Looking for something a bit different to give family and friends this Christmas? How about sponsoring a seagrass seed pod from Hampshire & Isle of Wight Wildlife Trust?
Seagrass meadows are biodiversity hotspots for a wide range of marine wildlife, while their ability to capture carbon, mitigate flood risk and reduce coastal erosion makes them a key natural solution to the climate crisis.
Despite being recognised as an increasingly important habitat, seagrass is globally threatened – with up to 92% of seagrass lost in the UK over the past century alone.
During the past 12 months, Hampshire & Isle of Wight Wildlife Trust has partnered with Boskalis Westminster and the University of Portsmouth to restore these precious habitats in the Solent by planting more than 2,300 seagrass seed pods.
Each pod, which is a biodegradable hessian sack containing between 15 and 45 seagrass seeds, is delicately planted by hand in areas of intertidal sands and mudflats along the Solent coastline. Now, the Trust wants to set out on a new ambitious project, aiming to plant more than 2,000 additional pods into Solent Waters within the next year.
To help support the project, locals can get involved and sponsor a seed pod for just £20, which includes the sponsorship and a commemorative postcard, as well as regular updates and videos to follow the seed pods’ journey.
What’s more, the Trust is encouraging people to gift a sponsorship to a loved one this Christmas, as a unique and eco-friendly option.
Dr Tim Ferrero, the Trust’s Senior Marine Biologist and the lead on the Solent Seagrass Restoration Project, said:
“Seagrass is an incredibly important habitat for our coast. These ecosystems are vital to create a Wilder Solent, and we’re aiming to get as many people involved as possible – which is why we’re encouraging locals to sponsor a Seagrass pod for Christmas.
“It’s a wonderfully unique gift that gives so much more, as regenerating seagrass meadows will not only create more space for wildlife but, as one of our most effective natural carbon stores, it also helps in the fight against climate change.”
If you would like to sponsor a seagrass seed pod for a loved one or yourself, visit https://www.hiwwt.org.uk/shop to find out how.
What a load of tosh. Unless letting the whole world continue to breed unchecked is stopped, the planet is doomed. Overpopulation is killing the planet faster than climate change ever will. All these “schemes” will not help in the slightest. It wouldn’t surprise me if those shouting loudest about saving the planet also have the most kids.
Well, I for one would be well pist if i got this for a xmas gift.