Almanac: April 2021

April is the month of blossom, with wild cherry, hawthorn, elderflower and crab apple all opening their pinkish white petals. If you pass a blossoming branch, take a moment to savour its bouquet and observe the huge variety of wildlife buzzing around it. This month we also celebrate the arrival of spring. For thousands of years, painted eggs have symbolized the regeneration of life that takes place as the season changes. An old practice that survives to this day is the painting of eggs to celebrate the Christian festival of Easter. History recalls that the young Henry VIII received an egg encased in silver each year as a gift from the Vatican. As a result of the pandemic, the last twelve months have been a difficult and weighty time for many of us. But as lockdown lifts and we emerge outdoors there is one sound that can help lift our spirits: the call of the blackbird. Listen for its garbled melody at dusk. Its beauty reminds us that even in the midst of crisis and chaos, inner peace and contentment can be found in the simple appreciation of nature’s never-ending renewal.

Positive Ecological Restoration News

Record number of beavers to be released in Britain this year The UK’s Wildlife Trusts have reported that more than twenty beavers will be released this year, with the first releases to take place in Dorset. Other regions, including Derbyshire, Hampshire, the Isle of Wight, Nottinghamshire and Montgomeryshire will also soon have beavers swimming in their rivers. The Wildlife Trusts have been at the forefront of beaver reintroduction since their successful Scottish Beaver Trial in 2009.

Wild cranes in the UK flying again

The common crane, which stands up to 120cm tall, left Britain in the seventeenth century as a result of over-hunting and the increasing loss of their natural wetland habitats. Over recent decades, peatland and wetland restoration work, and a fully funded reintroduction programme, has helped the species recover. The latest research revealed over 60 breeding pairs currently making their home in the UK, with a total population of more than 200 birds.

Plans and hopes for the white-tailed eagle in Norfolk

The majestic wings of the white-tailed eagle will soon be seen again over the estuaries of Norfolk. Up to a dozen birds are set to be released in Norfolk every year. The birds’ habitat is likely to spread into neighbouring Lincolnshire and Cambridgeshire.

Jaguars prowl Argentina’s Iberá Wetlands after 70 years

Biologists successfully released a mother and two cubs into the Gran Iberá Park, located in northeastern Argentina’s Corrientes province. The jaguars disappeared from the Iberá Wetlands around 70 years ago, when hunting and habitat loss drove them to local extinction. According to the local conservationists, the Gran Iberá Park has the potential to sustain around 100 jaguars.

Tides

1 – 4 April – Spring
5 – 10 April – Neap
11 – 19 April – Spring
20 – 26 April – Neap
27 – 30 April – Spring

Andreas Kornevall is a Swedish storyteller, writer and ecologist. He is Director of Operations for Earth Restoration Service, a UK-based charity