seeds are mixed with sand so they can travel further and allow the program to track where the dogs deposit the seeds.

Although the project is still in its early stages, Walker said they have already started See seed germination In some areas. “A community project like this not only helps engage and educate people about the environmental impacts of wildlife, but also allows us to enrich our wildlife and environment in the process.”