Alderney Wildlife Trust
Encyclopedia
The Alderney Wildlife Trust is a trust based in Alderney
, Channel Islands
.
The Trust works to preserve the island's biodiversity
, to promote the conservation
of Alderney's terrestrial and marine habitats, to encourage a sustainable Alderney, and to educate the public about the importance of the island's wildlife. The Trust helps to manage Alderney's two nature reserve
s at Longis and Vau du Saou. The Trust operates through a company limited by guarantee. It is administered by a committee who are directly elected by the Trust's membership.
Its headquarters is at the Alderney Wildlife Trust Office in Saint Anne, Alderney. It is part of the Wildlife Trusts partnership of 47 wildlife trusts in the British Islands
, and runs the Alderney Records Centre, whose patron is Dr. George McGavin
, in partnership with the Alderney Society.
Alderney and its surrounding islets support a rich flora and fauna. Trees are rather scarce, as many were cut down in the 17th century to fuel the lighthouses on Alderney and the Casquets
. There are notable colonies of puffin
s on Burhou
and gannets on Les Étacs. The Blonde hedgehog is a species native to Alderney. In August 2005, the west coast of Alderney and associated islands, including Burhou
and Ortac
, were designated as Ramsar wetlands of international importance.
Alderney
Alderney is the most northerly of the Channel Islands. It is part of the Bailiwick of Guernsey, a British Crown dependency. It is long and wide. The area is , making it the third-largest island of the Channel Islands, and the second largest in the Bailiwick...
, Channel Islands
Channel Islands
The Channel Islands are an archipelago of British Crown Dependencies in the English Channel, off the French coast of Normandy. They include two separate bailiwicks: the Bailiwick of Guernsey and the Bailiwick of Jersey...
.
The Trust works to preserve the island's biodiversity
Biodiversity
Biodiversity is the degree of variation of life forms within a given ecosystem, biome, or an entire planet. Biodiversity is a measure of the health of ecosystems. Biodiversity is in part a function of climate. In terrestrial habitats, tropical regions are typically rich whereas polar regions...
, to promote the conservation
Conservation movement
The conservation movement, also known as nature conservation, is a political, environmental and a social movement that seeks to protect natural resources including animal, fungus and plant species as well as their habitat for the future....
of Alderney's terrestrial and marine habitats, to encourage a sustainable Alderney, and to educate the public about the importance of the island's wildlife. The Trust helps to manage Alderney's two nature reserve
Nature reserve
A nature reserve is a protected area of importance for wildlife, flora, fauna or features of geological or other special interest, which is reserved and managed for conservation and to provide special opportunities for study or research...
s at Longis and Vau du Saou. The Trust operates through a company limited by guarantee. It is administered by a committee who are directly elected by the Trust's membership.
Its headquarters is at the Alderney Wildlife Trust Office in Saint Anne, Alderney. It is part of the Wildlife Trusts partnership of 47 wildlife trusts in the British Islands
British Islands
British Islands is a term within the law of the United Kingdom which since 1889 has referred collectively to the following four states:*the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland ;...
, and runs the Alderney Records Centre, whose patron is Dr. George McGavin
George McGavin
George C. McGavin FLS FRGS is an entomologist, author, academic, television presenter and explorer.He is Honorary Research Associate at Oxford University Museum of Natural History and The Department of Zoology of Oxford University, where he lists his interests as "Terrestrial arthropods especially...
, in partnership with the Alderney Society.
Casquets
Les Casquets or Casquets is a group of rocks 13 km northwest of Alderney and are part of an underwater sandstone ridge. Other parts which emerge above the water are the islets of Burhou and Ortac. Little vegetation grows on them...
. There are notable colonies of puffin
Puffin
Puffins are any of three small species of auk in the bird genus Fratercula with a brightly coloured beak during the breeding season. These are pelagic seabirds that feed primarily by diving in the water. They breed in large colonies on coastal cliffs or offshore islands, nesting in crevices among...
s on Burhou
Burhou
Burhou is a small island approximately 1.4 miles northwest of Alderney that is part of the Channel Islands. It has no permanent residents, and is a bird sanctuary, so landing there is banned from March 15 to July 27...
and gannets on Les Étacs. The Blonde hedgehog is a species native to Alderney. In August 2005, the west coast of Alderney and associated islands, including Burhou
Burhou
Burhou is a small island approximately 1.4 miles northwest of Alderney that is part of the Channel Islands. It has no permanent residents, and is a bird sanctuary, so landing there is banned from March 15 to July 27...
and Ortac
Ortac
Ortac is a small uninhabited islet about 5 km West of the coast of Alderney near to the islet of Burhou. It measures approx. 50 by 70 meters....
, were designated as Ramsar wetlands of international importance.