TRUST NEWS

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.

Great crested newt photo: John Bridges

Hazel dormouse photo: Terry Whittaker/2020VISION

Abberton’s new nuttery

Katie Goldsbrough Ranger at Abberton Students from Colchester Sixth Form College's conservation group joined our team at Abberton Reservoir Nature Discovery Park to create a delicious and irresistible ‘nuttery’ for hazel dormice and other wildlife. The enthusiastic and passionate students planted a total of 108 hazel whips, including dogwood and alder buckthorn in the centre of the reserve. By connecting existing hazel and other favourable dormouse habitat, a safe foraging zone has been created. This plantation was also the Trust’s first trial of using our new sustainable cardboard tree guards.

Four older trees were planted in the picnic area including oak, white beam and silver birch. All native to the local area of Colchester, these trees will boost biodiversity and survivability against climate change, alongside providing future shade and connectivity between hedgerows for birds.

New Look for wildlife

Karen Dixon Corporate Coordinator Essex Wildlife Trust is delighted to have been named the local charity partner for New Look in 2022. The fashion chain asked employees across their 13 stores in Essex to choose their first local community charity to support over the next 13 months, with Essex Wildlife Trust being named as the charity of choice. This fantastic opportunity allows the Trust to work with a national brand at a local level, inspiring them to help the natural world, while raising vital funds for the Trust.

12 Days Wild

Bailey Tait Campaigns Officer The Wildlife Trusts' festive nature challenge saw 7,318 people take part over the holiday period. Starting on Christmas day, individuals and families chose one random act of wildness to complete for each of the 12 days of Christmas. It was fantastic to see so many creative and original ideas – from baking naturethemed cookies, to taking a blustery winter walk or painting hyper-realistic portraits of fungi. It’s important for us all to take time to appreciate nature and connect with our wild side every day, so we hope the participants are feeling more connected with nature than ever right now!

If you’d like to take part in a similar challenge, you can sign up to our summer nature challenge 30 Days Wild from May. Find out more at www.essexwt.org.uk/ 30-Days-Wild.

Pond restoration

at Langdon

Josh Childs Ranger at Langdon In 2019, we started the pond restoration in Woodland Heights by removing the poplar trees that were choking the pond, allowing light to reach the margins and water column. These non-native hybrid trees had reached their natural life expectancy and were deemed a risk to the public and the surrounding houses. The material from the trees was chipped to create habitat piles for amphibians such as great crested newts and invertebrates including lesser stag beetle. The pond has been a hive of activity which has demonstrated how much healthier it is after the removal. The grassy areas around the pond were historically rich in wildflowers, so work has now begun to remove excess nutrients through a cutting regime to encourage wildflower growth, while using the cuttings to top up habitat piles.

Lesser stag beetle photo: Wendy Carter

Become a Wild Warrior

Michelle Shepherd Supporter Development Officer Essex Wildlife Trust relies on fantastic fundraisers to protect wildlife and inspire a lifelong love of nature. Our Wild Warriors have physically challenged themselves, held bake sales and bingo nights, sold plants, and creatively raised vital funds for the Trust. We have created a Fundraising Pack full of inspiration to help more people become Wild Warriors for the Trust, this is available on our website.

If you’d like to help the Trust raise vital funds in other ways, you could join our Wildlife Lottery, where not only are you supporting Essex Wildlife Trust and other local causes, you could be in with the chance of winning £25,000!

Or if you’re considering a spring clean, the Trust recycles jewellery, bras, stamps and electronics. Find more information on all aspects of fundraising for the Trust at www.essexwt.org.uk/fundraise.

‘We need to support The future of wildlife together’ Contents

‘make this year your year for wild life’

Contents

‘Make us your charity of choice’

Peacock butterfly photo: Terry Whittaker/2020VISION Heather photo: Paul Harris/2020VISION

From bake sales to sponsored silences, these ideas are sure to help make it easy to fundraise at work, school or in your community. We have an A-Z list of fundraising ideas to help get you started with your fundraising. Go wild indoors or outdoors

Love Fundraising • Love Wildlife

Top tips

Put your heart into it – find activities you enjoy, be creative and turn your passion into a fundraising event.

Make it Inspirational – Make sure you share the charity's resources with your supporters to help them understand more about the Trust's work and how they can help. Remind them why your fundraising is important to you! Set a target – Start fundraising early so you can focus on planning on your event/ training for your challenge. Take on extra forfeits and add to your challenge as you reach key milestones to encourage donations. Those who add a target to their fundraising page raise 46% more. £125 Protects and restores sea walls £125 can help buy materials and support the installation of a structure designed to protect our sea walls and restore degraded saltmarsh.

A

BArt exhibition Bring and buy C Comedy night D Dog walking E Ebay auction F Facebook painting G Give up something

H

IJ Head shave International day / evening Jar of wild actions - get donations for each wild act

K

Karaoke L Ladies night

MMarathons N Night time trek - spot the nocturnal wildlife O Office olympics

P

QR Picnic at a reserve - www.essexwt.org.uk/nature-reserves Quiz Recycle challenge S Sweepstake

T

Treasure hunt U Upcycle and hold a crafternoon session V Valentine’s day W Walk for wildlife X Xmas – 12 days wild challenge Y Yoga – connect with nature and wildlife

ZZumba

£50 Supports fish migration work £50+ could help us continue our work creating passages for eels and migratory fish in the rivers of Essex, helping fish get to their spawning grounds.

Contents Bee photo: Jon Hawkins, Surrey Hills Photography Seasonal ideas

Winter Tis the season to hold a festive fundraiser and protect wildlife this winter!

Winter walk Wrap up warm, put your wellies on and spot golden plover, dunlin and teal whilst listening out for the noisy flocks of up to 2,000 wintering dark-bellied brent geese! With over 87 nature reserves, we have plenty of walks to keep you exploring! Christmas carols Did you know the robin is one of the few birds in the UK that sing all year around? This is due to the importance of holding winter territories. Warm up your vocal cords and join our birds, singing in aid of Essex Wildlife Trust. Plan a carol concert or sing with your friends and family in your local community to spread the Christmas cheer!

Festive fun

There are so many ways to get creative this Christmas. Dress up and take part in a Christmas challenge to spread the cheer, make and sell homemade cards and crafts or have your friends over for a wreath making workshop with recycled items? Maybe even a Christmas cocktail challenge! 12 | Essex Wildlife Trust Your wildlife fundraising pack Love Fundraising • Love Wildlife

Everyday fundraising Spring Whatever the season, we have a reason! Make this year your year for wildlife. Hold your own fundraising events all through the year, a great way to get together with your family and friends and give wildlife a hope for the future. Easy things you can do every day to raise vital funds to support Essex Wildlife Trust, without costing you a penny! Spring is a time for new beginnings - a wonderful time of year to start fundraising! Wild at heart (Valentine’s day)

If you are wild at heart and otterly in love, why not take your loved one to one of our nature reserves? Give the gift of love to wildlife and your loved one by joining as a member of Essex Wildlife Trust? Visit our website for more information: www.essexwt.org.uk/membership

Spring clean

Tis the season for spring cleaning – Start your year off as you would like to go on and donate your unused textiles, bras and household items and raise funds towards protecting wildlife in Essex with our Recycling Scheme to raise vital funds for our work. Dark-bellied brent goose photo: David Tipling/2020VISION Have a cracking Easter Organise a Easter egg treasure hunt and raffle and invite all of your friends to join. Feeling creative? Invite your group to enter an Easter bonnet and egg painting competition. You could hold an Easter bake off and bake a difference!

Love Fundraising • Love Wildlife

Shop with a purpose

With thousands of retailers to choose from, sign up to the following sites and raise donations at no extra cost to you.

Sign up to easyfundraising or AmazonSmile. By choosing to support Essex Wildlife Trust, every time you buy from these sites, you raise money for wildlife around us. You shop, they give!

Do you fancy taking a holiday? Or would you like to explore wildlife all over the world? Charitable bookings are in partnership with booking.com, will help you find your perfect stay at the best prices. 10 | Essex Wildlife Trust Your wildlife fundraising pack

Support from your local stores and supermarkets

Many stores and supermarkets help support their local communities by offering customers a chance to choose a charity of their choice to receive a donation.

How you can help?

You can nominate the trust for these schemes and vote for us when you see us in your local store. Find your nearest store online or visit the store in person to complete a nomination form and nominate Essex Wildlife Trust. easyfundraising easyfundraising.org.uk/causes/ewt Free donations for us every time you shop! Watch out for ASDA’s green token giving or Waitrose and John Lewis community matter schemes. If you do make a nomination, please email fundraise@essexwt.org.uk to let us know. AmazonSmile

smile.amazon.co.uk

They donate 0.5% of the price of eligible purchases! Charitable bookings

charitablebookings.com/charity/essex-wildlifetrust-limited

Support us when you book a stay away!

Love Fundraising • Love Wildlife

your pack fundraising Wildlife

Nature Friendly Schools

Emma Peters Outdoor Learning Officer Our Nature Friendly Schools project supports schools within disadvantaged communities to build resilience and outdoor learning into their teaching. Covid-19 has highlighted the obstacles these communities face, in limited access to green space. The Trust has helped to ‘green’ school grounds by planting trees and wildflower meadows, providing the school with planters, tools and creating willow dome classrooms. We have also been able to provide welly boots and waterproofs to overcome clothing barriers. Supported sessions have allowed us to share our outdoor learning expertise and leave schools confident in the knowledge they’ll be able to continue this work independently.

One school said, “We have experienced real engagement from children and staff with outdoor learning, and the

Mobilising

young audiences

Bailey Tait Campaigns Officer Last November, we held a live virtual event for 16-25 year olds on YouTube called Wilder Essex: LIVE! Essex Wildlife Trust’s Chief Executive Andrew Impey chaired the panel, which included science communicator Sophie Pavelle, naturalist, nature writer and volunteer Andrew Millham, the Trust’s Outdoor Learning Officer Emma Peters and Isabella Ciuta the Vice President of Community and Engagement at the University of Essex Students’ Union. Our panel of special guests answered questions from the public, shared their wisdom on working in the conservation and environment sector and talked through their ideas on how young people can help make a Wilder Essex. A great discussion was held by all, you can go back and watch the event on www.youtube.com/ EssexWildlife. level of excitement towards it is very high. We have developed a better relationship with our site-gardener too!”.

Within just two years, the project has shown promise for the future of outdoor learning. The hands-on experiences provided alongside the increase in understanding and appreciation for the natural world will inspire many generations to come.

Photo: Evie and Tom photography

Urban Wildlife

Champions

Danielle Carbott Urban Engagement Officer Urban areas are expanding across Essex, fragmenting habitats and putting pressure on our biodiversity, while disconnecting humans from the natural world. Essex’s urban green, blue and brown spaces must be made wilder and support both people and wildlife.

To achieve this, we need grassroots, community-led action. Using the Trust’s new community organising approach, we want to shift the power to communities, supporting individuals to make the local changes they want for people and wildlife.

We are launching our Urban Wildlife Champions project and are looking for leaders to take action in their communities. Perhaps you want to create hedgehog highways through your town, install swift boxes along your road, create wildflower corridors in your local park, or campaign for wilder gardens within your village? Help us create a Wilder Essex and find out more at www.essexwt.org.uk/urban-wildlife-champions.

Tiptree Heath’s

new route

Joan Pinch

Warden at Tiptree Heath Tiptree Heath nature reserve is the only place in Essex where you can find all three species of heather growing together – ling, cross-leaved and bell. The reserve is the largest area of lowland heathland in the county and has become increasingly popular with visitors in recent years.

Fred Boot, a former chairman of Essex Wildlife Trust, helped to plan a new ‘winter route’, before his passing in 2019. Thanks to funding from the Friends of

Tiptree Heath, Tiptree Parish Council

and donations in memory of Fred Boot, we began work on the new route last autumn. This new route will provide a firm and drier surface to walk outside the stock fencing, protecting the sensitive heathland habitat in muddier areas. There are two more stages of work to protect further areas that will progress over the next two years.

Distinguished jumping spider photo: Neil Philllips

Micro Landscapes

Tiffany Rogerson

Landscape Conservation Area Assistant - South East Once the home of Thurrock Power Station, Oliver Road Lagoons nature reserve is a fascinating brownfield site owned by the Land Trust. This private nature reserve is flourishing into a haven for wildlife, thanks to funding from Land of the Fanns in support of our Micro Landscapes project. This project enabled the Trust to convert a seven hectare area, previously identified as lacking in biological diversity, into grassland and bare ground. This provides essential habitats for many rare specialist species, including the distinguished jumping spider that can be found on other parts of the site.

Felled scrub was processed into wood chippings and recycled for use at nearby power stations. Soil and stumps were converted into south-facing ‘bee banks’ for nesting, burrowing and basking invertebrates and reptiles. By inverting the soil, pulverised fuel ash (PFA) is brought to the surface. The toxicity and lack of nutrients within this soil encourages wildflower growth and suppresses future scrub re-growth, allowing for long-term development of this habitat into a wildflower haven. Regular monitoring and surveys will show what species move in to this ecological refuge within West Thurrock.

In time, we are hoping to introduce local guided walks for members of the public to see and enjoy this transformed space.

Volunteering with the Trust

Rosie Abbott Volunteering Development Manager Thank you to all of our fantastic volunteers who generously donate their time to support the Trust’s mission. We would like to give a special thank you to David Clarke, who has retired from his position of Volunteer Warden of Roman River nature reserve after a fantastic 42 years.

The Trust has many different volunteering roles. Recently, we have worked with the Nature Nursery team to develop early-years volunteering opportunities. Feedback has been overwhelmingly positive from staff, children and the volunteers themselves. Are you interested in volunteering for Essex Wildlife Trust? Discover our volunteering opportunities at www.essexwt.org.uk/volunteer.

News from Brentwood & Billericay Local Group

Graham Clegg Chair of Brentwood and Billericay Local Group We had a good turnout for our walk at Hylands Park in Writtle on Tuesday 5 January. It proved that you don’t have to go far to experience nature; it’s on your doorstep. Committee member and walk leader, John McLaughlin, explained the history of the Hylands Estate and how the 574 acre parkland came to be laid out by the famous landscape architect, Humphrey Repton. During the walk, we spotted 32 species of birds. We also visited the One World Garden, the Pleasure Gardens and the restored duck pond. Dates of future planned walks, events and contact details can be found at www.essexwt.org.uk/events.

News from Havering Local Group

Joy Emerson Secretary of Havering Local Group Our “Tony’s wildlife walks” have been a great success and anyone is welcome to join. Recently we have been able to hold illustrative talks, where members of the Local Group have heard about Warley Place nature reserve and the birds of Mersea Island. The Havering Annual General Meeting (AGM) is on Monday 14 March 2pm-4.15pm at Fairkytes Arts Centre, Billet Lane, Hornchurch. The AGM will be followed by a talk My Menagerie: Rearing shield bugs and ladybirds by Yvonne Couch. Book by calling Joy on 07759869910.

News from Braintree Local Group

Tracey Kay

Braintree Local Group Events Coordinator Braintree Local Group is holding a talk with the British Trust for Ornithology (BTO) on Tuesday 15 March at St Andrews Church Hall in Halstead at 7.45pm, following the Local Group Annual General Meeting. Love Thy Neighbourhood Gulls will delve into the world of gulls, with Viola Ross-Smith from the BTO discussing species, population trends, conservation status, breeding ecology and the relationship between gulls and humans. Suggested donation of £3, more information can be found at www.essexwt.org.uk/events.

Black headed gull photo: Joe Francis