|
|
|
||||||
|
Headlines from week beginning 30 May 2016 |
|
A round up of the top countryside, conservation, wildlife and forestry stories as chosen by the CJS Team.
Our Volunteer Award winners - Ramblers Without the 25,000 volunteers who give their time to the Ramblers we
just wouldn’t exist. Whether looking after paths and green spaces, leading walks, opening
up new places to explore, without our dedicated volunteers we just
couldn’t do what we do. Every hour that everyone gives is so important
in helping the Ramblers achieve what we do in making sure everyone can
enjoy walking and the benefits it provides through improving health and
happiness. To mark the start of volunteer week, we are announcing the winners of
our 2016 volunteer awards. The awards recognise volunteers or groups of
volunteers for their outstanding contributions. Whether that’s inspiring
people to walk or helping to protect and expand the places we love to
walk, they are the real walking heroes. During volunteer week we’ll be publishing interviews with our
volunteer award winners and you’ll be able to read them on
our volunteers' week webpage.
Award-winning photographer volunteering for Scottish Wildcat Action British Wildlife Photographer of the Year 2015, Barrie Williams, has
begun volunteering as a Communications Assistant for the conservation
project Scottish Wildcat Action. As a freelance filmmaker, former TV
researcher for the BBC, and an award-winning photographer, Barrie is
hoping to use his skills to help raise awareness of the endangered
Scottish wildcat. Today (1/6/16) is the first day of Volunteers’ Week. Over 21 million
people volunteer in the UK at least once a year and this contributes an
estimated £23.9bn to the UK economy.
Williams said, “Before I became a volunteer, I worked on some
exciting projects - producing educational videos for the Royal
Zoological Society of Scotland, writing articles for photography
magazines, and snorkelling with Dougie Vipond and Doug Allan for BBC
Scotland’s Landward – and I am very excited about what I can do to help
Scottish Wildcat Action.” Barrie joined as a ProjectScotland volunteer in May, and is hosted by
one of the partners who have signed up to help deliver Scottish Wildcat
Action’s ambitious plan, the National Trust for Scotland. He wanted to
use his skills to help the wildlife he loves to photograph and learn how
to use social media more effectively. “Having photographed and filmed
wildlife in Scotland for a few years now, I’ve increasingly wanted to do
my bit to assist conservation efforts in Britain. Fortunately for me, I
have been offered the opportunity to help the biggest conservation
effort for the Scottish wildcat. At Scottish Wildcat Action, I am
learning about conservation communications: analysing trends on social
media and website traffic, identifying popular items, and producing
content that encourages engagement. I’ll then use this new knowledge to
help raise awareness of the iconic Scottish wildcat, recruiting new
volunteers in wildcat priority areas, increasing followers of the
project, and encouraging visitors to report sightings of wild-living
cats.”
Volunteers Week - South Downs National Park
Authority The work our volunteers do is invaluable and varied; they could be
clearing invasive scrub one weekend and improving access to a medieval
drovers road the next. Our latest project, the Secrets of the High Woods has seen
extraordinary dedication from volunteers who have been undertaking a
huge range of research. They’ve collected oral histories, researched
archives and carried out fieldwork to reveal archaeology hidden beneath
the woodland in the South Downs. We asked two of our volunteers what they’ve enjoyed and learnt from
the Secrets of the High Woods project
The value of volunteering - British
Ornithologist's Union blog post Today kicks off an extended national Volunteers’ Week in the UK.
Here, our own Steve Dudley explains how he founded his career on
volunteering and recommends you give it go!
Kick-start your career in marine biology -
Hebridean Whale and Dolphin Trust Alistair Walker first joined HWDT back in 2013 to participate in a
Teen Team Research Expedition, he has since returned in May 2016 as a
student of marine biology at the Scottish Association of Marine Science
University in Oban. Here, Alistair shares his story: "I first became aware of the Hebridean Whale and Dolphin Trust in 2013 whilst I was still at school. I very much enjoy the outdoor life and am interested in wildlife watching and photography. I was looking for opportunities to volunteer to get some experience in marine conservation, as I was particularly interested in marine creatures and was thinking that maybe in the longer term I could have a career in marine conservation. I live in Braemar in the Cairngorms National Park in Scotland and had already taken up a number of different opportunities to be a conservation volunteer in my local area, but it is a long way from the sea!
If you found this inspiring then have a look at some of our CJS Focus on Volunteering editions, they're full of similar articles about how to get started in volunteering, why you should volunteer and for the organisations and volunteer co-ordinators the practical ins and outs of recruiting and running your volunteer team plus the all important insider information on how to keep your volunteers happy. The most recent edition was published in February (here) and we're already working on the next one due for publication on 19 September. For more on countryside conservation volunteering opportunities check out our volunteers section here.
Now for the rest of the week's news:
The Big Bat Map is an interactive map that lets you view and share
sightings of bats flying in your area! You can visit it
HERE. Bats can be seen in
cities, woodland, parks, fields and gardens all over the UK. Apart from
being able to record your own sightings, the Big Bat Map also identifies
“bat hotspots” which have been recommended by Bat Conservation Trust
staff and
local bat groups as good places to go and see bats. Bats are fully active now so it is time to clear the map and start a fresh page of sightings! We will be clearing the map (don’t worry we do keep all the sightings) on Wednesday the 1st of June. If you want to help us monitor bats then do please visit the National Bat Monitoring Programme (NBMP) where you will find different surveys that are suitable for all sorts of experience. The NBMP is celebrating its 20th anniversary this year, its success relies on thousands of volunteer citizen scientist who contribute data – without them, we simply would not know how bats are faring. Take a look here:
http://www.bats.org.uk/pages/nbmp.html More on the latest surveys and citizen science
projects will be included in Friday's edition of CJS Weekly or
see what's listed here.
Public behind plastic bag charge as support for anti-litter measure
increases - CPRE
As the Government collects carrier bag usage statistics for the first
time, a poll partly-commissioned by CPRE has revealed increased public
support for the bag charge in England. The ICM-conducted poll for
the Break the Bag Habit (BTBH) coalition found that 70% of English
respondents now find it reasonable to charge 5p for all carrier bags -
an 8% increase in support in the eight months since the English charge
came into force. The increase was particularly marked amongst younger
people, where support has jumped 10%. Despite this encouraging news, the poll indicated that more people
find the current charge confusing than not. The charge, introduced on 5
October 2015, does not apply to businesses of fewer than 250 employees,
paper bags or franchises such as Subway. Answering the ICM survey, 42%
of respondents found it confusing that only some shops charged for bags. An ICM poll last October found that respondents in Scotland and
Wales, where universal bag charges have significantly reduced usage, are
very supportive of a scheme that applies to all retailers: 66% in
Scotland and 70% in Wales. By contrast, public appetite in England for a
universal charge is notably lower in 2016, with 53% agreeing the charge
should apply to all retailers (a 2% increase on 2015) and 27% agreeing
that it should extend to all bags, including paper bags. Samantha Harding, spokesperson for the Break the Bag Habit coalition,
said: “We fully expect the forthcoming Government statistics to show a
significant decrease in the number of bags people use, reflecting the
strong public support for the charge. At the same time, people are
clearly confused by the current scope of the charge. A universal scheme
that applies to all bags and all retailers will eliminate confusion,
boost public support, and most importantly reduce bag usage and litter.
With a frankly ridiculous £1 billion litter bill, England is lagging
behind the other home nations. Now that the scheme has been successfully
launched, the Government should review the exemptions and introduce a
universal charge.”
Dancing hairs alert bees to floral electric fields
- University of Bristol
Tiny, vibrating hairs may explain how bumblebees sense and interpret
the signals transmitted by flowers, according to a study by researchers
at the University of Bristol. Although it's known that flowers
communicate with pollinators by sending out electric signals, just how
bees detects these fields has been a mystery – until now. Using a laser
to measure vibrations, researchers found that both the bees' antenna and
hairs deflect in response to an electric field, but the hairs move more
rapidly and with overall greater displacements. Researchers then looked
at the bees' nervous system, finding that only the hairs alerted the
bee's nervous system to this signal. The findings, published in the international journal Proceedings of
National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), suggest that electroreception in
insects may be widespread. Electroreception may arise from the bees'
hairs being lightweight and stiff, properties that confer a rigid,
lever-like motion similar to acoustically sensitive spider hairs and
mosquito antennae. Dr Gregory Sutton, a Research Fellow in the University of Bristol’s
School of Biological Sciences, led the research. He said: "We were
excited to discover that bees’ tiny hairs dance in response to electric
fields, like when humans hold a balloon to their hair. A lot of insects
have similar body hairs, which leads to the possibility that many
members the insect world may be equally sensitive to small electric
fields." Access the paper: ‘Mechanosensory hairs in bumble bees (Bombus terrestris) detect weak electric fields’ by G. P. Sutton, D. Clarke, E. L. Morley, and D. Robert in Proceedings of National Academy of Sciences (PNAS)
Hilltracks campaign – can you help? -
Mountaineering Council of Scotland The LINK Hilltracks group is asking walkers across Scotland for their
help in monitoring new tracks in the hills. Poorly constructed hilltracks which cause landscape and environmental
damage have been a concern to environmental groups for decades,
especially as no planning permission is required if they are for
agricultural or forestry purposes. Following a campaign by the LINK
Hilltracks group, since December 2014 all landowners must give prior
notification to local authorities of their intention to construct new
hill tracks or carry out improvements of existing tracks. They still
don’t need to apply for full planning permission so tracks can’t be
refused permission, but it’s hoped that the need for prior notification
will improve construction standards. An appeal has gone out to walkers if they come across a new track
when out in the hills this summer, to send the group a photo of the
track and an indication of its precise location. It will be helpful to
include something into the photos to give scale – a person, pack, dog,
walking poles etc. If the estate or the landowner is also known, that
information would also be helpful. Where to send your information: Email photos with your name and contact details to hilltracks@scotlink.org. You can also tweet a photo using the hashtag #hilltracks .
It’s official – pine marten kits have been born in Wales
- Vincent Wildlife Trust The pine marten carries the title of Britain’s second rarest
carnivore after the wildcat making these births a very significant
moment in the conservation of this native mammal. At least three of the ten female pine martens brought to Wales from
Scotland last autumn by The Vincent Wildlife Trust have given birth.
Staff from the Trust’s ‘Pine Marten Recovery Project’ placed remote
cameras at a number of sites where they believed female martens were
preparing to have young. Further investigation has confirmed a total of
at least five kits.
“I am absolutely delighted. We have been waiting with bated breath
for months to see if breeding would be successful,” said Natalie
Buttriss the Trust’s CEO. The Pine Marten Recovery Project aims to restore a viable pine marten
population to Wales and England. The project’s major partners are the
People’s Trust for Endangered Species (PTES), Chester Zoo and Woodland
Trust, with support from Wildlife Vets International and Exeter
University. “PTES is delighted that kits have been born to the
translocated pine martens. This is an important step in ensuring the
success of this project,” said Nida Al-Fulaij, Grants Manager with PTES. “This is such amazing news, and makes all the hard work by the
VWT team and partners worthwhile”, said Sarah Bird, Biodiversity Officer
with Chester Zoo. In the autumn of 2015, twenty pine martens were taken from Forestry
Commission Scotland land under licence from Scottish Natural Heritage
and relocated to Wales where they were on the verge of extinction. The
animals were released in woodland owned by Natural Resources Wales. This
is a pilot project and the animals have been radio tracked daily by
staff and local volunteers to monitor their movements and behaviour
patterns.
Outrage as three pole traps found set on North Yorkshire grouse moor
- RSPB An individual has received a police caution after admitting
responsibility for setting three pole traps on a grouse shooting estate
inside the Yorkshire Dales National Park. On Friday, 6 May 2016, a member of the public reported finding three
spring traps illegally set in the open on isolated posts about 100
metres apart. These were at a remote location along the north side of
Widdale Fell, on the Mossdale Estate near Hawes, North Yorkshire.
Particularly concerning, was that a hen harrier had been sighted the
same morning hunting on the fell a short distance away. The finder made
two of the traps safe and reported the matter to the RSPB. RSPB investigators attended that same day and installed covert
cameras on two of the traps. The safety catch was put in place on the
remaining set trap to prevent it catching anything. Returning on
the evening of Monday 9 May, it was discovered that all three pole traps
had been reset. The covert footage showed an individual earlier that day
taking the safety catch off one trap and resetting another. RSPB investigators made the traps safe and reported the matter to the
police. Wildlife Crime Officers from North Yorkshire Police attended
with RSPB the following day and recovered all three unset traps. Two of
the traps had small feathers adhering to the jaws, suggesting they may
previously have caught birds. An individual was later interviewed by the police and accepted responsibility for setting all three traps. He received an adult caution.
Environment Secretary sets out priorities -
Scottish Government Wildlife crime review, climate change and land reform action
highlighted. A number of priorities to protect Scotland’s natural environment have
been outlined by the Environment Secretary Roseanna Cunningham. Speaking in a Parliamentary debate, Ms Cunningham highlighted key
actions she will take, including:
The Cabinet Secretary for Environment, Climate Change and Land Reform
Roseanna Cunningham said: “Our land, our air, our seas, our climate, our
flora and our fauna - there can be no doubt that our stunning natural
environment is one of Scotland’s most precious assets. How we own,
manage, control, conserve, promote, support and develop all of these
individually and collectively matter hugely to this Government’s
ambitions for our country. Put simply, they form the backbone upon
which a fairer Scotland and a strong, sustainable, low carbon economy
can and should be built. Our natural capital is a national asset and,
like any other asset, we must ensure that it remains in good condition
now and for the future. The Scottish Government’s commitment to deliver on its second Land
Use Strategy over the course of the next parliament has been welcomed by
landowners. Scottish Land & Estates said enabling landowners, farmers and
managers to play an ever more active role in the delivery of
environmental targets would bring substantial environmental benefits to
Scotland in future years. Douglas McAdam, chief executive of Scottish Land & Estates, said: “It
is pleasing that the Scottish Government has recognised the vital
importance of how land is used to deliver a whole range of outcomes.
Whilst it is clear that the conversation around land reform will
continue, it is only right that what is being delivered from land is
moving higher up the political agenda as well." A report on London’s woodlands - Tree Charter The current state of London’s woodlands is revealed in a new summary
report launched this week, ahead of London Tree Week. The project, commissioned by the Forestry Commission (FC), supported
by the GLA and delivered by Lantern, aimed to better understand the
condition of London’s 12,899 hectares of woodland. The report will help
to shed light on how the woodland can be managed more sustainably and to
greater benefit in the future. Woodlands are a vital part of our capital’s infrastructure but not
enough is known about how they are managed and maintained. This
ambitious project mapped London’s woodland resources and engaged with
landowners through surveys and workshops. Forestry Commission data suggests that only 25% of London’s forests
are actively managed, with just 41% of landowners confirming they have a
tree and woodland strategy in place. Overall, woodlands are deemed to be
under resourced with 40% of people surveyed feeling that resources did
not reflect what was needed. It was felt that some woodlands are ate
critically threatened by disease, public misuse and urban development. Visit the Lantern
website to download the summary document. The full report will be
available soon
Light pollution significantly alters moth activity
- University of Newcastle Street lighting disrupts pollinating moths The study, published today in the scientific journal Global Change
Biology, reveals the shift in moth activity in street-lit areas from
vegetation level to lamp-post height and the impact this is having on
their ability to pollinate flowers. The role played by moths in plant pollination has until now been
largely overlooked as previous studies have focussed on daytime
pollinators, such as bees. Now the team from Newcastle University, the Centre for Ecology &
Hydrology and the charity Butterfly Conservation say more research is
needed to understand the effect of street lighting on moth populations
and their importance as pollinators. Callum Macgregor, a PhD student at
Newcastle University who led the research funded by the Natural
Environment Research Council (NERC), explained: Dr Darren Evans, Reader in Ecology and Conservation at Newcastle
University and one of the authors on the paper, adds:
doi: 10.1111/gcb.13371
Puffins thriving on Fidra after removal of 'grow-your-own toilet paper'
- RSPB Scotland Over 2000 puffins are thought to be nesting on the island of Fidra
this spring, following years of work to remove an invasive plant that
had been preventing them breeding. The island, an RSPB Scotland nature reserve, had been overrun by tree
mallow, which was probably planted by lighthouse keepers in the 1700s
for its medicinal qualities and as a grow-your-own toilet paper. Tree mallow is native to the south of England and Continental Europe,
but has caused huge problems for puffins and other sea birds on islands
throughout the Firth of Forth. RSPB Scotland’s Allison Leonard, who is the warden of Fidra, said:
“Tree mallow in the Forth is a bit of a mystery. It sat quietly for
years and then suddenly started spreading rapidly, possibly due to
warmer temperatures associated with climate change, or with the level of
nutrients in the soil. It quickly became rampant and caused real
problems for the puffins, as it blocks the entrance to their nesting
burrows. In 1996, puffin numbers on Fidra dropped to a low of only
around 400 occupied burrows. This year, we’ve got over 1000 burrows
occupied, so it’s really good to see them bouncing back after all the
hard work.”
Fruit, glorious fruit! - PTES People’s Trust for Endangered Species launches the first
‘FruitFinder’ database as part of ongoing orchard conservation
They say variety is the spice of life, but how many apple varieties
have you tasted, and how many are there? You might be surprised to know,
given that most supermarkets only stock about eight apple varieties,
that there are actually thousands of native fruit varieties in the UK
and FruitFinder, a new search tool from People’s Trust for Endangered
Species (PTES) is here to help you discover them. Funded by the Esmée
Fairbairn Foundation, this tool is part of an ongoing effort by PTES to
conserve and restore traditional orchards across the country in
recognition of their amazing habitat value to local wildlife. Over the last 10 years, PTES’ orchards team, with the help of over
700 volunteers and nearly 1500 orchard owners, has identified over
35,000 individual orchards in England and over 7,000 in Wales.
Alarmingly, this work revealed that 90% of traditional orchards have
been lost since the 1950s. Furthermore, 45% of the remaining orchards
surveyed in England and 35% of orchards in Wales were found to be in
declining condition as a habitat. By far the most common reason for this
is lack of replacement tree replanting, meaning these remaining old
orchards will quickly disappear unless action is taken. FruitFinder tackles both of these issues head on by making it easier
for the public to discover and buy traditional heritage trees to replant
in their orchards, safeguarding these habitats, and varieties, for
future generations. Megan Gimber, Orchard Project Officer at PTES said: “PTES
FruitFinder is a great way for people to find out more about local fruit
and source local heritage trees and grafting material to grow their own
fruit trees. The more we can educate the public about the need for
conserving traditional orchards, the more likely we are to be successful
in reversing their decline.” For more information or to access PTES’ FruitFinder, see:
https://ptes.org/fruitfinder/
Microplastic particles threaten fish larvae -
Uppsala University In a new study, published in Science, researchers from Uppsala
University found that larval fish exposed to microplastic particles
during development displayed changed behaviors and stunted growth which
lead to greatly increased mortality rates. The researchers discovered
that larval perch that had access to microplastic particles only ate
plastic and ignored their natural food source of free-swimming
zooplankton. Today there is increasing concern that the accumulation of
microplastic waste particles could affect the functioning of marine
ecosystems, but our knowledge of the impacts of microplastic fragments
on marine animals is limited. For the first time, scientists have now
been able to show that development of fish is threatened by microplastic
pollution. Access the paper: Lönnstedt O.M., Eklöv
P. 2016
Environmentally relevant concentrations of microplastic particles
influence larval fish ecology. Science DOI:
10.1126/science.aad8828
New review investigates the health benefit of contact with the natural
environment - University of Plymouth A new review led by Plymouth University finds little quantitative
evidence, but rich participant descriptions of benefits of, contact with
nature A team of Cochrane authors based in the UK has carried out a review
investigating the health benefit of contact with the natural
environment. The team found that, while the majority of
quantitative studies reported no effect on health and well-being, there
was limited evidence to suggest positive effects on self-reported
health, quality of life and physical activity levels. Small numbers of
participants reported increased mental fatigue and greater feelings of
anxiety.
Goshawk nest fails in suspicious circumstances in Peak District
- RSPB The RSPB is appealing for information after a goshawk nest failed in
suspicious circumstances at Dove Stone in the Peak District. On 10 May, a local raptor worker discovered the freshly abandoned
goshawk nest in conifer woodland in the Longendale Valley, which the
RSPB co-manages with landowner United Utilities. There were three cold
eggs in the nest, one of which was broken. Damaged goshawk body
feathers and a spent plastic shotgun cartridge were found in the
immediate vicinity. Both Derbyshire Police and the Peak District Bird of
Prey Initiative were informed. A local birdwatcher observed the female goshawk near to the nest on 8 May so it’s thought that the nest failed sometime between the afternoon of 8 May and the morning of 10 May.
|
|
|
|
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. |
|
|
Barrie
Williams, volunteer at Scottish Wildcat Action
News
from our 
Image:
CPRE
A
bumblebee covered in body hairs.
Two
pine marten kits in a den box installed by the VWT © Jenny MacPherson
Apple
varieties (image: PTES)
