Latest News – August 2026
Wildlife:
I’m really worried what damage this has done to our bees and wildlife and of course our trees. I have a bird bath and bowl of water in my garden every day.
Damage to our trees:
Heatwaves can severely stress trees, causing water loss, branch drop, leaf wilting, slowed growth, and in extreme cases, tree death.
Trees rely on water to transport nutrients, maintain growth, and cool themselves through transpiration. During a heatwave, high temperatures increase water loss from leaves and soil, often faster than roots can replenish it, creating water stress. This stress slows vital biological processes, including nutrient transport and cellular repair, weakening the tree’s structural integrity and overall health.
Common Signs of Heat Stress
Sudden branch drop: Large branches may fall unexpectedly due to weakened structural support, a phenomenon sometimes called “sudden branch drop syndrome”
Leaves may curl, droop, or turn brown at the edges, and in severe cases, fall prematurely. Prolonged heat and drought can cause gradual dieback of branches and thinning of the canopy, reduced growth and photosynthesis: Water stress limits carbon dioxide uptake, slowing photosynthesis and sugar production needed for growth and repair. So, trees losing their leaves are stressed because of the weather.
Fires:
Not forgetting all these horrible fires everywhere too. A big one in Wales and one in Scotland. Massive fire on Dunwich Heath, more pressure on our wildlife.
A lot of people are giving up turtles and terrapins so a Rescue Centre in Kent has been really busy, will be sending them a donation soon too.
Urgent Funds needed for Autumn/Winter
Roll on the Autumn when hopefully things can slowly recover, but Hay will be in very short supply this year due to the weather. So Wetnose will be saving pennies to help as many Rescue Centres as we can this Autumn/Winter. There will be a real shortage of hay this Winter, as a lot of Rescue Centres have been using their winter hay in the summer months as there is no grass.
This will be a big worry this Winter, so will keep an eye on this.
