LOFA’s Plant a Tree Campaign

Attendance at SOLEX will boost the number of trees for the RSPB. We asked Amy Shaw, Corporate Partnerships Manager, for the RSPB to give us an insight into the organisation, her role and why it is so important to support nature and the environment.

My job role is to support companies to help in the fight to save nature through their business, whether this be donating to the RSPB through their sales or getting employees out onto our reserves to provide some hands-on help for our reserve teams. I work within the RSPB’s fundraising team. It is our job not only to raise funds to support the many amazing conservation projects that the RSPB carries out, but also to raise awareness of what people and businesses can do to help in the fight to save nature.”

Amy has been working for the RSPB for 2 years and loves her job. She has a passion for nature and spending time outdoors, and spends each day doing what she loves - protecting amazing outside spaces and species that are so important.

“It is vitally important that businesses get involved in nature conservation. The next decade will be vital for the future of our planet and our contribution has never been needed more. We need everyone, businesses, government and individuals to rally together to save nature. By working together we can achieve even more for nature,” says Amy.

LOFA are supporting the RSPB to plant trees at RSPB Haweswater. RSPB Haweswater encompasses 30 square kilometres of mossy woodland, rushing streams, moorland, heath and bog, set within a dramatic mountainous landscape on the eastern edge of the Lake District National Park. It offers opportunities for seclusion and encounters with woodland birds, red squirrels and other special upland wildlife. LOFA’s and the RSPB’s work here is helping ensure the future of this fantastic site.

Amy Shaw RSPB Corporate Partnerships Manager

LOFA are partnering with the RSPB in July 2022 and donating £5 for every visitor that attends the SOLEX Exhibition.

Help us to help the environment and give nature a home SOLEX 2022 12-14 July, NEC, Birmingham www.solexexhibition.com

Amy’s colleague Lee Schofield, Site Manager at RSPB Haweswater has written a book about the amazing conservation work in Wild Fell, which was published in February 2022. https://smarturl.it/WildFell.

Amy explains: “Trees are really important for nature and the climate, and the trees planted at RSPB Haweswater by LOFA will form new hedgerows, part of big plans to expand the hedgerows on site. Hedgerows are vital as they provide excellent stores of carbon, food and nesting sites for birds, and act as highways for wildlife moving between wooded areas. We want to see more hedgerows across the UK which is why the work supported by LOFA at RSPB Haweswater is so important.

“As the climate and nature crisis worsens, hedgerows will become even more important as carbon store and vital habitats for nature. Hedgerows are essential for the species that call RSPB Haweswater home, such as red squirrels, ring ouzel and mountain ringlet butterflies. There is a tremendous amount that businesses can do to help the fight to save nature. I’d urge any business considering getting involved to reach out to an environmental organisation, such as the RSPB and explore how they are best placed to help”.

Anyone can help nature and the environment from using less water to reducing, reusing and recycling, choosing sustainable food, using energy efficient light bulbs or planting more trees. This leads into the last question to Amy, ‘what is your favourite tree?’ “Picking one favourite tree is so hard because they are all brilliant. If I have to pick one, I would say an apple tree because of the delicious fruit it provides for people and the excellent habitats it creates for our wildlife. Apple trees are great for gardens making them a great choice for us all to consider planting.”