|
|
|
||||||
|
Headlines from week beginning 17 August 2015 |
|
A round up of the top countryside, conservation, wildlife and forestry stories as chosen by the CJS Team.
#ThanksAMillion Vine House Farm: Seed sales sow success for nature
conservation - Wildlife Trusts
Sunflowers growing at Vine House Farm, Bright future for the
birds on Vine House Farm credit Anna Guthrie One man’s passion for the natural world has led to his family
supporting UK wildlife conservation to the tune of £1,000,000, through
feeding birds on a spectacular scaleNicholas Watts’ passion for birds
has shaped his method of wildlife-friendly farming. He grows more than
400 acres of seeds for birds and is the largest grower of sunflowers in
the UK. Since 2007 his award-winning business, Vine House Farm, has
produced 13,000 tonnes of bird seed, enough to fill 26million garden
feeders. Through a partnership with The Wildlife Trusts, five per cent of bird
food sales are donated to Vine House Farm customers’ local Wildlife
Trust. Royalties will this month reach £1,000,000, supporting The
Wildlife Trusts’ work to protect and restore areas for nature and
inspire people to experience wildlife first-hand. Stephanie Hilborne OBE, Chief Executive of The Wildlife Trusts, said:
“We are delighted to have reached this milestone, thanks to a wonderful
partnership with Vine House Farm. We are grateful to everyone who feeds
the birds in their garden, not only does it bring us joy but it makes a
genuine difference to the success of the UK’s bird populations. And
Vine House Farm birdseed adds that bit more by supporting a
wildlife-friendly farmer and the wider work of The Wildlife Trusts. Put
together the UK’s gardens cover a great land mass but still more of our
land is in the hands of landowners and farmers. Those who work to help
wildlife thrive can make a massive difference. And Nicholas Watts does
just that, channelling an astounding amount of passion and commitment in
to his work. He and his family are an inspiration. By dedicating his
life to conserving wildlife, Nicholas is leading the way in
wildlife-friendly farming. The future of wildlife in the UK depends on
us all taking responsibility in any way we can – whether by feeding the
birds or by farming with wildlife in mind.”
Thanks a million stories, blog by Anna Guthrie, Wildlife Trusts Conservation award-winning Vine House Farm birdfood has delivered
£1,000,000 in royalties for The Wildlife Trusts and to celebrate this
incredible milestone, we would like to say #ThanksAMillion. Our first
#ThanksAMillion story is courtesy of Anna Guthrie, The Wildlife Trusts
Media & PR Manager, who shares the joy of her garden bird encounters.
Kids ditching computers for taste of simple life during school holidays
- ASDA Kids in favour of ‘off line’ activities – almost two thirds (65%) are
excited about going to the park and over half (53%) enjoy a summer BBQ Over a third of mums (39%) say their kids are excited by a simple bus
journey The top three summer holiday day trips haven’t changed in five
decades with kids today replicating the summers their grandparents
enjoyed 50 Years of Summer Mumdex survey reveals staycations have kept the
top spot as the most popular holiday activity throughout the decades Findings revealed as mums name this week as the time they run out of
holiday activity ideas According to Asda’s latest Mumdex poll, kids today share the same
taste for the simple things in life during the summer school holidays as
their grandparents did. Proving parents needn’t stress about flashy activities, the 50 years
of summer Mumdex survey revealed that the top three most popular day
trips this summer are no different to what parents and grandparents
enjoyed in their youth:
Most kids are shunning the indoors and computer games during the
holidays, with mums revealing their children are most excited by
‘off-line’ activities like:
‘Extinct’ insect rediscovered in Edinburgh -
Buglife
The last record was from Edinburgh in 1982. The new specimen was
found by Mike Smith, an intern with Buglife as part of a project
supported by the Peoples Trust for Endangered Species (PTES). Mike Smith, Buglife intern said “Finding the lacewing has been a
really exciting start to my project and now we know that it’s not
extinct, we can start learning more about it. We think it might live on
Wood sage but we’re not sure and so we need to investigate further to
make sure that this rare Scottish insect has everything it needs to
survive.” Colin Plant, the national recorder for lacewings, who confirmed the
identification, said “The rediscovery of the Bordered brown lacewing in
Edinburgh is really good news for biodiversity. The discovery gives hope
that other rare invertebrates might still be hanging on in areas where
their micro-habitats still remain. The ongoing campaign by Buglife to
preserve habitats remains key to the long term survival of a huge range
of invertebrates.” Further work will now be done to work out how healthy the population
at Arthurs Seat is, as well as searching other old sites where the
lacewing had been found previously.
New data confirms fieldsports link people with nature-
British Association for Shooting and Conservation Fieldsports generated 13 million visits to the English countryside
between June 2014 and May 2015 according to the latest research from
Natural England. Fishing generated another 17 million visits. The visits
are measured in an update from Natural England on people’s engagement
with the natural environment. Earlier this year a BASC survey on the personal value of shooting
found that 95% of people said shooting was important to their personal
wellbeing and 84% said it helped their physical wellbeing. On average
each person made 20 friends through shooting. 91% said they would spend
less time outdoors if they could not shoot. 88% said shooting gives them
moderate to intense physical activity. 71% said their levels of physical
activity would be reduced without their shooting activities. BASC chairman Alan Jarrett said: “In addition to generating £2
billion for the economy every year, shooting plays an invaluable role in
improving social and personal wellbeing; bringing people together,
keeping them active and helping them to spend more time outdoors in the
countryside”. BASC Chief Executive Richard Ali said: “Shooting is a great way to
stay active and is a sport that people can take part in throughout their
lives. This is especially pertinent given the worrying decline in the
number of people taking part in regular exercise. Fieldsports link
people with nature through outdoor recreation and active conservation.
Uniquely in the outdoor pursuits sector shooters spend 3.9 million work
days on conservation work which is the equivalent of 16,000 full-time
jobs. This is a win for people’s health and wellbeing and a win for the
health of our natural environment”
The Natural England report on engagement with the natural environment
can be found here. The Value of
Shooting report from BASC can be accessed here. (PDF download
available)
Royal Mail issues special stamps illustrating the beauty of British bees
- Royal Mail Royal Mail today (18/8) launched a set of 10 Special Stamps that
celebrates the UK’s bee population. The stamps feature illustrated
images of various bee species from across the UK. Royal Mail worked closely with Simon G. Potts, Professor of
Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services at Reading University to produce a
set of stamps that feature the Scabious Bee, Great Yellow Bumblebee,
Northern Colletes Bee, Bilberry Bumblebee, Large Mason Bee and the
Potter Flower Bee. Royal Mail has also commissioned new research that found that over
half of people questioned (53%) could not name any type of bee – despite
nearly 87% saying they care about the bee population in the UK. Findings also discovered that only 3% of people were aware there are
around 250 species of bee living in the UK, with the majority (71%)
believing there were fewer than 20. Nevertheless, over half (56%) said
they did try to encourage bees into their garden by planting
bee-friendly plant varieties. Despite a lack of knowledge about bees in general, an overwhelming
82% of those asked were aware that the number of bees in the UK had
declined over the past decades. The research found that age is a
significant factor in the level of appreciation people have for bees.
While 58% of over-55s said they care ‘very much’ about the bee
population in the UK and only 8% said they care little or not at all,
among 16-24 year-olds, only 18% said they care ‘very much’ and 26% said
they care little or not at all. Simon G. Potts, Director, Centre for Agri-Environmental Research,
School of Agriculture, Policy and Development, Reading University, said:
“Scientists are learning more and more about the complex biology of
bees, and this beautiful series of stamps captures the amazing diversity
of bees and their lifestyles in the UK. It’s a chance for us all to keep
learning about the unique wildlife that surrounds us.” Dr Richard Comont of the Bumblebee Conservation Trust said, “It’s
great to see Royal Mail showcasing some of our rarest and most
spectacular bumblebees. The Great yellow bumblebee used to be
widespread across Britain but is now restricted to a tiny proportion of
northern Scotland. We hope these stamps will help draw attention
to the very real threats faced by Britain's declining bumblebees.” Look through the collection here.
Date for England's plastic bag charge announced
- Marine Conservation Society A new law which requires large shops in England to charge 5p for all
single-use plastic carrier bags comes into force from Monday 5 October
2015. All retailers with 250 or more full-time equivalent employees will
have to charge a minimum of 5p for the single-use plastic carrier bags
that they provide. The Government has introduced the scheme to reduce the use of
single-use plastic carrier bags, and the litter associated with them, by
encouraging people to re-use bags or to use ‘bags for life’. MCS sees this as a positive step, having called for the charges which
are already employed in Northern Ireland, Wales and Scotland. However,
we're very disappointed that the approach taken by the Government
doesn't bring England into line with these schemes. Firstly, only stores that have 250 employees or more are obliged to
charge. MCS has repeatedly highlighted the need to apply the charge to
all single use bags across all retailers. We feel that shoppers and
shopkeepers will be much less likely to change their habit of routinely
taking and giving free bags at the counter if the charge is not evenly
applied. The scheme is likely to be less successful than it could be, as
has been seen in other countries that have applied a charge across the
board. Dr Sue Kinsey, MCS Senior Pollution Policy Officer, says "We are very
pleased to see this scheme finally coming into force in England.
However, we are extremely disappointed that Government appears to have
ignored the views of many people and groups, including small business
associations, who supported applying the charge across the board. We
will be seeking to have this reviewed at the earliest available
opportunity." We are also concerned that unproven "biodegradable plastic" bags may
be used, which would be exempt from the charge. No truly bidegradable
plastic bag exists. Details of the scheme can be found on
Defra's website.
England’s rarest frog returns to Norfolk nature reserve
- ARC Trust and Norfolk Wildlife Trust Female pool frog © Jim Foster via ARC Head of Nature Reserves at Norfolk Wildlife Trust, John Milton said:
“I remember hearing the loud call of male pool frogs in the 1980s and it
is fantastic for Norfolk Wildlife Trust to be involved in their return”.
New onshore oil and gas blocks to be offered - DECC The Oil & Gas Authority (OGA) – the UK’s oil and gas regulator –
today (18 August) announced that 27 onshore blocks from the 14th Onshore
Oil and Gas Licensing Round will be formally offered to companies. A second group of 132 further blocks has been subjected to detailed
assessment under the Conservation of Habitats and Species Regulations
2010, the findings of which are now out for consultation. Subject to the outcome of that consultation, the OGA will announce
offers for the second group of licence blocks later in the year. The
licences for all offered blocks will then be granted after the terms and
conditions have been finalised. OGA Chief Executive Andy Samuel said: “With almost 100 applications
received, the 14th Onshore Round has attracted significant interest and
high-quality proposed work programmes from a range oil and gas
companies. Today’s announcement regarding the offer of 27 blocks gives
those successful companies assurance about the blocks that they will be
formally offered later in the year.” UK Energy Minister Lord Bourne said: “As
part of our long-term plan to build a more resilient economy, create
jobs and deliver secure energy supplies, we continue to back our onshore
oil and gas industry and the safe development of shale gas in the UK.
This is why the OGA has moved quickly to confirm the winners of licence
blocks which do not need further environmental assessment. Keeping the
lights on and powering the economy is not negotiable, and these
industries will play a key part in providing secure and reliable energy
to UK homes and businesses for decades to come. It’s important we press
on and get shale moving, while maintaining strong environmental
controls. Investment in shale could reach £33 billion and support 64,000
jobs creating financial security for hardworking people and their
families, whilst providing a cost-efficient bridge to lower-carbon
energy use.”
Government needs to keep fracking promise, says RSPB
Of the 27 blocks of land that will be formally offered to fracking
companies for exploration, they included 53 SSSIs and three RSPB nature
reserves; Dearne Valley, Fairburn Ings and Langford Lowfields.
Reacting to today’s Government fracking licence offers, Matt
Williams, RSPB Climate Change Policy Officer, said: “The Government is
today doling out new fracking licences for areas of the UK that put some
of our most precious wildlife sites under threat. Sites of Special
Scientific Interest, such as Attenborough Gravel Pits and Fairburn &
Newton Ings, are up for grabs for fracking companies who will be able to
apply for planning permission to frack anywhere within these newly
licensed areas. SSSIs are some of our most important wildlife sites.
Species such as kingfisher, bittern and goldeneye could be put at risk
in these special places and should be protected from the Government’s
fracking plans. Questions need to be asked why the Government has begun
handing out new licences before figuring out how it’s going to protect
our most sensitive sites.” This is the latest in a string of announcements that have put the
natural environment at risk from a growing fracking industry. In early
August, it was announced Government want planning authorities to speed
up the fracking application process, and that came only days after the
Government reneged on a promise, made by Amber Rudd in February, to ban
fracking on SSSIs.
Government must rule out fracking within all protected areas – The
Wildlife Trusts
CPRE calls for stricter safeguards as fracking licences awarded -
CPRE
Government opens up huge swathes of Northern England for fracking blitz
– Friends of the Earth
Worsening wind forecasts could signal stormy times ahead for seabirds
- Centre for Ecology & Hydrology
Stronger
winds forecast as a result of climate change could impact on populations
of seabirds, a new study suggests.
Research into a common UK coastal seabird, the European shag, showed that when winds are strong, females take much longer to find food compared with their male counterparts. Researchers expect that if wind conditions worsen - as they are forecast to do - this could impact on the wellbeing of female birds, and ultimately affect population sizes. Scientists from the University of Edinburgh, the Centre for Ecology &
Hydrology (CEH) and the British Antarctic Survey carried out a two-year
study into the cormorant-like Shags on the Isle of May National Nature
Reserve in south-east Scotland. Small tracking devices were attached to
the legs of birds and measured how long they foraged for fish in the
sea. In many seabird species, females are smaller and lighter than males,
and so must work harder to dive through turbulent water. They may not
hold their breath for as long, fly so efficiently nor dive as deeply as
males. The latest results suggest that in poor weather conditions, this
sex difference is exaggerated. The scientists found that when coastal winds were strong or blowing towards the shore, females took much longer to find food compared with males. The difference in time spent foraging became more marked between the sexes when conditions worsened, suggesting that female birds are more likely to continue foraging even in the poorest conditions. The research was carried out as part of the long-term CEH seabird
study on the Isle of May that began in the 1970s. The research was
funded by the Natural Environment Research Council and published in the
Journal of Animal Ecology. The full paper is open access at the Journal of Animal Ecology: Contrasting responses of male and female foraging effort to year-round wind conditions, doi: 10.1111/1365-2656.12419
‘Smacks’ shouldn't be ignored as 2015 looks set to be another bumper
jelly year - MSC Massive barrel jellyfish have appeared in record numbers for a second
consecutive year, whilst in July huge numbers of mauve stingers were
reported off Guernsey, and the potentially dangerous Portuguese Man O
War has been washing up on beaches in the South West. The rise of jellyfish in UK seas can no longer be ignored, and that
more dedicated research and monitoring is needed to understand these
apparent increases and what they mean for the state of our seas. “Our National Jellyfish Survey suggests significant recent rises in
the numbers of some jellyfish species in UK seas, most notably the
barrel. The million-dollar question is why is this happening? At the
moment we just don’t know,” says Dr Peter Richardson, MCS Biodiversity
and Fisheries Programme Manager. The MCS Jellyfish Survey started in 2003 and involves thousands of
sea and beach-going public reporting their jellyfish encounters online
at the MCS website. 2013 was a record year, with the survey receiving
over 1,000 reports involving hundreds of thousands of jellyfish. Last
year the number of reports increased again to over 1,400 reports, and by
July this year the survey had already received over 1,000 reports.
August is usually a peak month for jellyfish sightings and so 2015 looks
set to be another record breaker. Barrel jellyfish normally make up 10%
of its annual reports, but last year they made up 40%. So far in 2015, a
whopping 75% of records have involved barrel jellyfish sightings. “We know that our seas are changing through climate change, resulting
in rising sea temperatures and increased ocean acidification, and we
know our seas are also heavily fished. At the same time we seem to be
witnessing increases in jellyfish around the UK. Is this an anomaly, a
coincidence, or are the jellyfish telling us something about fundamental
changes in the condition of our seas?” says Dr Richardson.
Marine robots
set out to explore hotspot for whales and dolphins - WWF WWF is excited to announce a new partnership with the National
Oceanography Centre (NOC), Southampton, using autonomous vehicles or
‘robots’ to explore our seas. On Thursday 20 August, one of the robots, ‘Thomas’, will be
heading out from Milford Haven in Wales to explore the southern portion
of the Celtic Deep, approximately 50 miles to the south west of the UK.
Canary Wharf is London’s seal watching hotspot - Zoological Society
of London (ZSL)
The ZSL Thames Marine Mammal Sightings Survey, which launched in
2004, was designed to help conservationists develop a better
understanding of how marine mammals use the Thames Estuary, in order to
help conserve them. Thames seal photographed by citizen scientist Michael
Robinson via ZSL Joanna Barker, European Conservation Projects Manager at ZSL, said:
'People are often surprised to hear that marine mammals are regularly
spotted in Central London. As a top predator, their presence is a good
sign that the Thames is getting cleaner and supporting many fish
species. The presence of these animals is also a great example of how
urban environments are important for wildlife.' Highlights from the 10 year report published today (Thursday 20
August) include:
New plan will boost starter homes in rural areas - Defra Today the government has published its first Rural Productivity Plan
to grow the rural economy. Villages and towns in England’s rural communities will be allowed to
build starter homes for local residents as part of plans set out by the
Chancellor of the Exchequer, George Osborne, and Environment Secretary,
Elizabeth Truss in the Government’s first ever Rural Productivity Plan. The plan, announced as latest figures show thousands of people are
moving to rural areas, will set out measures to boost the rural economy
by investing in education and skills, increasing wages, improving
infrastructure and connectivity, and simplifying planning laws for rural
businesses and communities. Measures covered by the plan include:
Read the full report:
Towards a one nation economy: A 10-point plan for boosting productivity
in rural areas 595kb (pdf)
Reactions
New Rural Productivity Plan will help countryside to thrive but better
broadband plan still needed, says CLA
New Rural Productivity Plan suggests growth and development will
override countryside protection - CPRE
Welcoming the Government's big plans for the countryside –
Countryside Alliance
New evidence on the
pollinator costs and farming benefits of neonicotinoid pesticides -
Fera Farmers who use neonicotinoid seed coatings subsequently use less
insecticide to control pests on oilseed rape, according to new research
published by Nature today. But the study also demonstrated that more
honey bee colonies were lost as the usage of imidacloprid, a first
generation neonicotinoid, increased. Scientists and farmers have been debating the pros and cons of using
neonicotinoid seed coatings to control crop pests for many years. A team
of scientists from Fera have analysed national, long-term agricultural
datasets to discover new information that contributes to both sides of
the debate. Published in the Nature journal Scientific Reports the study showed,
for the first time, that farmers who use neonicotinoid seed coatings
reduced the number of foliar insecticide sprays used to control pests on
oilseed rape. Farmers using neonicotinoids also saw significant yield
benefits, but not in all years. Dr. Giles Budge, Head of Crop Science and lead author of the study
said, “Our data indicate that farmers who used neonicotinoid seed
coatings often had positive economic returns driven by an increase in
yield, but this was not always the case. We now need to understand why
neonicotinoid use does not always result in increased profitability for
farmers to help target appropriate use to those situations where farmers
see the most benefit.” In line with recently published studies, the Fera research also
demonstrated the potential impact on honey bees associated with using
imidacloprid. The study revealed that more honey bee colonies were lost
as the usage of imidacloprid increased. However honey bee colony losses
were also linked to adverse weather and showed regional patterns, with
beekeepers in Wales suffering consistently high losses. Click Here to read the full report in Nature.
106 young people from Fife and Lochaber benefited from Outward Bound®
courses this month with a real focus on natural heritage learning thanks
to a partnership between The Outward Bound Trust and Scottish Natural
Heritage. Scottish Natural Heritage has provided support over three years to
enable young people aged 11-18 from across Scotland to participate in
five day residential courses with The Outward Bound Trust with a
particular emphasis on natural heritage learning. Participants from
Glenrothes, Lochgelly and Kinlochleven High Schools learnt about the
flora and fauna of our mountains, lochs and coast and the natural
processes which formed these landscapes. They discussed the impact which
man has on our landscapes and how to act responsibly in these
environments at the same time as they explored on foot in the mountains,
canoed and rock climbed as part of their Outward Bound course. Pupils
also completed their John Muir ‘Discovery’ Award and learnt about the
Scottish Outdoor Access Code.
Pete Rawcliffe, Unit Manager, People and Places Unit, Scottish
Natural Heritage said, “We are really pleased to be supporting The
Outward Bound Trust in this work. Evidence clearly shows that giving
young people opportunities to enjoy and learn about the natural world is
hugely beneficial for them in terms of personal development, healthy
living and employability. This year’s programme has again provided a
unique opportunity for a group of young people, many of whom are from
disadvantaged backgrounds, to experience some of Scotland’s great
outdoors for the first time and to gain benefits that can be life
changing.”
Emergency Conservation Order for Wester Ross
- Marine Conservation Society After evidence emerged of a scallop dredger towing in a protected
area, the Scottish Government has put in place an urgent Marine
Conservation Order (MCO) to safeguard fragile seabed habitats off Wester
Ross in northwest Scotland. From midnight Monday 17th August, all forms
of dredging, including for scallops, have been prohibited in the Wester
Ross Marine Protected Area (MPA) which is home to delicate maerl beds, a
fragile underwater habitat. The move comes after concerned members of
the local community photographed and reported a breach of voluntary
arrangements for fishing in the area, which have been in place since the
site was designated a Scottish MPA last summer (along with 29 other
sites). MCS Scotland Programme Manager Calum Duncan said: “Whilst it is
regrettable that the voluntary closed area was breached, we
welcome the Scottish Government’s rapid action with the emergency
closure. It highlights just how urgent protection of our seabed has
become. Safeguarding fragile features of our seabed such as maerl, which
act as nursery and refuge areas for scallops and other fish and
shellfish species, is in everybody’s long-term interest since they are
the foundation for sustainable local livelihoods. We support this
becoming a permanent closure as part of the proposed management measures
for the site.” Scottish Environment Secretary Richard Lochhead said: 'It's very
disappointing that a scallop dredger has breached the voluntary fishery
management measures in this MPA which is considered vital to the
recovery of maerl beds. The seabed shows signs of damage consistent with
a pass of scallop dredging gear. Maerl beds can take centuries to grow
back and further risk of damage to these precious habitats cannot be
allowed. The evidence in this case has left me with no choice but to
close the Wester Ross MPA to dredging now, instead of waiting until
November as planned.
The Great Britain invasive non-native species strategy
- defra policy paper Providing a framework on how to minimise the risks posed by invasive
non-native species. The strategy sets out key aims and actions for addressing the threats
posed by invasive non-native species. It aims to:
This strategy covers 2015 to 2020. Download here (PDF)
Scientific Publication Coops, Nicholas.
Characterizing Forest Growth and Productivity Using Remotely Sensed Data.
Current Forestry Reports DOI: 10.1007/s40725-015-0020-x
|
|
|
|
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. |
|
|
The
Bordered brown lacewing (Megalomus hirtus) has been rediscovered on
Arthurs Seat, Edinburgh after having not been seen for over 30 years,
and feared to be extinct in the UK.
The
northern pool frog became extinct in England at the end of the 20th
century, with the last known colony at NWT Thompson Common, near
Thetford in Norfolk. Northern pool frogs are now being released back at
Thompson Common from the previously successful trial reintroduction at a
different Norfolk site. This was done using animals imported from
Sweden. As a part of the Breaking New Ground Landscape Partnership
Scheme, Norfolk Wildlife Trust worked with Amphibian and Reptile
Conservation to plan the frogs’ return, using the latest approaches to
recovering lost species.
The
RSPB has today [Tuesday 18th August, 2015] called on the Government to
introduce new measures that rule out fracking within all protected
areas, including Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSIs), before
handing out any new fracking licences offers.
A brisk westerly wind creating rough conditions along the west
cliffs of the Isle of May. European shags loiter around nest sites
(Photo: Mark Newell).
More
than a thousand Londoners have helped the Zoological Society of London
(ZSL) with efforts to conserve marine mammals in the Thames Estuary by
spotting more than 2,700 seals, porpoises, dolphins and whales over the
past 10 years.
Shoreside
Review
