Change and Adapt: if you can.

British Science Week is focusing on Change and Adapt this year. This applies to wildlife as much as it does to us. There are many changes going on in the wild environment we all live in.

Wild plants and animals have to change and adapt to changing circumstances, or they will not survive. There are always winners and losers. Many species are flowering or breeding earlier in the year. Climate change is pushing many species northwards as temperatures increase. But it's not just climate change. As London has cleaned up over the last 50 years, many species are returning to their old haunts. Other factors affect other species that managed to hang on in the past but are under stress now. Will they survive in London?

Who will win, who will lose? Some of the winners are many plants that have returned with the changes in air pollution. Many ferns have returned to London that were driven out by the amount of Sulphur dioxide we put into the atmosphere. Species once rare include Polypody, Wall Rue and Rustyback they have all increased dramatically in the wild. 

There are also many native and non-native wildflowers growing wild in inner London now that were absent 20 years ago. Some of these are early spring annuals like the gorgeous Rue-leaved Saxifrage, the stunning blue flowered Early Forget-me-not and the beautiful Whitlow Grass. These are all small or tiny flowers that most people never notice.

The growth of London's population this century has seen the loss of many beautiful and diverse brownfield sites. This has impacted many species, such as Black Redstarts, Goldfinches, Linnets and Kestrels. The increasing number of people and dogs using open spaces and parks is having an impact on ground-feeding birds. 

Blackbirds have declined and Mistle Thrush has almost disappeared as a breeding species locally. Parakeets are still increasing as are Egyptian Geese. Herons, Little Egrets, Red Kites and Peregrines have all benefitted from changes that have taken place. Changes in pesticide use have allowed Peregrines to come steaming back to town. Changes in how we persecute species are allowing Red Kites to return. The Thames has been cleaned up enormously over the last 60 years, allowing many fish species to return to London and its Creeks. This has benefitted Grey Herons and Little Egrets.

Wildlife in urban areas is in constant flux as it seeks to cope with what we do good and bad. We need to get better at taking other species into account when we use the environment, we all live in.

Join us for a guided walk on the Change and Adaptation around us during British Science Week and explore our urban environment.