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A round up of the top countryside, conservation, wildlife and forestry stories as chosen by the CJS Team.
Otter believed to have taken up home on the Rother
- South Downs National Park
South
Downs rangers are excited to have captured new footage of an otter, left
on a camera trap on the river Rother near Rogate on 11 April 2018. This
is the first time an otter has been recorded at this particular site in
many years.
Volunteers first noticed otter prints on a mink raft a few weeks
earlier and the camera was installed to try and capture the animal on
film. As the footage was caught a couple of weeks after the prints were
spotted Rangers are confident that the otter is probably now resident
here. The camera trap had been put in place to monitor whether invasive
species American mink, which threatens our native wildlife, was at large
in the area.
Click through for recorded camera trap footage.
Health for Life pilot project at Countess of Chester Country Park hailed
a success with huge improvements in physical and mental well-being
- The Land Trust A two year Health for Life activity programme at the Countess of
Chester Country Park has been hailed a great success by project funders
and the park’s owners, the Land Trust, after seeing huge improvements in
participant’s physical and mental well-being. The £70,000 programme, which was funded by the Cheshire Wirral
Partnership NHS Trust, The Big Lottery, The Mersey Forest and Cheshire
West and Chester Council, saw nearly 700 different events and sessions
organised at the park for the public and NHS staff from the nearby
hospital.
Nordic
Walking at Countess of Chester Country Park as part of the Health for
Life project (Image: The Land Trust) These activities ranged from Nordic Walking and hedge-laying to buggy
walks and a popular weekly park run, which attracts more than 300
runners every Saturday morning. Working with the Natural Health Service Centre of Excellence, which
includes both the University of Liverpool and Liverpool John Moores
University, the activities were academically evaluated. This measured
their health and wellbeing at the start and end of an 8 -12 week
programme. In virtually all cases, people reported spending more time outdoors
and feeling healthier and happier as a result. There was a dramatic
reduction in the time participants spent sitting each day, with a
corresponding leap in vigorous physical exercise of nearly 60 per cent.
New Nower Wood Learning Centre Celebrates First Anniversary!
- Surrey Wildlife Trust Surrey Wildlife Trust is celebrating the first year of its rebuilt
Nower Wood outdoor learning centre, with record numbers of visitors and
a nomination for two coveted building awards. Since opening on 20th April 2017, the £1.2m flagship learning centre
has helped the Trust grow its efforts to educate and inspire people of
all ages about wildlife. The building has already served over 10,000
visitors - 3000 more annual visitors than before the rebuild. The Trust is proud to announce that the new building has also been
shortlisted for Best Public Service Building and Best Educational
Building in the ‘South East LABC Building Excellence Awards 2018’.
Nower
Wood Learning Centre (image: Jon Hawkins / Surrey Wildlife Trust) The Trust’s Outdoor Learning Manager, Louise Shorthose, said: “The
woods and the centre really do have a wow factor now as you arrive on
site and walk up the steps. It’s really reinvigorated the feeling at our
educational nature reserve. The new facilities have enabled us to
remain open for educational activities all year, where previously the
outdoor toilets froze in the winter. We have, for the first time, been
able to host a broad range of winter events including a Christmas themed
schools programme and adult learning courses.” The modern facilities replaced out-dated, leaking wooden huts from
the 1970s and are much more accessible for those with special
educational needs and disabilities. There have been 125 school visits
and 55 adult learning courses throughout the year – the centre has even
hosted 60 birthday parties!
New proposals for a wilder Britain - critical moment to reverse the
decline of nature – The Wildlife Trusts Today (Tuesday 1 May) The Wildlife Trusts publish a new report which
shows how new laws could lead to the creation of nature recovery maps
and reverse decades of wildlife declines.
Image:
The Wildlife Trusts The Wildlife Trusts' new report Towards a wilder Britain – creating a
Nature Recovery Network shows how a Nature Recovery Network can be
established by mapping out important places for wildlife which need to
be protected as well as key areas where habitats should be restored. The
Wildlife Trusts believe new laws are needed, including an Environment
Act, to ensure this happens. Local Authorities should be required by law
to produce local Nature Recovery Maps to achieve the new Government
targets to increase the extent and quality of natural habitats – and
turn nature's recovery from an aspiration to a reality. The report will
be launched at an event for MPs in Westminster. This comes at a critical time for wildlife. It coincides with the
final week of two key government consultations which present a rare
opportunity – the first in living memory – to influence the future of
both national farming and planning policy and how these impact on nature
in England. Precious wild places and the species that depend on them
have suffered steep declines over the past 70 years; intensive farming
and urbanisation have been significant causes. Now the public has a chance to call for change – so that planning
rules, farm support and regulation work together towards the recovery of
nature and wildlife. The Wildlife Trusts are urging people to respond to
both consultations. The Government’s 25 Year Plan for the Environment
proposes the creation of a Nature Recovery Network. To take this forward
Nature Recovery Maps should be at the foundation of future farming and
planning policy, guiding habitat creation by farmers and housing
developers to ensure it achieves government targets for wildlife’s
recovery.
Global change is causing freshwater species to be lost twice as fast
as in any other ecosystem, and new research, which studied Welsh rivers
and
streams for over 30 years, has found that the number of specialist
invertebrates are dwindling. Image: Cardiff University Cardiff University researchers monitored fourteen streams at the Llyn
Brianne Observatory, collecting data from the headwaters of the River
Tywi in Wales since 1981. The data revealed that specialist organisms,
like predatory flatworms, certain stoneflies or caddis larvae, are in
sharp decline, as their precise needs make them vulnerable to changes in
climate.
Living Seas Wales Awarded National Lottery Support!
- North Wales Wildlife Trust North Wales Wildlife Trust and The Wildlife Trust of South and West
Wales have received a confirmed grant of (£587,600) from the Heritage
Lottery Fund (HLF) for their exciting 3 year Living Seas Wales project!
Thanks to money raised by National Lottery players, the project will use
awe-inspiring technology for their ‘Sea Wales’ 7D augmented reality
family experience, immersive skills and learning opportunities to build
connections, sculpt attitudes, change behaviour and inspire action to
benefit the natural heritage of our coast and sea. The project will provide participants with opportunities to learn
about, enjoy and contribute to the conservation of the marine
environment, its conservation and how they can impact on its future;
whether they live on the coast, use the marine environment for work or
leisure, or live inland and visit the coast on holiday. Dr Sarah Perry, Living Seas Manager for South Wales says, “We are
delighted that we have this opportunity to work in partnership with our
colleagues from North Wales Wildlife Trust to work together to raise the
profile of the marine environment around Wales. Through hard work and
dedication this project comes to fruition at exactly the right time;
2018 is Wales’ Year of the Sea it couldn’t be more timely. We look
forward to an exciting few years ahead as part of the Living Seas Wales
project and the opportunities for all this project will bring”. Living Seas is The Wildlife Trusts’ vision for the future of UKs
seas. Within Living Seas marine wildlife thrives from the depths of the
ocean to the coastal shallows. We know our seas are at a turning point
and as well as our advocacy work with the Welsh Government and Welsh
politicians, we believe that local people, local communities and coastal
visitors are the key to help reverse the decline in marine wildlife.
Rare reptile given second chance at RSPB reserve
– RSPB With summer just around the corner one of the UK’s rarest reptiles is
looking forward to a brighter future after a project between the RSPB
and ARC saw 21 sand lizards given new homes at RSPB Farnham Heath in
Surrey. Native to the UK, the short-legged reptile grows no bigger than 20cm
in length and needs sandy ground in sunny spots to dig burrows for
egg-laying, shelter and sunbathing. Females are a sandy-brown colour
with rows of dark markings along the back, but males have exotic green
flanks which are at their brightest during the summer, making them easy
to spot. They are the UK’s only egg-laying lizards; other species give
birth to live young. Sand lizards were first reintroduced to Farnham Heath in 2012 in an
attempt to boost the dwindling UK population. However, three years ago a
fire started by an illegal camper destroyed a good portion of the
restored heathland at Farnham, killing some of its rare wildlife. Since
then the damage has slowly been repaired and colonies of sand lizards,
field crickets and other species are being brought back to safeguard
their future as a UK species. In partnership with ARC, 21 sand lizards bred on a nearby site were
relocated and released on sandbanks created especially for them.
Help stop government proposals to remove protection for wildlife
- Leicestershire and Rutland Wildlife Trust 42,000 Local Wildlife Sites in England are at risk of losing their
protection under HM Government’s new draft planning rules. This is a
huge concern. Please ask the government to reverse this decision. Local Wildlife Sites are recognised in national planning policy which
protects them from being developed for housing, roads or industry.
Even with this protection, some are lost each year. From ancient woodlands and flower meadows to wildlife oases in our
cities, Local Wildlife Sites (LWS) are quiet places where wildlife
thrives. Now, the Government is proposing to take all reference to Local
Wildlife Sites out of the National Planning Policy Framework. This means removing protection for all Local Wildlife Sites. This means ‘unprotecting’ 5% of the country’s land area – that’s an
area of wildlife-rich land the size of Devon. In Leicestershire and Rutland this means ‘unprotecting’ 1,000 Local
Wildlife Sites covering well over 3,000 hectares. We believe this could be a disaster for our wildlife. We cannot
let this happen. If the Government is to achieve its ambition to be ‘the first
generation to leave the environment in a better state than it found it’,
it must reverse this proposed change to the planning rules.
Because our LWS lie at the heart of nature’s recovery. A recent survey of over 5,000 LWS showed that 16% had been lost or
damaged in the last five years and loss to development was a significant
cause within this. This is happening even with the basic levels of
protection - imagine what could happen when there’s none.
The
Berks, Bucks & Oxon Wildlife Trust has identified the likely impacts of
the Government’s proposed Oxford to Cambridge Expressway corridors on
designated wildlife sites and the natural environment between Abingdon,
Oxford, Aylesbury and Milton Keynes. Bernwood Meadows by Rhea Draguisky The Trust is calling for Highways England to carry out a Strategic
Environmental Assessment (SEA), as instructed by the EU Habitats
Directive, to enable a full public consultation on the proposals for all
three corridors. Read
Executive Summary of Trusts' response to Highways England. Neil Clennell, the Wildlife Trust’s Director of Conservation &
Education for Oxfordshire says: “If the SEA is not undertaken before a
preferred corridor is selected, the opportunity to fully scrutinise the
comparative impacts of all possible Expressway routes will be lost.” Each of the three proposed routes has the potential to have
devastating impacts on the natural environment and nationally-important
wildlife. The Wildlife Trust’s most serious concerns are for the complex
of designated sites and nature reserves in the areas of Cothill Fen near
Abingdon, Oxford Meadows, the Otmoor Basin including the RSPB reserve,
and the Upper Ray Valley and Bernwood Forest in Buckinghamshire, which
includes several Wildlife Trust nature reserves.
77% of Scots want farming to deliver for our environment and climate,
poll suggests - Scottish Environment LINK A poll of 1,000 Scots conducted by Survation on behalf of Scottish
Environment LINK reveals overwhelming public support in favour of a farm
subsidy system that delivers for the environment. 77% of respondents would like to see farm support be conditional to
land managers showing that they are supporting wildlife and are reducing
climate impacts. The poll suggests that people want to see a variety of issues
addressed by our farming sector such as reducing the use of pesticides
and antibiotics, promoting organic production and increasing animal
welfare. To pursue those objectives, farmers also need support to
enhance skills and knowledge, sustain the sector in the long-term by
supporting young farmers and enabling farmers to supply local shops,
markets, schools and hospitals. This poll confirms public support for Scottish farming as a sector
and an appetite to see Scottish farmers thrive while enhancing our
environment and landscape. Commenting on the survey results, Pete Ritchie Leader of LINK’s food
and farming subgroup said: “We knew the Scottish public were concerned
about the environment, but this poll shows very high levels of
cross-party support for a food and farming policy which delivers public
goods and a strong local food economy. The forthcoming Good Food
Nation bill offers a great opportunity to refocus public support for
farming on delivering public value.” Full survey results available here (PDF) Cumbria’s trees join botanical bank at Kew Gardens - Cumbria Wildlife Trust All eyes are on Kew Gardens this weekend as the world’s largest
Victorian glasshouse re-opens to the public following a five year
refurbishment. While the famous botanical gardens may seem a long way from Cumbria,
some of our local conservationists have just completed an important
project with Kew, to help preserve some of the wonderful native trees
found across our county.
Isaac
Johnston Conservation Apprentice, gathering elder berries at Sizergh
(image: Cumbria Wildlife Trust) The future of elder, crab apple, wych elm and rowan trees has been
assured thanks to a two-year partnership between Cumbria Wildlife Trust
and Kew Gardens. As part of the Millennium Seed Bank project, the Trust
has provided Kew with thousands of seeds from some of our much-loved
indigenous trees, to be used for research and conservation. Thousands of seeds were collected during the project, between 2015
and 2017, including: elder at Sizergh Farm, raspberries at Lowther
Castle’s ‘lost gardens’; wych elm at Cumbria Wildlife Trust’s Smardale
Gill Nature Reserve, holly from Brigsteer Woods, blackthorn sloes from
Rusland and hawthorn from Blawith, not forgetting rowan from Eskdale.
Government launches microplastics research to protect oceans
- defra The Government has pledged £200,000 to the University of Plymouth to
research how sources of microplastics enter the UK's oceans. A new
research project analysing the impact of tyres and clothing on the
marine environment has been launched today by the Government. Environment Minister Thérèse Coffey has pledged £200,000 for
scientists at the University of Plymouth to explore how tiny plastic
particles from tyres, synthetic materials like polyester, and fishing
gear – such as nets, ropes and lines – enter our waterways and oceans,
and the impact they have on marine life. Following the government’s ban on microbeads, which is one of the
toughest in the world, this comprehensive research will be used to
improve our scientific understanding of how microplastics from other
sources enter the oceans – whether through fibres released into waste
water during a washing cycle, or car tyre friction on roads creating a
dust of particles that make their way into the seas through sewers. The
11 month project will build on the research already underway – with some
scientists estimating tyres contribute 270,000 tonnes of plastics per
year while a single wash load of acrylic clothing could release over
700,000 microfibres into the ocean. This project will build on the
substantial research already underway on marine plastic pollution and
the impact of human activities on the marine environment. It will be
used to guide future policy priorities as the Government continues in
its fight against the scourge of plastics.
Farmers instrumental to the recovery of bats?
- Game and Wildlife Conservation Trust
Environmental measures farmers are putting in place for birds and
bees could be aiding a popular farmland creature, a new study has
revealed. Over the past 12 months, scientists at the Game & Wildlife
Conservation Trust (GWCT) have been studying bats across Dorset and
Hampshire to understand how farming practices affect them.
Research
assistant Belinda Bown setting Sticky Traps (image: GWCT) AgriBats - a
project funded by the Heritage Lottery Fund - has shown that providing
agri-environment scheme (AES) habitats, such as wild bird seed plots or
pollen and nectar plots, can benefit a range of foraging bat species. All 18 species of bat found in Britain feed on insects such a midges,
beetles and moths so AES habitats that support a wealth of insects
should, in turn, help our bat populations. Over the study more than 10,000 bat recordings were taken on 15
farms. Recordings included several uncommon species such as barbastelles,
Nathusis’ pipistrelles, lesser horseshoe and greater horseshoe bats.
Additionally, over 90,000 insects were identified from the same
habitats, to understand why bats might be attracted to specific AES. During the 20th century several European bat species experienced
declines due to a combination of factors including loss of roost and
feeding sites. Bat roosts in Britain are protected under legislation,
but feeding sites are not, making them susceptible to land use change.
As over 25% of land in Britain is arable farmland, GWCT were keen to
understand how the impacts of agriculture on potential bat feeding sites
can be reduced.
The 'value' of biodiversity - Newcastle
University Why conservation policies which value species based on their
‘usefulness’ are putting birds like the humble crow at risk. Putting policies in place that are designed to protect biodiversity
but are based on only one key species ‘value’ could inadvertently put
some of our best loved wildlife in jeopardy, new research has shown. The study, published today (3 May) in
Scientific Reports,
highlights the consequences of focussing on key specific conservation
triggers such as the rarity of a species or its financial impact – for
example the amount of weed seeds (which impact on crops) eaten by birds
– without also looking at the wider, cultural value of a species and its
importance to society. Led by an international team of experts from Newcastle University,
UK, the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences and the British
Trust for Ornithology, the research categorised UK farmland birds
according to three core values – conservation priority value
(measured in two ways by rarity and population decline magnitude),
economic value (consumers of weed-seeds) and cultural value, measured
through poetry. They found that each ‘value’ prioritised different subsets of species
and taking any one in isolation could potentially underestimate the
importance of a species. Skewed picture
Read the study (pdf) Scientific Publications Callcutt, K., Croft, S. & Smith, G.C.
Predicting population trends using citizen science data: do subsampling
methods produce reliable estimates for mammals? Eur J Wildl Res
(2018) 64: 28. DOI: 10.1007/s10344-018-1189-7 Linton DM, Macdonald DW.
Spring weather conditions influence breeding phenology and reproductive
success in sympatric bat populations. J Anim Ecol. 2018;00:1–11.
https://doi.org/10.1111/1365-2656.12832
Malin Thyselius, Paloma Gonzalez-Bellido, Trevor Wardill, Karin
Nordström
Visual approach computation in feeding hoverflies Journal of
Experimental Biology 2018 : jeb.177162 doi: 10.1242/jeb.177162
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