23-702: Isleworth Ait is a London Wildlife Trust nature reserve, and is a teardrop-shaped island in the River Thames in England, between 3.5-hectare (8.6-acre) and 9.370-acre (3.792 ha). The long ait is on the Tideway facing Old Isleworth and the towpath alongside the Royal Mid-Surrey Golf Club . These places are in the London Boroughs of Hounslow and Richmond upon Thames . The island faces Heron's Place and
46-497: A common interest in wildlife and biodiversity, rooted in a practical tradition of land management and conservation. Almost all Wildlife Trusts are significant landowners, with many nature reserves. Collectively they are the third largest voluntary sector landowners in the UK. They often have extensive educational activities, and programmes of public events and education. The Wildlife Trusts centrally and locally also lobby for better protection of
69-405: A number of commercial buildings. It is not open to the public, other than on organised event or volunteering days. Isleworth Ait is covered by densely packed trees, and provides a sanctuary for a variety of wildlife. It floods regularly, but is home to more than 57 species of bird life, including the tree-creeper, kingfisher and heron. Two rare species of air-breathing land gastropods also live on
92-580: Is a local nature charity for its area. The Trust manages 36 nature reserves in Greater London and provides education services for schools, events for nature enthusiasts, and information on how to help London's wildlife. The Trust pioneered the systematic recording of data on wildlife and the environment in the capital. Its "Biological Recording Project" became the semi-independent "Greenspace Information for Greater London", known as GIGL. The Trust has more than 50 members of staff and 700 volunteers, and
115-407: Is a member of The National Council for Voluntary Youth Services (NCVYS) . The Wildlife Trusts offer a Biodiversity Benchmark scheme through which companies can be assessed and recognised for their contribution to biodiversity. The assessment covers the organisation's performance under the headings of "Commitment, Planning, Implementation, and Monitoring and Review". The Wildlife Trusts are one of
138-460: Is an independent charity, with a membership formed of the 46 individual charitable Trusts. It acts as an umbrella group for the individual Wildlife Trusts, as well as operating a separate Grants Unit which administers a number of funds. King Charles III serves as the patron of the Wildlife Trusts. David Bellamy was president of The Wildlife Trusts for ten years between 1995 and 2005, and
161-449: Is supported by over 12,000 members. It's reserves receive over 1 million visits per year. In its 2024 strategy document the Trust sets out its vision and mission, as well as plans for a five-year period. The trust states its vision as "A London alive with wildlife, nature in everyone's neighbourhood." Royal Society of Wildlife Trusts The Wildlife Trusts , the trading name of
184-516: Is the sewerage catchment mainly has separate surface water drainage (drains for rainwater to flow into rivers and soakaways) which thus keeps untreated storm discharges from sewerage works low by not sending storm water to them. Such a system is more "desirable" and "preferable" though costlier to build. The older system alternative is that of combined sewers , having succeeded many former rivers in London . Excess discharges from all those older outfalls to
207-612: The Royal Society of Wildlife Trusts , is an organisation made up of 46 local Wildlife Trusts in the United Kingdom , the Isle of Man and Alderney . The Wildlife Trusts, between them, look after more than 2,300 nature reserves , covering around 98,500 hectares (243,000 acres). As of 2020 , the Trusts have a combined membership of over 870,000 members. The Royal Society of Wildlife Trusts (RSWT)
230-523: The 1930s; visitor access is granted to local volunteers of the London Wildlife Trust . 51°28′08″N 0°19′15″W / 51.4690°N 0.3207°W / 51.4690; -0.3207 London Wildlife Trust London Wildlife Trust ( LWT ) is an English wildlife charity based in London. Founded in 1981, London Wildlife Trust is one of 46 members of the Royal Society of Wildlife Trusts (known as The Wildlife Trusts), each of which
253-618: The Promotion of Nature Reserves (SPNR), which was formed by Charles Rothschild in 1912. It aimed initially to draw up a list of the country's best wildlife sites with a view to purchase for protection as nature reserves, and by 1915 it had drawn up a list of 284 (including the Farne Islands and the Norfolk Broads ), known as Rothschild Reserves. During the early years, membership tended to be made up of specialist naturalists and its growth
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#1732855829824276-674: The Thames southwest of the island and its distributary to feed former mills and the lake in Syon Park , the Duke of Northumberland's River , to the northwest. Thames Water owns the island, which houses the outfall from the Mogden Sewage Treatment Works draining outer West London plus Wraysbury and Spelthorne – effluent of more than 2,000,000 residents in all. Most of the outfall has always meant to have been treated. The local setup
299-419: The UK's natural heritage, by becoming involved in planning matters and by national campaigning through the Royal Society of Wildlife Trusts . The Trusts rely heavily upon volunteer labour for many of their activities, but nevertheless employ significant numbers of staff in countryside management and education. Thanks to their work promoting the personal and social development of young people, The Wildlife Trusts
322-429: The east are to be about 99% collected by a 2025 completion date tunnel . The Mogden works, which is a consolidation of many across its catchment, for a complete approach towards cleaning London's main watercourse, is being upgraded from the late 2010s to the early 2020s after billions of litres annually of untreated outfall from the island. The Metropolitan Water Board bought the ait from the Duke of Northumberland in
345-585: The first urban Wildlife Trust (now the Wildlife Trust for Birmingham and the Black Country ) was established in the West Midlands , rapidly followed by others in London, Bristol and Sheffield. This was a watershed for the movement that strengthened its focus on wildlife and people. It was during this period that some Trusts changed their names from Naturalist Societies to Trusts for Nature Conservation. In 2002
368-577: The geographical areas they served. Encouraged by the growing number of Trusts, the SPNR began in 1957 to discuss the possibility of forming a national federation of Naturalists' Trusts. Kent Naturalists Trust was established in 1958 with SPNR being active in encouraging its formation. In the following year the SPNR established the County Naturalists' Committee, which organised the first national conference for Naturalists' Trusts at Skegness in 1960. By 1964,
391-451: The group changed their name to The Royal Society of Wildlife Trusts. The badger logo was adopted by the movement to establish its common identity. Also in 2002, the newest wildlife trust was formed, in Alderney . As the number of Trusts grew, so did their combined membership, from 3,000 in 1960 to 21,000 in 1965. Membership topped 100,000 in 1975, and in that year Wildlife Watch was launched as
414-479: The island, the two-lipped door snail Balea biplicata and the German hairy snail Pseudotrichia rubiginosa , as well as several rare species of beetles. This variety of unusual wildlife makes the island one of the London Wildlife Trust 's most remarkable reserves. It is a local nature reserve and part of The River Thames and tidal tributaries Site of Metropolitan Importance for Nature Conservation . Isleworth Ait
437-487: The number of Trusts had increased to 36 and the Society for the Promotion of Nature Reserves had changed its name to The Society for the Promotion of Nature Conservation. In recognition of the movement's growing importance, its name was changed to The Royal Society for Nature Conservation in 1981. The movement continued to develop throughout the 1970s, and, by the early 1980s, most of today's Trusts had been established. In 1980,
460-489: The steering group partners of Neighbourhoods Green , a partnership initiative which works with social landlords and housing associations to highlight the importance of, and raise the overall quality of design and management for, open and green space in social housing. Kathryn Brown OBE was appointed as the charity’s first director of climate action in January 2022. Today's Wildlife Trust movement began life as The Society for
483-851: Was comparatively slow. The first independent Trust was formed in Norfolk in 1926 as the Norfolk Naturalists Trust, followed in 1938 by the Pembrokeshire Bird Protection Society which after several subsequent changes of name is now the Wildlife Trust of South and West Wales and it was not until the 1940s and 1950s that more Naturalists' Trusts were formed in Yorkshire (1946), Lincolnshire (1948), Leicestershire (1956) and Cambridgeshire (1956). These early Trusts tended to focus on purchasing land to establish nature reserves in
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#1732855829824506-465: Was once a centre for the production of osier - a willow which used to be harvested on the island to weave baskets to carry fruit and vegetables grown in Middlesex to the markets in London. Much of the island has resulted from five pre-19th century neighbouring islands, overall covering a broader area and partially reduced by river erosion intensified by passing boat traffic. The River Crane flows into
529-489: Was succeeded by Aubrey Manning . Sir David Attenborough, Simon King and Tony Juniper are all Presidents Emeritus. Stephanie Hilborne OBE was chief executive for 15 years, and left in October 2019. Craig Bennett became CEO from April 6, 2020. Wildlife Trusts are local organisations of differing size, history and origins, and can vary greatly in their constitution, activities and membership. However, all Wildlife Trusts share
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