SO far as I can see there have been no positive things to come out of the foot and mouth disease.

Except one! Even the most committed town dweller now knows how important the countryside is to all of us.

Now is the time for each and every one of us to make a positive contribution but how can we do it?

One way is to join the Lancashire Wildlife Trust. For details contact: The Lancashire Wildlife Trust, Cuerden Park Wildlife Centre, Shady Lane, Bamber Bridge, Preston, PR5 6AU.

Telephone: 01772 324129. Fax: 01772 628849.

Drop the Trust a line...Click here...

The county-based Wildlife Trusts provide a focus for monitoring the wildlife and also improving the environment of the region.

I do hope that the recent crisis in the countryside will stimulate people to join their county Wildlife Trust.

It is, however, not sufficient just to join -- although the membership fees are useful -- but there are more active ways of being useful.

The quarterly magazine of the Lancashire Wildlife Trust is a colourful publication called lapwing.

In the spring issue of 2000, for example, there was a detailed account relating to Lancashire's otters.

Otters were fairly common in Britain up to the late 1950s. Gamekeepers and otter hunters controlled their numbers.

In fact, it is the hunt records that gives some idea of the population numbers up until the late 1970s when otter hunting was thankfully banned.

In Lancashire many traditional otter habitat was destroyed by pollution and only in recent years has water quality improved sufficiently to support fish.

Whenever there are plenty of fish there is food for otter. Lancashire's improving water quality is likely to allow the otters to spread.

Anyone interested in discovering more scientific detail of their local environment should join their Wildlife Trust. This is one way in which YOU can play your part in improving your local environment.