April saw a heatwave roll across the UK, with unusual highs of 26C combined with the driest spring in Yorkshire for 90 years. This is a cause for concern for those of us caring for our wildlife and our nature reserves - particularly rare wetland habitats - as well as farmers responsible for food production.

Extreme weather events like these are becoming increasingly common; the highs of 40C during the summer of 2022 came alongside increased periods of intense flash-flooding. There have already been a number of moorland fires across Yorkshire this spring, including a mile-long blaze near Rippendon, with the risk of further wildfires increasing as the dry weather remains.

Chalk streams of the River Hull already 30cm too low

Yorkshire is home to the UK’s most northerly chalk streams, an internationally-rare habitat of which there are less than 200 streams remaining. Our chalk streams are home to equally rare and declining wildlife – from water voles and water shrews to great crested newts and fish.

In ‘ordinary’ years, good quantities of spring rain would keep water levels in our chalk streams high until midsummer. Instead, water levels are already down to those more typically seen in late July and August – and on the Trust’s West Beck chalk stream at Skerne Wetlands nature reserve, water levels are 30cm lower than usual.

Low water levels in chalk streams brings added problems. High temperatures and low flows mean oxygen levels in the water drop rapidly, causing algal blooms and very high nutrient levels that cause problems for fish. Low water levels also dry out pond habitats for amphibians and newts, and increase the risk of them being caught by birds like egrets and herons. Our water voles – already struggling – also suffer when water levels are low. Underwater burrows used as an escape route from birds of prey, stoats and weasels are exposed, and become easily accessible.

Even if rain quantities do increase, the amount of time it would take the water to reach our chalk streams and raise the water table means there is likely to be little improvement for our wildlife for several weeks.

Wetland worries

These issues are also being felt across our wetland reserves, where dropping pond levels and wet habitats drying out could spell disaster for wildlife like dragonflies, wading birds and bog plants. At Wheldrake Ings, ponds and pools are rapidly drying out – causing problems for young wading birds like lapwings, who rely on the shallower water to learn how to feed effectively.

Worries for wildflowers and invertebrates

Down in our southern reserves, our limestone grassland and meadow sites are starting to feel the strain of weeks of dry weather. Grassland areas at Brockadale nature reserve are already seeing areas of bare soil and plants showing signs of drought stress, which could mean we see far fewer displays of wildflowers this year. As a result, this could have serious consequences for invertebrates and pollinators like bees and butterflies – which had a good start to the year, but have noticeably decreased in number over the past month or so.

Impacts on our invertebrates and grassland wildlife are more likely to be seen and felt over a number of years. The unpredictability of our weather over the past few years has given wildlife far less opportunity to bounce back from periods of more extreme weather fronts – as we wrote in our article last year in collaboration with Butterfly Conservation.

Wildlife on the move

Little egret and Cetti’s warbler have both extended their range north into Yorkshire in recent years. 50 years ago they would have had birdwatchers in raptures of delight, but now they are almost commonplace.

Whilst climate change brings new species, we will also lose species as the climate warms. The arctic-alpine flora of Yorkshire is at obvious risk. Dwarf cornel survives on steep north-facing slopes in a single locality in the North York Moors. It would be surprising if it was still there in 50 years’ time. The warmer the North Sea gets, the further north sand eels will move – and the further our puffins will have to travel in order to feed. For some wildlife, even a difference of a few degrees could spell the difference between life and death.

What can we do for wildlife?

Sadly, this isn’t surprising news to the Wildlife Trusts. We published a report called Changing Nature in July 2022 that examined the impacts of the changing climate across all the wild places we manage, covering nearly 400 square miles. The report found that 94% of our 2,700 nature reserves will see maximum summer temperatures increase more than 1C by 2050. Half of the Wildlife Trusts’ reserves will experience 30 days or more of very high wildfire risk per year, and more than half will see nearby river flows drop by more than 30% at times.

However, there are a few actions you can take to help your wildlife – both at home and regionally:

Make sure water and shade are available in your garden

Our garden wildlife – our robins, frogs, butterflies and hedgehogs – need water to survive and shade to rest. Provide a shallow dish of water for thirsty wildlife, and make sure to place a stone or small ramp in to help wildlife get out. Top up your bird bath to create space for wildlife to bathe, and leave some areas of your garden messy to create more shade. 

Jack Wallington, wildlife gardening advocate based in Calderdale and author of A Greener Life, says, "

“Times of drought in gardens can be tough, but treat it as an experiment to see which plants thrive or survive - some plants like lawns might turn brown when dry, then bounce back quickly when it rains. As our climate becomes less predictable, spotting plants good for wildlife that are also resilient to extremes will be essential.” 

“Move seedlings and plants in pots into shaded areas until the hot dry spell is over, this will help conserve water needed to keep them alive.” 

“Plants in the ground are more resilient than those in pots because their roots can stretch deep into the soil, but only once they’ve had time to establish. Consider holding off planting out small seedlings until we finally have some rain again.”

Please be mindful of how much water your household is using, and consider other methods of water storage for use in your garden. The more water we don’t use, the more water is available in the natural system for wildlife. Storing water is also important during flood events and drought – so consider putting in a water butt or pond and making your garden a wilder space for everyone. Check your taps aren’t leaking, install water-efficient showerheads, and make sure all of your water-using appliances are serviced regularly.

Do not light fires or have disposable barbecues in any wild spaces

Fires can be devastating for wildlife, particularly in dry weather when there is very little wet space to act as a break. In our uplands it is currently ground-nesting bird season, and both adult birds and chicks and eggs are at high risk from moorland fires, which they would struggle to escape from. Upland fires also take resources away from our fire services that are needed elsewhere, and can take a very long time to tackle.

We know the nice weather brings with it a temptation to get outside, but please – only BBQ in designated areas or your own back garden.

Join your local Wildlife Trust and help us lobby for better protection for wildlife

Yorkshire’s terrestrial wildlife sites and protected areas are too few, too small and too scattered – just 15% of the county – to form a healthy and resilient ecological network. Yorkshire Wildlife Trust is working at-scale across the landscape to create bigger and more joined up spaces for wildlife, giving our wildlife the option to relocate to less badly-affected habitat during extreme weather events and our habitat more chance to recover.

We have also been supporting local authorities to create Local Nature Recovery Strategies that work for Yorkshire and for the wildlife unique to each region. A Local Nature Recovery Strategy is a plan to identify locations in your local region where collectively we can improve nature and provide other environmental benefits, such as carbon sequestration, flood regulation, and access to nature-rich spaces for health and wellbeing.

Finally, we also act as part of the combined Wildlife Trusts Federation to lobby the government to provide better protections for our wildlife in law. By joining your local Wildlife Trust, you are adding your voice to over 900,000 others – and speaking up for our wildlife where it cannot protect itself.