CONSERVATION
Wildlife goes on A round-up of activity around our nature reserves from the Conservation Team
T
he ‘Great Anthropause’ – the global-scale, temporary slowdown in human activity. Much has been made of this recently and its possible impact on other species. Over the last few months, the Trust has been asked if we have noticed any real difference in how species have responded across our reserves. Here’s a little taster, though we should qualify this with: we’ve never been as busy!
Laura Tedstone Living Landscapes Officer South
Phill Catton
Living Landscapes Officer North
June 15th marked the return of volunteers to reserve management activities. Emerging into woodlands awash with flora, and meadows buzzing with life, to work in small bubbles to undertake essential seasonal work. Local members and volunteers had done a great job supporting Trust staff, during lockdown, to clear litter and repair the impact of anti-social behaviour that sadly has become all too commonplace since March. Now some of the bigger jobs could start to be undertaken.
The feedback was generally about how much bolder wildlife had become. Early nesters had taken up home closer to paths, as volunteers at Low Barns observed, while they repaired the damage to site paths caused by floods at the turn of the year. Path repair at Bishop Middleham had its own rewards, with an array of butterflies and orchids benefiting from the fine weather. Left: Derek Newby, Fencing at Low Barns Above: Bishop Middleham Quarry OPPOSITE PAGE:
12 | WILDLIFE DURHAM WINTER 2020
Bottom left: Ringlet Butterfly and Soldier Beetles on Ragwort Bottom right: Dark Red Helleborine at Bishop Middleham Quarry by Mark Dinning
