MASSIVE thanks to all that voted the GSPCA & St Andrews Floral Group to win the Insurance Corporation Conservation Awards
Submitted by Steve on 13:37, 17th Jun, 2016 |
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Yesterday the Insurance Corporation Channel Islands Conservation Awards 2016 winners were announced after a lovely presentation at Les Cotils.
The GSPCA and St Andrews Floral Group have been working hard to improve the grounds at the GSPCA for wildlife, flora, fauna, education for visitors, enriching the environment for the animals in our care and may other conservation reasons and attended the awards yesterday afternoon.
Peter Walpole was present the founder of the awards as well as the Deputy Bailiff Richard McMahon both of which gave very inspirational speeches.
The Alderney Wildlife Trust picked up the overall prize for their project tagging gannets on the island who will receive £1,500 towards their work with the island’s gannet population. The tags which cost £400 each help track the gannets movements for a season and the GSPCA have offered if the Alderney Wildlife Trust would be interested in tracking any of the rescue gannets released from the Shelter to go in hand with the bird ringing that currently goes on that we would love to work together.
Some AMAZING news for the Shelter and wildlife in St Andrews is that this years winner of the Insurance Corporation Conservation Awards Peter Walpole's People's Choice is the GSPCA and St Andrews Floral Group. Both organisations are hugely grateful to everyone that voted for the conservation work at the Animal Shelter and the £500 awarded will go a long way to help the many layers of the project to develop the pond and enrich the environment in a diverse way.
We are also hugely grateful to the Insurance Corporation for their amazing support and the opportunity to help so many wonderful projects across the Channel Islands.
Steve Byrne GSPCA Manager attended the event said "What a wonderful afternoon learning about the amazing conservation projects that are taking place across the Channel Islands."
"When the results were announced by Mr Peter Walpole for the Insurance Corporation Conservation Awards Peter Walpole's People's Choice Chris from St Andrews Floral Group and I really couldn't believe it and we are so grateful to everyone that voted for the wonderful work we are doing at the GSPCA which will not only help the environment but will also be a community and educational resource for years to come."
"The conservation work being undertaken at the Shelter in the heart of the island in Guernsey goes in hand with the rescue work we carry out and we are working to bring this and the community together."
"With over 100 volunteers already having assisted in the conservation work in the last year at the GSPCA this award and donation of £500 will make a huge difference to the plans and work we want to achieve."
"We continue to appeal for help and funds for the work St Andrews Floral Group, RSPB and so many others are supporting us with and if anyone could help please do get in touch."
"It was wonderful to hear that Aldrerney Wildlife Trust won the main award as the work the gannet trackers will carry out goes in hand with much of the work we carry out hear at the GSPCA and we have offered opportunities that we could hopefully work together."
Vanessa Crispini-Adams, awards judge said "You're all champions of the environment."
Founder Peter Walpole at this years Conservation Awards said "It's great to see nature & conservation at the forefront"
Richard McMahon Deputy Bailiff said "We need to preserve what we've got and enhance it. Thanks to Insurance Corporation for being the flagship"
The GSPCA and St Andrews Floral Group are appealing for help and support with the projects on site and with improving the wildlife rehabilitation facilities at the Animal Shelter.
Some of the projects include:
Improving the pond on site to make deeper sections and a pond dipping area for children
Improving the fields on site and moving soil
Making a new bank (pending planning permission)
Repairing a retaining wall
Tiling the seal and turtle wildlife rehabilitation area
Tiling the floor in the wildlife and hedgehog unit
Placing a new floor in the wildlife hospital area
Replanting the hanging baskets and planters around site
Planting hedging
Providing a picnic area
Improving the memorial garden
Putting bird nesting and box boxes around site
Building a larger pool for the seals and oiled birds
Putting path ways for visitors
Landscaping and much more.......
So far St Andrews Floral Group have managed to raise donations from Situations Recruitment, the Co-op Eco Fund and Men of the Tress, RSPB and we are hugely grateful to all involved and helped so far. Some of the volunteers that have helped on site at the GSPCA include Situations Recruitment, RBS, Elizabeth College, Waitrose, the Probation Service, RSPB, Northern Trust, Medical Specialist Group, staff from Quex Gardens and of course the St Andrews Floral Group volunteers as well as others.
Much of this work is not only to help wildlife locally but we will also be opening the site much more to visitors to enjoy.
If you would like to get involved or like to support us in improving the grounds or facilities you can email the GSPCA Manager [email protected] or Ann Wragg from St Andrews Floral Group [email protected]
If you would like to donate online please click the paypal link below and reference 'St Andrews Floral Group help the GSPCA' so we can allocate the funds to the project.
We really need your help to get Olivia back to warmer waters.
Olivia is now ready to be flown to the Canary islands and we are currently appealing for funds to help towards the costs of her flight.
With just over £2000 raised so far we are the fifth of the way towards being able to afford the costs of her flight.
To transport a loggerhead turtle from one country to another requires Cites documents which we are in the midst of awaiting completion from the Spanish authorities.
When we first rescued Olivia she was extremely weak, starving, dehydrated and close to death.
Just over two months later and she is now swimming and eating on her own which is difficult to achieve in captivity.
The next big step for Olivia is to get her back to a warmer climate and a rescue centre with experience to finish her rehabilitation.
We have arranged a place for Olivia in the Canary Islands and we need to raise the funds and arrange a plane to help transport her back to where she belongs.
Geoff George Ambulance Driver, Marine Medic and main carer for Olivia at the GSPCA said "Olivia is eating extremely well which is is a massive step in her rehabilitation as they are so difficult to feed in captivity."
"She is strong enough to travel but not only do we need to find the funding to transport her to the Canary Islands we are awaiting the relevant documents."
"She is doing very well at the GSPCA but we are appealing for funds so that when we receive the paperwork to transport her we can get it done quickly."
Steve Byrne GSPCA Manager said "Each day we move closer to be able to move Olivia to Gran Canaria and we are currently appealing for funds to help move her south."
"A huge thank you to everyone that has donated so far which has helped raise £2000 of at least £10500 we need to raise to cover the costs to fly her to a turtle rescue in the Canaries."
"Olivia was so weak, dehydrated and thin we were really worried for her when she first arrived, but thanks to the team at the GSPCA especially Geoff George, John Knight and the team at the Vetcare Centres, Les Van Blerk and the team at Vets 4 Pets, Spa De La Mare, Waitrose, Guernsey Reef, States Works, Guernsey Aquarium, Guernsey Builders and many others she has improved each day and is now ready for a long journey."
"Loggerhead turtles are listed as Endangered and facing a very high risk of extinction in the wild in the near future according to the International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources."
"In the wild they face many threats with the greatest threat being a loss of nesting habitat due to coastal development, predation of nests and human disturbances such as coastal lighting and housing developments that cause disorientations during the emergence of hatchlings."
"Other major threats include incidental capture in longline fishing, shrimp trawling and pollution. as well as incidental capture in fisheries is thought to have played a significant role in the recent population declines observed for these wonderful creatures."
"World wide the population of loggerhead turtles is estimated to only be between 40,000 and 50,000 nesting females which is less than the population of Guernsey."
"We are now desperately looking to find a plane that could help and donations towards the travel to help with costs of fuel and landing taxes."
"New Era Vets from Jersey have helped start the fund with a donation of £280 which was left after transporting the loggerhead turtle called Terri they rescued earlier this year and we are hugely grateful to them and to others that have donated towards her care."
"We are aware that costs just for fuel and landing taxes from the Channel Islands to the Canary Isles are over £10,500 so this is a huge appeal to help one very special lady."
"So far we have raised just over £2000 and need to raise a further £9000 to get this rare and beautiful animal back to where she belongs which is the costs we have been told by one very kind plane owner, although we continue to search for other options."
"If you know of a plane that could help or would like to make a donation we would love to hear from you."
"Thank you to everyone that has helped so far it is really appreciated."
To make a donation online please click the paypal button below, call 01481 257261, by post or at the GSPCA.
If you know of someone that could help with transport please call GSPCA Manager Steve Byrne 01481 257261 or email [email protected]
Common Name: Loggerhead - named for its exceptionally large head.
Scientific Name: Caretta caretta
Description: Head is very large with heavy strong jaws. Carapace is bony without ridges and has large, non-overlapping, rough scutes (scales) present with 5 lateral scute. Carapace is heart shaped. Front flippers are short and thick with 2 claws, while the rear flippers can have 2 or 3 claws. Carapace is a reddish-brown with a yellowish-brown plastron. Hatchlings have a dark-brown carapace with flippers pale brown on margins.
Size/Weight/Age: The Loggerhead measures up to 1.1 meters (3.5 ft) long when fully grown, weighing approximately 135 kilograms (300 lb) and have a lifespan of 47-67 years.
Diet: The Loggerhead Sea Turtle is omnivorous, feeding mainly on bottom dwelling invertebrates: mollusks, crustaceans, horseshoe crabs, clams, mussels, and other marine animals. Its large and powerful jaw serve as an effective tool in dismantling its prey.
Habitat: Prefer to feed in coastal bays and estuaries, as well as in the shallow water along the continental shelves of the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Oceans.
Reproduction: Female Loggerheads, between the age of 17 to 33, will usually mate every 2 to 4 years.
Crawl Pattern: 1) Alternating comma-shaped flipper marks 2) Wavy and smoothed track center with no thin, straight, and well-defined tail-drag mark 3) No regular marking from front flippers at the margins of the track
Nesting: Female Loggerheads are known to nest from one to seven times within a nesting season (mean is about 4.1 nests per season) at intervals of approximately 12–17 days. Mean clutch size varies from about 100 to 126 along the southeastern United States coast. Incubation ranges from about 45 to 95 days, depending on incubation temperatures, but averages 55 to 60 days for most clutches.
International Status - Listed as Endangered (facing high risk of extinction in the wild in the immediate future) by the International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources ( IUCN)
Threats to Survival: Fishing gear is the biggest threat to loggerheads in the open ocean. They often become entangled in longlines or gillnets. According to the 2009 status review of loggerheads by the Fisheries Service, drowning from entanglement in longline and gillnet fishing gear is the turtles’ primary threat in the North Pacific. The second greatest threat is loss of nesting habitat due to coastal development, predation of nests, and human disturbances (such as coastal lighting and housing developments) that discourages nesting and interferes with the hatchlings' ability to navigate to the water's edge
To see some of the businesses that have helped please check out the links below.
To donate to the turtle or Bonnie the grey seal pup please call 01481 257261, pop along to the Animal Shelter in St Andrews, by post or by clicking the link below.
Have you got a GSPCA Hoody, Polo Shirt, Sweat Shirt or T-shirt? If not get yours by clicking here.
To find out about our Events, how to become a Member, Sponsor an Animal Pen, our Wish List, Corporate Sponsorship & Volunteering, , our New Build & Redevelopment Appeal and much more please click here.
There are many ways to support the work of the GSPCA and you can even donate online by clicking the paypal link below.
By post cheques payable to 'GSPCA' - GSPCA, Rue des Truchots, St Andrews, Guernsey, GY6 8UD
Or by phone 01481 257261.
To find out more regarding our Angel Sponsorship Scheme please click here.
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