The Gloucestershire Naturalists Society was formed in 1948 with the aim to promote an interest in the wildlife of the county. It also took on the responsibility also has the role of recording all the flora and fauna within the county. Members are appointed specifically to record birds, mammals, insects and wildflowers and people are encouraged to report any sightings to them. Throughout the year, the Society holds many regular talks and field meetings to learn about the natural history of the county. Many of these events are open to both members and non-members who get to know each other very well within the community. Members recieve a quarterly newsletter containing news about the society and scientific articles and magazines about wildlife. They also have access to the society's extensive library of relevent environmental books and journals. One project that has been at the forefront of importance recently is the Curlew Call project. Curlew are
ground-nesting birds that are rapidly declining in numbers due to loss of habitat, disturbance of breeding grounds and predation. All these things mean that while there are still many breeding pairs, chicks often do not survive to adulthood. The Severn Ham in Tewkesbury is currently the nesting site for five curlew. This meadow in the bend of the river seems a perfect habitat with soft ground and ideal coverage from hay, wildflowers and grasses. However, the Ham is a busy meadow and curlew are very sensitive to disturbance by walkers and dogs. Signs have been erected to try to encourage people to stick to the footpaths around the edge of the Ham and to keep dogs on a lead rather than letting them run loose throughout the meadow. As curlew are in such steep decline, some are being fitted with rings to be able to track each individuals' whereabouts and migration patterns over long periods of time.
"Thanks to the colour rings we can now recognise individuals, and have confirmed that they are incredibly faithful to both breeding and wintering sites, returning year after year to the same mudflat and high tide roost in winter, and to the same breeding field in summer." ~ Mike Smart Chairman of the GNS Because of this reliance that migratory birds have on their habitats, it is incredibly important to preserve any sites that they are able to nest or breed in so that they can return year after year. Another recent problem is the leaking of Severn Trent's water pipe which runs directly underneath the Ham and has caused flooding on certain areas of the meadow. Whilst the Severn is a tidal river and flooding in areas like Tewkesbury is not uncommon, chemically treated water from pipelines is very different from natural floodwaters and can cause a whole host of issues when mixed with the groundwater supply. The GNS has been one of the groups putting pressure on Severn Trent to sort the leak as quickly and efficiently as possible, whilst making sure they do so with minimal disturbance to the surrounding fragile ecosystem.
