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Headlines from week beginning 24 April 2017 |
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A round up of the top countryside, conservation, wildlife and forestry stories as chosen by the CJS Team.
An astonishing number of wild plants grow on our road verges, some of
which are threatened or near threatened. Proper management of verges is
critical if these species are to avoid extinction. Includes a list of
known plants found on the UK's road verges.
Road verges are a refuge for some of our rarest plants
writes Dr Trevor Dines, Plantlife The richness of our roadside flora is astonishing. Our new road
verges report brings this flora together for the first time – a national
catalogue of all those species known to grow on verges and roadsides
somewhere in the UK. We’ve found that over 720 species grow on our road verges. This is an
astonishing total. If we add in hedgerows and ditches, the total rises
to over 800 species, representing nearly half our total flora. As well
as highlighting the sheer diversity of our verges and roadsides, it
really drives home their value for wildlife. But unfortunately, the story of loss and destruction of road verge
plants is a long one. In 1641 a road in Kent was widened, destroying the
first colony of lizard orchid (Himantoglossum hircinum) ever recorded in
Great Britain. Today, nearly 100 ‘threatened’ or ‘near threatened’ species are found
on our verges. Many of these were once more abundant in meadows,
pastures and woodlands. But today, with these habitats gone or in poor
condition, we’ve found that road verges now represent their last refuge. Proper management of our roadside verges is critical if these species
are to avoid extinction. Please
support our call for councils to manage their verges better for all
our wildflowers and wildlife.
Add your name to Plantlife's road verge petition Team to assess impact on wildlife following fire - Clinton Devon Estates Clinton Devon Estates would like to thank the Devon and Somerset Fire
Service, the East Devon Pebblebed Heaths Wardens and the RSPB who worked
closely together to tackle the 50-hectare fire on Colaton Raleigh Common
at the weekend. The fire impacted on 5% of the total area of the heaths. Dr Sam Bridgewater, Head of Wildlife and Conservation for Clinton
Devon Estates, will now lead a team to assess the impact on wildlife of
the fire, the biggest on the Pebblebed Heaths since 2010. He said: “We have recently recorded around 3000 different species of
wildlife on the East Devon Pebblebed Heaths, including animals, insects,
reptiles, birds and plants. We expect that most of the birds will have
survived the fire simply by the fact they can fly away. At this time of
year ground nesting birds such as Nightjars, and Dartford Warblers which
breed in gorse, will be building their nests, so it’s a particularly bad
time of year for the fire to happen. However, there is still chance in
the season for them to breed elsewhere. Animals that are less mobile or
slower such as reptiles, including adders, will have been more adversely
impacted, with many individuals killed. “It has taken nearly seven years for the landscape and habitats from
the last big fire in 2010 covering nearly 100 hectares to recover. This
site is only now becoming suitable for supporting populations of birds
that were there prior to the fire. Although we wouldn’t have wished for
this recent fire to occur, nature is resilient, and heathland is adapted
to coping with fire. We expect the current burn site to make a full
recovery, but it will take decades. Later this year we will see grass
shoots emerge, with gorse and heather sprouting in future years. The
landscape will look quite different for a while though. More information about the fire including
video footage from DevonLive:
Fire crews fight Woodbury Common fire through the night 85 years on from the Kinder Scout Mass Trespass rangers battle to restore the rare Peak District bog - National Trust A Peak District hillside that became a battleground ramblers’ right
to roam is now at the centre of a new fight – as rangers battle to save
one of the world’s rarest nature habitats. This weekend walkers, campaigners and rangers celebrated the 85th
anniversary of the Mass Trespass on Kinder Scout. On 24 April, 1932, hundreds of walkers descended on the Peak District
moor to draw attention to their inability to roam in the countryside.
They were met by gamekeepers determined to stop them. The trespass saw six ramblers arrested – but sparked a campaign that
would eventually see law passed to allow people to walk freely over land
in places like national parks.
When walkers retrace their steps today, they will trudge across a
landscape that is changing rapidly. The National Trust acquired Kinder Scout 35 years ago. Pollution and
certain land management had seen the Scout become one of the fastest
eroding peat bogs in the country – with a patch bare black peat
equivalent to the size of over 80 football pitches. But in the last seven years rangers from the conservation charity
have worked with the Moors for the Future Partnership, Natural England
and water company United Utilities to restore the blanket bog – a
habitat rarer than the rainforest. Rangers have re-seeded 80 hectares of bare peat, planted half a
million bog cotton plants on the heather moorland and placed 20,000
trees in the deep valleys that surround the Kinder plateau.
First cycling for all festival – Lake
District National Park Authority A gathering geared to bring cycling to everyone beckons in the heart
of the Lakes with
Showcasing the benefits of being mobile in the great outdoors, the
Inclusive Cycling Festival is being staged at Brockhole, the Lake
District Visitor Centre on the shores of Windermere, on Friday 12 May. Image: Lake District National Park Authority Specially adapted cycles will cater for a wide range of abilities and
people are being invited to roll up and have a go, while enjoying
sensational scenery and beautiful grounds. The event is led by Cycling
Projects, the charity behind nationally recognised programme, Wheels for
All. By using specially adapted cycles, it provides quality, fun
activities that are both physically and mentally stimulating for adults
and children with disabilities and differing needs. In the Focus on Overcoming Barriers we had an
article from Pony AxeS, detailing a horse drawn transport system. Read
the article
here
The first permanent Hedgehog Street inspired garden is launched at RHS
Harlow Carr, Yorkshire – PTES A Hedgehog Street inspired garden at RHS Harlow Carr, Harrogate,
North Yorkshire will be unveiled for the first time today [Tuesday 25
April
Hedgehog by Ali Taylor Created by award-winning garden designer Tracy Foster, this new,
permanent Hedgehog Street garden showcases a smorgasbord of
hedgehog-friendly features designed to encourage visitors to RHS Harlow
Carr to make the green spaces on their doorsteps a haven for these
prickly creatures. The garden is made up of a series of individually
themed gardens; one contemporary; one rustic; and one Mediterranean. The
garden’s hedgehog-friendly aspects include nesting sites and Hedgehog
Highways, providing access to neighbouring gardens, safe water features,
planting and vegetation, to not only encourage hedgehogs, but also other
wildlife and prey.
Caterpillar found to eat shopping bags, suggesting biodegradable
solution to plastic pollution – University of
Cambridge A common insect larva that eats beeswax has been found to break down
chemical bonds in the plastic used for packaging and shopping bags at
uniquely high speeds. Scientists say the discovery could lead to a
biotechnological approach to the polyethylene waste that chokes oceans
and landfills. Scientists have found that a caterpillar commercially bred for
fishing bait has the ability to biodegrade polyethylene: one of the
toughest and most used plastics, frequently found clogging up landfill
sites in the form of plastic shopping bags.
The wax worm, the larvae of the common insect Galleria mellonella,
or greater wax moth, is a scourge of beehives across Europe. In the
wild, the worms live as parasites in bee colonies. Wax moths lay their
eggs inside hives where the worms hatch and grow on beeswax – hence the
name. A chance discovery occurred when one of the scientific team, Federica
Bertocchini, an amateur beekeeper, was removing the parasitic pests from
the honeycombs in her hives. The worms were temporarily kept in a
typical plastic shopping bag that became riddled with holes. Bertocchini, from the Spanish National Research Council (CSIC),
collaborated with colleagues Paolo Bombelli and Christopher Howe at the
University of Cambridge’s Department of Biochemistry to conduct a timed
experiment. Around a hundred wax worms were exposed to a plastic bag from a UK
supermarket. Holes started to appear after just 40 minutes, and after 12
hours there was a reduction in plastic mass of 92mg from the bag.
Committee finds a worrying landscape in Marine Protected Areas
- Environmental Audit Committee, UK Parliament The Environmental Audit Committee is disappointed with the
government's lack of ambition on designated Marine Protected Areas
(MPAs). The Marine Protected Areas Revisited report published on Tuesday 25
April, found MPAs are not being effectively managed, and the Government
needs to do more to protect vulnerable marine habitats, features and
species once a site is designated as an MPA. The Committee also expressed concern that the Government had moved
the goal posts by setting unreasonably high standards of evidence for
designating MPAs The Committee also found a number of concerns about the Department
for Environment Food, and Rural Affairs’ handling of MPAs. Mary Creagh MP, Chair of Environmental Audit Committee Said: "It is
worrying and disappointing the Government have still not got their act
together on assigning the vulnerable Marine Protected Areas. The
Government needs to focus on monitoring and protecting the current areas
rather than moving the goal posts to create unachievable and over
complicated demands on the management of susceptible areas. Without
effective management, surveillance or monitoring our MPAs are just paper
parks. The government needs to put firm plans in place to stop further
degradation of our vulnerable ecological systems, before they are
destroyed forever." Marine Protected Areas create significant opportunities and benefits
for marine habitats and wildlife. It was clear that few people were
aware of these potential benefits. The Government must implement a
robust communications strategy to raise awareness of the MPA network
amongst businesses and the general public Supporting documents
Response:
The Wildlife Trusts back MPs' concerns over lack of marine protection The Wildlife Trusts welcome today’s statement on Marine Conservation
Zones by the Environmental Audit Committee and urge the government to
press on with protecting these special places at sea The Wildlife Trusts welcome today’s statement on Marine Conservation
Zones (MCZs) by the Environmental Audit Committee. The Committee rightly
points out that the 2015 Conservative Party Manifesto committed to
“complete the network of MCZs.” Yet only 50 MCZs have been designated so
far — well short of the 127 sites originally recommended by the regional
projects in 2011. In its report the Environmental Audit Committee says:
“To fulfil this commitment, the third tranche of MCZs must be
considerably larger and more ambitious than the previous two. The delay
is unacceptable and we call on the Government to put in place this final
piece of the protected area MPA (Marine Protected Area) jigsaw as soon
as possible.” We agree also with the Committee's findings that without effective
management, surveillance and monitoring, protected areas are just lines
on a map. Once a site is designated then its status as a protected area
should be made the primary consideration for management and
decision-making. The Government must act to protect protected areas
properly by implementing a robust and well-coordinated management
strategy. Joan Edwards, Head of Living Seas at The Wildlife Trusts says: “Our
seas are suffering from decades of overfishing, exploitation for
resources and damage to natural habitats and so we welcome the EAC’s
inquiry and its findings. There is no reason why the government could
not designate the rest of the recommended Marine Conservation Zones
right now and fulfil their 2015 manifesto commitment to achieving a
‘blue belt’ of protected marine habitats around the UK. But we don’t
just want ‘paper parks’ – these special places at sea must be managed
and the most damaging activities must be banned straight away. Only 50
MCZs have been created in English waters, falling far short of the
amount of protection scientists say is needed to safeguard our seas. 50
further sites could help turn that around." Response:
BASC’s wildfowling evidence features in Committee report BASC has reiterated its support of the government’s decision to
exclude ‘reference areas’ from the third tranche of Marine Conservation
Zones (MCZ) following publication today of a report by the Environmental
Audit Committee.
BASC’s written submission to the committee’s Marine Protected Areas
inquiry made it clear the association would not support the designation
of highly protected marine areas where wildfowling takes place. The decision reached by government is in line with the evidence
presented by BASC, which has campaigned against reference areas on the
grounds they would ban wildfowling by default in such areas. Mark Greenhough, BASC’s wildfowling officer, said: “BASC has
consistently fought against the imposition of reference areas. We do not
want to see further restrictions placed on wildfowling and we will not
support the designation of highly protected marine areas where
wildfowling takes place. Our submission to the Environmental Audit
Committee’s inquiry into marine protected areas asked for lessons to be
learned from earlier, misguided proposals to introduce reference areas.
We have consistently argued that marine conservation measures must take
account of local traditional and cultural activities which provide a
sustainable use of natural resources.”
Conservationists join forces to help incy wincy spider
- Northumberland National Park Another major conservation project is underway in the west of
Northumberland National Park to protect an ancient peat bog which is
home to a rare and diminutive species of money-spider. The Lampert Mosses near Spadeadam, is a classified Site of Special
Scientific Interest (SSSI) due to its rich peat habitats and varied
species of flora and fauna, including the rare cloud-living spider
(Semljicola caliginosus). The tiny spider, which grows to around 2mm in length, is one of the
UK’s smallest and most elusive arachnids, favouring living conditions
found in damp, moss-rich upland areas. A recent ecological study which was funded in partnership by Natural
England, Buglife and the British Archaeological Society, recorded a
number of cloud-living spiders at Lampert Mosses, but the research also
showed that the area required sensitive conservation and repair work to
preserve the spider’s unique peatland habitat. Now a team of volunteers led by Northumberland National Park and Tyne
Rivers Trust are working together, using funding from Natural England,
to help protect the cloud-living spider’s upland home by replacing
eroded dam structures to preserve the Lampert Mosses’ peat bogs.
Programmes Officer at Northumberland National Park, Abi Mansley,
said: “In the 1990s marine plywood dams were installed at Lampert Mosses
to prevent the peat bogs from fragmenting and losing their peat. “Now, over 20 years later, the original dams are delaminating and
need to be replaced to safeguard this important habitat. We’re creating
around 100 mini dams to prevent further fragmentation and to slow the
water flow reaching the Tyne and Irthing rivers. “The presence of the cloud-living spider at the Lampert Mosses site
has made the preservation of the peat bogs even more important. With
population numbers of cloud-living spiders in rapid decline due to
habitat loss, the North of England is now home to a globally important
population of cloud- living spiders which have special ecological
significance in scientific communities.
Government corrects its breach of EU laws by giving extra protection to
common land - Open Spaces Society We have welcomed the Government’s decision to apply environmental
impact assessment (EIA) to common land. The society led the campaign to
change the regulations so as to protect common land. New regulations were laid before parliament on 25 April and take
effect on 16 May. In future, works on common land—typically to erect fencing—will have
to be assessed against the requirements of EIA. If applicants want to
carry out works beyond a threshold, set out in regulations, they will
have to seek an EIA screening opinion from the government’s adviser
Natural England, to decide whether a full EIA is needed. The screening
opinion, and an EIA, are in addition to the requirement for consent to
works on common land under section 38 of the Commons Act 2006. Commenting on the Government’s decision, our case officer Hugh
Craddock said: ‘We are delighted that the Government has seen sense and
applied the requirements of environmental impact assessment to commons.
There has never been any lawful excuse for exempting commons from EIA,
and England has been in breach of the EIA directives for decades. Now,
proposals for extensive fencing on commons will be subject to the same
holistic assessment process as on any other land—that is wholly right,
but long overdue.’
Volunteers ‘guard’ juniper trees - Northumberland Wildlife Trust A team of Northumberland Wildlife Trust volunteers made a return
visit to a Northumberland nature reserve this week to help with the
continued protection of a number of juniper trees.
Barrow Burn (image: Duncan Hoyle) Nestling on the hillside are 20 - 30 juniper trees, which are quite
unusual for this region and therefore included in the wildlife charity’s
annual reserves plan. Led by Estate Officer Duncan Hoyle, the team removed the tree guards
from other successfully maturing trees elsewhere on the site and placed
them around the juniper trees to protect them from deer and thereby
ensuring they continue to flourish.
Biodiversity ravaged by dredging at renowned Scottish dive site
- Fauna & Flora International The tragic and sudden loss of an important marine site in Scotland
highlights the need for better protection of the country’s inshore
waters.
Dead flame shell. Credit: Chris Rickard
Loch Carron, which lies on the Scottish mainland adjacent to the Isle
of Skye, was renowned among biologists and divers as one of Scotland’s
premier dive sites, with some of the most significant and spectacular
reefs of flame shells in the country. However, this week saw the
destruction of these flame shell beds – an acute reminder of the
vulnerability of Scotland’s delicate and productive inshore ecosystems,
and the damage that can be done by a single boat dredging in these
poorly-protected areas.
Sit
Less; Move More it's time to get On your feet Britain Take part in our national day when workers across Britain unite
together and participate in a variety of fun and simple activities to
#SitLess and #MoveMore at work. Despite working at Countryside Jobs Service we're all office
bound staring at screens and bashing keyboards. We do try to be more
active: regular tea and coffee making trips, only opening the post
whilst standing up and our over-filled heads mean we're very good at
forgetting things and have to make more than one trip to file paperwork
or ask a colleague something - we do try to talk to each other rather
than firing emails back and forth resulting in meandering between
offices. And then of course the office dogs ensure you pick your
feet up to avoid tripping over them basking in the sunshine!
If you like the sound of some exercise in the outdoors and helping conserve a little area of nature then have a look at our list of work days and conservation tasks here: http://c-js.co.uk/VolWD There are events in most areas. If you run work days which are not on the list and would like to advertise your activities (free of course) then fill in the form here http://www.countryside-jobs.com/workdays/advertise or email Amy on ranger@countryside-jobs.com for more information.
New Action Plan to help regions defend biodiversity and reap the
economic benefits of nature protection -
European Commission The European Commission has adopted a new Action Plan to improve the
protection of nature and biodiversity in the EU, for the benefit of its
citizens and the economy. The Plan consists of 15 actions to be carried out by 2019 to rapidly
improve the implementation of the
Birds and Habitats Directives, which are the EU's flagship nature
policies. These Directives establish the largest coordinated network of
biodiversity-rich protected areas in the world (Natura
2000 network), covering more 18% of land and 6% of sea in the EU.
These protected areas alone contribute between 1.7 and 2.5% to EU GDP
through the provision of ecosystem services such as carbon storage,
water purification, pollination and tourism. The Action Plan adopted
today (27/4/17) is about improving the management of these areas,
connecting nature protection and socio-economic activities more broadly,
and engaging with national authorities, stakeholders and young people. The 15 actions, to be carried out between now and 2019, focus on 4
priority areas:
For More Information:
Action Plan for nature, people and the economy New path opens up ancient route to Broads visitors - Broads Authority Broads visitors can now follow in the footsteps of medieval monks
with the opening of a new stretch of footpath. The path will complete the link from St Benet’s Abbey to How Hill
National Nature Reserve via Ludham Bridge. And on Tuesday 2 May
the ribbon will officially be cut on the long-awaited path prior to a
free guided walk as part of the 2017 Broads Outdoors Festival. The
news means that visitors can now walk all the way from 11th century St
Benet’s Abbey to How Hill along the picturesque riverside, just as the
monks of the abbey once did. A previous footpath existed some years ago but flood defence work
meant the original route had changed. Therefore the Broads
Authority worked hard to negotiate with the landowner to get the access
needed for the new path which was identified as a key link in the
Authority’s Integrated Access Strategy. Adrian Clarke, Senior Waterways and Recreation Officer, said: “The
aim of the strategy is to open up links for public access across the
Broads, particularly between land and water and so that visitors can
easily get to village facilities, like those at Ludham, from moorings
and other popular destinations. BC welcomes B&Q move to drop neonicotinoids - Butterfly Conservation Butterfly Conservation (BC) has today welcomed the decision by
retailer B&Q to stop using a type of pesticide that is harmful to bees,
butterflies and other pollinators. From February next year B&Q will no longer use neonicotinoid
pesticides in any of their flowering plant range. Previous
research has shown that neonicotinoids are harming bees and birds
and may be contributing to the decline of butterflies. B&Q, who sponsor BC’s annual Plant Pots for Pollinators campaign and
the Garden Butterfly Survey, said they decided to stop the use of the
controversial pesticide so they could help support wildlife and address
the declining bee population. Neonicotinoids were introduced in the 1990s as a replacement for
older chemicals. They are a systematic insecticide, meaning that they
are absorbed into every cell in a plant, making all parts poisonous to
pests. The chemicals remain in the environment and can be absorbed
by the wildflowers growing in field margins, many of which provide a
nectar source for butterflies and food-plants for their caterpillars. BC Chief Executive Julie Williams said: “We are delighted that B&Q is
responding so positively to the growing scientific evidence that
neonicotinoids are harmful to the environment. I hope that the
Government can also respond similarly and extend and expand the
neonicotinoid ban. Congratulations to B&Q for leading the way on this
important environmental issue”.
Scientific Publications Munsch, S. H., Cordell, J. R. and Toft, J. D. (2017),
Effects of shoreline armouring and overwater structures on coastal and
estuarine fish: opportunities for habitat improvement. J Appl
Ecol.DOI: 10.1111/1365-2664.12906 Kärvemo, S., Björkman, C., Johansson, T., Weslien, J. and Hjältén, J.
(2017),
Forest restoration as a double-edged sword: the conflict between
biodiversity conservation and pest control. J Appl Ecol.
doi:10.1111/1365-2664.12905
Kazuhiro Takemoto, Miku Imoto
A. Hernando, J. Velázquez, R. Valbuena, M. Legrand, A. García-Abril, Influence of the resolution of forest cover maps in evaluating fragmentation and connectivity to assess habitat conservation status, Ecological Indicators, Volume 79, August 2017, Pages 295-302, ISSN 1470-160X, DOI: 10.1016/j.ecolind.2017.04.031.
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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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Our
One
of the gritstone boulders standing amongst smaller stones on the heath,
part of the Kinder Scout Rock formation in the Peak District,
Derbyshire. (Image: Joe Cornish/National Trust Images)
specially
adapted wheels for riders with disabilities.
2017],
by wildlife charities People’s Trust for Endangered Species (PTES) and
the British Hedgehog Preservation Society (BHPS), who have successfully
coordinated the Hedgehog Street campaign since 2011, and work tirelessly
to conserve the UK’s native hedgehogs.
Close-up
of wax worm next to biodegraded holes in a polyethylene plastic shopping
bag from a UK supermarket as used in the experiment. Credit: The
research team.
Volunteers
carrying out dam repair work (image: Northumberland National Park)
Barrow
Burn Wood, which lies 1 km south of Alwinton, to the north facing banks
of the Barrow Burn, a tributary of the River Coquet is home to a mix of
alder, willow, rowan, ash and oak trees. Bird life in the wood includes
sparrowhawks, pied flycatchers, tree creepers and cuckoos.
A
rare bed of flame shells (Limaria hians) off the north-west coast of
Scotland has been devastated by the heavy mechanical teeth of a scallop
dredger.
Sometimes
though the day to day office grind can get you down and no matter how
often you get up or move more you simply need a change of scenery as
Jackie Kemp found out: "In the Autumn of 2007, following several years
of working away from home I returned to the Glasgow area to alter my
work/life balance." Read about this leap of faith in the article:
