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Headlines from week beginning 13 July 2015 |
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A round up of the top countryside, conservation, wildlife and forestry stories as chosen by the CJS Team.
Making a B-Line in the West of England for National Pollinator Week
– Avon Wildlife Trust
Image credit: Jon Hawkins At the start of National Pollinator Week Buglife and Avon Wildlife
Trust are pleased to announce the successful restoration of the first
100 acres of wildflower-rich grassland via the West of England B-Lines
project. By connecting our best wildlife sites, the project is helping
to boost populations of bees, butterflies and other pollinating insects. Clare Dinham, Buglife Conservation Officer, said “Bees and other
pollinators are disappearing from our countryside because we have lost
97% of the UK's wildflower-rich grasslands since 1945. By creating
B-Lines we can help wildlife move across our countryside, saving
threatened species and making sure that there are plenty of pollinators
out there to help crops grow.” The West of England B-Lines project aims to create rivers of
wildflowers across the countryside from the Cotswolds to the Mendips,
from the coast to the hills, and from our towns and cities to the
countryside. The project has been working with farmers, landowners and
the public to create and restore wildflower-rich grasslands and put the
buzz back into our countryside.
Four free to download moorland-themed apps launched - Moors for the
Future
Image:
Moors for the Future The apps are the first moorland-themed identification guides that
have been created to help visitors learn about the uniqueness, beauty
and importance of the Peak District National Park and South Pennine
moors. The free apps provide a useful field guide looking at plants, moss,
wildlife and some of the landscape features found on moorland. Available to download on iOS and Android, on smartphones and tablets,
or even as a printable pdf, the new apps have been created as part of
the Moors for the Future Partnership’s MoorLIFE project. MoorMOSS, MoorPLANTS, MoorSIGHTS and MoorWILD have been designed with
the Peak District and South Pennines in mind, but will be useful on
moorlands across the UK. The Apps have been developed in conjunction with Natural Apptitude.
Director David Kilbey said: "We're interested in building apps and
contributing to projects that both help the environment and enrich
people's experience of it. The four apps that we produced with Moors for
the Future really met these objectives and provide a fantastic resource
for people wanting to learn more about the fascinating and beautiful
Peak District National Park."
Redrawing the Essex shoreline to give coastal nature a home - RSPB A landmark environmental project made possible due to a unique
partnership between Crossrail and the RSPB reached a significant
milestone this weekend. Wallasea Island Wild Coast project, located eight miles north of
Southend-on-Sea in Essex, aims to transform 670 hectares of farmland, an
area about 2.5 times the size of the City of London, back into the
coastal marshland it once was some 400 years ago. Over three million tonnes of excavated material from Europe’s biggest
infrastructure project, Crossrail, has been used to raise part of the
island by an average of 1.5 m, creating lagoons and other
wildlife-friendly features and protecting these areas with new
sea-walls. Sea wall breached
Protecting native amphibians from invasive disease – Freshwater
Habitats Trust A newly-discovered species of chytrid fungal disease that can infect
and kill a wide range of newts and salamanders has become established in
a few wild amphibian populations in parts of Europe. The fungus, called Batrachochytrium salamandrivorans (B.sal), is
causing devastating population declines. It is thought to be spread
internationally by the amphibian trade and unless all concerned (pet
traders, scientists and amphibian keepers) take great care and apply
some simple biosecurity measures, there is a risk that it could be
introduced to captive and wild amphibian populations elsewhere in
Europe. It has already been found in captive newts and salamanders in
the UK.
Pupils learn using conservation techniques – Wildfowl & Wetlands
Trust
Pupils from Sacred Heart School, Camberwell were among the first to
take part in Conservation Explorers, which is being trialled at WWT
London Wetland Centre. Image: Conservation Explorers from Sacred Heart
School, WWT Conservation Explorers is an investigative activity for Key Stages 2
and 3 (ages 7-14) that allows learners to be conservation scientists for
the day. Pupils carry out tasks including measuring birds’ preening
rates and using digital photography to help identify and count species
on the wetlands. The pupils carry a GPS device which tracks their route around the
wetland centre. They then upload their research results to specific
points on their track via a bespoke website, which provides content for
further sessions once they’ve returned to school.
Wildlife Charity’s concerns of Osbournes automatic planning permission
- Buglife
Whilst large a proportion of brownfield land does provide ideal
opportunity for sustainable redevelopment, a small proportion of sites
support some of the UK’s most rare and endangered wildlife especially
bugs! Brownfield land in the Thames Gateway supports nationally
important populations of Shrill carder bees, Streaked bombardier beetles
and Distinguished jumping spiders. In fact some of these bugs are found
nowhere else! Without brownfield sites these species could become be
lost. According to the Natural England inventory of Open Mosaic Habitat
on Previously Developed Land around 8% of brownfield land in England is
thought to be of ‘high environmental value’ as defined in recently
published guidance.
Call for summer beachcombers to hunt for skate egg cases – Scottish
Natural Heritage Walkers, divers and fishermen in Argyll are being asked to report
sightings of common skate egg cases, to help Scottish Natural Heritage
(SNH) learn more about where the huge fish are breeding. The call for information comes after a Marine Protected Area (MPA)
for common skate was put in place last year between Loch Sunart and the
Sound of Jura. The west coast of Scotland and Orkney appear to be the
last strongholds for the critically endangered fish in the UK. As its name suggests, the common skate was once widely distributed
and was an important part of the inshore commercial fishery. However the
numbers of skate have fallen dramatically in most coastal areas of the
UK and it is now classed as critically endangered. Living in deep, dark water, common skate grow to up to 3m in length,
live for up to 100 years and weigh over 15 stone. They are the largest
species of skate in Europe and research shows that although most fish
move only small distances, they can swim for more than 200 km. Jane Dodd, SNH marine operations officer said: “We’d like everyone in
Argyll to look out for skate egg cases, particularly people going to the
beach over the summer holidays. And if you are a diver and remember
seeing them on a dive please scour your log book and let us know where,
when and how many you saw - even if you can only give us approximate
dates and locations this might help us solve the mystery of when and
where skate lay their eggs."
Additional funding for endangered species – North York Moors
National Park Work to safeguard Yorkshire’s last remaining population of freshwater
pearl mussels (FPM) has been given a helping hand in the shape of a
£300,000 grant from Biffa Award. The grant forms part of a larger
£1.5million Biffa Award project led by the Freshwater Biological
Association that will also see river restoration carried out in a number
of FPM catchments in Cumbria and Devon. Gillian French, Biffa Award Programme Manager said: “This project is
an exciting opportunity to save one of the most long-lived animals from
extinction; the freshwater pearl mussel can live for more than 100 years
and is internationally protected”. The new project will run from 2015 to 2018 and, in Yorkshire, will
focus on the river Esk in the North York Moors National Park. The river
Esk is the only river in Yorkshire with a FPM population. The population
is estimated to be approximately 1,000 individuals and is in drastic
decline. Pollution and sediment build up, decline in fish populations
and habitat degradation are all reasons for their decline. Sharing knowledge and best practice with landowners, the local
community and other conservation groups will be a key element of the new
project on the river Esk. In addition, volunteer groups and angling
clubs will take part in monitoring and restoration work, including the
planting of trees along the river bank, removing non-native invasive
species such as Japanese knotweed and Himalayan balsam and sampling
invertebrate life throughout the river. The funding will also help
sponsor a Master of Research degree at Durham University, which will
look at water quality throughout the catchment. Simon Hirst, River Esk Project Officer at the North York Moors
National Park Authority, said: “This is a brilliant opportunity for
people from a number of different backgrounds to get involved in the
conservation of a rare and valuable species. They may not be cute and
cuddly but FPM is an important indicator species; if we get conditions
right for them, it will have positive knock on benefits for a range of
other wildlife such as otters, Atlantic salmon, dippers and
kingfishers.” As well as working with farmers to reduce sediment and nutrient input
into the Esk, the project will focus on improving the reproductive
success of FPM through the Freshwater Biological Association’s captive
breeding programme. In 2007, mussels from the Esk were taken to an ‘ark’
facility in the Lake District which houses and breeds populations from
threatened FPM rivers in England. By 2018, it is hoped that sections of
the Esk will have been restored and suitable habitat will be available
which can accommodate the return of juvenile mussels.
Pine marten in Shropshire!
First confirmed sighting of a pine marten in England for a century Last week, an amateur photographer and wildlife recorder sent two
photographs to Shropshire Wildlife Trust which sent a wave of excitement
through the charity – and to Stuart Edmunds, Communications Officer, in
particular. For the past five years, Stuart has been running the Shropshire Pine
Marten project, following up sightings, mostly from the Shropshire Hills
area, where there is plenty of forest cover and low human population
density. So far, all the reports have been either unverifiable or cases
of mistaken identification. But Stuart remained convinced that one day,
conclusive evidence would emerge of the presence of pine martens. So when Dave Pearce sent his photos through to him, Stuart was
thrilled to bits. Here at last, was photographic evidence of a pine
marten in Shropshire. He spent the weekend checking Pearce’s location
details, matching moss and twig patterns in the photo against the actual
site of the recording. There is a thriving population of at least 4,000 pine martens in
Scotland and they are known to exist in Wales in small numbers in
Snowdonia and mid Wales. These creatures are very mobile, easily
travelling 20km in a day. Pine martens are also highly territorial, with
bigger ones pushing out younger, smaller ones so they need to travel to
set up new territories. Very likely, the Shropshire marten has come from
Wales.
New charity seeks the mass restoration of Britain’s wildlife –
Rewilding Britain A new organisation, the first of its kind in Britain, is launching
along with its new website on Tuesday. Rewilding Britain is looking to
bring back missing species, allow native forests to grow once more on
the hills, let rivers run wild and help parts of the sea recover from
industrial fishing. It will seek to restore species that used to live here but have since
become extinct or very rare. These include beavers, wild boar, bison,
cranes, pelicans, sturgeon, bluefin tuna, lynx and eventually wolves,
grey whales, humpbacks and sperm whales. Rewilding Britain hopes to
establish at least three core areas of rewilded land by 2030, which
means, in each case, 100,000 hectares or more. Rebecca Wrigley, programme manager for Rewilding Britain, said: “An
important part of our work will be to inspire and inform, and build a
wider movement for rewilding. Rewilding projects on the ground will be
locally owned and locally run. Our new website features a selection of
fantastic rewilding projects that are already up and running across
Britain. We hope we can gather a groundswell of support. We want to amplify
the message that some pioneers have been putting out for decades, and
attract new support. Rewilding is really for everyone who cares about
our future. Our ecosystems need us.”
Wildlife in
built-up areas: an undervalued part of our urban ecosystems –
University of Lincoln Urban wildlife such as deer, foxes and badgers should be cherished
for the ecological benefits they bring to towns and cities, rather than
feared as potentially harmful pests, scientists argue in a new report.
Bee disease confirmed – Scottish Government American foulbrood detected in apiary near Alyth Perthshire. An outbreak of American foulbrood (AFB), a disease affecting colonies
of honeybees, has been found in an apiary near Alyth, Perthshire. The
disease was confirmed today following laboratory diagnosis by Science
and Advice for Scottish Agriculture (SASA). The AFB infected hives are being destroyed as there is no permitted
treatment for the disease in the UK. There are no risks to public health
from AFB and no implications for the quality and safety of honey. The
movement of bees and related equipment into, or out of, the affected
apiary are under specific controls supervised by Scottish Government Bee
Inspectors and include enhanced biosecurity measures and increased
vigilance in the area. Bee farmers and beekeepers are being urged to be vigilant for signs
of the disease, to maintain good husbandry practices and to notify any
suspicion of disease to BeesMailbox@scotland.gsi.gov.uk. Classic signs
of the disease are sunken cappings on cells, which when uncapped reveal
dead larvae in various stages of decomposition. The larvae have a
caramel like, light to dark brown consistency and when drawn out, the
decomposing material strings out rather than snapping off - the
roppiness test
Welsh Government to revolutionise Rural Communities – Welsh
Government Plans to use more than £900m to transform rural Wales will be
unveiled today by the Deputy Minister for Farming and Food, Rebecca
Evans. The Deputy Minister will launch Welsh Government Rural Communities –
Wales’ new Rural Development Programme 2014-2020 - and open four new
schemes, together worth close to £30m. Welsh Government Rural Communities will focus the significant
investment from Welsh Government and the European Union to revitalise
communities, protect our natural resources, tackle climate change and
stimulate growth and create jobs across the country.
Government defines Protected Areas for shale developments - DECC Areas to be excluded from underground fracking activities have been
set out by the Government today, through draft regulations that define
the protected areas in which fracking will be prohibited. The draft regulations set out further protections for groundwater and
National Parks, Areas of Outstanding National Beauty, the Broads and
World Heritage Sites, ensuring the process of hydraulic fracturing can
only take place below 1200 metres in these areas. Drinking water is not
normally found below 400m. Ministers also set out their clear commitment to ensure that fracking cannot be conducted from wells that are drilled in the surface of National Parks and other protected areas in such a way as to not impact on conventional drilling operations. More details on this will follow shortly.
Industry kick-starts work on Great British Food and Farming Plan -
Defra Eighty leading representatives from the UK food and farming industry
will help develop a long-term plan for the future of food and farming at
a meeting with Environment Secretary Elizabeth Truss today. The industry-led 25-year plan will up the country’s ambitions for
food and farming, setting out how we can grow more, buy more and sell
more British food. Today’s event kick-starts the plan’s development,
discussing ways to promote a British brand, grow exports, improve
skills, attract high-flyers and harness data and technology so the
industry can innovate, grow and create jobs. Speaking ahead of the event, Environment Secretary Elizabeth Truss
said: 'We are hugely ambitious for the future of food and farming and
its potential to drive growth—that’s why we are bringing together
industry to set out a vision for the future with a long-term plan to
grow more, buy more and sell more British food. This event is the first
step to make our ambition a reality. Our food and farming industry is
already an economic powerhouse, worth over £100 billion a year and
supporting one in eight jobs. By championing the latest technology,
building skills and creating jobs and apprenticeships we will create a
stronger brand for British food and drink that will see our quality
produce enjoyed at home and exported around the globe.'
Swift call to action – North Wales Wildlife Trust Swifts are migratory birds that travel to North Wales every summer
from Africa to nest in holes in buildings, but their population has
declined by nearly 60% in the last 20 years. North Wales Wildlife Trust
have now decided to help swifts with a new project, and are calling for
the public to join in. “Swifts are truly amazing creatures” according to People and Wildlife
Officer Ben Stammers: “Amongst the fastest birds in the world, they
spend almost all their time in the air, and clock up literally millions
of miles over their lifetimes. Their decline might be to do with fewer
insects being around, but it’s also because there aren’t as many places
for them to nest as there were.” The Wildlife Trust has been trying to address this by providing
special swift nest boxes in the area. “We’ve put up 30 boxes so far”
said Ben, “working with North Wales Housing Association, the Church in
Wales, Holyhead Port, Bangor University, Bethesda Surgery, Plas Ffrancon
Leisure Centre, and local schools, who’ve all kindly agreed to host
boxes on their buildings. Gwynedd Council Street Lighting Department
also helped with high-access installation work.” Now Ben wants to gather local information about nest-sites. As he
explained, “We really need help from anyone who thinks they’ve seen
swift nesting behaviour. That means birds flying around buildings in
small groups making screaming calls, or actually entering under eaves.” Staff and volunteers at RSPB Lakenheath Fen nature reserve, on the
Norfolk-Suffolk border, are celebrating the best breeding season to date
for the two pairs of cranes that nest on the reserve. Three young cranes
have fledged at the fenland reserve, which celebrates its twentieth
anniversary this year. The parent cranes, which stand five foot tall and have an eight foot
wingspan, have been resident on the reserve since 2007. One of the pairs
made history in 2009, when they fledged the first young crane chick in
the Fens for over 400 years. Since then, a further four chicks have
fledged on the reserve. In 2012, both pairs fledged young in the same
year for the first time ever. Cranes are large, elegant birds that breed in wetlands through
Northern Europe and Asia, similar in size and appearance to grey herons.
They have “Amber” conservation status in the UK due to the very small
number of cranes breeding or wintering here. Last year there were just 25 pairs of cranes nesting in the whole of
the UK, and the Fen population, which also includes birds nesting at
RSPB Nene Washes, east of Peterborough, forms a significant proportion
of the British nesting population. At Lakenheath Fen, one pair fledged twins on 6 July, with the second
pair fledging a single youngster on 12 July. As well as being the first
season that three young have fledged on the reserve, it is also the
first time that twins have fledged on the reserve.
Sir David Attenborough is calling on the public to help reverse
butterfly declines by planting nectar sources for pollinating insects in
their gardens. – Butterfly Conservation Launching citizen science project – the Big Butterfly Count, the
Butterfly Conservation President declared that everybody could play a
part in reversing the declines of butterflies and other wildlife. To give butterflies a helping hand during the Count and throughout
the rest of the season, Sir David is calling on nature lovers to plant
pots in their gardens or window ledges with nectar sources such as
Catmint, Lavender, Cranesbill, Oregano and Echinacea. These plants will
attract Red Admirals, Brimstone, Green-veined Whites and other
widespread species providing the food required by butterflies, moths,
bees and other pollinating insects. Sir David said: “The UK’s butterflies really need your help this
summer. Three-quarters are in decline and one-third in danger of
extinction. The ongoing and alarming loss of their habitat is a major
and worrying factor in their falling numbers. But by taking one simple
step you can help to reverse this loss. Plant a few pots in your garden
or on your window ledge with the right plants and you can provide
butterflies, moths and other pollinating insects with a lifeline of food
and shelter. It’s up to every single one of us to make sure that the
spectacle of mid-summer butterflies remains a much anticipated highlight
of the season rather than becoming a long-mourned memory. Make yours a
butterfly summer by getting out for the Count.” Nature lovers are also being asked to look out for Painted Lady
butterflies that are currently experiencing their largest immigration
into the UK since 2009 when millions arrived from the continent. Last
year’s Big Butterfly Count revealed that the Small Tortoiseshell was
continuing its fight back after years of decline. The butterfly, whose
population has plummeted by 78% since the 1970s, saw numbers rise by
almost a quarter compared to the summer of 2013 making it the fourth
most commonly seen Big Butterfly Count species - its highest ever
ranking. The Count runs from 17 July to 9 August. Taking part in the Count is
easy - find a sunny place and spend just 15 minutes counting every
butterfly seen and then submit sightings online at
www.bigbutterflycount.org
Research delivers new tools for understanding why Britain’s bird
populations are in decline - BTO
The countryside is continually changing, affecting the wildlife
around us. One of the ways in which the impacts of this change are
monitored is through networks of dedicated volunteers, who use
standardised methods to survey the same locations year-on-year. The
results of these surveys are summarised by biodiversity indicators,
including the farmland bird indicator and woodland bird indicator, both
of which provide a mechanism by which the success of conservation
efforts and policy decisions can be measured. The national-scale declines seen in the farmland bird indicator (now
at 45% of the 1970s baseline) and woodland bird indicator (now at 72% of
the 1970s baseline) mask significant regional and habitat-based
variation in the patterns seen. This hidden variation is likely to be
important, potentially revealing the underlying mechanisms driving the
population changes that we are seeing. By using new statistical
approaches, BTO researchers have for the first time been able to reveal
these all-important patterns. Using data from the BTO/RSPB/JNCC Breeding Bird Survey (spanning
1995-2008), BTO researchers looked at woodland and farmland bird
communities – each of which was split into ‘generalist species’ and
‘specialist species’. The results revealed that while farmland bird
populations declined nationally by 11% over the period 1995 to 2008,
these losses were substantially more extreme in south-east England,
where the losses were being driven by declines in farmland specialists
like Linnet, Skylark, Starling and Yellowhammer.
Walkers disturb birds more than shooters – study finds - BASC Interim results from a study at Bournemouth University show that
walkers disturb waterfowl more regularly than wildfowling. The ongoing study, commissioned by BASC, is measuring the relative
potential impacts of a variety of activities, including dog walking and
wildfowling in Poole Harbour. Research into the disturbance of wild
birds is important because estuaries, such as the one at Poole Harbour,
provide essential habitat for many species of waterbirds, such as
godwits, wigeon, teal and avocets. Previous studies, such as those by Footprint Ecology, have found that
walkers and dog-walkers account for around two thirds of all
recreational activity on estuaries. The importance of this research lies
in informing conservation managers and statutory agencies of the
relative impact of particular activities, so that informed and
proportionate decisions can be made when regulating individual sites. Final results from the study are expected around the end of 2015.
We are delighted that Bodmin Moor is to have a Commons Council –
Open Spaces Society
There was a public consultation in March and April, and the
environment secretary had to be satisfied that there was ‘substantial
support’ for the plan. In fact, there was an overwhelming ‘yes’ vote,
with 195 out of 202 respondents in favour (96 per cent).
This will be the second commons council created under the Commons Act
2006 in England—the first was established for the Brendon Hills in Devon
in April 2014. The council will provide a democratic management structure for the 71
commons registration units on Bodmin Moor. It will authorise those with
rights of common to take majority decisions on agricultural matters.
This will enable the commons to benefit from environmental stewardship
payments. The model for commons councils is based on the pioneering
Dartmoor Commoners’ Council, established under the Dartmoor Commons Act
1985. The legal order for the council will come into force on 1
September2015. Then members must be elected to the council, which will
come into being on 1 March 2016. The construction industry has come out as a clear leader in a new
WWF-UK timber scorecard published today. The scorecard looks at companies’ practices and policies in relation
to sustainably sourced timber and timber products, against a backdrop of
increasing deforestation. Helpfully, the scoring process has raised
awareness with companies of the perils of forest destruction, which
leads to habitat loss and contributes to climate change. View the timber scorecard here. (pdf)
News: New beaver kit captured on film at Knapdale – Scottish
Wildlife Trust Experts from the UK’s first licensed trial reintroduction of beavers
- the Scottish Beaver Trial – have released footage of a new beaver kit
at Lochan Buic in the Knapdale Forest of Argyll. This is the first young beaver – known as a kit - to be spotted at
the Trial site this year. The Scottish Beaver Trial partners suspect
further breeding has occurred but is yet to be captured on camera
following the end of the scientific monitoring period. The Scottish Beaver Trial is a partnership led by the Scottish
Wildlife Trust and the Royal Zoological Society of Scotland. It is
hosted in Argyll by Forestry Commission Scotland. It is the first
licensed trial reintroduction of a mammal to the UK and has brought the
beaver back to Scotland after a 400-year absence. Field Operations Manager of the Scottish Beaver Trial, Roisin
Campbell-Palmer, said: “It is fantastic news that evidence of continued
breeding at the trial site is occurring. Though the monitoring period
has officially ended, our education ranger is still in place carrying
out guided walks, delivering the education programme and keeping an eye
on beaver activity. This footage shows a recently emerged kit, in good
body condition, investigating the top of the lodge where it lives. View the YouTube video here. Scientific publications Sol Balbuena, M., Hahn, M. L., Greggers, U., Menzel, R. & Farina, W.
M. (2015)
Effects of sub-lethal doses of glyphosate on honeybee navigation.
Journal of Experimental Biology. doi: 10.1242/dev.117291 Negri, I., Mavris, C., Di Prisco, G., Caprio, E. & Pellechia, M.
(2015)
Honey Bees (Apis mellifera, L.) as Active Samplers of Airborne
Particulate Matter. Plos One. DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0132491
Johnson, A. S. A., Sibly, R. M., Hodson, M. E., Alvarex, T. &
Thorbek, P. (2015)
Effects of agricultural management practices on earthworm populations
and crop yield: validation and application of a mechanistic modelling
approach. Journal of Applied Ecology. DOI: 10.1111/1365-2664.12501 Huon, M. et al (2015)
Habitat selection of gray seals (Halichoerus grypus) in a marine
protected area in France. The Journal of Wildlife Management.
DOI: 10.1002/jwmg.929 Farmer, T. M., Marschall, E. A., Dabrowski, K. & Ludsin, A. A. (2015)
Short winters threaten temperate fish populations. Nature
Communications. doi:10.1038/ncomms8724
Miles, W. T. S. et al (2015)
Decline in an Atlantic Puffin Population: Evaluation of Magnitude and
Mechanisms. Plos One. DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0131527
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CJS is not responsible for content of external sites. Details believed correct but given without prejudice. Disclaimer: the views expressed in these news pages do not necessarily reflect the views or policies of CJS. |
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Discovering more about the beautiful moorland landscape, its wildlife
and vegetation is now much easier thanks to four new free smartphone
apps.
Pupils
are trying out research techniques used to study endangered birds for
the first time in an innovative new learning session.
Buglife
are seriously concerned over George Osbourne’s latest announcement of
plans to grant automatic planning permission on brownfield land.
Researchers
at the British Trust for Ornithology (BTO) have delivered a powerful new
tool which will help target conservation efforts to support declining
populations of woodland and farmland bird species. The tool, which
applies a new approach to the analysis of data collected by volunteer
birdwatchers through the Breeding Bird Survey (BBS), increases the value
of the ‘wild bird indicators’ used to monitor bird communities in
different regions and habitats.
The
society is delighted that the Secretary of State for Environment, Food
and Rural Affairs has resolved to set up a commons council backing a
plan to create a commons council for Bodmin Moor in Cornwall. 
