Welcome
to the winter edition of WILD – the magazine for Essex Wildlife Trust members.
It was our 65th birthday a few weeks ago: we were founded on 2 October 1959 by a group of pioneering men and women, and we celebrated by having an afternoon of celebratory walks across our Nature Discovery Centres, following our AGM. A big thanks to those of you who were able to join us.
One of the things I enjoy most about my role is talking to members and volunteers who have had a long-standing connection to the Trust. Memory is a precious and fleeting thing, so in order that we can capture some of these experiences, we have created a Memory Wall on our website to coincide with our 65th anniversary (page 21). We would be thrilled to read your memories, so please consider sharing.
In our 65 years, the Trust has a proud and long-standing association with the Lieutenancy in Essex. We are thrilled to be welcoming His Majesty's Lord-Lieutenant of Essex, Mrs Jennifer Tolhurst, as the Trust's new patron, to help maximise the impact of our work (page 15).
I mentioned in the last issue that we are having to manage our operating costs very closely, so a big thank you to those of you who were in a position to either increase your membership fee, start paying by Direct Debit, or transition to our digital-only Green Membership. These are all significant ways in which we, as a charity, can either reduce our costs or increase our income.
We have a fundraising campaign that will be launching in December: the Big Give. The aim of this is to raise money to fund the work of our community team who help to support individuals and communities to make their local area greener and wilder. This work is critical in fulfilling our charitable objectives, so please spread the word; and, if you’re able, please donate. We know that conservation is so often most effective and sustainable when it’s done locally by local people.
There is another way you can think of us in December. We are working hard to make our Nature Discovery Centres gateways to great wildlife experiences, while also increasing income for the Trust. Our retail team are committed to making sure everything we sell tells a story about conservation, sustainability, or local provenance, so please think of our centres when you're doing your holiday shopping. Needless to say, all proceeds go to conservation.
I hope you enjoy this season’s issue, and I particularly hope that you enjoy reading about the gift of Ronald Blythe’s house, Bottengoms, which you will hear more about in 2025. Thanks for your support this year.
Rich Yates Chief Executive Officer
We really hope you enjoy receiving your magazine. If, however, you would prefer to convert to our digital-only Green Membership, please contact the Membership Office on 01621 862964 or by email at members@essexwt.org.uk. We will be delighted to help you manage how we communicate with you.
‘It’s essential that we continue to voice our concerns about protecting our wildlife and wild places.’
www.essexwt.org.uk
MEET THE WILD TEAM
Editor-in-Chief Emily Buttress
Editor Lauren
Assistant
Art
WILD is the magazine of Essex Wildlife Trust.
No. 129 Winter 2024 ISSN 2756-0066
All enquiries to: Essex Wildlife Trust, Abbotts Hall, Great Wigborough, Colchester, Essex, CO5 7RZ
T 01621 862960 E enquiries@essexwt.org.uk www.essexwt.org.uk
Reg Charity No. 210065 VAT Reg No. 945745977 Company Reg No. 638666 England
Copyright © Essex Wildlife Trust 2024
Advertising To advertise in WILD magazine contact: marketing@essexwt.org.uk
WILD magazine includes adverts from third-parties. However, services offered by advertisers are not specifically endorsed by Essex Wildlife Trust. The income from advertisements goes towards the cost of printing and postage. This means that more of your membership donation goes directly towards conservation. Adverts must conform to the British Code of Advertising Practice.
The Trust is a corporate member of The Wildlife Trusts.
The views expressed in this publication are not necessarily those of the Trustees of Essex Wildlife Trust.
We are the county’s leading conservation charity, committed to protecting wildlife and inspiring a lifelong love of nature. We manage nature reserves and discovery parks across the county, providing outstanding outdoor learning and preserving places of wonder.
Founded in 1959 by volunteers, we protect over 100 sites across Essex and are supported by 40,000 members.
Our climate is in crisis and nature needs our help. Together we can protect the future. Join us.
We are one of the largest Trusts that work together throughout the British Isles as The Wildlife Trusts.
Cosson
Director Lottie Hall
Designer Tasha Mound
Printing
The DS Group
Editorial
Gemma Cosson
Saving seagrass
Highlighting the success of the ReMEDIES project for seagrass, and sharing our plans for the next stage of the Essex Seagrass Project.
WHAT’S INSIDE
Your Wild Essex
Celebrating the winning entries of our 'Coastal Creations Art Competition'.
Trust News
Updates from throughout the Trust on our work to protect wildlife and inspire a lifelong love of nature.
25 Bottengoms
Ronald Blythe’s generous gift to Essex Wildlife Trust.
Sustainable Christmas gifts
Visit one of our Nature Discovery Centres for a range of sustainable holiday gifts, and directly support our conservation efforts.
Winter experiences
Where is the best place to experience the return of the dark-bellied brent geese? See a short-eared owl? Or go for an invigorating winter walk? We highlight some of the best reserves of the season.
dates for your diary
Save the date: take a look at our events schedule for the winter months.
The benefits of beavers
The Wildlife Trusts share their vision of a Wilder Isles, with examples from throughout the movement.
National News
Updates from The Wildlife Trusts movement on national projects and campaigns for wildlife.
Celebrating 65 years
In October 1959, the Trust was incorporated at County Hall in Chelmsford. 65 years later, we’re still going strong and celebrating our successes, as the largest conservation charity in the county.
22 Nature Neighbours
Winter may not be the time to spot pollinators, but it’s a great time to help these essential invertebrates, setting them up for success next year.
36 Under the spotlight: Gunners Park & Shoebury Ranges nature reserve
Where the Thames and the North Sea meet, Gunners Park is rich in habitat, history, and accessible to all, along the esplanade from Thorpe Bay and Shoeburyness.
Snakelocks anemone: Andrew Pearson
Winner of Coastal Creations
Art Competition 2024
This summer, marine and art lovers across Essex painted, printed, coloured and crafted their unique and diverse connections to the marine world for our Coastal Creations Art Competition.
While some spotlighted a favourite species or landscape, others used the opportunity to raise awareness of the threats to our coastal creatures such as over-fishing, climate change and pollution.
Though we were inundated with fin-tastic entries, our three winners are as follows…
Wild Essex takeover: this edition we're swapping our wildlife sightings for the amazing creative entries from this year's Coastal Creations Art Competition. If you would like to feature in our next edition of WILD, please email your favourite images of Essex’s wildlife and wild places to magazine@essexwt.org.uk or tag Essex Wildlife Trust on social media.
Sea the Connection
Abba Ruston, age 11 from Braintree with ‘Joel the Hermit Crab’
“My name is Abba and I am 11 and whenever we go to Mersea I like to go crabbing. Our record is 112! My painting is of Joel the Hermit Crab.”
Take a look at the splash-tastic prizes our winners received this year. Thank you to Essex artists and businesses Michelle Parsons, Katy Laundon, Bee Creative and Geraldine Burles for donating prizes.
Winner of Winner of
Hidden Treasure
Beverley May from Saffron Walden with ‘Joy’
“Being outside in nature and using nature’s finds is soothing on the soul and brings me so much joy and inspiration. Knowing that I’ve picked up sea glass, sharp ceramics and litter along the way to repurpose in this way is rewarding too.”
Troubled Waters
Helen Brown from Colchester with ‘Watching the Fish’
The winning pieces, along with a few other favourites, were exhibited to our visitors at Hanningfield Reservoir Nature Discovery Centre between October and November. Our competition will be back with a splash next summer
“Far removed from our childhood memories of watching fish from a little rowing boat, this next generation of children are watching rubbish floating and taking over the communities of sea life.”
Stories and news from throughout the Trust on our work to protect wildlife and inspire a lifelong love of nature across Essex. Written by our staff, volunteers and members of our Local Groups.
Badger watching at Fingringhoe Wick
Shaun Bater Assistant Centre Manager at Fingringhoe
Another season of badger watching at Fingringhoe Wick Nature Discovery Park has come to an end but what a great year it has been. In the past, the badger watching nights were run by our amazing volunteer, the late Tom Turnbull, who volunteered for the Trust for over 20 years. Many of you will remember badger watching nights with Tom, and in his memory, the Meles Meles hide has been re-named Tom’s badger hide. Thanks to our volunteers Paul and Jacqui Everett, Diane
Butcher, Kate Allsopp and Andy Butcher, the badger watching events have continued this year and here’s a few great photos of the resident badgers taken by Paul. Don’t forget, you can keep watching the badgers across winter on our live webcam: www.essexwt.org.uk/webcams. Tune in as the sun starts to set to see the badgers emerge from their sett and feed.
Plastic tree guard recycling efforts continued
Virginia Walsh People and Culture – Business Partner
Last year, we recycled over 5,000 plastic tree guards. The Essex Tree Guard Recycling Hub opened again this year at Abbotts Hall for the second year running, and what a success it was. Set up in partnership with Forest Plastics Working Group, Yorkshire Dales Millennial Trust, the Forestry Commission and Tubex Recycling and Collection Scheme, we welcomed a variety of visitors from Essex and beyond to sustainably dispose of redundant plastic tree guards. A total of 105 bags were dropped off altogether, averaging around 31,500 plastic tree guards to be recycled. That’s around 5.6 tonnes of plastic saved from landfill or being left out in the environment.
Beatrix Potter Trail has a makeover
Ben Stokes Site Manager at Langdon Nature Discovery Park
Our dedicated volunteers, Mick and Colin, have been refurbishing our much-loved woodland characters from the Beatrix Potter trail at Langdon Nature Discovery Park this year. Just like something out of The Repair Shop, they have been painting Jemima Puddleduck, Peter Rabbit and all the gang to give them a new lease of life. We are so thankful to our volunteers, as this would have been a costly project. Please do come along to Langdon and visit the trail – maps are available for £1 at the Nature Discovery Centre.
Calling all gardening volunteers in Colchester
John Attiwell Wilder Community Ranger
Jenny Gifford, one of our Urban Wildlife Champions, and a true hero of local wildlife in the heart of Colchester and Brightlingsea, is on the lookout for gardening volunteers. Jenny leads the ‘3Gs,’ the Greener Garden Growers, a small group of keen gardeners who are helping local people garden for wildlife. They provide free garden services, as long as the garden’s owners or custodians make one significant improvement to their garden for wildlife. It is a novel way of working to improve the vast area of potential habitat that gardens represent, and to support the aspirations of 87% of British people who would like to welcome more wildlife into their garden. Please do get in touch with us if you’d like to volunteer for this initiative by emailing: johna@essexwt.org.uk
Tommy Brock before his makeover
Surveying dormice across Essex
Stuart Brooker Lead Reserves Ecologist
Across the summer, we have been surveying dormice populations in Essex. These furry, ginger mammals are sadly declining, so we are working hard to monitor their numbers and inform conservation efforts. Across many of our nature reserves, we have installed dormouse nest boxes and tubes to aid with nesting habitats. At Loshes Meadows nature reserve, we have 23 dormouse nest boxes and eight nest tubes. In August, we found an adult female with two juveniles and in September, we found two females. We also work closely with Essex and Suffolk Dormouse Group. Over the summer, we worked together to install 100 dormouse nest tubes in suitable scrub and woodland across Middlewick Ranges in Colchester.
Free wildlife webinars
John Attiwell Wilder Community Ranger
Are you looking to learn more about wildlife and how to help local species? We are all part of Team Wilder, the idea that we are all working together to restore nature in Essex. We are working with local communities across Essex to bring projects to life that will support wildlife and green spaces. We want to reach more people and give you the tools to help nature, which is why we’re offering a series of free online webinars. Upcoming webinars early next year will include ‘insect-friendly winter gardening’ in January, and ‘birds and bird boxes’ in February. You can help support our free webinars and the community work we deliver in person by donating to The Big Give (see this magazine’s back cover). To book your place on a webinar, visit www.essexwt.org.uk/events
Restoring ponds on our reserves
Matt Twydell Senior Ranger
We all know how important ponds are to boost biodiversity. With funding from Farming and Wildlife Advisory Group (FWAG), we have created two new ponds at Sergeants Orchard nature reserve We are keeping our fingers crossed that this will attract turtle doves. With the land removed for the pond, the team created hibernacula for reptiles, amphibians and insects. Similarly, at Tiptree Heath nature reserve, a new pond has been created (see photo below). We’ve already seen dragonflies and solitary bees using the surrounding habitat.
Award-winning wildlife heroes
Sam Quill Director of People and Culture
Congratulations to the wonderful winners of the Wilder Essex Awards. Each year, we nominate four individuals, businesses or groups who are going above and beyond for nature in Essex. This year’s winners were announced at our AGM in September.
From Essex to Everest
Michelle Shepherd Supporter Development Officer
Next year, best friends Esme Rowley and Rebecca Meikle will be taking on Everest to raise money for Essex Wildlife Trust. In March 2025, the ambitious pair are heading to Everest Base Camp, where they will be taking on this huge challenge. Esme and Rebecca are fundraising for Brookes nature reserve in Braintree, to restore the boardwalk here and the planting of turtle dove seed, as well as other improvements to the site. You can support Esme and Rebecca’s efforts and help them reach their target of £650 by visiting www.justgiving.com/page/ esecca-1721235324533 or scan the QR code.
Wilder Community Award: Clayburn Community Gardens For a community showing exemplary commitment to wildlife and/or the environment.
Green Leader Award: Alex Holliman For an individual showing exemplary commitment to wildlife and/or the environment.
Wilder Business Award: Essex & Suffolk Water Awarded to a corporate partner or a local business that shows an exemplary commitment to supporting wildlife.
Ray Marsh Award: Steve Spicer Awarded to an outstanding volunteer for significant services to the Trust.
News from our Local Groups
Havering Local Group
David Marshall, Chair
We've continued our monthly schedule of engaging walks and talks. Whenever possible, we pair walks with a talk about the location itself. For example, we recently enjoyed an insightful talk on Belhus Woods Country Park. The well-attended walk there included a visit to the site of a future beaver introduction. A walk at Thames Chase HQ (Broadfields) was well attended, despite the wet weather. We were fortunate in having Peter Tomlins guide us with his in-depth knowledge of the area's plant life. We visited the tree nursery and heritage orchard and gained insight into current policy on Ash dieback. After an enlightening talk about Lee Valley Country Park, we were able to have a walk at Fisher's Green in the park. Our future events are posted on the Trust's website and our Facebook page.
Brentwood and Billericay Local Group
Graham Clegg, Chair
Our visit to Thorndon Park in August proved almost overwhelmingly popular. Perhaps it was the rare opportunity to see inside the obscure Petre Chapel which piqued interest but the warm weather and beautiful woodlands, part landscaped by Capability Brown, certainly counted. Copped Hall is another local wonder. It is currently being renovated. Ahead of a walk in the surrounding area in October, members enjoyed a talk in September on the wildlife of Copped Hall by biologist and photographer Peter Warne. His new nature exhibition in Copped Hall itself is also worth seeing. Please join our Christmas event this year, which will be on 12 December – see the Trust’s website for details and the dates for your diary spread.
Uttlesford Local Group
Tony Morton, Chair
Our Local Group volunteers at Essex Wildlife Trust sites within the area, including Aubrey Buxton nature reserve. Here’s an update from John Welham, volunteer warden, about the reserve: “Our work parties have continued with mowing the meadow areas, although the frequent rain in late September and early October has played havoc with our schedule and delayed us moving on to the other reserves in Uttlesford such as Rushy Mead in Bishops Stortford. Going forward we will be doing tree work on the banks of the two lower ponds, both of which would benefit from some increased daylight. Whilst working on the ponds we were pleased to note the presence of a grey wagtail. We also have a pair of breeding mistle thrush at Aubrey Buxton, on the red list for conservation.” We are always looking for new volunteers to join our work parties.
Southend and Rochford Local Group
Graham Cook, Chair
Our series of summer walks were very successful, well supported and through generous donations from those attending raised valuable funds which have been put straight back into supporting our local reserves. A big thank you to Andrew, Tiff and Dan from the Trust for leading our walks and sharing their knowledge of the sites. We recently held our first indoor meeting at Belfairs Nature Discovery Centre which was well supported and allowed members to engage with each other making new friendships and renewing old ones. A big thank you to Christina (Essex Bat Group) for a very good talk and a great start to our planned series of talks. Our next talk is on 16 January at Belfairs. We look forward to welcoming you at our future events. To hear about our events and join our group, follow us on Facebook or email sandrewtlg@gmail.com
Y our step-by-step guide t o making a pinecone birdfeeder
Many birds rely on extra food sources to sustain them through the winter. A pinecone bird feeder is a simple and rewarding way to lend a helping hand to these feathered friends. By covering a pinecone with a mixture of peanut butter and seeds, you’ll create a nourishing treat that attracts a delightful array of birds to your outside space during the colder months.
What you will need
Start
Gather all your materials – go for a walk and forage some dry pinecones.
Step 3
Coat your pinecone in peanut butter using a table knife or the back of a spoon.
Step 1
Put your bird seed of choice into a bowl. Our Nature Discovery Centres have a great selection.
Step 4
Roll your pinecone in the bowl of seeds until it is evenly coated.
Step 2
Grab your string and tie it around the top of your pinecone securely.
Step 5
Find a safe place to hang your pinecone bird feeder outside, then watch the birds enjoy their new tasty treat from your window.
If you make your own pinecone birdfeeder, we’d love to see it, send your pictures to magazine@essexwt.org.uk.
A pinecone
Scissors
A bowl
A spoon or a knife
Bird seed
String
Peanut butter
Robin: Mark Hamblin/2020VISION
1959: Early work at Fingringhoe Wick Nature Discovery Park
In October 1959, a group of pioneering men and women recognised the need for a county-based Trust to protect wildlife. Thanks to this leading group of individuals, the Trust is now celebrating a remarkable 65 years of conservation in the county.
The ambition and intention back in the late 50s were strikingly similar to what drives us today. Our Memorandum and Articles of Association – our founding document – has remained largely unchanged, and many of our strategies in the early 60s are as relevant now as they were then: establishing and maintaining nature reserves, working with landowners, advocating for nature-based education, and being a voice for wildlife.
Thank you to our members
In a world of constant change, we have remained resolute for seven decades. None of this would have been possible without our members though. At the end of 1959, the new Trust had 110 members. In 1999, this stood at 16,000. We are thrilled that there are now almost 40,000 members of Essex Wildlife Trust, who care deeply for protecting wildlife in our precious county. You are the beating heart of the Trust and we can’t thank you enough for your unwavering support.
A new patron for Essex Wildlife Trust
In our 65th year, we are delighted to confirm His Majesty’s Lord-Lieutenant of Essex, Mrs Jennifer Tolhurst, as the Trust’s new Patron.
Paddy Lunt, the first full-time Warden of Fingringhoe Wick, points out birds on the
Your regular contributions ensure we are protecting nature now, for the next 65 years, and beyond.
At the end of September, we held our AGM and ran a series of birthday walks at our Nature Discovery Centres, to mark the start of our celebrations. It was great to get outside in nature and see almost 100 of you in the sunshine.
Mrs Tolhurst is the first woman to be appointed to the office in the county since the Lieutenancy was established in the 1500s and is His Majesty the King’s personal representative in the county.
The Trust has a proud and long-standing association with the Lieutenancy, starting with our founding Patron, Colonel Sir John Ruggles-Brise, who was LordLieutenant of Essex at the time of his Patronage. Since then, several Lord-Lieutenants have been our Patron, including Lord Petre. We are looking forward to deepening this historic link.
The role of a charitable patron is to act as an advocate and ambassador. We are already grateful for Mrs Tolhurst’s support of conservation efforts in Essex and are looking forward to working more closely together to protect wildlife, address the climate crisis, and inspire a lifelong love of nature in Essex.
Mrs Tolhurst says “I am so delighted to be asked to be Patron of Essex Wildlife Trust, it is a great privilege; looking after our countryside and its wildlife is something I care about very much and I hope to be help Essex Wildlife in whatever way I can. Many of my deputies are actively involved with conservation and the natural environment including Prof Jules Pretty, Dr Simon Lyster and the past Chief Executive of Essex Wildlife Trust, John Hall. As a family we love walking at the Trust reserve at Blue House Farm and have introduced our grandchildren to watching the wonderful variety of birds from one or other of the excellent hides there. At home we are mindful of preserving wild areas and have planted several thousands of indigenous trees over the 47 years we have lived in our house.”
The Lord-Lieutenant succeeds Mike Dilger as the Trust’s Patron.
1965:
Colne Estuary and Geedon Marshes to his wife Patricia and volunteer Paul Killick
A timeline of the Trust
1970
1959
The Essex Naturalists’ Trust was formed, with Reg Tutt as the first President.
1961
The Trust’s first nature reserve, Fingringhoe Wick, an ex-gravel works, was bought for £4,000.
The Trust acquired its second nature reserve, part of Two Tree Island.
1962
The first open day at Fingringhoe Wick attracted 900 visitors. The first hide was also built, overlooking Geedon Bay.
Awarded the Countryside Awards Scheme from Prince Philip, recognising work in the Danbury reserves.
1975
Following a successful £100,000 appeal, the Trust opened its first visitor centre at Fingringhoe Wick.
1979
Skippers Island, a 200-acre island in Hamford Water, immortalised by Arthur Ransome’s book ‘Secret Water’ was donated to the Trust by Fred Williams.
1968
Acquisition of Colne Point nature reserve. At 683 acres, it was the largest of the Trust reserves.
1963
A campaign fronted by John Weston to protect land at The Naze was a success. The Trust was granted management, now known as John Weston nature reserve, in memory of his dedication.
1977
Warley Place nature reserve opens. The Trust took on the management
1984
The long-extinct heath fritillary butterfly is re-introduced to Thrift Wood
1972
1 September 1972 was known as ‘Black Friday’, when stubble burning on adjacent farmland led to a fire at Fingringhoe Wick. The experience put pressure on the local council to create a bylaw, and eventually helped bring about a national ban on this harmful practice.
1987
John Hall becomes the Trust’s first Director, and Don Hunford took over as chairman.
1989
460 acres at Langdon nature reserve were purchased. In 2018, this reserve became a SSSI due to its importance for wildlife.
1991
The Essex Naturalists’ Trust becomes Essex Wildlife Trust.
The Investors in Wildlife scheme was launched when Cliff Moore, a volunteer at the Trust, recruited founding business members who wanted to support local conservation efforts.
1993
Tollesbury Wick nature reserve opens following a hugely successful appeal to purchase these 600-acre coastal grazing marshes.
1998
Blue House Farm nature reserve opens, with over 1,000 supporters attending.
2000's
1990
Abberton Reservoir Visitor Centre and nature reserve is opened by Bill Oddie, who was desperate to see the little auk that had stopped by.
1986
The launch of the Essex Wildlife Action Fund in 1986 signalled the start of our most ambitious fundraising venture, raising £500,000 which saw major acquisitions including Gernon Bushes, Fobbing Marsh and Howlands Marsh, and the opening of the Trust’s second centre in collaboration with Essex County Council at Thorndon Country Park.
1992
We took on the management of Hanningfield Reservoir nature reserve. 40 hectares with a mosaic of habitats including ancient woodlands, open glades, farmland, nature trails and four bird hides. We opened the Visitor Centre as a Millennium Project in 2000.
1999
In 1959, dark-bellied brent geese were in serious decline, with only 6,000 returning to Essex that year. By 1999,
2001
The Trust moves to its main offices, Abbotts Hall Farm, thanks to the legacy of Joan Elliot.
2006
Wrabness nature reserve is acquired. An appeal in 2018 helped raised £57,000 to extend the site and a further parcel donated in 2020 increased the total area to 32 hectares.
2011
The Trust joined the Essex Native Oyster Restoration Initiative, to restore self-sustaining populations of native oysters.
2015
300m of seawall was breached at Fingringhoe, to create new wetland and saltmarsh habitat. The arable land had been purchased the year before, following a public appeal.
2002
The pioneering seawall breach at Abbotts Hall Farm saw the 3.5km seawall breached, reverting almost 50 hectares of previously arable land into saltmarsh and intertidal habitat.
2007
2010
Fisher’s estuarine moth are introduced to Abbotts Hall Farm.
The Essex Water Vole Recovery Project is launched, starting with a mink control programme. Between 2010-2012, over 500 water voles are reintroduced to the River Colne, the largest water vole translocation ever attempted in the Eastern Region.
2013
Sir David Attenborough opens Thurrock Thameside Nature Park, the Trust’s largest restoration project, transforming a landfill site into a nature haven.
The Blackwater, Crouch, Roach and Colne Estuaries are designated as Essex’s first Marine Conservation Zone.
The Coronation Meadows project was launched, with Thameside as one of the recipients from Langdon’s wildflower-rich donor site.
2018
The Trust is now working with more than 60,000 children a year.
A novel saltmarsh restoration project using coir structures launched at Abbotts Hall, working with the Environment Agency.
2020
Otters were declared extinct in Essex in 1986. After 25 years of the Essex Otter survey, it’s now confirmed that otters can be found in all corners of our county and rivers once again.
The Essex Barn Owl project finished, after 320 nest boxes were installed and 470 barn owls were ringed.
2022
Essex Wildlife Trust’s new sustainable centre at Langdon opens.
The Trust secures £263,874 in funding from Biffa Award to create a wetland haven at Blue House Farm nature reserve, improving over 40 hectares for breeding waders.
2016
Opened The Naze Visitor Centre.
2019
2021
The Essex Fish Migration Project is launched, identifying 400 blockages to fish migration in our rivers.
Spoonbills nest in Essex for the first time at Abberton Reservoir.
Beavers return to Essex after a 400-year absence, as part of a pioneering natural flood management scheme at Spains Hall Estate.
The first Ray Marsh Award is given to Ray Marsh, the volunteer warden on Skippers Island since 5 May 1989.
2023
The More Marvellous Meadows project at Chafford Gorges Nature Discovery Park begins to restore chalk grassland for wildflowers and insect populations.
Wildlife Wins for 2024
Restoration
First seagrass transplants were conducted as part of the Essex Seagrass Project. Over 10,000 ponds were identified as part of the Lost Ponds Project, with work now underway to restore them throughout the county.
Orchid explosion
2,000 orchids were recorded at Chafford Gorges Nature Discovery Park, bee and southern marsh orchids were recorded for the first time at Abberton Reservoir Nature Discovery Park and over 4,000 pyramidal orchids were recorded at Thameside Nature Discovery Park. The Trust also showcased some of Essex’s wild orchids at the Chelsea Flower Show, getting approval from King Charles and Queen Camilla.
Citizen science
1,028 individuals recorded almost 30,000 wildflowers for The Essex BioBlitz, and 8,700 butterflies were recorded county-wide for Butterfly Seekers.
Hatching success
Colne Point saw a dramatic increase in nesting success thanks to the Share Our Shores project, with 33 ringed plover chicks and 10 oystercatcher chicks. Two Tree Island also saw 32 avocet chicks hatch, the highest total in years.
New protections
Thanks to the support of generous donors, we bought Fir Tree Wood nature reserve, part of the Danbury complex.
A new leader
The Trust welcomed Rich Yates into the role of Chief Executive Officer for the Trust.
Rare sightings
18 spoonbills were seen in one day at Abberton Reservoir; we had the first record of southern emerald damselfly at Oliver Road Lagoons; 15 cattle egret visited Tollesbury Wick and turtle dove were recorded at Great Holland Pits and Fingringhoe Wick.
Record breaking
2,136 soprano pipistrelle bats were recorded at Hanningfield Nature Discovery Park, one of the largest roost numbers ever reported. There were 218 heath fritillary butterflies recorded in Pound Wood this year, with the butterfly spreading out to neighbouring sites.
Share your memories
We invite you to share your favourite memory of Essex Wildlife Trust on our virtual Memory Wall, which we will be celebrating over the next year: www.essexwt.org.uk/memory-wall. Here are some wonderful memories already shared:
Whatever the weather Olive Baldwin
The very beginning Judith Robson
As a young child I was taken by my father to Fingringhoe Wick. I think this would have been around 1960/61 as the site was not yet open as a reserve, and possibly was at the stage when the Trust was purchasing it. My dad was an early member and very involved in the establishment of the Trust with a group of like-minded naturalists. There were no bird hides, just piles of gravel and rusting machinery left over from the works and a few overgrown paths. There was a dilapidated bunkhouse (where future work parties sometimes stayed overnight) and the beach with a jetty and a boat wreck.
We thought it was a wonderful place, wild but not quiet, as the marshes were full of the sound of bird calls. It seemed to be the ideal place for a nature reserve and I remember many discussions at home about the possibilities for its use and the expansion of the Trust. The Wick was so different from where we lived at that time, opposite the ancient Pound Wood in Daws Heath which in the future was to become another Trust reserve.
All this seems so long ago… but thankfully new generations have stepped up to expand the work of the Trust, to encourage interest and to keep more corners of Essex for nature. You can still hear the birds call on the Fingringhoe marshes, and long may they remain.
Thinking back to the time, in the 1980s, when Warley Place had one open weekend a year, in April, with a tea marquee. It always seemed to rain and one year there was snow on the ground, and we stood on straw in the tent when serving tea and cakes, and the lady in charge cheerfully and shamelessly watered the milk (full cream then!) because we were running out.
Art Exhibition Shirley Jonas
Reminiscing about the Art Exhibition which I helped run at Thorndon visitor centre for 4 or 5 years in the 2000s. We sold lots of pictures and raised money for the Local Group. One year, I can remember one picture being stolen, but I didn’t mind too much because it wasn’t terribly good!
Nature Neighbours:
POLLINATORS
A delight to our eyes and ears throughout the summer months with their buzzing symphonies and striking colours, bees, butterflies and other insects are responsible for pollinating 70% of our food crops and play an essential role in maintaining wildflower populations. But where do these hard-working insects go when it gets colder? Seeking shelter and finding food is their priority as we enter autumn and winter, which could be more important this year than any before.
Pollinator heroes
Pollinators in decline
Insect numbers have been noticeably low this summer. Through a combination of climate change, harmful pesticides and habitat loss, our precious pollinators are struggling. As autumn and winter approach, cold winds, frost, and a decline in nectar-rich flowers add to their challenges, highlighting the urgent need for us to support and protect them.
Nature Neighbours
Take part in Nature Neighbours this autumn and pledge to support pollinators in your garden over the colder months. We’re encouraging you to create an insect-friendly space by adding bug hotels, habitat piles and pollinator-friendly plants. Let us know you’ll be participating at www.essexwt.org.uk/help-pollinators
Leaf-cutter bee: Jon Hawkins Surrey Hills Photography, common drone fly: Nick Upton/2020VISION, peacock butterfly: Joshua Copping, buff-tailed bumblebee: Vicky Nall, brimstone - John Bridges, hummingbird hawk-moth: Derek Moore, angle shades moth: John Bridges, red-green carpet moth: Amy Lewis 22
Leaf-cutter bee
Brimstone butterfly
Common drone fly
Hummingbird hawk-moth
Peacock butterfly
Angle shades moth
Buff-tailed bumblebee
Red-green carpet moth
1 Habitat piles
An undisturbed habitat pile made of logs, fallen leaves, twigs, bark and other natural materials is the ideal safe spot for many pollinators to lay their eggs. Some adult butterflies will burrow into these too.
2
Solitary bees lay their eggs in cavities, blocking them up with mud and leaves. Other insects will burrow into the natural materials, seeking warmth and shelter. Bug hotels
2 1 -
Pollinators will emerge from hiding on milder days to forage, and will be most grateful to spot winter heather, snowdrops, asters and other plants in your garden. Some pollinators seek shelter in evergreen vegetation like ivy.
Step-by-step DIY actions available
You can follow our guides for these actions at www.essexwt.org.uk/ help-pollinators
3
Ronald Blythe's
gift to Essex Wildlife Trust
Ronald ‘Ronnie’ Blythe is regarded as one of the founders of contemporary nature writing. His elegiac portrait of vanishing life in the countryside in his most famous book ‘Akenfield’ made him known and read across the world. Through his lifetime, he wrote over 80 books and is considered an icon amongst many of the leading international naturalists and nature writers today.
Ronnie died in 2023 at the age of 100, leaving his enchanting home, Bottengoms, to Essex Wildlife Trust. This 16th century yeoman farmer’s house, nestled in the landscape of Wormingford in the Stour Valley, was given to Ronnie by his friends, East Anglian artists John and Christine Nash. Ronnie’s wish was for the estate to become a nature reserve and to include a studio to inspire writers, artists, photographers, natural historians and historians for generations to come. The belief that Ronnie shared with John Hall, the Trust’s CEO at the time that the Will was drafted, was that, if it is to succeed, conservation needs the best artists working for its cause, something which is as true now as ever. Since the drafting of the Will, the Trust’s President Jules Pretty has played a crucial role in stewarding the gift.
As befits a gift of such wildlife, heritage and literary value, the Trust has set up an Advisory Group including Ronnie’s friends, the Executors of his Will, Ian Collins and Joachim Jacobs, and literary academics to develop a vision and steward the estate in a way that fulfils Ronnie’s wishes as closely as possible. As part of this, a project manager will work on all the options available. This will include developing sustainable funding models, while the gardener from another East Anglian property that is important to the artistic heritage of the region – Benton End in Suffolk – will develop a management plan for the beautiful gardens.
We expect to make more announcements on the vision for Bottengoms soon.
Blythe Spirit: The Remarkable Life of Ronald Blythe’, written by Ian Collins, is available to purchase from any of our Nature Discovery Centres.
‘ Ronnie's front room
‘ Ronnie's writing desk
A gift to
wildlife
Sylvia Crispin had a heart full of love for nature. Whether it was butterflies, birds, or beautiful wildflowers, Sylvia had a special eye for spotting the wonders of the natural world. From a young age, she explored the great outdoors, always eager to learn more about wildlife and plants.
When Sylvia met her husband, Alf, they spent many happy days walking through woodlands, across meadows, and along coastal paths. They made a perfect team – Sylvia took careful notes of everything they saw, while Alf captured the beauty of nature in his stunning watercolour paintings. Together, they created a rich collection of observations and artwork, preserving the joy they found in the world around them.
Sylvia had a special way of seeing beauty where others might overlook it. To her, no plant was a weed – every flower, no matter how small, had its place. She was always learning and sharing her knowledge, helping others see the magic in nature. One friend fondly remembered how Sylvia would never let the grass be cut in her garden until the fritillaries had finished blooming. Even the teasels, prickly as they were, stayed right in the middle of her garden path!
As a longtime supporter of Essex Wildlife Trust, Sylvia’s love for wildlife never wavered. From the smallest insect to the most majestic
bird, she cherished them all. In fact, for her 80th birthday, Sylvia had the chance to be an honorary Penguin Keeper at Colchester Zoo – a day she treasured.
Before she passed, Sylvia asked that something special be done with Alf’s beautiful paintings. What followed was an incredible exhibition that raised funds for causes dear to her heart. Sylvia’s generosity didn’t end there, she also left a generous gift in her Will to help protect the wildlife she adored.
We are deeply thankful for Sylvia’s kindness. Her gift will help us continue to protect the creatures and wild spaces she loved so much. The generous gifts we receive in Wills ensure the passions of our amazing donors like Sylvia’s live on, ensuring future generations can enjoy the same peace and beauty she found in the great outdoors.
Thank you, Sylvia, for your lasting love of nature.
Lizzy
Steward Philanthropy Manager 01621 735233
If you are interested in leaving a gift in your Will, I would be happy to talk you through the process. We even offer a Free Wills service to make the process even easier for you.
Scan the QR code for more information
helping hand this Christmas Give wildlife a
As we cosy up towards the end of the year, it’s a time to reflect and give thanks. We asked you in our WILD Autumn magazine to consider increasing your support for the Trust, in honour of our 65 years of wildlife conservation and to support our ambitious plans for the future. As a charity, we have experienced rising costs each year, so we can’t thank the generous members enough who have increased their membership donations.
If you want to consider increasing your support for the Trust this winter, please know every £1 helps. Visit www.essexwt.org.uk/membership-upgrade or email membership@essexwt.org.uk if you want to discuss any details.
Seagrass Surveys
Celebrating the end of a four-year project uncovering the impacts on seagrass in Essex.
If you’ve got a keen eye and are a regular reader of our magazine or social media channels, you may have noticed that we’ve been delivering seagrass conservation and restoration work recently. You might even recognise the term ‘ReMEDIES’, which is the name of one of our seagrass projects. As part of the Essex Seagrass Project, since 2021 we’ve been working with Natural England to deliver the LIFE Recreation ReMEDIES, which focuses on how sensitive seabed habitats like seagrass are impacted by recreational activities.
If you’ve visited our beautiful coastline, you will likely have seen an array of these activities: boats, jet skis, beach walkers and bait diggers. Unfortunately, many of these can have an inadvertent detrimental impact to our seagrass, and so we have been conducting Recreational Activity Surveys at 14 sites of current or historic seagrass to assess the level of these pressures. Over four summers, our fantastic volunteers completed 286 surveys equating to 572 volunteer hours, collecting valuable data to help us assess the most impacted areas along our coast.
This data has been of huge importance to ReMEDIES and the Essex Seagrass Project. From it, we have been able to engage with communities and groups in some of the most impacted areas, including stalls at festivals and regattas, giving talks at local groups, and handing out thousands of our leaflets.
Additionally, we are proud to have recently published a Storymap webpage, which outlines the project and showcases the data with interactive maps and charts so that it’s accessible and easy to understand. We’re really excited to share this with you and hope that it’s a useful tool.
As ReMEDIES comes to an end, we’ve been busy trying to spread the word about our work and its importance. By the time you read this, we’ll have run a celebration event and attended a wrapup conference in Plymouth with a speaker slot to outline our achievements in Essex thus far. Although ReMEDIES is finishing, its legacy and the Essex Seagrass Project will continue, and we’ll still be working hard to conserve and restore Essex’s seagrass. Our restoration trials alongside Project Seagrass have expanded in 2024 with over 200 seagrass cores planted and some promising results, which we aim to expand further next year. Exciting times ahead, so watch this seagrass-y space!
5 things you need to know about seagrass:
• Seagrass is the only flowering plant able to live and pollinate in seawater
• There are 70 species worldwide, but only two in Essex: common eelgrass (Zostera marina) and dwarf eelgrass (Zostera noltei)
• Seagrass habitats are a biodiversity hotspot, meaning they provide a home and support a huge variety of wildlife, from birds and fish to cuttlefish and seahorses
• Seagrass is amazing at carbon storage: despite taking up just 0.1% of the seafloor, they store up to 18% of the carbon buried in the ocean
• In the UK, we have lost approximately 50% of our seagrass since 1985, and in Essex some of our meadows are at just 2% of their historical extent
You can see the interactive storymap and find out more about this project on our website: www.essexwt.org.uk/ marine-and-coastal-recovery
Seagrass surveys
Raising seagrass awareness at a regatta A seagrass core
Professional, qualified, and caring staff.
Prestigious Rolls Royce, Mercedes & Land Rover Defender Fleets.
Green & woodland burials.
Funeral Offices:
120 High Street, Brentwood, CM14 4AS
Call 01277 886780 24 hours
2 High Street, Billericay, CM12 9BG
Call 01277 886798 24 hours
www.bennettsfunerals.co.uk
Bespoke Printing, Floristry & Visual Tributes.
Monthly bereavement group meetings.
FREE Funeral Planning Wishlists.
On-site Parking with Disabled Access & Home Visits on request.
sustainably this Christmas Gift
Nature Discovery Centres
Scan the QR code to find your nearest centre full of special gifts
Support wildlife with a plastic-free Christmas by shopping at one of our Nature Discovery Centres near you!
Nature reserves to visit
Spectacles to enjoy
1. The return of dark-bellied brent geese
Our winter icons are returning after their epic 2,500-mile migration from their breeding grounds in northern Siberia. Essex’s estuaries are internationally important sites for these geese, with 2% of the UK population wintering on the Crouch and Roach estuaries alone! Listen for their loud “cronking” conversations as they feed on eelgrass on the mudflats, or on the grasses on our coastal grazing reserves.
Location
Blue House Farm nature reserve, North Fambridge, CM3 6GU
or visit our website: essexwt.org.uk/nature-reserves
2. Riotous rookeries and cawing crows
Spooky season may be over but the stars of ‘The Birds’ continue to flock together over the colder months. Crows, rooks and jackdaws can form large flocks, feeding in fields before descending at dusk in noisy social colonies. In winter, when trees are bare, corvids become more exposed to predators like owls, so sheltering together offers protection from predators and the elements.
Locations
Linford Wood nature reserve, Stanford-le-Hope, SS17 0RH After visiting, head to the adjacent Thameside Nature Discovery Park for a cosy cuppa.
3. Possible irruptions
Depending on weather fronts and fruiting conditions on the continent, certain winters we can see large irruptions of exciting species including waxwing and hawfinch. Waxwing have a distinctive grey-pink plumage with a striking crest and can be found feeding on fruit and berry trees. Hawfinch are the UK’s largest finch, with a powerful bill used for cracking open seeds and kernels of hard-stoned fruit.
Locations
Anywhere in Essex. Keep your eyes peeled, because in irruption years they can be seen visiting many nature reserves, or in the most unusual of places, like car parks or gardens!
Winter walks
4. Tollesbury Wick nature reserve
7. Abberton Reservoir Nature Discovery Park 3 5
Take an invigorating walk along the seawall, just a short walk from Tollesbury Marina, with the iconic red lightship as a backdrop. Enjoy the elevated views across the marshes, or drop down to view thousands of waders and wildfowl like wigeon and lapwing from the bird hide. These coastal grazing marshes are home to voles and shrews, providing the perfect hunting ground for barn owls and short-eared owls.
Location
Tollesbury Wick nature reserve, Maldon, CM9 8SB
5. Two Tree Island nature reserve
Adjacent to the Thames Estuary, Two Tree Island is a winter refuge for birds that shelter on the mudflats and lagoons. Walk to the western section to reach the lagoon, where hundreds of waders such as curlew, dunlin, avocet and black-tailed godwit flock to in winter. The eastern section is part of Leigh National Nature Reserve, look over the mudflats to watch the noisy dark-bellied brent geese.
Location
Two Tree Island nature reserve, Leigh-on-Sea, SS9 2GB
Nature Discovery Centres
6. Thameside Nature Discovery Park
In winter, spectacular short-eared owls hunt over the grasslands during daylight. Internationally important numbers of avocet gather on the Thames and its mudflats in winter, head to the bird hide to watch them feeding together. Our centre sits like a Martello tower, commanding sensational views over the Thames and across to Kent. Head up to the fully accessible rooftop viewing deck, for a magnificent 360-degree vista. Or enjoy the view from the full length windows of the café, a great place for both birdwatching and ship watching.
Location
Thameside Nature Discovery Park, Stanford-le-Hope, SS17 0RN
Two causeways provide wonderfully close-up birdwatching. Smew – scarce diving ducks – are the winter stars at Layer Breton causeway. The black-and-white male is especially striking. Layer-de-la-Haye causeway is a great place to see goosander – relatives of smew. Rare birds can appear at any time, with winter an especially good time to spot hen harrier, and flocks of wintering Bewick’s swans. Visit the Nature Discovery Centre to see what has been spotted and warm up over a cup of tea, with views across the reservoir.
Location
Abberton Reservoir Nature Discovery Park, Colchester, CO2 0EU
Dates for your diary
Duck ID Workshop
• Friday 6 December, 9.30am-12.30pm
• Fingringhoe Wick Nature Discovery Park, CO5 7DN
New to birdwatching or wanting to freshen up on your Duck ID skills? We've got just the workshop for you! £15 per person, booking required. Contact fingringhoe@essexwt.org.uk or call 01206 729678.
Fingringhoe Christmas Wreath Making
• Friday 6 December, 3pm-5pm
• Fingringhoe Wick Nature Discovery Park, CO5 7DN
Step into the Christmas spirit with a few festive hours spent weaving a willow wreath and decorating it with natural materials. Book your place on our website.
Winter wildlife walk
• Sunday 8 December, 1.30pm-3.30pm
• Tollesbury Wick nature reserve, Tollesbury
Join us for a walk along the famous Essex marshes and experience wild Essex at its best. Meet in the free car park: 42 Woodrolfe Rd, Tollesbury, Maldon, CM9 8SE. Contact Colchester Local Group pjcatte@gmail.com or call 07963 080335.
Species spotlight: Learn about robins
• Tuesday 10 December, 7pm-8pm
• Free online event
Join our festive introduction to these charming, and feisty little birds, and how to welcome them into your gardens and community spaces. Book your place on our website.
Christmas Event
• Thursday 12 December, 1pm-3pm
• Shenfield Parish Hall, 60 Hutton Road, CM15 8LB
Music, mulled wine and mince pies, updates on the latest plans for Warley Place plus various showcases of our other local activities, hosted by the Brentwood and Billericay Local Group.
Abberton’s Elf Workshop
• Saturday 14 December, 10.30am-3pm
• Abberton Reservoir Nature Discovery Centre, CO2 0EU
A festive day full of fun activities – there will be a Christmas trail around the reserve, tasty snacks and stories by the campfire and a Christmas colouring competition. Get making with the elves in the workshop and ride in Santa’s sleigh. £12.99 per child, book your session online.
Mother Christmas at Thameside
• Thursday 19 to Monday 23 December, 10am-11.15am, 11.45am-1pm, 2pm-3pm
• Thameside Nature Discovery Park, SS17 0RN
Take part in a variety of festive activities, including a story nook, crafts, games, nature trail, enjoy a special visit with Mother Christmas herself, and receive a fun gift. £12 per child, book your session online.
Wick: Mark Draper
Langdon Art Group
• Every Monday, including 23 and 30 December, 11am-1pm
• Langdon Nature Discovery Park, SS16 6EJ
Get creative and join our friendly Art Group every Monday inside our Nature Discovery Centre. Free to attend, no booking required, bring your own supplies.
Outdoor Cooking and Bushcraft for Adults
• Saturday 4 January, 10am-12pm
• Abbotts Hall Farm, CO5 7RZ
Unwind after the holidays. Learn to cook by a fire, enjoy using tools for bushcraft and soak up the wintry outdoors, £10.84 per person.
Book online via our website.
Beginners’ guide: Insect-friendly winter gardening
• Tuesday 14 January, 7pm-8pm
• Free online event
Join our expert as we discover more about our beautiful butterflies and insects, and how we can support them in our gardens and community spaces during the colder months. Book your place on our website.
Wildlife Walk at Two Tree Island
• Saturday 1 February, 10.30am-12.30pm
• Two Tree Island nature reserve, SS9 2GB
Join the Havering Local Group for a relaxed walk round Two Tree Island nature reserve. We expect to see many wildfowl, waders and other winter visitors. Book your place on our website.
Nature in Watercolours: ‘Spring Flowers’
• Saturday 8 February, 10am-1.30pm
• The Naze Nature Discovery Centre, CO14 8LE
Join watercolour Artist, Vivien McGuinness for a relaxing morning, using watercolour in an exciting and experimental way. No experience necessary, £28. Book online via our website.
An introduction to birds and bird boxes
• Tuesday 11 February, 7pm-8pm
• Free online event
Before the nesting season starts, an introduction to welcoming birds into our gardens and community spaces through the late winter, their most challenging season. Book your place on our website.
Spring Bulb Spectacular
• Every weekend from Saturday 22 February to Sunday 6 April, 10.30am-4.30pm
• Warley Place, CM13 3HU
Visit this beautiful reserve to see the daffodils, crocuses, snowdrops and bluebells in bloom. Guided walks £5 per person, general admission £3 per person. Contact Mick Hedges on 01277 231367 to book your place.
Bird box: Ross Hoddinott/2020VISION, watercolour flowers: Greta Hoffman, mince pie: Georgie Devlin
What to look out for this winter
Kestrel
In the air, look for red-brown backs and the dark tips of their wings, appearing almost black in colour. That is, of course, if their precise hovering doesn’t give them away.
European spindle
Supporting wildlife all year round, spring flowers attract pollinators, and the vivid pink berries are an eye-catching food source for winter birds.
Kingfisher
Despite their brilliant turquoise and orange plumage, these birds can be elusive. Look for one perched on a branch over the pond.
Billie’s facts
Gunners Park and Shoebury Ranges nature reserve
Address: Main car park, New Barge Pier Road, Southend-on-Sea SS3 9FD or car park at Shoeburyness Heritage Centre and Serendipity Café, Warrior Square Road, SS3 9PZ.
Access: Site has wheelchair access along wide tarmacked roads. Some paths can get muddy at times. Toilets available at Serendipity Café.
Dogs: Permitted under effective control.
Mute swan
One of nature’s most graceful birds. These large waterbirds effortlessly glide across the large lake and, in spring, watch for the snaking trail of fluffy ducklings.
Park and Shoebury
Kingfisher: sakda - adobe-stock.com, kestrel: Andrew Armstrong, European spindle: Robert Knapp
'Gunners Park is a critical stopover site for birds on migration.'
Gunners Park could quite aptly be described as ‘Essex in miniature’. Situated at the mouth of the mighty Thames estuary, shingle flanked beaches drift into endless mudflats peppered with oystercatcher, sanderling and turnstone. Behind the seawalls, coastal grassland and dense scrub open out into flower-rich meadows interlaced with ponds and wet ditches. A reed-fringed lake supports a braying mob of waterfowl while water rail and reed warblers flick through the shadows and house martins zip overhead. A stream, the end of River Shoe, runs through the park providing excellent habitat for kingfisher, European eels and southern emerald damselfly. At its northernmost extent a small secondary woodland, Bunker Wood, is home to jays, long-tailed tits and green woodpeckers while ringlet and speckled wood butterflies dance through oak, ash, maple and alder trees.
The name Bunker Wood is no accident and harks back to an intense period of military activity, the legacy of which is written throughout the landscape. From as early as 1859, the area had a major role in artillery research and development, including innovations such as rifled barrels, breach loading and rockets. The heritage can be seen in the many historical buildings dotted across the site such as the heavy quick-fire battery. This legacy certainly keeps us on our toes (a tank shell was unearthed last year) but it has also bequeathed us the jewel in Gunner’s crown; a remnant sand dune system and coastal grassland designated as a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI). This area, which was once used for target practise and is now fenced off to prevent disturbance,
was saved by the army from development and agriculture thus preserving a rich array of coastal specialist plants like suffocated clover and sand sedge as well as an assemblage of mosses and lichens unique to Essex.
Management of such a complex environment is both challenging and rewarding. Apart from a small population of rabbits, large mammal grazers are absent at this site, so mechanical mowing with tractors and brushcutters, operated by our Ranger and a group of dedicated volunteers, is necessary to keep the habitat ‘mosaic’ intact. Wildflower meadows and grasslands are cut and cleared to bring space and light in for plants like yellow rattle and ladies bedstraw as well as pyramidal and bee orchids. Scrub and woodland areas are largely left to themselves with a sharp eye on keeping a good diversity of trees and plants as well as sun lit glades. Ponds, ditches and the lake are kept clean and thriving through careful drainage and reed management.
Gunners Park is a critical stopover site for birds on migration, a phenomenon that is recorded through an expertly led bird ringing program by the South Essex Ringing Group. By recording species movement and bird
Gunners Park and Shoebury Ranges nature reserve
condition, an accurate picture of bird migration and species fluctuations emerges. This knowledge has helped us decide which habitats to prioritise, for example we are now seeking funds to plant berry-producing trees such as rowan that will provide fodder for birds like waxwing. Just this year, our talented ringers have safely rung and released tree pipit, goldcrests, sedge warblers, grasshopper warblers, reed bunting, greenfinch, goldfinch, blackcap and willow warblers to name just a few.
Invertebrate monitoring has also led to some interesting outcomes. Butterflies are recorded through a weekly transect to allow comparison of habitats year on year. 26 species have so far been recorded with good numbers of endangered small heath and wall brown - a cause for celebration. Other uncommon species include white letter hairstreak, small tortoiseshell, marbled white, Essex skippers and painted lady butterflies. We also conduct grasshopper, cricket, dragonfly and damselfly surveys. Perhaps most interesting of all are bumblebee surveys. These surveys, conducted using the Bumblebee Conservation Trust’s Beewalk methodology, provide insight into the richness and productivity of wildflower areas at specific times of the year. This has led to the planting of late-flowering plants such as red bartsia to provide important forage far into the autumn when other sources drop off.
Gunners Park is also a very human space, with high visitor numbers from dusk to dawn. Playgrounds, carparks, a skate park, the heritage centre and café all add to the fabric of the site. An outstanding feature of the site is accessibility with more than 2km of wide flat tarmacked paths allowing access to everyone.
These paths take circular routes joining up to the car parks and the excellent Shoebury Heritage Centre and Serendipity Café (which has free accessible facilities, a museum and good coffee). These paths take in the best of Gunners including the lake, kingfisher bridge, seawall, coastal grasslands and meadows.
In the future, we have hopes to create a house martin nesting platform, extend our woodland, create new pond areas, replace owl boxes and much more. Your contributions as a member can help us make these possible, so please continue to support us.
Gunners Park and Shoebury Ranges nature reserve
Sunset, sanderling, southern migrant hawker: Andrew Armstrong, reed warbler: Chris Gomersall/2020VISION, waxwing: Stephen Staples
Beavers are Back
Angelika von Heimendahl, beaver reintroduction manager at The Wildlife Trusts, shares her hopes for the recovery of beaver populations across the British Isles and the incredible benefits they bring to wildlife and river ecosystems.
Beavers are a native species to Britain that were hunted to extinction about 400 years ago. However, they are on the verge of a comeback! The reasons for their disappearance were not conflicts with humans, but their usefulness. Beaver fur was highly sought after for making fashionable clothing and accessories and the scent glands excretions formed the bases of many perfumes. Even their meat was allowed to be eaten as they were considered aquatic animals.
Beavers were hunted almost, but not quite, to extinction in Europe. So, the hunting switched to North America, which led to the devastation of otter and beaver populations there too. Changing European fashion in mid-19th century Europe finally made beaver hunting uneconomic but by then it was too late: in Britain beavers had already been hunted to extinction. The beaver wetlands with their dams and ditches collapsed and were forgotten and the myriad of life that depended on those wetlands gradually declined.
Beavers made a comeback
But this is not where the story ends. Beavers are incredibly adept at making a comeback. They dwindled to around 1,200 animals in Europe at the turn of the 20th century. But there are now over 1.6 million of them scattered across the mainland, resulting from reintroductions and natural recolonisation through strict protection. This has not been the case in islandBritain where reintroduction requires us to provide a helping hand by actively reintroducing beavers. This has led to different approaches in the devolved Governments. Scotland licenced wild beaver releases from 2009 and now have many sites with active beaver populations. Beavers are recognised as native species in Scotland and have been protected since 2019. In England the beaver was declared a native species and protected by law in 2022 but, so far, no wild release licences have been issued since the River Otter Beaver Trial completed in Devon. Despite that, some escapees have made a successful home especially in southwest England and Kent. In Wales, despite the efforts of the Wildlife Trusts, beavers are not recognised as resident or native and there is no national management framework. There have not yet been any authorised releases to the wild, although small numbers of wild-living beavers are present.
The various trials around Britain show that beaver reintroduction is not problem-free but issues can be resolved helping humans and beavers to live and work alongside each other.
Ecosystem engineers ‘beaver’ away The first time I saw a wetland created by beavers, I felt a sense of peace and calmness as though some evolutionary DNA inside me recognised this landscape. It is hard to describe how natural and ordered the pathways and dams are. Beavers do not flood their territory; rather they elevate water levels gently so they can move around more easily. They ‘beaver’ away, constantly adjusting water levels depending on whether the front door of their lodge is suddenly exposed, or the inside of the lodge starts to flood.
The dams they build are not as unforgiving as human structures and beavers listen to the flow of water rushing to repair any breaches. These ecosystem engineers create dams and ponds of varying sizes. This allows many different invertebrates and fish to lay their eggs in the resulting calmer and sometimes warmer water. In turn, this increases food, shelter and breeding opportunities for an abundance of wildlife.
In Estonia, for example, mute swans take advantage of their superior water engineering skills and build their nests on top of beaver lodges to stay dry. Contrary
to common perception, they rarely fell large trees, and instead prefer to coppice smaller trees along the streams such as aspen, birch and willow. These trees have co-evolved with beavers and naturally coppice, creating the juicy side shoots that beavers love.
Let beavers back into Britain
So, can Britain once again live alongside beavers, where they become a normal part of our environment? Should we accept the new reality of a nature degraded Britain in which most of us have forgotten what natural abundance looked like (often called the shifting baseline syndrome)?
Beavers are herbivores – so offer no significant threat to humans, livestock or pets – and can live happily in cities or in the countryside. And, given they provide the majority of urban dwellers an opportunity to see big wildlife up close, it is surely time to let them live free back in Britain.
Moreover, beaver wetlands slow the flow from upstream rain to downstream flood and improve water quality –hydrological engineering at no cost to taxpayers. It may seem surprising that beavers can achieve so much, but we forget that for millions of years, long before human settlements and agriculture, they were the evolutionary force creating wetland ecosystems.
Beavers were hunted to extinction in the UK in the 19th Century for their fur and scent glands
Regulatory hurdles to overcome
Despite the beaver’s success story there are regulatory hurdles to overcome. In Scotland the culling of beavers has become a control mechanism although the carrying capacity of the country is far from reached. There are only around 1,000 beavers in Scotland. Bavaria – a similar sized region that is much more highly populated and agricultural – is home to around 25,000 beavers.
We would rather see efforts targeted at coexistence, including via translocation to other areas, rather than culling. Meanwhile, in England, we have yet to see detailed guidance from regulatory authorities to reintroduce beavers back into our rivers. In Wales, there has not been a commitment from Welsh Government to allow beavers back or recognise them as a native species.
As the General Election campaign in Summer 2024 demonstrated, there is rightful anger about the state of our rivers. They must be cleaned up and we must return the full abundance and diversity of life to our freshwaters. Beavers are a keystone species – they have a disproportionate impact on their environment given their numbers. One of the simplest and most cost-effective ways to restore our freshwaters to vitality is to welcome beavers again and watch them bring the richness back to our rivers and lakes.
Angelika von Heimendahl
is a vet and farmer, and recently joined The Wildlife Trusts as beaver reintroduction manager. She believes it is possible to create landscapes where nature thrives, people live and healthy food is produced.
The Wildlife Trusts have published A vision for the return of beavers to England and Wales making the case to end enclosures so beavers can be free in the wild again.
To support the ambition to bring back beavers to the wild, The Wildlife Trusts call on the UK and Welsh Governments to:
• Publish an ambitious beaver reintroduction strategy
• Fund farmers and land managers in the two countries to make more space for water on their land
• Support beaver management groups
• Confirm all wild beavers can remain in England and Wales
• Recognise beavers as a native species in Wales
Gnawed trunks are often a sign that beavers are living nearby
UK NEWS
A Success Story: Nature’s recovery powered by communities
In two years, the UK-wide Nextdoor Nature project, backed by a £5 million grant from The National Lottery Heritage Fund, has empowered over 400 communities to restore and enhance nature in their local areas. This achievement far exceeds the original target of engaging 200 local groups, demonstrating the project’s impact.
At the heart of Nextdoor Nature is the dedication to equipping individuals and communities with the skills and resources needed to take meaningful environmental action. To achieve this, community organisers were funded in every UK Wildlife Trust, with a focus on reaching communities that have traditionally been excluded from environmental and conservation efforts.
The Nextdoor Nature project has much in common with the grassroots of The Wildlife Trusts movement where passionate local people come together to create positive change for nature. For those who get involved, they also create heart-warming connections, experiences and memories too.
The stories shared here are just a glimpse of what has been achieved through Nextdoor Nature. From a
mental health support group in Durham finding solace in newly accessible gardens, to schools in Kent, the Isles of Scilly, and North Wales engaging in species reintroduction and habitat creation – each success story is a testament to the power of communitydriven conservation.
A key measure of Nextdoor Nature’s success lies in its sustainability. The project has established connections with other organisations and resources to ensure the continuation of this vital work. Notably, 86% of UK Wildlife Trusts have secured or are actively seeking funding to retain community organisers, ensuring the momentum built during these two years continues to grow.
Thanks to Nextdoor Nature, Wildlife Trusts have made a cultural shift as a movement towards a community organising or ‘Team Wilder’ approach, that is helping to make environmental conservation project more open and accessible to a diverse range of communities. The legacy of Nextdoor Nature is clear: empowered communities, equipped with the knowledge and passion to protect and restore nature, are now driving lasting environmental change across the UK.
Community gardening with Avon Wildlife Trust
Examples of Nextdoor Nature projects across the UK
• Gwent has trained the Newport community in bee and butterfly surveying, enabling them to contribute valuable data to citizen science initiatives.
• Hertfordshire and Middlesex facilitated AQA accreditation in River Management for eight young people, opening doors to future conservation opportunities.
• In Radnorshire, a thriving grassland and verges group successfully negotiated reduced mowing with the local council, fostering healthier ecosystems.
• Warwickshire inspired local people to take ownership of their green spaces, leading to the independent launch of a Tree Mapping project to address the impacts of ash die-back.
• Gloucestershire supported the Guardians of the River Chelt, helping them move toward becoming a fully autonomous, constituted group.
• Lincolnshire has developed a robust network of Nextdoor Nature Champions who are spreading their conservation message across the county.
UK HIGHLIGHTS
New report reveals massive carbon stores in UK seabeds
A pioneering series of reports have revealed the vast amount of carbon stored within UK marine habitats, and the importance of protecting UK seas for tackling climate change.
The seas around the UK and Isle of Man cover nearly 885,000 square kilometres – over three times the size of the UK’s land mass. This vast area is host to different habitats that sequester and store carbon, known as ‘blue carbon’. They include seabed sediments, seagrass meadows, saltmarshes, kelp forests, intertidal seaweed beds, maerl beds and biogenic reefs, such as mussel beds and honeycomb worm reefs.
The Blue Carbon Mapping Project, completed by the Scottish Association for Marine Science (SAMS) on behalf of The Wildlife Trusts, WWF and the RSPB, is the first time a country
has provided a comprehensive estimate of the carbon captured and stored in its seas, including within Marine Protected Areas (MPAs).
The report finds that 244 million tonnes of organic carbon are stored in just the top 10 centimetres of seabed sediments – principally made of mud – plus coastal habitats including saltmarshes and seagrass beds. The reports identify bottom trawling and offshore energy installation as the biggest potential threats to blue carbon stores.
The Wildlife Trusts, WWF and RSPB are calling on governments across the UK to strengthen protections for the most valuable and vulnerable blue carbon stores.
Find out more at wtru.st/blue-carbon-report
Sir David Attenborough celebrates 60 years with The Wildlife Trusts
Sir David Attenborough has been awarded the Rothschild medal in recognition of the extraordinary leadership, inspiration and indefatigable support he has given to The Wildlife Trusts federation of charities over the past 60 years.
Charles Rothschild founded the Society for the Promotion of Nature Reserves which would later become The Wildlife Trusts. He was ahead of his time in recognising the need to protect natural habitats and the wildlife that lived there.
His daughter, Miriam, was a visionary scientist who dedicated her life to the natural world.
Sir David Attenborough credits Leicestershire & Rutland Wildlife Trust’s Tilton Cutting Nature Reserve with giving him his love of the natural world –he would explore it and search for fossils there as a young boy. Since then, Sir David has championed the work of the Wildlife Trusts across the UK for six decades.
Discover how The Wildlife Trusts are helping wildlife across the UK
Children who changed the world
Manx Wildlife Trust and theatre company, Hello Little People, have launched an audio-immersive wildlife training academy for kids, Let’s Get Wild! Wearing silent disco style headphones, 5–9 year-olds move, shake and dance through an action-packed adventure to complete challenges and help save wildlife in the Isle of Man.
wtru.st/LetsGetWild
Garden escapers game
North Wales Wildlife Trust have been taking an innovative approach to tackling invasive plant species. Using a limited time only mobile game, players completed ‘missions’ by locating and recording the garden escapees, along pavements in urban areas or in nature reserves. Players were paid £1 for each new observation of target plants.
wtru.st/GardenEscapers
Pink sea fans
Off the Alderney coast, citizen scientists scuba-dive and snorkel for small tissue samples of the pink, warty looking soft corals of pink sea fans. Research by Alderney Wildlife Trust, University of Exeter and Jersey Marine Conservation is assessing their genetic connectivity across the rocky reefs of the Channel Islands.
wtru.st/PinkSeaFans
How is your general knowledge on wildlife and the wild places of our country? Test yourself with our nature crossword.
Billie’s Wildlife Crossword
Top tip: You might find some of the answers if you read this magazine carefully.
Clues Across
2 Which tiny bird's Latin name translates to 'the fire-capped little king', a reference to the beautiful orange crown of the male? (9)
4 Term used to describe the impressive journeys birds make between breeding seasons. (9)
6 Name for the UK's smallest species of deer. (7)
8 Which children's author is the creator of the family trail at Langdon Nature Discovery Park, featuring Peter Rabbit and Friends? (7, 6)
10 The UK is home to three swan species, mute, Bewick's and which other? (7)
11 This water-loving mammal can breathe underwater for up to 15 minutes. (6)
12 Name for the group of insects which support the growth of 70% of our food crops each year and the focus of this year's Nature Neighbours campaign. (10)
Clues down
1 What Christmas-themed plant is now an icon of the season? (9)
3 What monochrome mustelids can you watch on the Trust's webcam all year round? (6)
5 What garden plant is an essential supporter for insects in the winter, including hibernating butterflies and late buzzing bees? (3)
7 What bird, with a cutlery-shaped bill, swings their slightly open beaks from side to side through shallow pools of water to feed (9)
9 Common cuttlefish, found in Essex's waters, have how many hearts? (5)
Wildlife facts
Super sleepers
Only three mammals in the UK hibernate: bats, hedgehogs, and dormice.
Best of birds
Although starlings are the only birds that murmurate, other birds will flock together creating impressive displays including lapwings, dunlin and knot.
A prickly solution
It is believed that holly leaves are pricklier at the bottom of the plant because these are most prone to being eaten.
Hedgehog: Thomas John Ellis, dunlin: Bertie Gregory/2020VISION, holly: Scott Petrek
double your Impact
From Tuesday 3 December - Tuesday 10 December every donation is doubled .
Please help us reach this goal SCAN the qr code to DONATE
Thanks to the Big Give, we have the chance to raise £90,000 in just one week. All money raised will help us fund a programme that supports communities and transforms local spaces throughout Essex. Donate between midday on Tuesday 3 December to midday on Tuesday 10 December, via the Big Give website, by visiting www.essexwt.org.uk/team-wilder-appeal
