SIR 

What happens when wildlife is threatened by a new road, housing estate or industry? Unlike people, nature can't speak up or campaign against damaging development. Sometimes, the developer is not even aware that the wildlife is there.

Enter Gwent Wildlife Trust, your local nature conservation charity. Every year, we work closely with council planners and developers to reduce the impact of development and to make the very best efforts to protect wildlife from harm. We do this by suggesting ways to avoid damaging wildlife and to increase opportunities for biodiversity within the completed scheme. 

Our latest work has included helping to influence the development of a new hospital, to retain habitat for rare fungi within the grounds; working with local residents to oppose an incinerator; and directing the siting of wind turbines to avoid collisions with birds and bats. We've also successfully campaigned for changes to local development plans to strengthen wildlife protection policies. Most recently, we've even challenged the Welsh Government to ensure that nature is given due consideration in drawing up road-building plans around Newport. 

But these vital efforts to help protect our wildlife come at a cost! 

Every week, GWT staff investigate 100's of planning applications. Every week, around 10% of these applications will need further action to help the developers understand the wildlife that could be affected, or to recommend changes that will protect and enhance the wildlife of Gwent. 

And all too often, GWT has to fight to prevent damaging developments which, left unchecked, will cause irreparable harm to the valuable wildlife of Gwent. However, their main focus is to support development with advice that allows the developers to work with the wildlife of Gwent and where possible enhance it. But they desperately need your help.

•£10 will ensure that a single household planning application with a wildlife concern gets the support they need to improve their application in such a way that the wildlife can benefit.

•£100 allows GWT staff to evaluate each week's 100's of new planning applications from across the county of Gwent.

•£1000 will pay for GWT's time to run a campaign against a particularly devastating development.

•£25,000 will ensure that this invaluable work is protected for the whole of 2013, GWT's fiftieth anniversary year.

Please donate to help protect Gwent's wildlife.

To give your support to the work of Gwent Wildlife Trust, please ring them on 01600 740600 to pay by credit or debit card, or post your cheque to Seddon House, Dingestow, Monmouth NP25 4DY. Or for more information, go to http://www.gwentwildlife.org">www.gwentwildlife.org.