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17-495: The trust was established under the St Helena National Trust Ordinance, 2001. Its principle objectives are to preserve, maintain, manage, protect and augment, tender advice, promote access to and enjoyment of land, buildings, animal life, plant life, marine life, furniture, pictures, and documents and chattels of any description having national or historic or artistic interest. The Millennium Forest

34-520: Is a 250-hectare area of replanting on the island, which aims to restore part of what was the Great Wood. The trust continues to repopulate the forest and uses it for community engagement, connecting the endemic species and invertebrates, in lesson planning, and for general awareness. The trust is committed to the conservation of the Saint Helena plover , the national bird of the island, which

51-418: Is due to the introduction of invasive species . Invasive species invade and exploit a new habitat for its natural resources as a method to outcompete the native organisms, eventually taking over the habitat. This can lead to either the native species' extinction or causing them to become endangered, which also eventually causes extinction. Plants and animals may also go extinct due to disease. The introduction of

68-542: Is locally known as the wirebird. The Darwin Plus 107 project assists the Trust with the reduction of invasive vertebrate species that serve as a threat to the wirebird population. Within the last four years, the trust has established a marine conservation section, working in partnership with Blue Marine Foundation , with a key focus being whale sharks , known locally as "bone sharks". In 2006, Michel Dancoisne-Martineau donated

85-493: Is the national bird of St Helena and has been depicted on the country's coins. Populations in general have been declining. Threats include predation by cats, the introduction of the common myna , deforestation, off-road vehicle use, the Saint Helena Airport and a projected windfarm. In 2016, the population had recovered to about 560 mature individuals, from a previous minimum of less than 200 in 2006; consequently,

102-567: The East India Company records of St Helena from 1673 and 1834. Saint Helena plover The Saint Helena plover ( Anarhynchus sanctaehelenae ), locally known as the wirebird due to its thin legs, is a small wader endemic to the island of Saint Helena in the mid-Atlantic. The bird is similar in appearance to Kittlitz's plover and the Madagascar plover , but a little larger and an absence of chamois coloring. It

119-701: The RSPB to monitor the birds and try to stop their decline. Critically Endangered An IUCN Red List Critically Endangered ( CR or sometimes CE ) species is one that has been categorized by the International Union for Conservation of Nature as facing an extremely high risk of extinction in the wild. As of December 2023, of the 157,190 species currently on the IUCN Red List, 9,760 of those are listed as Critically Endangered, with 1,302 being possibly extinct and 67 possibly extinct in

136-567: The loss of biodiversity . This is along with natural forces that may create stress on the species or cause an animal population to become extinct. Currently the biggest reason for species extinction is human interaction resulting in habitat loss. Species rely on their habitat for the resources needed for their survival. If the habitat becomes destroyed, the population will see a decline in their numbers. Activities that cause loss of habitat include pollution , urbanization , and agriculture . Another reason for plants and animals to become endangered

153-434: The "Threatened" category. As the IUCN Red List does not consider a species extinct until extensive targeted surveys have been conducted, species that are possibly extinct are still listed as Critically Endangered. IUCN maintains a list of "possibly extinct" and "possibly extinct in the wild" species, modelled on categories used by BirdLife International to categorize these taxa . To be defined as Critically Endangered in

170-605: The 1970s. Feral cats and accidentally introduced rats are believed to have played a significant role in the decline, as, to a lesser extent has the introduced common myna . A census in 1988–89 recorded roughly 450 birds, although that number declined sharply over the following decade, due to causes not fully understood. By the late 1990s and early 2000s, censuses suggested that the bird's numbers had stabilised at about 350 adults. However, surveys done in 2005–6 recorded another sharp decline, with only some 200–220 adult birds remaining. Due to its dropping numbers and uncertain prospects,

187-480: The Red List, a species must meet any of the following criteria (A–E) ("3G/10Y" signifies three generations or ten years—whichever is longer—over a maximum of 100 years; "MI" signifies Mature Individuals): The current extinction crisis is witnessing extinction rates that are occurring at a faster rate than that of the natural extinction rate. It has largely been credited towards human impacts on climate change and

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204-903: The Saint Helena plover was uplisted to Critically Endangered in the 2007 version of the IUCN Red List . A reassessment in 2016 suggested that the population had recovered somewhat from this minimum and may be slowly increasing; as a consequence, the species was downlisted to Vulnerable . The reasons for the previous decline and ongoing inhibition of population growth decline remain elusive. Habitat loss—due to changes in agricultural practices, increases in invasive plant populations, and development—has almost certainly had an impact. The increasing use of off-road vehicles threatens nests and eggs. Feral cat populations are increasing, as trapping levels have declined and fewer people neuter their pet cats. Construction activity has apparently dispersed some of

221-481: The heart-shaped Waterfall Valley to the trust. A new pathway was constructed through the valley, which opened in December 2010. The trust also wants to preserve and promote the island's built heritage, especially that from the 17th and 18th centuries. The trust have begun a project to restore High Knoll Fort near Jamestown. The trust is currently working on the digitisation of the archives, particularly focusing on

238-403: The smaller subpopulations . The newly built Saint Helena Airport at Prosperous Bay Plain has altered one of the major patches of remaining habitat, especially as other grassland is now slated for reforestation to aid recovery of the island's ecosystem, and a major wind turbine project has been proposed for the species' most important breeding area. There are currently projects underway led by

255-474: The species was downlisted to Vulnerable from its previous assessment of Critically Endangered . Kittlitz's plover is the Saint Helena bird's closest relative. The Saint Helena plover is generally larger (around 15 cm (6 in) in size ) with spindlier legs. The bird was first mentioned in 1638, and is the national bird of Saint Helena, featured on the island's coat of arms and flag. Some older local 5 pence coins (those issued prior to 1998) have

272-433: The wild . The IUCN Red List provides the public with information regarding the conservation status of animal, fungi, and plant species. It divides various species into seven different categories of conservation that are based on habitat range, population size, habitat, threats, etc. Each category represents a different level of global extinction risk. Species that are considered to be Critically Endangered are placed within

289-432: The wirebird on the reverse. This plover is resident all year on the open areas of Saint Helena, and it is thought that the widespread deforestation on the island, while generally harmful for the island's ecosystem , has in fact benefitted this particular species, since it lives in open clearings in the forest . Saint Helena plover numbers have been fluctuating, but in general the trend has been downward since at least

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