This campaign has now closed

We collect DNA and cell samples in Britain and cryopreserve them for conservation. Our current focus is endangered British insects, bees, spiders and snails.

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Categories

  • Animals Animals
  • Environment/Conservation Environment/​Conservation
  • Other Other
  • Beneficiaries

    • General Public/Humankind General Public/​Humankind
    • Other Other

    Situation

    Insects, bees, spiders and snails are all crucial to the functioning of our ecosystem. They provide food for larger animals, pollinate flowers and maintain soil composition. The decline of insects in Britain over the last sixty years has already had an impact. During the 70s and 80s, pesticides killed the plants that sawflies and other insects eat. Grey partridge chicks feed on these insects, and as a direct result, grey partridges have declined in numbers by 95%.

    Solution

    Conservation programmes use DNA and cell samples, to reintroduce genetic diversity, provide conservation programmes with genetic information to prevent inbreeding and susceptibility to disease, and provide a baseline measurement to track genetic diversity changes over time.

    100%
    Categories

  • Animals Animals
  • Environment/Conservation Environment/​Conservation
  • Other Other
  • Beneficiaries

    • General Public/Humankind General Public/​Humankind
    • Other Other