The average Essex household wastes £60 a month by throwing away food that could have been eaten
To save food and money, visit loveessex.org/food
For so many of us who care about the natural world, we have a deep-rooted connection with the landscape where we live and the species and places that we have witnessed throughout our lives. Those special experiences and memories are a ‘happy place’ that our brain takes us to, either consciously or unconsciously. In a challenging world, they can act as an important mental lifejacket to keep us afloat.
I can remember the first time I visited Fingringhoe Wick like it was yesterday and the thrill of hearing my first nightingale. Even decades on from that first encounter, I still get a sense of excitement when pulling up into the car park at Fingringhoe and my brain chemistry gets a sudden release of endorphins from the anticipation. In that moment, the weight of the world seems just that little bit lighter and less fraught with challenges.
These memories can sometimes appear trivial to those on the outside, but they are deeply personal and incredibly powerful. As conservationists, we can no longer tolerate being vilified, dismissed and labelled as the ‘lunatic protesting fringe’, merely for wanting to protect our natural heritage. You can have all the money in the world, but in my opinion, without culture and natural heritage, you have nothing.
Dr. Andrew Impey Chief Executive Officer
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Emily McParland
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Rich Yates
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‘we have a deep-rooted connection with the landscape where we live and the species.’
Celebrating the winners of the Essex Wildlife Trust Photography Competition 2022
Your stunning photographs of Essex’s wonderful wildlife and wild places.
Updates from throughout the Trust on our work to protect wildlife and inspire a lifelong love of nature.
Essex Wildlife Trust Ambassador, Andrew Millham, celebrates the unmissable action that unfolds in nature each spring.
Helping wildlife at home doesn’t need to break the bank. We take a look at how to wildlife garden on a budget.
The sights, smells and sounds of spring are in the air. We highlight spring events to join in with this season.
Updates from the Wildlife Trusts movement on national projects and campaigns for wildlife.
Exploring the vast diversity of grasslands in the UK.
We travel back in time to the year 2010 to see what was happening at the Trust.
Challenge yourself and put your knowledge on the natural world to the test.
Comprising 75% of all animal species, these small but mighty minibeasts can often be overlooked. Within their colonies, there are intricate social structures and relationships to learn about.
Fingringhoe Wick Nature Discovery Park
Essex Wildlife Trust’s first nature reserve just south of Colchester has transformed since the Trust first acquired a ‘barren and lunar landscape’ in 1961.
Encountering butterflies has become a life-long quest for Bob Seago, the warden of Great Holland Pits and Colne Point nature reserves.
Female orange tip photo: Tanya Ware
Even throughout the chilliest months, Essex wildlife is busy soaring over vast countryside, squishing through thick mud and scoffing tasty treats amongst the trees. Thankfully, our members and supporters are there, ready to capture it all! We hope you enjoy this selection of our favourite snaps submitted by you over the past few months.
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.
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.
Darren Tansley Wilder Rivers and Protected Species Manager
Dedham Mill, on the River Stour, has been a barrier to fish migration for centuries. But the old river channel (known as the Old Stratford River) still flowed around the mill providing potential for fish to swim upstream. Unfortunately, a weir at the top of this channel also prevented many fish from passing through, so in October 2022 we installed an eel and fish pass on the structure.
By lowering the centre of the weir and installing oak bars with gaps in, we effectively created a series of water-filled
steps for fish to swim through. In addition, black tiles with a forest of toothlike stipples now allow eels to wriggle their way up and continue their migration. This is just the first of many such passes that we will be working on over the next decade, attempting to reconnect these natural fish highways from source to sea and turning the Essex Fish Migration Roadmap from red to green.
See the fish migration map: www.essexwt.org.uk/essex-fish-migration-roadmap
Mark Iley Head of Landscape and Rivers Recovery
With thanks to funding from the Environment Bank and Anglian Water, we have been able to restore the lake at Cherry Orchard County Park. Before, poor water quality and insufficient banks meant this lake was not supporting wildlife. Now, the lake can support hundreds of aquatic species. The addition of three scalloped small ponds and the creation of boggy, plant-rich banks means many water-loving wildlife can be supported including frogs, toads, dragonflies and newts. Birds and bats will also benefit as they swoop and dive over their new feeding ground.
After trialling saltmarsh restoration techniques using ‘saltmarsh sausages’, the Trust has successfully released a Saltmarsh Restoration Project Toolkit to help other organisations protect and restore vital saltmarsh habitat. The findings show coir roll structures, nicknamed saltmarsh sausages due to their shape, can be used to establish saltmarsh vegetation, help sediment to build up, and lock away carbon. This year, we are celebrating the fifth birthday of our saltmarsh sausages. Together with the University of Essex and the Environment Agency, we will continue to gather data (including on blue carbon) to evaluate the success of these structures in our saltmarsh.
Tiffany Rogerson Area Officer (South East Essex)
Over the winter we have completed the initial phase of our Fobbing Marsh nature reserve restoration project. Ongoing ecological survey work indicates that the site currently supports no breeding waders and wintering bird numbers are lower than comparable local sites.
Throughout the year, we were unable to store rainfall or control water levels, and the ditch systems are drying too frequently. We need to hold this winter rainfall for longer into the spring and early summer to maintain optimum conditions for ground-nesting wading birds, particularly lapwing, and to support characteristic plant and animal communities, including water voles and aquatic invertebrates. We are retaining unploughed areas and keeping the original saltmarsh surface features following the enwalling of the site.
To restore and re-wet the site, we have installed a tilting weir so that water levels can be precisely controlled. We have blocked ditches mainly around the perimeter of the site so that water is held within the core of the reserve and the water table remains higher into the spring breeding season.
This project has been made possible thanks to funding from the Water Environment Infrastructure Fund (WEIF) and Anglian Water.
A huge thank you to everybody that supported and donated to our recent Save our Species campaign With 98% of turtle doves and 92% of nightingales lost since 1970, and the staggering statistic that 41% of the UK’s species are in decline, we are working hard to ensure our reserves are beacons of hope for wildlife – somewhere wildlife can nest, forage and breed.
There is still time to support the appeal: www.essexwt.org.uk/Save-our-Species
And remember that you can listen to the melody of nightingales at Fingringhoe Wick Nature Discovery Park and hear the soft purrs of turtle doves at Wrabness nature reserve in May.
A huge congratulations to the Warley Place nature reserve volunteers, winners of BBC Essex’s ‘Make a Difference Award 2022’. Mick Hedges, of the Volunteer Team, says: “Volunteers come up because they have a historical interest, but others come up for the wildlife conservation.” Mick describes the reserve as “diverse and not your typical wildlife place. People come along to sit and wonder sometimes, what it used to be like”. Our dedicated volunteers help preserve the history of the Edwardian ruins, alongside making this a wildlife haven and raising money for the Trust. The 25-acre garden boasts beautiful displays of spring flowers, and the team offer guided walks across the weekends from February to April. If you’d like to join our Warley Place volunteers, email: enquiries@essexwt.org.uk.
We want to see wildlife thriving across the entire county, spilling out from our reserves and booming in our urban places. That’s why, last autumn, we launched the Nature Neighbours campaign. This new campaign invites wildlife to fly over our fences, crawl under our garden walls and make our gardens their home. Each year, we want to focus on how we can encourage another animal to become our nature neighbour.
In 2022, we ran a hedgehog house building competition and invited you to join our Essex hedgehog highway. Across three months, more than 400 actions were taken for hedgehogs in Essex. Thank you to everyone who took part in Nature Neighbours and made a difference for hedgehogs in their community. You can still view and join our hedgehog highway at www.essexwt.org.uk/ nature-neighbours
I had the pleasure of meeting the Tayler family in November, at our Hanningfield Reservoir Nature Discovery Park. They decided to purchase a beautiful metal bird plaque for our Tree of Life which resides in the Nature Discovery Centre. The Taylers felt this was a fitting way to remember John Tayler.
John loved to spend time in the woods at Hanningfield. It was where he began his annual bird count in January, where he took his family to see the bluebells in the spring, and where he and his wife Margaret sought out wildflowers, butterflies, insects and fungi. For John, the reserve was also a place for happy family picnics, a place to meet friends and share information with fellow bird watchers. John saw many changes over the years, but his enjoyment of the outdoors and being close to nature never waned. His family always loved visiting the reserve with him, and still come often.
If you would like to purchase your own plaque for our Tree of Life to celebrate a special occasion or to commemorate a loved one then visit www.essexwt.org.uk/tree-of-life, TreeofLife@essexwt.org.uk or call 01621 735233
Helen and Adam have been Wilder Community Organisers for nearly six months and have enjoyed getting to know and working alongside people in Basildon, Thurrock, Clacton, and Jaywick. In the north of the county, Adam has been working with local businesses to help bring more fruit trees into the centre of Clacton, collaborating with local sports teams to improve parks for wildlife, and planning to breathe life back into a struggling pond in Jaywick. In the south, Helen has been getting involved with rewilding unloved corners of parks and bringing local businesses together to protect a rare green oasis in a business park. Helen has also been hearing about concerns with the levels of development and antisocial behaviour threatening green spaces, and meeting with communities already addressing these issues. If you live in Jaywick, Clacton, Basildon or Thurrock and wish to chat about issues regarding nature and wildlife, then please get in touch: NextdoorNature@essexwt.org.uk
Michelle Shepherd Supporter Development Officer
Running Wild is back for a second year! Join us on Saturday 10 June in the forest, for a 5K with a difference. Held at the award-winning Nuclear Races site near Brentwood, Running Wild is a 5K muddy obstacle course that everyone –whatever your fitness level – can take part in. Climb over, crawl through and jump across some crazy obstacles, before finishing in style with the famous 20-foot deathslide into a lake!
The event is being held to raise vital funds for Essex Wildlife Trust, so why not grab your friends, family, work colleagues or team mates and join in. If you sign up by 31 March 2023, you can save £10 on the registration fee – our Early Bird offer means it’s currently only £20 to sign up! Head to www.essexwt.org.uk/ events/running-wild to find out more.
Karen Dixon Corporate Coordinator
We recently had the pleasure of welcoming Call of the Wild Zoo (previously known as Tropical Wings near South Woodham Ferrers) as one of our latest Investors in Wildlife.
On our visit to the 10-acre park, we had the opportunity to see some of their more exotic species, such as their endangered ring-tailed lemurs, Colobus monkeys, meerkats, and the beautiful tropical house, with their recent crocodilian additions.
Call of the Wild’s mission statement reads “Get closer to the animals here at Call of the Wild Zoo. Learn about our animals through interactivity and engagement from our passionate keeper team and help us protect species from the threat of extinction.” They have plans to increase local species and increase biodiversity on site by creating a nature reserve over the coming years to promote local wildlife. We are looking forward to supporting them along their journey.
Want to become an Investor in Wildlife? Email us: Corporate@essexwt.org.uk
John Turner Chair
Marion May Secretary
Recently, we enjoyed fascinating talks on red kites from Jeff Knott (RSPB) and on badgers from Renee HockleyByam (North-East Essex Badger Group). Join us for our exciting spring talks on wildflowers by The Wildflower Society in March, preceded by our AGM, bumblebees from the Bumblebee Trust in April, and learn all about foxes in May. Full details are available on the Trust’s website: www.essexwt.org.uk/events
Graham Clegg Chair
Over the winter months, Local Group members continued to enjoy the wildlife in our nature reserves, both locally and further afield. One member reported a particularly successful day at Abberton Reservoir Nature Discovery Park in mid-January when he spotted just over 50 species of birds, including black necked grebe, smew, Caspian gull, great white egret, red kite, scaup and long-tailed duck to mention just a few.
Looking ahead, we will be running a plant sale hosted at Langdon Nature Discovery Park on Saturday 27 - Monday 29 May. Donations of plants, seedlings and other garden accessories would be most welcome. Help is available, if needed, for digging up, repotting etc. Please contact John Allen on 01277 231305. Details for future events can be found on the Trust website.
In celebration of the wonders of spring and one of the UK’s favourite floral spectacles, we are holding a bluebell walk in Pound Wood and Tile Wood from 12pm to 5pm on Sunday 30 April. We invite you to join us. Guided walks through the woods are available. Additional activities include tractor trailer rides, children’s crafts, woodland products and plant sales. Parking in St Michael’s Church car park, St Michael’s Road, Daws Heath, SS7 2UW. Come along and see how we manage the woodland and wider living landscape.
We have got an exciting year ahead, packed full of events for 2023. On Monday 1 May, we invite you to our annual plant sale, held this year at Hanningfield Reservoir Nature Discovery Centre. If you’d like to donate any plants for sale, please get in touch. We are also looking to relaunch our talks programme in September, so please contact us if you are interested in speaking. If you’d like to see our full programme of guided walks over the summer, in local reserves and other wild areas, email: suem@idnet.com or visit Essex Wildlife Trust’s website for more details.
Joy Emerson Secretary
Join Havering Local Group as we explore the county’s seasonal spectacles on our group walks. Each month, we will be visiting an Essex Wildlife Trust site to enjoy spring wildlife. In April, we will be exploring the variety of habitats Thorndon Country Park has to offer. In May, we head to Fingringhoe Wick to listen to the rare song of the nightingale. In June, join us to spot the colourful array of unique orchids popping up at Chafford Gorges Nature Discovery Park. Details of all walks are available on the Trust’s website. We also invite members to join our AGM on Tuesday 14 March, 2.15pm at Fairkytes Arts Centre, Billet Lane, Hornchurch RM11 1AX. After this date, we will be looking for a new secretary.
Our Tree of Life at Fingringhoe Wick and Hanningfield Reservoir Nature Discovery Centres allow supporters to remember a loved one, celebrate a joyous occasion or recognise an individual’s love of the nature reserve. All proceeds go towards helping us protect wildlife for perpetuity.
A bronze leaf (3 years) could help us to buy five bat boxes for our reserves.
A silver leaf (5 years) could fund a large bee hotel, benefitting solitary bees.
A gold leaf (7 years) could help us pay for a new field gate on a reserve or buy 4kg of native wildflower seed mix to help stop the decline of insects.
A bird (8 years) could help us create or restore a pond, or carry out essential rotovating work in wet grasslands to increase the number of invertebrates, providing more food for breeding waders.
To find out more, visit www.essexwt.org.uk/tree-of-life or contact our Legacy Team on TreeofLife@essexwt.org.uk
SCAN ME TO FIND OUT MORE INFORMATION ABOUT TREE OF LIFE
Andrew is an environmental science graduate, Forest School Leader, nature writer and all-round lover of the great outdoors. He has written featues for BBC Wildlife and Coast and writes regular countryside columns in Essex Life and The Countryman . His debut book Singing like Larks is being released on Thursday 9 March and opens a rare window into Britain and Ireland’s ancient song tradition, interweaving mesmerising lyrics, folklore and colourful nature writing.
Spring is synonymous with rebirth. Although winter is my favourite season, by late-February I begin to daydream about longer evenings, and canopies coloured with green leaves. During early spring, changes in the tilt of Earth’s axis relative to the sun warm the northern hemisphere, causing a colourful burst of new plant growth to literally ‘spring forth’. Nodding snowdrops and primroses mark the first sign of spring, leading the charge in this floral explosion. Animals join with plants in this reawakening, as mammals, reptiles, amphibians and insects alike rise from their deep slumber and shake off the winter frost.
“ You don’t have to go abroad to be bowled-over by wildlife. Often the most magnificent sights can be found on our doorsteps right here in Essex. That's why I'm excited to be an Essex Wildlife Trust Ambassador and help to inspire more people to love and take action for nature.
When I think of springtime, the image that floods to mind is my street in bloom. Wild cherry trees line the pavements outside my house, which burst with pinks and reds that fall from branches and cover black tarmac with pastel hues On windy days, the soft petals fly through the air like confetti, and it looks as if a wedding has taken place!
Living opposite a woodland, spring is unmissable. The trees appear bare and skeletal in winter, with the heavy sky visible through the branches. It is a triumphant sort of feeling to see new leaves fill in the gaps, colouring in the scene and joining the evergreen trees dotted around which held down the fort of life in the colder months.
Just as you or I would be after sleeping for months, hibernating creatures are lethargic and hungry when they wake. Mammals, like hedgehogs, store a small amount of energy to help them through this waking up process, but then they must find food quickly to refill their depleted energy store.
Fluty birdsong, that quintessential sound of spring, echoes through the sky. After returning to their UK settlements, songbirds sing to attract mates as they go about their business of building nests from the abundance of grass and moss. The beautiful songs that birds sing during this season are reflected in our own traditional folk songs. Take for example, The Birds in the Spring, which begins:
One May morning early I chanced for to roam
And strolled through the field by the side of the grove. It was there I did hear the harmless birds sing, And you never heard so sweet as the birds in the spring.
Traditional folk songs, often centuries old, reveal just how connected our ancestors were with nature and the seasons –they were reliant upon them. After long days working out in the fields, countrymen and women would retire to pub and cottage and sing about the wildlife which had surrounded them all day. We could all take a leaf out of their book, remembering the blessings of community and a joyful love of springtime – our season of hope.
In the insect world, warmer temperatures wake queen bumblebees from hibernation and they immediately feed on nectar and search for a suitable nesting place for the year
At this time in the seasonal calendar, gardeners may encounter hibernating bumblebees in loose soil, banks of earth and even flowerpots. If the bee is docile, then it can be covered with soil again, loose enough so it can dig its way out when it awakes fully. However, if the bee is active (buzzing) and not returning to hibernation, then leaving it in a sheltered place should protect it until it can fly away.
Get out your magnifying glass because we are crawling, creeping and wriggling our way into the wonderful world of the minibeasts. Why are bumblebees jiving in the hive, what does colony life entail and what do we mean by an insect ‘superorganism’? Read on to find out…
We have a lot to thank insects for. Comprising 75% of all animal species, these small but mighty creatures are our life source for pollinating fruits, flowers and vegetables. Like underground gardeners, the wriggles and squirms of busy worms keep gardens vibrant by aerating soil as they tunnel through, allowing rainwater and nutrients to find their way to your garden plants. For wildlife, they are a vital food supply or in many cases a lifeline. Hungry birds gulp down winged insects as they soar, hedgehogs hoover up beetles, earwigs, and crickets, and a quick flash of a toad’s tongue tells us it has slurped up a resting fly from a garden pond.
What do we know about an insect’s social life? We have all heard the term ‘social butterflies’, but we aren’t talking about catching up with friends in this instance. In the wildlife world, insects are solitary or social. Social insects are those that live in colonies. By sharing food, protecting their young and communicating, they work together to survive. In some cases, species are so adapted to working in unison that they have an advanced system of organisation, known as eusociality. Eusocial insects have a singular female producing offspring, with other members acting as workers to raise young and scavenge for food.
Together, eusocial insects are a force to be reckoned with. In South America, leafcutter ants eat more greens than herbivorous mammals. In Japan, a supercolony of ants was found to be over 2.7km in length, with over 306 million worker ants within it! Acting in harmony as if they are one singular creature, insects in a colony form a superorganism. In life, they say that communication is key. But without words, how do hundreds, sometimes thousands, of insects synchronise like little soldiers in the most uniform army? Let’s dig a little deeper to uncover the complex world of colonies here in Essex.
1 2 3 4
To be called eusocial, insects must:
Care for their young together
Have different roles (workers, reproducers)
Be multi-generational (young contribute to colony alongside their parents)
Wood ants, with their brown-and-red shaded bodies and tiny size, are difficult to spot in woodlands. Instead, look for impressive dome-shaped mounds of grass, twigs, moss or pine needles and you’ll find their home. With clever construction, sunlight is angled into the nest below to keep the cold-blooded colony warm. Even in rain, the dome is adapted so water trickles away, just like it does on an umbrella.
It is said that anthills are used for decades by many generations of colonies, so it is no surprise that inside reveals a marvel of insect construction. Anthills must be well-designed, as they could home up to half a million ants. Underneath the ground is a network of chambers linked by tunnels. Each chamber serves a different purpose: food storage, brood development, and even an ant graveyard. Buried within the centre of the hill is a nest fit for royalty. Within this chamber, you’ll find the queen ant.
Here, she is fed and groomed by the rest of the colony, known as worker ants. On one summer’s day alone, a colony can collect around 60,000 prey items including greenflies, caterpillars and other insects and spiders.
The queen is hard at work too, however, laying the eggs to continue the life of her colony. Most ant eggs will hatch as female workers, ready to forage the surrounding woodland to bring back food for others. A small number will become winged males and females, tasked with producing new life.
Communication isn’t just about talking. For ants, body language is an important aspect of sharing messages. Raising their abdomen high in the air is an ant’s version of an approving nod. Ants also communicate through sound, smell and touch. By releasing clever substances called pheromones, ants leave behind chemical footprints that are filled with information, instructing other ants to march behind in search of food. Often, the stronger the chemical, the more prize-worthy the food source that awaits at the end of an ant’s trail. A colony can always recognise its own family by their pheromone. Each colony possesses a unique scent; by sharing food, passing saliva, and using antennae to ‘smell’ each other, ants can distinguish friend from foe.
Find a wildflower meadow bursting with bright buds and look for the tall, tubular flowers reaching for the sunshine. You may just spot a wiggling striped bottom of the common carder bee, rooting head-first for pollen with its elongated tongue. As the name suggests, it’s quite likely that you will stumble across this bumble, as it is the most common species in the UK.
begins to create a new colony before autumn arrives. Other females in her colony become workers. Selflessly, like worker ants, they give up their reproductive capabilities. Instead, worker bees devote themselves to protecting their home, feeding hungry young mouths and supporting their queen.
Every part of a bee is designed for communication: decorated bodies warn predators away, antennae perched upon fluffy heads help them smell, taste and touch and delicate wings beat at such a pace that it generates a buzz. Just like the chemical footprints of tiny ants, bees also release pheromones. Returning from a pollen-filled flower, a bumblebee will excite the other hive members by running around the hive, fluttering its wings, and releasing a cloud of chemicals that urge others to follow the trail to tempting treasure.
However, the most fascinating bee behaviour to witness is that of the honeybee. The bee dance, or waggle, may seem trivial but, as the dancer’s legs quiver, a complex set of instructions is being translated to the colony. The longer a bee dances, the better the food source she has found. More experienced bees use their body angles to express distances and directions for their fellow hive housemates.
With a lion-like ginger mane coating their upper backs, and a tiger-striped lower half, you may think this buzzing beast would be found in more exotic landscapes than woodlands, hedgerows, gardens, and heaths. However, common carder bees are opportunistic creatures, finding their home in cavities already available. Nest sites include the no-longer-used burrowed tunnels of little mammals, birds’ nests, or an undisturbed patch in grass tussocks. These bees weave materials together to form a cover for their nest, just like the carding technique used to sort wool in the textile industry.
Unlike the hive of a honeybee that has thousands of members, common carder colonies are much smaller. Yet, they still follow the same structure, with one queen bee at the helm with the sole purpose of reproducing future generations. Each spring, the queen bee emerges with the task of finding a suitable nest site, and the race
Next time you are wandering through a woodland or hedgerow, listen carefully. Alongside the chirping chatter of birds, rustles of little voles or the trill of a toad, think of the quieter creatures, just below the surface, continually communicating within their clever colonies.
Did you know south Essex is a hotspot for rare invertebrates?
Once a barren and lunar landscape after years as a quarry, Essex Wildlife Trust’s first nature reserve is now brimming with wildlife throughout the year and bringing joy to all its visitors. Home to 1% of the UK’s population of nightingales and with the opportunity to see adders, badgers, turtle doves and more, Fingringhoe Wick is a must-see destination this spring. w
Emerging from hibernation at the end of winter, from March you may be lucky enough to witness their mating dance.
Look to the top of trees for large purple emperors while dainty green hairstreaks can be seen flying along the woodland rides and heathland.
Fingringhoe is a stronghold for this migratory dove, its calm “purring” can be heard from late spring into summer.
A resident family of badgers can be seen crossing the paths in front of the Meles meles Hide.
Fingringhoe Wick nature discovery Park
Size: 86 hectares.
Address: South Green Road, Fingringhoe, CO5 7DN.
The UK’s most famous songster, listen to the thrilling choir of male nightingales vying for a female.
Access: Open daily from 10am – 5pm, check the website for up-to-date times before visiting. Free, large car park available. There are many reserve trails leading you through woodland, scrub, heathland, ponds and the estuary. A wheelchair and all-terrain mobility scooter are available. Dogs: Only permitted along the specified dog walk trail.
There is evidence of at least two farm villas at Fingringhoe Wick that date back to the Roman period. Colchester was of immense strategic importance during the Roman period, where it was called Camulodunum. Looking out towards the mouth of the Colne Estuary, the river Colne would have seen Roman ships sailing in and out of Camulodunum, straight past the reserve.
Nothing is known of Fingringhoe after the Roman legions left until the 11th century. Historical records show the Manor of Fingringhoe included lands in the priory of West Mersea, which in 1046 Edward the Confessor gave to the Abbey at Rouen. From then onwards it was repeatedly moved between church and royal hands.
In 1751, Thomas Lord Darcy commissioned a map of the lands belonging to Fingringhoe Hall – his home. This included what we now call Fingringhoe Wick – then Wick Farm – totalling over 324 hectares. Over the years, parcels of land were sold until 1921, when the 40-hectare farm was sold to a gravel extraction company.
Hard times fell in the 1920s, and what was beneath the surface became more profitable than farming above ground. Wick Farm became known as the Freshwater Pit and four decades of mining pursued, leaving behind a barren and lunar landscape of craters, pits, and mounds. Barges would have been seen leaving the jetty, carrying gravel and sand out to sea and transporting it down to London, until the jetty was hit by a barge one foggy eve, leaving the end section needing to be demolished.
The gravel works finally closed in 1959, and they struggled to find a buyer for this excavated landscape. The Essex Naturalists’ Trust (the former name of Essex Wildlife Trust) was a new charity, who decided to buy the land for £4,000, a huge commitment for the small group of volunteers.
The nature reserve was created in 1961 and the original 50-hectare industrial wasteland has been transformed into an 86-hectare mosaic landscape, brimming with wildlife, and bringing joy to all its visitors.
There is still much evidence of the reserve’s industrial history. Remnants of the jetty remain, which would have seen trucks on a small railway transporting the washed and sorted sand and ballast from the concrete bunkers to waiting barges. The large concrete wall remains, but instead of housing conveyor belts and chutes, it now provides the perfect platform for several species of lichen to grow. Upriver you can also see the wreck of Fly, a ballast barge built in Devon in 1899 to work on the River Colne.
Fingringhoe Wick has a rich past, however it has a much brighter future as the reserve continues to be developed and managed to increase biodiversity. In 2014, thanks to a public appeal, Essex Wildlife Trust was able to buy the surrounding low laying arable land. An innovative project in collaboration with the Environment Agency breached a 300m section of the seawall in 2015. By flooding these low-lying fields, a new intertidal habitat of mudflats, a lagoon and reedbeds has been created, supporting hundreds of species each year. The winding channels now provide a nursery ground for fish, the mud is rich in invertebrates and the sheltered islands provide a stopping point and breeding site for many species of bird. Margaret Hide sits out on the mudflats, allowing you to get panoramic views of life on the marsh.
These habitats are also vital in protecting our coastline from storm surges, and the marsh absorbs and stores carbon faster than a rainforest. Above the mudflats, the fields have been transformed into a wildflower meadow, rich in wildflowers and grasses. Native breeds of sheep are used to graze these meadows in late summer, creating the perfect grassy habitat for small mammals and insects.
In order to assess the success of conservation management, monitoring is a key part of the Trust’s conservation programme. March marks the start of the survey season: breeding and migratory bird surveys will occur monthly between March and June to monitor the numbers of birds visiting and breeding on the reserve. Botanical surveys are undertaken from April to understand what flowering plants are across the different meadows and butterfly transects monitor the abundance and diversity of these winged wonders.
The Trust is also continuing to run the adder population assessment from April, so if you see an adder on your visit to the reserve, please carefully take a photo from a distance of its head and send this to the Trust with a message about its location.
March to May is a good time to see early emerging fungi on the reserve including jelly ear, common inkcap and shaggy inkcap, with scarlet elf cup still being seen until April. The main management tasks in spring after the hard coppice work of winter involves maintaining the access along the pathways and replacing any damaged fencing, steps, gates, and signage.
Spring is all about our nightingales returning. We are privileged to have 1% of the UK’s population on site and work hard to maintain the perfect habitat for them. These amazing songsters return to us from West Africa every year to breed. The male birds sing throughout the day and night from mid-April to late May, all to attract a female by showcasing their incredible melodic song. This year we will be running a mix of late-night open evenings, where you can experience the song for yourself on self-guided or private tours.
March also sees the return of our seasonal Ranger Rambles: join our Ranger for an informal walk around the reserve, looking at the seasonal highlights on offer, or ask the questions that you have always been burning to ask!
For women who would like to increase their birding knowledge we are also holding the ladies birding group ‘Ladybirders’, who meet fortnightly throughout the year. Or if you’d like to get more hands-on, we also run adult courses in green woodworking and bushcraft.
We also offer a wide range of educational sessions to all ages. Our Forest School Nature Tots sessions are for ages 18 months to five years, followed by our Home Education group for ages five upwards. We meet each Friday for a 2-hour session, playing in the woods and following the Forest School ethos.
Schools can arrange a visit where children can learn outdoors about wildlife and the environment, with activities such as pond dipping, orienteering and bug hunting. We also run family events which focus on the seasons through nature-based crafts and activities for all ages. In the holidays, Friday is ‘drop off day’. Children aged five and up can spend the whole day exploring the reserve, learning bushcraft skills, and getting covered in mud!
Details of all of our upcoming events will be available on Essex Wildlife Trust’s website at www.essexwt.org.uk/events, Essex Wildlife Trust Fingringhoe Wick Nature Discovery Park Facebook page or at the centre itself. Pop in to talk to one of our staff members, or call the centre directly on 01206 729678
It doesn’t cost the earth to make a wildlife friendly garden. Indeed, the less money you spend the better for your pocket, wildlife and the planet.
Rather than buying plants grown in peat-based compost and plastic pots, grow them from seed in your own compost and an upcycled container. Take cuttings and dig up and divide plants to propagate more, and if you have too many why not share them with friends and neighbours who might return the favour? It’s a good idea to save seeds rather than buy fresh every spring, but don’t forget how good birds are at farming — if you’ve ever watched a goldfinch feeding on knapweed seed you’ll know that half of it ends up on the ground to grow into next year’s larder. Look out for berrying seedlings such as holly and hawthorn at the base of fences or other spots where birds like to perch, and — with the landowner’s permission — dig them up to grow for free in your garden.
It’s not just gardening that can be done cheaply. Want a log pile? Keep an eye out for neighbours doing tree work and ask if you can have a log or two. Want a new bird box? Find instructions online to make your own. Other ways to help wildlife require no money at all: let grass grow long around the edges, avoid cutting back plants and start a nice open compost pile at the end of the garden. Nature costs nothing, we just have to let her in.
Get more tips for helping nature at home from wildlifetrusts.org/gardening
Kate Bradbury is passionate about wildlifefriendly gardening and the author of Wildlife Gardening for Everyone and Everything in association with The Wildlife Trusts.
Grow annuals from seed
Pollinator-friendly favourites like sunflowers and cosmos are easy — simply sow in pots of peat-free compost and plant out in early summer.
Make new plants from old
Dig up herbaceous plants like nepeta and cranesbills and use an old bread knife to slice the rootball in two, with intact stems. Replant and water well.
Cut 10cm shoots from shrubs like lavender, remove lower leaves and push into pots of moist, gritty compost. Cover with a plastic bag sealed with an elastic band and keep on a bright windowsill for eight weeks.
Make a log pile Neighbours pruning or cutting down a tree? Ask for some logs! Piled up in a corner or beneath a bench they provide an easy, inexpensive habitat.
Let an area of grass grow long, allow leaves to pile up in borders, deadhead and cut back less.
From bird and bat boxes to hedgehog feeding stations and even “toad abodes”, there are plenty of instructions online on how to make your own bespoke wildlife homes.
Home-grown bird food is free: avoid cutting back seedbearing plants like lavender, knapweed, grasses, sunflower and Verbena bonariensis, and watch the birds flock to feed from them.
Birds make great farmers. Keep an eye out for holly and hawthorn seedlings, often found at the base of fences or other ‘perches’. With the landowners permission, dig them up and plant in your garden!
Spring has sprung which means it’s time to dig out your gardening gloves and transform your garden for wildlife. Log shelters are simple to make, adaptable and benefit wildlife all year round. This makes them the perfect first step to a garden bursting with wildlife. Insects, moss and fungi all make themselves at home on log piles and they can even become the perfect cosy hibernaculum for hedgehogs and amphibians over the winter months. Being irresistible to insects, log piles are great foraging sites for birds and small mammals too! Big or small, building a log pile has infinite benefits. Follow our easy guide below to get started.
Gather your materials. You can contact your local nature reserve warden to get some logs. Avoid taking logs from the woods as they may already be a thriving habitat. Don’t forget to utilise what you already have in your garden!
Pack your log pile with leaves, as this will make it more attractive for hibernating animals such as hedgehogs. You can also add soil to encourage the growth of plants.
Decide upon a lightly shaded area for your log pile to sit. If possible, rake slightly into the ground, this will not only support the structure but also hold the temperature during colder months.
Begin constructing your log pile structure by laying the logs horizontally beside one another and building upwards.
If you make your own log shelter, we’d love to see it. Send your pictures to magazine@essexwt.org.uk.
If you have any recycled garden materials, be sure to incorporate these into your log pile. A plant pot packed with leaves will make a great abode for a toad.
Photographers and wildlife lovers across Essex keenly anticipated the return of our photography competition last year - and it was worth the wait!
We were yet again blown away with the tremendous talent and dedication of our county’s photographers, who camped out day and night in all weather conditions to get that once in a lifetime shot. With a record amount of votes submitted, one incredible winner was chosen by the public.
This year’s winner, Stephen Johnson, caught the attention of the public with his shot ‘Barge Wreck Sunrise’ and made it a debut win for the newly announced “Coastal Captures” category.
“Barge Wreck Sunrise is one of my favourite images in my portfolio. It was taken in my home town of Brightlingsea, on the Essex coastline. The photograph was the result of three early morning visits to the same location with the hopes to capture some incredible light… something every landscape photographer wishes for. The first two days were bleak with a low grey cloud cover and there was no hope of the sun making an appearance, these were not inspiring days for photography and I did not take any images at all. However, things were looking different on the third day.
Upon arriving at the location and making my way through a frozen muddy path down to the wrecks I was certain that I would get some good light as there was a slither of sky clear on the horizon. The clouds above were white and grey when I arrived and had some wonderful textures and patterns. I positioned my camera onto the tripod and framed up this composition, now to wait. Thankfully I didn’t have to wait long until the sun rose above the horizon in which the light rapidly painted the sky in a rich purple hue. I certainly did get some good light.”
Our panel of expert judges; Chief Executive, Andrew Impey, professional wildlife photographer, Alfie Bowen, Senior ranger and photographer Andrew Armstrong, Senior Graphic Designer, Lottie Hall and Jamie Watt, Marketing Manager selected the six category winners for the public to vote on.
We would like to give a massive thank you to everyone who submitted their pictures last year. Photography is an incredible way to engage with nature, whilst helping your health and wellbeing. We are already eagerly anticipating the return of the competition later this year but until then, why not grab your camera and see what wildlife you can capture today?
Our “Young Blood” category celebrates the future of our county’s photographers, and this snap of a robin in Rainham Marshes nature reserve shows that Jake Fry has a huge amount of talent! The image of the friendly robin, taken with a Nikon D3500 camera with a Sigma 150- 500mm lens has an incredible amount of detail and boasts a huge personality for such a small bird.
“High Chelmer are delighted to support Essex Wildlife Trust’s Photography Competition and showcase this year’s winners. We hope that this will raise awareness amongst our shoppers to engage with wildlife and inspire them to be at one with nature. We are proud to display these unique visions that have been captured throughout the county and help us to appreciate the wonderful wildlife in our local surroundings.”
Karen Howard, Centre
“Gardener’s World” celebrates the weird and wonderful species you can find hidden away in your garden, and the panel of judges thought Hayden O’Bryan’s snap‘The Garden Spider’ encapsulates exactly that. Just one of the many benefits of helping to support wildlife in your garden is getting to witness the unique species that come to visit!
Name Rocky Robin Photographer Jake Fry Where Rainham Marshes Nature Reserve Name The Garden Spider Photographer Hayden O’Bryan Where Holland-on-SeaName Angel Wings
Photographer Barry Jones
Where Langtons Gardens, Hornchurch
‘Angel Wings’ is a picture that lives up to its very impressive name! “Wildlife Motion Picture” is a category where wildlife loving photographers need to put all of their skills and abilities to use, and Barry Jones certainly did. This split-second capture taken at Langtons Gardens shows a mallard spraying water high into the air whilst stretching its impressive wings.
Name Two’s Company
Photographer Barry Jackson
Where Stow Maries
How better to show off the finest of Essex’s wildlife than with these two beautiful little owls perched together on a post? Barry Jackson’s capture certainly caught the eye of our judges, and saw him win the highly competitive “Wilder Essex” category.
Name Roosting Female Orange Tip Butterfly
Photographer Tanya Ware
Where Fordham
Tanya Ware was delighted to find this female orange tip butterfly landing on an allium in her garden late one afternoon. The next morning, she found that this beautiful butterfly had roosted for the night, so she grabbed her camera and managed to capture the incredible colours on display for the “Captivating Colours” category.
sense of time, and of the seasons. I also like bees, moths, grasshoppers and crickets. I like them all. One advantage of butterflies is there are only 58!
How did you start to learn all the different species of butterflies we have?
I got to know your typical ones quickly. You’ve got red admiral, peacock, cabbage whites and that was about it. People see a colourful butterfly and think ‘that’s a red admiral’. When I started volunteering here, I got a closer look. I was noticing skippers, gatekeepers, meadow browns and small coppers. I started noticing the differences between each species, knowing the common blue from the small blue from the holly blue. Then I started travelling to see them.
Will you find butterflies in a specific habitat, or are they all different?
There are niches for all species, which makes the quest to find them a bit harder. Brown butterflies like bare ground and enjoy basking in the sunshine. Look at this here (he points to the grassland), it’s ideal for brown argus emerging early this year. Great Holland Pits is a good site for butterflies because we have grassland, scrub, woodland edges and ponds. A mixture of habitats means more species can be supported - but it’s hard to please them all!
Out of the 58 species, how many have you seen?
All of them! I completed my quest in 2019. I’ll tell you about the last three. The Isle of Wight is the only place the Glanville fritillary occurs naturally. They like cliffs that crumble. Once I’d seen that one, I visited a friend in Durham and drove to see northern brown argus. That left me with my final butterfly: the mountain ringlet. They love high altitudes and can only be seen in Scotland and the Lake District. They only fly for two weeks per year, so it’s a tight window. Luckily, when I visited, I saw one straight away and my quest was complete.
How did you feel when you completed it?
I didn’t think ‘well that’s that’. During my quest, I’ve been spotting dragonflies and other insects too. Now, I’m going back to things I’ve seen before and taking my volunteers or friends with me. This year, I’d like to re-visit chequered skippers.
Essex has a range of habitats and that makes it great for butterflies. Some species have extended their range, and we now see brown argus, speckled wood and green hairstreak. At Great Holland Pits, we have 30 different species, 28 of which are native to Essex. Last year, we had three elusive purple emperors for the first time! We also have the nationally-rare heath fritillary, which you can see in Belfairs’ woodland, managed by the Trust. If you want to see rare butterflies, visit south Essex. Langdon Nature Discovery Park is a promising site because it has woodland, grassland and wildflower meadows for grizzled skippers and marbled whites.
After chatting away with Bob, we are nearing the end of our walk. It is clear that Bob knows every corner, plant and species on this reserve. He even points out the trees that he planted decades ago, which he proudly explains attract brimstone butterflies now. Bob is now retiring after 52 years with the Trust. But he isn’t hanging up his conservation hat just yet. He says he will continue to give his time to Essex Wildlife Trust’s nature reserves, as a volunteer.
hen it comes to woodland wildflowers, there’s one plant that hogs the headlines – and it’s easy to see why! Bluebells are undeniably beautiful, carpeting the forest floor in a swaying sea of violet-blue petals. They flower around April and can be an indication that you’re standing in an ancient woodland. But they aren’t the only wildflowers that grace our woodlands each spring. You could find the ground coated with wild garlic, scenting the air with that unmistakable aroma, or wood anemones with star-shaped flowers balanced atop long slender stalks. Combine these colourful carpets with the soundtrack of singing birds and you have an idyllic spring scene.
1 Straidkilly, Ulster Wildlife
As well as the usual collection of beautiful spring wildflowers, including bluebells, this secluded woodland is home to some stranger plant life. You could spot three species of parasitic plant: toothwort, bird’s-nest orchid, and yellow bird’s-nest.
Where: Carnlough, BT44 0LQ
2 Hetchell Wood, Yorkshire Wildlife Trust
This tranquil retreat on the edge of Leeds comes alive with wildflowers in spring. There are carpets of bluebells, wood anemones, and wild garlic. Look out for the pink towers of toothwort, a strange parasitic plant.
Where: Near Wetherby, LS14 3AL
3 Roundton Hill, Montgomeryshire Wildlife Trust
Many people visit for the invigorating hike to the hill’s summit and its breathtaking panoramic vistas, but each spring the woodland on Roundton’s lower slopes becomes swathed in glorious spring flowers, from pretty lesser celandine in March to luminous bluebells in May.
Where: Near Churchstoke in Powys, SY15 6EL
4 Launde Woods, Leicestershire & Rutland Wildlife Trust
You’ll find amazing displays of spring wildflowers beneath the ancient trees of Big Wood, on the west of the reserve. There are wood anemones, bluebells, wood-forget-me-not, sweet woodruff, and primroses to name just a few.
Where: Launde, LE7 9XB
5 Shadwell Wood, Essex Wildlife Trust
The oxlip is a precious gem in a treasure trove of wildflowers gracing the floor of this ancient woodland in north-west Essex. Oxlips are only found in a few pockets of woodland in the UK, where their beautiful clusters of yellow flowers can be seen popping up in April.
Where: Saffron Waldon, CB10 2NB
6 Lower Woods, Gloucestershire Wildlife Trust
One of the largest ancient woodlands in the south-west, rich in wildflowers like bluebells, wild garlic, and wood anemones. As well as early purple and greater butterfly orchids, keep an eye out for the understated flowers of herb-Paris.
Where: Near Wickwar, GL9 1BX
We’d love to know how your search went. Please tweet us your best photos! @wildlifetrusts
Spring has sprung, so come out and enjoy a day at one of our Nature Discovery Centres. We have events, activities, gifts, and a fantastic café at each site and it is free to enter our centres. We can’t wait to welcome you through the doors.
Abberton Reservoir
Abberton Reservoir Nature Discovery Park
Church Road, Layer-de-la-Haye, Colchester, CO2 0EU 01206 738172 / abberton@essexwt.org.uk
Spring is an amazing time to visit Abberton. The reserve is starting to wake up, hedgerows and trees are sprouting fresh green leaves, skylarks sing high in the sky setting up territories; nightingales and other migrants will return from Africa and the first flowers will be emerging.
Jo Wray, Site Manager
Bedfords Park Nature Discovery Centre
Broxhill Road, Havering-atte-Bower, RM4 1QH 01708 748646 / bedfords@essexwt.org.uk
Stride into spring with a wander through our wildflower meadows and seek out the vivid bluebells that carpet of woodland. Meet the majestic red deer and after, pop into the centre for hot drinks, tasty treats and a gift shop. There are panoramic views of the London skyline across open fields and it’s a lovely place to relax.
Rebecca Porter, Site ManagerFingringhoe Wick Nature Discovery Park
South Green Road, Fingringhoe, Colchester, CO5 7DN 01206 729678 / fingringhoe@essexwt.org.uk
We are excited to welcome back our nightingales soon. We are fortunate to hold about 1% of the UK population. Special events will be held at the end of April and beginning of May for you to come along and hear this magnificent song for yourself.
Jason Coleman, Assistant Centre ManagerBelfairs Nature Discovery Centre
Eastwood Road North, Leigh-on-Sea, SS9 4LR 01702 477467 / belfairs@essexwt.org.uk
After a wonderful Christmas, we are looking forward to a glorious spring in the woods. We will be running Forest Bathing days, Lizzie’s free wellbeing walks take place every Tuesday and Saturday and there will be even more events soon.
Greg Borgartz, Site ManagerHanningfield Reservoir
Nature Discovery Park
Hawkswood Road, Downham, Billericay, CM11 1WT 01268 711001 / hanningfield@essexwt.org.uk
After the cold winter months, the woodland comes alive, with all types of flowers and fauna reaching upwards towards the canopy. We are waiting in anticipation for our blanket of bluebells. Why not join our Warden Bill, for a guided bluebell walk and talk through the ancient woodland, Saturday 29 April, £8 per person. Call the centre to book on 01268 711001.
Michelle Rayner, Assistant Centre Manager
Hornchurch Country Park, Squadrons Approach, RM12 6TS. 01708 520364 / ingrebourne@essexwt.org.uk
Winter snow and rain flooded the River Ingrebourne, providing valuable space for waterbirds. Springs new growth includes snowdrops, blackthorn and cherry tree blossoms, providing nectar for bees. Join us for a walk and enjoy the vista from our café. Nature Tots and Home Education sessions will run throughout spring, along with seasonal and military events, and our shop is always filled with great gift ideas.
Kate Tyler, Assistant Centre ManagerLower Dunton Road, Basildon, SS16 6EJ 01268 419103 / langdon@essexwt.org.uk
Our beautiful woodland reserve will be in full bloom this spring. Enjoy the bluebell display sweeping through Lincewood or walk through the Community Garden where you’ll find hundreds of daffodils dancing in the sunshine. Our restaurant serves a full English breakfast, delicious Tiptree traybakes and our indulgent iced coffees. Holiday events, free parking and new Peter Rabbit gifts will keep the children entertained throughout the school holidays.
Charlotte Goodman, Site ManagerMucking Wharf Road, Stanford-le-Hope, SS17 0RN 01375 643342 / ttnp@essexwt.org.uk
It’s been a decade since Sir David officially opened Thameside and this May we’ll be celebrating with a busy weekend of activities. Before that, we have a packed schedule of East Holiday events led by Alex, Wilder Learning Officer. Our wildflower meadows are coming to life, skylarks will soon hover and call over the car park and if you’re lucky you’ll spot a basking adder.
Jimmy Allan, Site Manager
Old Hall Lane, Walton-on-the-Naze, CO14 8LE 01255 679379 / naze@essexwt.org.uk
This spring, we’re starting new identification workshops including: waders, warblers, bird song, butterflies and dragonflies. Starting in the classroom then heading out to put the skills you’ve learnt into practice. Our new Ladybirder group meets on the first Monday of each month. Our popular geology, history and ecology walks are held regularly.
Christine Berton, Site ManagerThorndon Park North, Brentwood, CM13 3RZ 01277 232944 / thorndon@essexwt.org.uk
We have enjoyed a busy start to the year and look forward to spring. We have installed a new Big Bad Mouse close to the centre, directing visitors to the Gruffalo trail. We will be holding a Gruffalo day soon, details will be on the Trust’s website.
Thorndon
Angela Allgood, Site ManagerNature’s spring race has begun, and the mad march hares are slowing down for no one. After the long slumber that is winter, birds, amphibians and insects alike are competing to see who can go from egg to adult the fastest. From tadpoles to baby moles, the race is on to grow, feast and strengthen. Each day will bring a variety of lessons for the wide-eyed, bushy-tailed youth now adorning our wild places. They have just mere months before winter returns. Ready, set, go…
Days lengthen and every extra second of daylight is a chance at a new beginning. Anything seems possible as golden daffodils, sweet-scented bluebells and intricate purple orchids burst onto the scene, spilling out from countryside meadows to roadside verges. Fresh spring downpours fill the air with a scent that can’t be beaten. Then as quickly as it arrives, the rain ceases and is swiftly replaced by amber sunshine flooding your face with warmth and tempting out your inner explorer.
Of all the seasons, spring has to win the award for best soundscape. Close your eyes to hear busy bumblebees buzzing from flower to flower, the croak of a frowning frog or, if you’re awake early enough, the marvellous dawn chorus. We’ve put together a checklist of spring sounds for you to tick off over the coming season. So, let’s crank up the sounds of spring and begin!
Or visit our sounds of spring blog: www.essexwt.org.uk/blog
We’ve created a handy checklist to cut out and keep, featuring some of the most inspiring sounds of spring. Challenge your friends and see how many you can tick off the list whilst enjoying the fresh spring breeze. ‘Ear we go!
Chigwell Saturday Forest Fun
• Saturday 4 March
• 1.30pm-3.30pm
• Roding Valley Meadows nature reserve, IG7 6DP Weekend fun in the woodland for the whole family. £7 per child, book online.
Thameside Mother’s Day Woodland Crafts
• Saturday 18 March
• 2pm-3.30pm
• Thameside Nature Discovery Park, SS17 0RN
Join us in the woods to get creative, making gifts using natural materials. Recommended for ages 5 and up, children must be accompanied by an adult. £5 per child, book online.
Barnes Spinney Plant Sale
• Sunday 2 April
• 10.30am-2pm
• Barnes Spinney nature reserve, Hall Lane, Walton-on-the-Naze
Join Tendring Local Group for the longstanding annual plant sale that raises considerable funds for the Trust.
The Big Green Business Expo
• Thursday 20 April
• 9.30am-3pm
• Old Park Meadow Natural Burial Ground, Chelmsford, CM6 3PL
Warley Place Spring Bulb Spectacular
• Weekends from Saturday 25
February until Sunday
2 April, and the Easter Bank Holiday weekend
• 10.30am-4.30pm
• Warley Place nature reserve, CM13 3HU
Enjoy the spectacular sight of thousands of daffodils, crocuses and snowdrops, while volunteers will be on hand to answer questions about Ellen Willmott’s historic garden.
Fingringhoe Spoon Carving course
• Saturday 11 March
• 10am-3pm
• Fingringhoe Wick Nature Discovery Park, CO5 7DN
Spend a day in the woods learning how to carve a wooden spoon. £40 per person, adults only.
Mersea Island beach clean
• Sunday 26 March
• 11am-1pm
• West Mersea Beach, Colchester, CO5 8DE Join Colchester Local Group for a beach clean on Mersea. Wear warm clothing and sensible footwear, bags and gloves will be provided.
Following the success of last years event, we are bringing our second sustainability event with speakers and over 50 exhibitors.
Photography Workshop –‘Know the Basics’
• Saturday 29 April
• 10am-4pm
• Hanningfield Reservoir Nature Discovery Park, Billericay, CM11 1WT
Daniel Bridge is running a oneday workshop designed to help you get the most from your camera. £70 per person, advanced booking essential.
The weather is warming, the flowers are blooming and wildlife is waking up. Join nature’s grand awakening from one of our nature reserves or Nature Discovery Centres this spring – we’ve got an event or activity for everyone.
Nature Tots
Join our weekly parent and toddler group where young children can explore, play and learn through nature, suitable for ages 18 months to 5 years.
Home Education
Our Forest School home education sessions are a series of specialised, play-based, learning activities.
SEND Forest Fun
Our regular forest outdoor learning sessions for SEND children, where they can learn bushcraft skills, enjoy making natural arts and crafts and go for a nature walk.
School holiday events
Throughout the Easter holidays and half term, we are offering a wide range of wildlife-themed events, from family activities to drop-off days, at each of our Nature Discovery Centres.
Birthday parties
Are you looking for an exciting and hassle-free party with a difference? Our Nature Discovery Centres offer wildlifethemed birthday parties for all ages.
Discover many more events, find details and book online through our website, www.essexwt.org.uk/events.
Bumblebee photo: Jon Hawkins - Surrey Hills PhotographyWhat: AGM followed by an illustrated talk at 7.45pm by Stephen Clarkson from the Wild Flower Society, ‘A Whistle-Stop Ride Through our Wild Flowers’.
When: Tuesday 21 March at 7.15pm
Where: St Andrews Church Hall, Halstead, CO9 2LD
Email: Marion May on marionmay144@gmail.com
What: AGM and an opportunity to say hello and hear your views.
When: Thursday 20 April at 7.30pm
Where: Shenfield Parish Hall, 60 Hutton Rd, Shenfield, Brentwood, CM15 8LB
Email: Graham Clegg on g.clegg@btconnect.com –advanced information available on request
What: AGM and an opportunity to say hello and hear your views, with tea and biscuits!
When: Monday 17 April from 8pm to 10pm
Where: St. Michael’s Church Community Room, St. Michael’s Road, Daws Heath, SS7 2UW
Email: Keith Upfold on keith.upfold@blueyonder.co.uk
What: AGM and an opportunity to say hello and hear your views.
When: Saturday 22 April at 10.30am
Where: Hanningfield Reservoir Nature Discovery Centre, Hawkswood Road, Downham, Billericay, CM11 1WT
Email: Sue McClellan on suem@idnet.com
What: AGM plus an outline of achievements over the past year, followed with a talk by Darren Tansley, ‘Water for Wildlife: A Brief Natural History of Our Rivers’.
When: Thursday 20 April at 7.30pm
Where: Shrub End Social Centre, Shrub End Road, Colchester, CO3 4SA
Email: Diane Cattermole on dcatte60@gmail.com
Our AGMs are a great opportunity to meet your Local Group and get involved. Everyone is welcome – especially you! You don’t need to be an expert or a long-term enthusiast. Why not start the year with a pledge to become more involved with your Local Group and inspire others to take meaningful action for wildlife and nature.
Most districts in Essex have a Local Group. This is a community of passionate local people who support the Trust by taking action for nature, running activities and events, and raising money.
What: AGM and a wildlife talk.
When: Monday 13 March at 2pm
Where: Fairkytes Arts Centre, 51 Billet Lane, Hornchurch, RM11 1AX
Phone / email: Joy Emerson on 07759 869910 or joyem.109@gmail.com
What: AGM and an opportunity to discuss the future of the Local Group, with refreshments available.
When: Thursday 27 April at 7.30pm
Where: Belfairs Nature Discovery Centre, Eastwood Road North, SS9 4LR
Email: sandrewtlg@gmail.com
What: AGM plus a talk from the Trust’s Director of Conservation, Dr Jez Dagley.
When: Thursday 23 February from 7.30pm to 9.30pm
Where: The Naze Nature Discovery Centre, Old Hall Lane, Walton-on-the-Naze, CO14 8LE
Email: David Bain on david.r.bain@gmail.com
What: AGM plus an overview of the work of the Local Group on our nature reserves through the last year, and a chance to discuss work for the year ahead.
When: Wednesday 15 March from 7pm to 9pm
Where: Community Link Room, adjacent to Saffron Walden Building Society, Market Street, Saffron Walden, CB10 1HX
Contact: Tony Morton on tonymorton.net@gmail.com
Perhaps the most exciting thing in life is ignorance. That’s because ignorance is an open door: walk through it and learn. And the more you learn the more doors you find, waiting for you to walk through. Until very recently I was shockingly — stupidly — ignorant about plants, considering them just the soft furnishings of the wild world.
But then I realised that, roughly speaking, everything that lives on earth is either a plant or depends on plants. What have plants ever done for us? Well, there’s oxygen, water, food...
We humans are as dependent on plants as the cow in the field or the butterfly flying past her nose. Plants are the only living things that can use the energy of the sun to make food. Plants have shaped human history. So I made a list of the significant plants of human history: wheat, rose, potato, tobacco, cannabis, grass, oak... and soon I realised that there was no escape. I would have to write The History of the World in 100 Plants. So let’s look at two UK plants that made the book.
Edward Stone, an 18th century clergyman, was walking along the river while suffering from ague: probably a rotten, feverish cold. Perhaps his condition had rendered him slightly daft, for he nibbled on a piece of willow bark. He reckoned that, since both willows and fevers are associated with wet places, the one must have been put there to cure the other. And it worked: he got better and wrote a paper to the Royal Society in London.
It worked because willow bark contains salicin. In the 19th century synthetic salicin was developed, and this was adjusted, so that it caused fewer digestive problems. The medicine firm Bayer marketed it — and called it aspirin.
Our second plant is a familiar one. These days the beauty of wild places is obvious to us all, but that wasn’t always the case. In the 18th century, a well-tended garden was regarded as the ultimate form of living beauty: cultivated, civilised and tamed. Outside was just wilderness.
That changed at the beginning of the 19th century, when, and not by coincidence, the Industrial Revolution and the Romantic Movement both began. People began to appreciate the glories of untouched, unspoiled nature. The great emblem of that change was the daffodil, as celebrated in the poem by William Wordsworth:
The modern understanding of nature as something wonderful and fragile dates back to that time. Wordsworth’s daffodils made this understanding vivid for all time. But there are things to learn about almost every species of plant: the poppies that grow on ground disturbed by ploughs or by bombs, orchids that excite human passions, grape and barley that get us drunk... and on and on and on, because without plants we are nothing. We wouldn’t even exist.
Simon explores the stories of more of the plants that shaped us in his latest book, The History of the World in 100 Plants. As humans, we hold the planet in the palms of ours hands. But we couldn’t live for a day without plants. Our past is all about plants, our present is all tied up with plants; and without plants there is no future. From the mighty oak to algae, from cotton to coca, discover a hundred reasons why.
Wild daffodils are a beautiful spring sight. Discover some of our best nature reserves for spotting them: wildlifetrusts.org/wild-daffodils
Simon Barnes is the author of many wild volumes, including the bestselling Bad Birdwatcher trilogy, Rewild Yourself, On The Marsh, and The History of the World in 100 Animals. He is a council member of World Land Trust, trustee of Conservation South Luangwa and patron of Save the Rhino. In 2014, he was awarded the Rothschild Medal for services to conservation. He lives in Norfolk, where he manages several acres for wildlife.
Welcome
Set in the grounds of Abbotts Hall near Colchester, where children can enjoy both freedom and security. Our outdoor nursery is run by early learning experts at Essex Wildlife Trust, the most experienced provider of outdoor education in the county.
Come along and experience a morning at our outdoor Nature Nursery. Take a look at our upcoming open days and book a spot:
year of exciting marine sightings included a species completely new to science. Pseudumbellula scotiae is a deep-sea coral that was discovered 240 miles off Scotland’s west coast, at depths of up to 2,000m in the Rockall Trough. There were also several species spotted in UK waters for the first time, with Cornwall Wildlife Trust volunteers discovering the first official record of a sea slug named Babakina anadoni Another sea slug found in Cornwall, Corambe testudinaria, was also new for the country, whilst Manx Wildlife Trust recorded the first ever swordfish off the Isle of Man.
Whales and dolphins delighted people from Scotland to Scilly, with sightings of pilot, fin, minke, and humpback whales showing how populations are recovering following bans on commercial whaling. Two new orca calves were spotted off Shetland in January, whilst volunteers recorded over 80 sightings of minke whales off the Yorkshire coast in a single morning in August. Monitoring by Yorkshire Wildlife Trust also suggests that bottlenose dolphins are now present off Yorkshire year-round.
In more distressing news, seabird colonies around the UK were devastated by our worst ever outbreak of avian flu,
caused by intensive poultry farming. Tens of thousands of seabirds were killed by the disease, including terns, gulls, gannets, and skuas. Research shows that as much as 13% of the UK population of great skuas — 8% of the global population — have died.
Unfortunately, avian flu was just one of the issues putting pressure on our sensitive sea life. There were multiple reports of people disturbing marine animals, from jet skiers ploughing through colonies of seabirds to beachgoers distressing seals by getting too close. Pollution continued to be a major problem, with several oil spills including 500 barrels leaked from a cracked pipe off North Wales. A study of dead Manx shearwaters on Skomer island found the majority had eaten plastic, with adults feeding pieces to chicks. Scientists fear that 99% of seabirds may have plastics in their stomachs by 2050.
However, it wasn’t all doom and gloom for our seas, as Wildlife Trusts embarked on many projects to restore coastal habitats. These wild places often have a vital role to play in sequestering and storing carbon, as well as sheltering wildlife. Several Wildlife Trusts started projects to plant seagrass meadows, which can absorb and store carbon up to
35 times faster than tropical rainforests. Essex Wildlife Trust created a toolkit for restoring saltmarsh, another key habitat, to inspire and guide similar projects around the UK.
The UK will become the first nation to produce a complete map of its blue carbon stores. The Blue Carbon Mapping project — led by the Scottish Association for Marine Science (SAMS) in collaboration with The Wildlife Trusts, WWF and RSPB — has begun the task and will publish results this summer.
Wildlife Trusts also helped empower young people and local communities to save our seas. Projects ranged from art students cleaning beaches with Durham Wildlife Trust, to Cheshire Wildlife Trust training teachers to deliver lessons on wildlife in the Dee Estuary.
Discover more about these and other stories in our full 2022 marine review: wildlifetrusts.org/marine-review-2022
To help us understand how much nature matters to you, The Wildlife Trusts are launching The Great Big Nature Survey this spring. We want to hear your views on some of the most important issues affecting nature and wildlife, and your relationship with the natural world. How often do you get out into nature? Should people try to control nature to better protect it? How important are green spaces to you? What roles should people, business, and government have in looking after nature? Should local communities be at the centre of nature conservation on their doorstep?
Whatever your views on nature, however important (or not) it is to you, make your voice heard by taking The Great Big Nature survey today. With respondents from a variety of backgrounds and with many different
experiences in and views of nature and wild places, The Great Big Nature Survey will reveal what people in the UK and islands really think about nature and how we, as a society, should protect it. Results will also help The Wildlife Trusts to hold governments to account over environmental policies and priorities. After you’ve completed the survey, why not share it with your friends and family?
Take the survey at wildlifetrusts.org/ great-big-nature-survey or scan the QR code
Ragged robin has declined due to habitat loss
The Wildlife Trusts are co-sponsoring production of the Botanical Society of Britain and Ireland (BSBI) Plant Atlas 2020, which is published this March. The Atlas is based on more than 30 million records collected by thousands of botanists between 2000 and 2019, providing
an unrivaled picture of the changing distribution and fortunes of plants in Britain and Ireland. This knowledge is likely to provide evidence to help us protect nature across the UK.
Find out more bsbi.org/atlas-2020
The Northumberland Hen Harrier Protection Partnership, of which Northumberland Wildlife Trust is a member, announced a bumper breeding year for hen harriers in the county. Last year the partnership monitored nine nests, seven of which were successful — fledging a total of 26 chicks. This is eight more than in 2021 and brings the total since 2015 to 106 fledged birds. wtru.st/26-harriers
Derbyshire Wildlife Trust has been awarded a £100,000 Discovery Grant by Natural England to protect and restore the county’s peatlands. Peatland is a vital habitat, not just for wildlife but also for storing carbon. The grant will allow the Wildlife Trust to identify mechanisms to restore the region’s peatlands, so they can absorb and lock away carbon.
wtru.st/Derby-peat-grant
Kent Wildlife Trust has welcomed a male bison into the herd at West Blean and Thornden Wood. The bull’s arrival was delayed by post Brexit complications, but he has now joined the three females that were released in July, and the calf born in September. The bison have 50 hectares to roam as part of the Wilder Blean Project, a joint wilding initiative. wtru.st/bison-bull
Grassland officer Claire Cornish explores the diversity of grasslands.
Claire Cornish has spent three happy decades surveying, assessing and restoring swards from Suffolk to Penrith, Ulster to Derbyshire. When she’s not restoring meadows, she’s celebrating them in her stained glass artwork.
Anyone who’s ever gardened will know that, left to its own devices, grass gets everywhere. Leave any area for longer than a fortnight and the fine green shoots will emerge, challenging our attempts at neat borders, vegetable beds and gravel. The same is true beyond our gardens. Grass is a supreme survivor. It can grow in most soils: wet, dry, salty, sandy, or even poisonous. As a result, natural grassland can be found almost anywhere — from the coast to the highest mountain tops. You might think that two fields of grass are much the same, but there’s an amazing variety in the types of grassland you can find. The UK has around 160 species of grass, growing in different combinations, alongside different wildflowers, to produce a range of grassland habitats. A coastal grazing marsh is very different to a chalk grassland or an upland hay meadow.
Some of our richest grasslands can contain dozens of different species of grass and flower in just one square metre. The main factors that shape the species found on a grassland are whether it’s in the uplands or lowlands, and the type of soil it grows on. There are calcareous grasslands on shallow, base-rich soils like those over chalk and limestone; acidic grasslands on sands, gravels, and siliceous rocks; and neutral grasslands on clay and loam soils.
Grasslands and people have a long history, with traditional farming practices like hay cutting and livestock grazing shaping meadows as we know them. The richest grasslands have developed under this sort of management over rocks such as limestone or chalk. They can be found from Scotland down to The Lizard in Cornwall, Northern Ireland across to the Lincolnshire Wolds.
The rich variety of plants is ideal for insects, so healthy grasslands are often buzzing with life. Flowers attract pollinators like bees, beetles and butterflies, offering protein-packed pollen and sugary nectar. Indeed, grasslands are some of our best places to see butterflies and moths, whose caterpillars chomp on the juicy stems and leaves of grasses and other plants. Some species are particularly picky about their grassland, such as the mountain ringlet, found only on montane slopes in the Scottish Highlands and the Lake District.
The abundant insects in turn attract hungry birds and small mammals, like voles. Strong-billed birds such as sparrows, goldfinches and, in some places, twite also feast on the seeds of plants and grasses. The tussocky structure of meadows provides the perfect nesting cover for birds, including skylarks, yellow wagtails, and larger birds too. Redshanks, lapwings, and especially curlews use the tall herbage to hide their nests.
It’s a complicated story underground, where the roots of many species grow deep into the soil to find nutrients, using fungi on their root hairs to draw these up into the plant. These are swapped in turn for the sugary products of photosynthesis from the plant’s leaves. This kind of relationship is common in low fertility habitats, but is much rarer for grasslands that have had lots of fertiliser applied, and hardly present at all under arable crops. Some old, unploughed and unfertilised grasslands can be home to spectacular displays of colourful waxcaps — tiny, glistening umbrellas of orange, red, green, or pink.
most grasslands need the influence of grazing animals. In the UK this comes from a variety of herbivores — rabbits and hares, geese, deer, and more often domesticated goats, sheep, cattle, and horses or ponies.
Grazing can be a by-product of farming for meat and milk, or it can be done purely with wildflower and habitat conservation in mind — sometimes, with the right animals, it can be both. While most grazing will help prevent grasslands developing into scrub, the seasonal timing of grazing and the density of animals play a part in determining the end result. The choice of animal is important too, as different species and breeds have different food preferences and feeding styles. Overgrazing can be very bad for grasslands, preventing flowers from growing and damaging the soil.
Wildlife Trusts across the UK undertake conservation grazing to preserve precious meadows and other vital habitats, using livestock to replicate more traditional farming methods, or the herds of large herbivores that would once have shaped the landscape. This is also a key component of rewilding initiatives, which seek to reinstate natural processes. Allowing animals to roam over a large area and browse or graze at will generally reduces grazing pressure. This intermittent grazing, or light grazing over a period of time, can allow a mosaic of scrub, trees and grassland to develop, providing a wider variety of habitats for wildlife.
The grass is greener on the wild side
Left alone, grassland is generally a temporary habitat. Over time it develops into longer grass with brambles or bracken, then scrub, and eventually woodland. These are all important habitats in their own right, but support different species to wildflower-rich grasslands. To stay grassy and open,
Grasslands have a big role to play in battling the climate crisis. They have a huge potential for locking up carbon, thanks not only to the diversity of plants but also their relationship with the fungi in the soil. The UK’s grasslands hold two billion tonnes of carbon in their soils, but this carbon can be easily released by human activities. From 1990-2006, 14 million tonnes of CO2 was released as grassland was converted to arable farmland. It’s vital that our grasslands are managed sensitively to lock in carbon and keep it in the soil. Having healthy fungal networks in the soil also reduces the need for fertilisers, which are often
Grass is a supreme survivor. It can grow in most soils
produced using carbon-emitting manufacturing processes. Deep rooted scrub, trees and grassland are better at combatting field run off triggered by the high intensity rainfall we are all experiencing in our climate emergency. Bare ground left over winter in arable systems has a loose surface that can be swept away into our rivers and seas, carrying with it high levels of nutrients that throw nature off balance.
The state of grasslands across the UK is in flux. The loss of the basic payment scheme for farmers, dramatic changes in weather patterns and the rising cost of fertiliser and fuel are creating pressure on the livestock industry. Some are opting for smaller animals and lower input systems, some for more ploughing and reseeding, while estates may opt for rewilding options.
The Wildlife Trusts are helping to safeguard and enhance our native grasslands. We are working to restore meadows, both on our nature reserves and with farmers and landowners, as well as introducing wildflowers and pollinator friendly habitat into school grounds and urban areas, and providing inspiration and advice for anyone wanting to change the grasslands in their local area.
Grasslands are so ubiquitous, we often take them for granted. Nearly any grassland, if given the chance, can offer much to the smaller creatures that live near us: the birds, mice and voles, the butterflies, moths, spiders, beetles and flies, not forgetting the tiny soil fauna and fungi that help power the whole system. Even a private garden can make a difference to local wildlife, so let some of your grass grow longer and leave wildflowers to flourish. Try ‘No Mow May’ in 2023, then sit down for a few minutes and watch your own tiny Eden.
Get tips for making the most of your green space at wildaboutgardens.org.uk
Here are just three of the types of grassland you can find in the UK.
Occasionally flooded grassland, crisscrossed with ditches of fresh or brackish water, and seasonally grazed by livestock. Perfect for breeding waders and wintering wildfowl.
See it for yourself at: Howlands Marsh, Essex Wildlife Trust
Thin, low nutrient soil over chalk rocks promotes a huge diversity of plants. Regular grazing keeps the grass short. Famed for its orchids and butterflies.
See it for yourself at: Coombe Bissett Down, Wiltshire Wildlife Trust
Found in sub-montane climates, where nonintensive hay production creates dense grasses and herbs.
See it for yourself at: Bowber Head Farm, Cumbria Wildlife Trust
...when our exciting Fisher’s estuarine moth conservation programme was just beginning to take flight.
• Census for Marine Life of over 80 nations was released.
• A 7.0 magnitude earthquake devastated Haiti
• Chilean miners rescued after 69 days trapped underground.
• The UK creates 15 new protected areas for marine life, where fishing, dredging and wind turbines are banned/restricted.
• The world witnessed history’s biggest marine oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico, Deepwater Horizon.
As one of the rarest moths in the UK, this coastal-loving winged minibeast has been under threat for many years. Over a decade ago, Essex Wildlife Trust embarked on a mission to help conserve this local species. Read on to hear Mark Iley, now Head of Landscape and Rivers Recovery, introduce the project in 2010:
The Fisher’s estuarine moth is extremely rare with Essex holding almost the whole UK population and its only food source is sea hog’s fennel, itself a rare plant. The Fisher’s estuarine moth is found on a few sites in the county, one of them being Skipper’s Island, an Essex Wildlife Trust nature reserve. Following five years of planning and monitoring of the host plants, the eggs of Fisher’s estuarine moth have now been introduced at Abbotts Hall Farm. Eggs were taken from Skipper’s Island last year under licence and have been kept by Colchester Zoo in cages to protect them from predators and parasites. In preparation for the moths being introduced at Abbotts Hall Farm, sea hog’s fennel was planted five years ago with seed from Skipper’s Island, which is a stronghold for both these species. This is a step forward in the conservation of the Fisher’s estuarine moth and the introduction of the eggs is a real achievement in the protection of this rare species. The plants will be monitored over the summer for signs that the caterpillars are feeding within the stems and roots of the plants and additional eggs will be introduced in future years.
In 2020, our surveys revealed 54% of sea hog fennel had signs of Fisher’s estuarine moth feeding on them, suggesting our population is doing well. Since then, we have been securing further habitat on higher ground for our moths, away from any risk of flooding.
How is your general knowledge on wildlife and the wild places of our country? Test yourself with our nature crossword.
A mole can dig a tunnel at a rate of up to 15 feet per hour. On the move they need to eat 70-100% of their body weight in worms and insects each day.
5 Which of Essex Wildlife Trust’s Nature Discovery Centres sits atop what used to be a landfill site? (9)
6 Despite having mouse in the name, which small mammal is not actually a mouse? (8)
7 This small beach-nesting bird has a yellow beak with a black tip on the end and yellow legs. (6,4)
10 Which large reservoir in Essex was once used by the ‘Dambusters’ for practice? (8)
11 What is the name for a male badger? (4)
12 A weasel’s tail is short and stubby, what species looks similar but has a long bushy tail? (5)
1 Which black berry is traditionally harvested after the first frosts? (4)
2 The southern ____ ant is the largest species of ant in the UK. (4)
3 The name for a young fox. (3)
4 What is the common name for a large cranefly that regularly frequents homes in the summer. (5,8)
8 This bird of prey has a distinctive fork-shaped tail. (3,4)
9 In which month does spring officially start? (5)
The answers will be revealed in our summer 2023 edition of WILD
A gentle purr
Turtle doves were given their common name due to the sound of its call, not because of an association with turtles.
In the 19th century, British horticulturists tried to establish a poppy crop in the UK, but it was quickly eaten by hares.
CL POCKET NATURE IN YOUR POCKET SEE THE UNSEEN
BY APPOINTMENT TO HER MAJESTY QUEEN ELIZABETH II SWAROVSKI OPTIK SUPPLIER OF BINOCULARS