Wild Life - Spring 2020

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Wild Life Hampshire & Isle of Wight Wildlife Trust

Spring 2020

MISSING SPECIES

Why bringing back our missing species is essential for a wilder future

barton meadows in bloom

Discover a wildflower wonderland on the outskirts of bustling Winchester

Nature’s sopranos The best spring reserves for hearing our finest avian songsters

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For most of my working life, the biggest challenge has been getting those with influence to really understand how vital our natural environment is.

Nature conservation has long been seen as a fringe concern, and regarded as the antithesis of economic growth and progress.

Not anymore. Finally, the world is waking up to the fact that this planet provides everything we need and more, but is in real danger of being damaged beyond repair. Not only is the urgency of the situation dawning on the public and policy makers, but so is the realisation that nature itself holds the answers to many of the environmental challenges we face today.

In the last issue of Wild Life we talked about nature-based solutions and the vital role our natural habitats play in the fight against climate breakdown. This idea is now firmly on the political agenda, with the government and industry starting to recognise that investing in nature makes economic sense.

In Hampshire and on the Island we are now working with local authorities and government agencies to deliver a simple natural solution to the problem of nutrient overload in the Solent.

By rewilding and restoring the most polluting farmland we can reduce the amount of nitrates reaching the sea. This will secure huge benefits for wildlife, and ensure that housing development happens in a way that gives more to nature than it takes away.

We have also been working hard to acquire land for wildlife and put nature back on the map, and our missing species programme will help us rebuild healthier, more intact ecosystems in the coming years. We have been buoyed by the sheer volume of people stepping forward to join Team Wilder, and it’s exciting to see the creative ways in which communities are bringing wildlife back into their neighbourhoods.

I’m proud that the Trust’s Wilder strategy is playing a leading role locally, ensuring that nature’s recovery is right at the top of the agenda. Thank you as ever for all that you do.

tom marshall

Welcome

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Na me or scan of signature Debbie Tann Chief Executive Follow me on twitter @Debbie_Tann

Hampshire & Isle of Wight Wildlife Trust Cover photograph: Konrad Wothe/naturepl.com

Wild Life is the membership magazine for Hampshire & Isle of Wight Wildlife Trust Email feedback@hiwwt.org.uk Telephone 01489 774400 Address Beechcroft House, Vicarage Lane, Curdridge, Hampshire SO32 2DP Registered charity number 201081 Company limited by guarantee and registered in England and Wales No. 676313 Website www.hiwwt.org.uk

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Wild Life | Spring 2020

Get in touch

Hampshire & Isle of Wight Wildlife Trust is the leading nature conservation charity in the two counties. With your support, we strive to create a wilder future for our local area and make nature part of life, for everyone. l We manage over 50 nature reserves. l We are supported by 25,000 members and 1,500 volunteers.

We are part of a UK-wide network of 46 Wildlife Trusts; together we are the nation’s most active and influential nature conservation partnership protecting wildlife in every part of the UK.

Editor Alice Ashcroft, 01489 774400 Designer Corinne Welch Hampshire & Isle of Wight Wildlife Trust is registered with the UK Fundraising Regulator. We aim to meet the highest standards in the way we fundraise.You can change your contact preferences at any time by contacting Hampshire & Isle of Wight Wildlife Trust via email: membership@hiwwt.org.uk, telephone: 01489 774400, or write to us at: Beechcroft House, Vicarage Lane, Curdridge, Hampshire SO32 2DP. For more information on our privacy policy visit www.hiwwt.org.uk/privacy-notice

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Contents

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4 Your wild spring

Seasonal wildlife and the best places to experience it

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Barton Meadows in bloom Discover Barton Meadows nature reserve, a wildflower wonderland on the outskirts of Winchester

laura mellor

chris gomershall/2020 vision

10 Wild news

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All the latest news from Hampshire & Isle of Wight Wildlife Trust

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Focus on: Great Solent Seafood Our campaign for sustainable seafood

16 Gardening for moths and butterflies

How you can make your garden a haven for butterflies and moths

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Bringing back our missing species Bringing back our missing species for a wilder future

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Team Wilder Inspiring local people who are taking action for wildlife

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Six places to hear birdsong The best places to hear birdsong in our two counties

26 Putting nature back on the map Creating a joined up network for nature

28 To tree, or not to tree

Planting the right tree in the right place

30 My wild life jim higham

How Wildlife Watch has changed Claire Percival’s life for the better

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Wild thoughts Melissa Harrison tells us about her connection with the natural world

6 ways to get involved with your local Wildlife Trust Volunteer Could you donate your skills and time to look after wildlife? Visit our website to find exciting opportunities near you.

Donate to an appeal

From purchasing land to protecting species, exciting projects near you need your support.

Campaigning You can play a vital role in raising awareness and lobbying on local and national issues.

Local groups

Join one of our network of local groups and help make a difference to nature where you live.

Events

Join us for a walk, talk or activity near you. Our events are organised by knowledgeable and enthusiastic staff and local groups.

Leave a legacy

If you’ve had a lifetime’s pleasure from nature, help ensure its future by leaving us a gift in your Will.

For more information visit www.hiwwt.org.uk/get-involved

Wild Life | Spring 2020

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Your wild spring The best of the season’s wildlife and where to enjoy it

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Wild Life | Spring 2020

T h a n k y ou

Thanks to your su pport, we are able to cre ate and maintain habitats for great crested grebes an d many other wetland spec ies hiwwt.org.uk

spring SPECTACLE

Love is in the air Breeding season has arrived, and great crested grebes are gearing up for their annual water ballet – one of the most spectacular and dramatic displays in the wildlife calendar. With their colourful neck plumes spread wide, the dance partners mirror each other’s every move as they execute a varied routine of neck twists, bowing and stretching. The ritual culminates in the famous ‘penguin dance’. The pair rush together, paddling their feet frantically to rise upright from the water, standing chest to chest while flicking water weed at each other.

SEE THEM THIS spring Blashford Lakes Nature Reserve Make yourself comfortable in Ivy South Hide and look for great crested grebes performing on Ivy Lake.

Testwood Lakes Nature Reserve Take a seat in one of the two hides overlooking Meadow Lake and keep your eyes peeled for grebes and other wetland birds.

Fishlake Meadows Nature Reserve Visit this spectacular wetland and look for great crested grebes gliding through the lake.

andrew parkinson/2020 vision

When the weed is dropped, the deal is clinched.

Wild Life | Spring 2020

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Your wild spring

A familiar seashore inhabitant, the common starfish truly lives up to its name! It is widespread in the UK, and can be found in shallow rockpools as well as deep waters out to sea.

Occasionally you may see lots of common starfish washed up on the shore, particularly after a storm. While mass strandings may look dramatic, there is no need to panic. Starfish in shallow waters are susceptible to cold temperatures, and can become dislodged by waves and currents during stormy weather. Fortunately, this has little impact on this rapidly reproducing species.

caroline meech

Search for starfish on the shore

Common starfish

urban fieldcraft

david kilbey

Frogspawn

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Wild Life | Spring 2020

The steady appearance of frogspawn in our ponds and streams is a sure sign that spring has arrived. These gelatinous clumps contain thousands of eggs, but there is no such thing as too much frogspawn. Only a handful of the eggs will survive to adulthood, but the transition of those that make it is fascinating to observe.

Keep an eye on frogspawn you find and you might be lucky enough to catch snippets of the journey from egg to tadpole, to froglet to frog.

how to find frogspawn † Search for still water.

Frogspawn can be found in bodies of still water such as ponds, ditches and some slow-moving streams. † Frog or toad? You can tell the difference between frog and toad spawn by looking at the shape.

Frogspawn is laid in clumps, whereas toadspawn is laid in long strings.

Look for swallows building nests of mud and straw on ledges or under the eaves of houses.

DO THIS

deryn Hawkins

SEE THIS

Look for basking reptiles on sandy heaths, woodland ridges and compost heaps.

species spotlight

Spring flora

Top tips

The emergence of wildflowers heralds the onset of spring, and their colourful blooms bring immeasurable joy year after year.

Wild daffodil Wild daffodil is smaller and much more understated than its brash, cultivated cousins. See if you can spot it at Pamber Forest in Basingstoke, where it grows to the south west of the nature reserve.

3 species to spot

Ox-eye daisies Often growing in swathes along roadsides, the ox-eye daisy is just as at home in traditional hay meadows.

ross hoddinott/2020 vision

From the velvety bluebell that carpets our woodlands to the ox-eye daisy that springs up on grassy verges, each spring wildflower is a miniature celebration of the sunny days ahead.

The beauty of spring wildflowers is that you have a chance of seeing them wherever you are. Cow parsley is a common roadside stunner which will grow just about anywhere, and daisy, forgetme-not and dandelion have all been known to grow through cracks in concrete.

seasonal plants waiting to greet you. At St Catherine’s Hill nature reserve in Winchester, cowslip will brighten your walk with its eggyolk yellow nodding blooms, and common bird’s-foot-trefoil adds to the culinary theme with its nickname ‘bacon and eggs’ – this relates to the yellow colour of the flowers and their reddish buds.

Venture into a wildflower meadow and you’ll find the upturned faces of a great many

To find out more please visit our website hiwwt.org.uk

Cowslip A fragrant, bell-shaped flower with wrinkled, hairy leaves. See it at Broughton Down nature reserve in the Test Valley. guy edwardes/2020 VISION

Wander into a woodland and you will see a different set of wildflowers rearing their heads. Alongside the hordes of delicate, nodding snowdrop, thousands of yellow hazel catkins are ripening in the early spring sunshine. Each catkin consists of hundreds of tiny flowers, all of which are male. They produce copious amounts of powdery pollen which is picked up by the wind and (hopefully) carried to female hazel flowers. Hazel catkins are in full bloom at Martins Wood on the Isle of Wight and at Roydon Woods in Lymington.

John Dalrymple

chris gomershall/2020 vision

Toothwort A pretty but parasitic perennial that grows on the base of woody shrubs, especially hazel. See it at Eaglehead & Bloodstone Copse nature reserve on the Isle of Wight.

Wild Life | Spring 2020

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Barton Meadows in bloom

From unexpected explosions of deep red poppies to thousands of dazzling daisies, Barton Meadows is full of surprises.

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Wild Life | Spring 2020

From there a transformation was set in motion – and it all started with some new fencing and a selection of seeds.

We installed a fence around the perimeter of the site and planted a variety of wildflowers on the meadows including red clover, black medic, ox-eye daisy, harebell, birdsfoot trefoil, cowslip, small scabious and selfheal to name but a few.

No one could have predicted the beautiful deep red poppies that sprang

ellie green

martin de retuerto

B

arton Meadows nature reserve is a stone’s throw from the bustling city of Winchester, but this special place casts a spell that makes it seem worlds away. Instead of pavements there are poppies; the whirring growl of traffic is replaced with the hum of a thousand invertebrates, and ancient architecture gives way to much smaller monuments of nature’s own design.

Right now the first of the wildflowers are starting to rear their heads, and by mid-May the meadow will be in full bloom. We believe that ox-eye daisies will take centre stage this year, but Barton Meadows is full of surprises.

We first acquired the reserve in 2017 to provide habitat for wildlife displaced by the Barton Farm housing development.

nature reserve spotlight

T h a n k y ou

Visit Barton Meadows Nature Reserve

The next phase in the meadows’ transformation was the introduction of grazing animals. In September last year 41 sheep were put on the land following the hay cut in July as part of a conservation technique called ‘aftermath grazing’. Allowing livestock to graze prevents excess nutrients building up in the soil, which stops aggressive plants out-competing more delicate species.

At Barton Meadows, we hope to see plants such as meadow buttercup and common knapweed benefit from the grazing regime. Take the perimeter walk around the reserve between May and June, and you’ll be treated to a fabulous view of the wildflowers basking in the sunshine – a quintessential springtime scene.

While you’re there, look out for linnet, yellowhammer and house sparrow flitting about in the hedges. Three benches placed strategically around the reserve provide comfortable vantage points from which you can admire the rolling landscape and colourful scenery, and if you look out onto the meadow from the eastern side of the reserve, you may see skylark defending their territory with their unique and spectacular song-flight. During the song-flight, the bird will rise rapidly upwards with quick wing-beats, hovering for several seconds before plummeting down to earth. It is a remarkable spectacle, especially against a backdrop of wildflowers.

You may also notice the education area. With the help of our dedicated volunteers we converted a patch of rough grassland on the outskirts of the eastern meadow into an education space for local children. Thanks to your support, this formerly barren patch of land is buzzing with activity and life. n

Know before you go Location: Courtney Road, Winchester, Hampshire SO23 7ER OS Map Reference: SU482313 How to get there: The nearest train station is Winchester. From there, walk to City Road bus stop, and board the Spring bus service to Stoke Road. Walk north on Worthy Road towards Stoke Road, turn left onto Stoke Road then right onto Courtney Road.

Group visits: If you work or volunteer at a school or children’s group and want to plan a visit to Barton Meadows, please contact Susan Simmonds at Susan.Simmonds@hiwwt.org.uk top WILDLIFE TO SPOT Basking reptiles: Keep your eyes peeled for reptiles basking in the sunshine on warm days. Common lizards have been spotted to the north east of the reserve, and we’ve also found the shed skin of slow worms. These are very promising signs that reptiles are thriving at Barton Meadows.

bob painton

up the next spring, creating a striking blanket of scarlet across the meadows.

This was a surprise to everyone – we had not planted poppies and were amazed at the number of seeds that must have been lying dormant beneath the earth, waiting for an opportunity to show their colours. Their sudden resurgence was a very encouraging sign that our efforts to enhance the meadows for wildlife were paying off.

In 2019, ox-eye daisies stole the show.

The scarlet blooms from the year before were usurped by thousands of bright white flowers, each with a rich, butter-yellow centre. Other wildflowers such as meadow buttercup and birdsfoot trefoil added to the vibrant display, and invertebrates revelled in the abundance of pollen.

now you do it

ellie green

ellie green

Thanks to your support, we will ke ep Barton Meadows blooming for year s to come

Slow worm

THINGS TO DO Tawny and barn owls often hunt at Barton Meadows. Visit at dusk and see if you can spot one flying overhead.

Look out for house sparrows fluttering about the hedges as they gather food and make nests.

Wild Life | Spring 2020

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wild news

After an incredible response from the local community, we exceeded our fundraising target for the purchase of Parsonage Farm and Hill Heath

ian pratt

All the latest news from Hampshire & Isle of Wight Wildlife Trust

£247,172

A new nature reserve: Newchurch Moors We are delighted to announce that we have purchased Parsonage Farm and Hill Heath on the Isle of Wight, having exceeded our fundraising target of £245,000. The acquisition of these sites, which are perfectly situated next to Martin’s Wood nature reserve, have allowed us to create our largest reserve on the Isle of Wight.

We combined Parsonage Farm and Hill Heath with Martin’s Wood to create Newchurch Moors. The new name encompasses the nearest village and the historic term ‘moor’, a word from the Middle Ages meaning ‘rough grazing marsh subject to flooding’.

Newchurch Moors is a rich mosaic of habitats that supports a range of important wetland species like water vole and kingfisher, as well as barn owl, snipe, woodcock, red squirrel and dormouse.

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Wild Life | Spring 2020

Debbie Tann, CEO of Hampshire & Isle of Wight Wildlife Trust, said: “What a way to end 2019 and what fabulous news for wildlife on the Island! We have such incredible plans for wildlife here, and we are already undertaking a feasibility study for the introduction of beavers.”

A number of local businesses supported the appeal, including Southern Co-op.

Gemma Lacey, Director of Sustainability & Communications for Southern Co-op, said: “Work like this is vital in helping to protect our precious green spaces for our communities and generations to come.

We all need to play our part, which is why this campaign has been incredibly special as every donation has made a difference.

A special thanks to everyone who contributed and to the Trust for making it happen.”

The creation of this magnificent nature reserve was only possible through the generosity of our members and local supporters, as well as a gift in the Will of Island resident Gwendolen Bunce. Thank you to everyone who donated – we couldn’t have done it without you.

in a nutshell ■ Last October we launched an ambitious appeal to purchase two wildlife-rich pieces of land on the Isle of Wight.

■ Thanks to the generosity of everyone who donated, we were able to create our largest nature reserve on the Island – Newchurch Moors.

■ We have exciting plans for our new nature reserve, and a feasibility study for a beaver introduction is underway.

News

Together

we’re stronger Here are some of the ways that people across our two counties have been helping to protect local wildlife

DP WORLD

1,175

New Seabin for Southampton Last December we installed a Seabin in Ocean Village Marina, Southampton.

The award-winning piece of technology is located in the North East corner of the marina, where prevailing winds cause the most litter to accumulate.

The Seabin sits in the water, attached to a pontoon, and moves up and down with the tide. By drawing in water from the surface and passing it through a fine mesh bag, the Seabin catches floating litter such as plastic bottles and microplastics as small as 2mm in diameter. A single Seabin can

collect up to 1.4 tons of litter each year, but costs as little as 80p a day to run.

This Seabin represents a collaboration between several local organisations as part of our project Secrets of the Solent.

The project is supported by the National Lottery Heritage Fund, and will see a network of Seabins installed across the area. This one is funded by DP World Southampton and maintained

by MDL Marinas, who operate Ocean Village Marina. We have assessed the suitability of the site and will be installing an information board explaining the technology.

The number of people who donated to help us secure Parsonage Farm and Hill Heath

150

The number of people who have joined Team Wilder so far and pledged to help us deliver our plan for a wilder future

Thank

you!

288

Nick Loader, Scott Farquharson and Tim Ferrero with the Seabin at Ocean Village Marina

The number of landowners advised by the Trust in 2019 to help them manage their land for wildlife

822 DP WORLD

The number of events we organised in 2019 to bring people closer to nature

Wild Life | Spring 2020

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wild news

Visit our website to find out more about ash dieback and how we are managing it on our reserves: hiwwt.org.uk/ash-dieback

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Wild Life | Spring 2020

Riverbank restoration at St Clair’s Meadow

tony wootton

Ash dieback, a fast-spreading disease of ash trees that is affecting woodlands across the UK, has adversely impacted a number of our nature reserves. We have surveyed our estate and identified areas where affected trees can be left, but in some cases they need to be felled for public safety.

We understand that many infected trees will still be occupied by wildlife, so before felling takes place we will carry out ecological surveys to check for protected species. Once we have established which, if any, species are present, we will plan accordingly and do all we can to avoid impacting on wildlife.

caroline meech

mark hamblin/202vision

Managing Ash Dieback

Hatcher Animal Welfare Trust recently donated £5,000 towards riverbank restoration work at St Clair’s Meadow nature reserve, where we have exciting plans to create additional spawning grounds for freshwater fish such as brown trout, bullhead and brook lamprey. We also plan to install new fencing to prevent bankside erosion; this will benefit vulnerable species like water vole. The funds from Hatcher Animal Welfare Trust will help us deliver these vital improvements, and we would like to thank the Trust for its generous donation.

News

Deacon Hill

LOCAL highlights

Discover how Hampshire & Isle of Wight Wildlife Trust is working for you

Winchester is home to some of our most popular and beautiful nature reserves, and now we have an unmissable opportunity to add another: Deacon Hill.

Deacon Hill is the only remaining stronghold for the Duke of Burgundy butterfly in the Winchester area, and it is vital that this special site is expertly managed and protected. It is perfectly placed alongside other sites that the Trust currently manages for wildlife, including St Catherine’s Hill nature reserve and Hockley Meadows Farm.

Together, these sites create a joined up network for nature, and Deacon Hill is a significant piece in the jigsaw.

With careful management and a new grazing regime, we will see the site reach its full potential and help wildlife flourish. A generous gift in the Will of

graham hoggarth

– a new nature reserve for Winchester?

Duke of Burgundy butterfly Heather Monie and Shirley Bull got us off to a great start, but we hope to raise a total of £150,000 before the end of March. The funds will be used to buy the site and carry out essential management work.

With your support we can purchase this land and create a wilder Winchester for people and wildlife to enjoy.

Our first Team Wilder workshop Back in January we hosted our first Team Wilder Workshop, and people from across the county attended to learn how to start their own community wildlife projects.

Attendees were given practical advice on organising wildlife-themed activities, and our inspiring guest speakers shared how they are already making wild things happen where they live. If you would like to find out how you can be involved, get in touch via our online form: hiwwt.org.uk/wilder-actions-form

Otter sighting in Winchester

Please help if you can

To make your donation, visit hiwwt.org.uk/deaconhill or call 01489 774408

In 2013 we started managing a small patch of wetland near Winchester, and it was an exciting milestone when an otter was caught on camera there last November. Otters were completely absent from waterways in central and southern England at the end of the 1970s, but after huge efforts to restore their habitats and improve water quality, their numbers are on the rise.

This recent sighting is an encouraging sign that otters are benefitting from our management of the site.

ron pilbeam

Young Marine Champions celebration

A change of scenery at St Catherine’s Hill Visitors to St Catherine’s Hill nature reserve may notice that the northern slope has undergone some changes.

Formerly dominated by trees and scrub, this part of the reserve has been restored to open grassland, with small thickets and mature trees on the boundary.

Many of the trees felled were infected with ash dieback, and these changes will benefit a number of species including chalk hill blue butterfly and green woodpecker. We would like to thank to South Downs National Park Authority for funding this essential work.

To celebrate the achievements of our Young Marine Champions student volunteers who are running marine-focussed activities in their schools – we hosted a special event at Castle View Academy in December 2019. With inspiring guest speakers and eco-friendly crafts, it was a great opportunity to hear from these passionate young people.

Wild Life | Spring 2020

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News in brief

lianne de mello

Did you know?

We support schools and groups with nature-based activities and advice. Whether you’re looking for staff training, help creating space for wildlife on your grounds or some outdoor education, we can help!

Visit our website to find out more: hiwwt.org.uk/schools-groups

Recreation ReMEDIES Natural England has announced a new £2.5m project to help restore fragile marine habitats. The Recreation ReMEDIES project will protect seagrass meadows, a critically endangered habitat which can be easily damaged and slow to recover. Seagrass is threatened by anchoring, mooring and the launching of recreational boats, as well as trampling from walkers and bait collectors.

The project will provide environmentally friendly moorings, voluntary codes,

targeted training and habitat restoration in five areas across southern England, including the Solent. We are currently working with hundreds of local people and organisations through our National Lottery Heritage Fund supported marine project, Secrets of the Solent, encouraging them to help look after our seas. We look forward to expanding on this activity through the Recreation ReMEDIES project.

Weave-a-Fish The Solent is a special place with a huge array of amazing wildlife, and our project Secrets of the Solent is on a mission to raise awareness about it. One of the ways we’re doing this is through art, and we’re seeking local textiles gurus to join us. Simply choose a local species that inspires you, create it in your favourite fabric medium, and post it to us! To get involved, please contact Emily Stroud: Emily.Stroud@hiwwt.org.uk

julie hatcher

New leader for the Wildlife Trusts

New legislation for wildlife In a whirlwind of post-election energy, the government has introduced several major updates to UK law after the EU withdrawal. The new Agriculture Bill has repackaged agricultural subsidies so they will now be given in return for ‘public goods’, which include farmers using more nature-friendly practices. The new system is designed to keep UK farming profitable whilst supporting nature’s recovery. We believe this Bill will have a positive impact for wildlife but could be improved further, so we are pushing local MPs to vote for amendments like enforcing high environmental standards for food imports.

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Wild Life | Spring 2020

The newly drafted Environment and Fisheries Bills are replacements for EU environmental protections. This new legislation has set ambitious targets for air quality, pesticide use, nature recovery, sustainable fishing and more, and the government plans to introduce a new watchdog to ensure these targets are met. However, the Environment Bill is weaker than the EU regulations in a number of important areas, so the Wildlife Trusts are pressing for improvements.

Visit our website for more detail and look out for future updates: hiwwt.org.uk/news

The Wildlife Trusts are delighted to welcome Craig Bennett as their new Chief Executive Officer. Craig joins The Wildlife Trusts from Friends of the Earth, where he was Chief Executive. In a conservation career spanning over 20 years, Craig has led a movement to end peat cutting on important moorlands and helped secure better wildlife legislation through The Countryside and Rights of Way Act 2000. Craig will fulfil his existing commitments as Chief Executive of Friends of the Earth and join The Wildlife Trusts in April this year.

The secrets of the Solent revealed…

As part of our project Secrets of the Solent, we’re creating a short film about the wonders of our waters. We have a huge diversity of fascinating species and important habitats, but many remain a mystery even to local communities. Due to be shown in coastal locations like the Big Screen in Portsmouth, the film will raise awareness about the amazing wildlife in the Solent and highlight ways that we can all help protect it.

do your bit

toby roxburgh/2020 vision

Focus on...

Great Solent Seafood

Healthy, delicious, and versatile – it’s no wonder that seafood is a favourite food for many people.

Eating fish and shellfish can be a great way to broaden your culinary horizons and better connect with our seas, as long as you do it in a sustainable way.

As on land, the quality and availability of seafood is tied to the health of the environment, and fishing can have a significant impact on our waters. Several different factors combine to determine how large that impact is, from the time and location, to the target species, to the equipment used.

Unfortunately demand for local species is low in the UK – over half of what we catch is sent abroad while around 80% of what we eat is imported. What’s more, the markets we export to often place

less emphasis on sustainability. This all means that suppliers in our region have fewer opportunities to support lowimpact fishing.

To tackle this, we are partnering with Hampshire Fare to champion local seafood from wave to plate. Our new joint campaign, Great Solent Seafood, aims to help us all enjoy fantastic food while reducing its impact on our waters.

With their expertise in local produce, Hampshire Fare are an ideal partner for addressing this complex issue.

Sustainability for our seas

The health of seafood species and their habitats is affected by lots of different factors, and ‘sustainability’ can be hard to define.

While no seafood is currently 100% sustainable, some choices are much better than others. Our recommended species will reflect changes in our fisheries and environment, and will always consider the following factors.

l Where they are caught – eating local seafood produces fewer carbon emissions and makes it easier to know its environmental standards. l How they are caught – some fishing methods are less disruptive to marine habitats and have a lower chance of catching unwanted species. l How stable their populations are – if species populations are monitored then fishing practices can be adjusted to allow their numbers to recover. l How well-managed their fisheries are – the regulations on a fishery, and how well they are enforced, can greatly reduce its environmental impact.

Great Solent Seafood is part of our National Lottery Heritage Fund-supported project Secrets of the Solent

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Gardening for

moths and butterflies

Grow nectar-rich flowers

By day and by night, gardens large and small can provide a haven for Britain’s beleaguered butterflies and moths. Kate Bradbury suggests nine ways to support all the stages of their life cycles

Make sure something is in flower from March through to November, starting with primroses, bluebells and forget-me-not in spring, then alliums, lavender and scabious in late summer, and late-flowering Verbena bonariensis, sedums and rudbeckias in autumn.

Plant some climbers Bare fences and walls are a wasted opportunity to help butterflies. Cover them with plants and provide nectar-rich flowers and shelter for species, such as brimstones, to hibernate. If you grow hops, comma butterflies may lay their eggs on its leaves.

Provide caterpillar foodplants Add a window box If you don’t have a garden or your space is small, grow nectar-rich flowers in pots, window boxes or hanging baskets. Choose low-growing primrose and lavender for pots, and nasturtiums for baskets.

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Magazine 2020 Magazine Name Name || Spring Summer 2019

Butterflies need the right plants to lay eggs in your garden. Grow cuckooflower for caterpillars of the orangetip butterfly, nettles for peacocks, small tortoiseshells and red admirals, and holly and ivy for the holly blue.

illustration: hannah bailey, photo: Sarah Cuttle

gardening for wildlife Butterflies and moths have suffered huge declines in recent years. This is largely due to habitat loss, but agricultural pesticides and climate change have made life even more challenging for many species. Happily, there’s plenty we can do to help them on our own patch, no matter its size. The UK’s gardens take up more space than all of its nature reserves put together, so if we all gardened with butterflies and moths in mind, we could help slow, or even reverse, some of these declines.

We tend to feel more fondly about butterflies than moths, which can be viewed with ambivalence as they fly at night and a few species eat our clothes.

But not all moths fly at night – the six-spot burnet and hummingbird hawkmoth can be spotted during the day – and many of them are just as beautiful as their day-flying cousins. Only about five of our 2,500 species eat clothes and moth caterpillars are an important source of food for nesting birds,

Avoid cutting down plants in autumn Some butterflies, such as orange-tips, overwinter as chrysalises, which makes them vulnerable to tidying.

Leave plants intact over winter and clear them in spring instead. Always check for chrysalises just in case!

hedgehogs and amphibians. So by gardening for moths, we can also help other wildlife.

As adults, most butterflies and moths drink nectar, but their caterpillars eat leaves and other plant material. To make them truly welcome in our gardens, we need to support all stages of their life cycle by growing nectar-rich flowers for the adults and foodplants for the caterpillars. We also need to accommodate the stage in between caterpillar and adult – the chrysalis (butterfly) or cocoon (moth).

Many species spend the winter in this vulnerable stage so leave a little patch to grow a bit wild for them. Making space for butterflies and moths to feed, breed and hibernate in our gardens will make all the difference to these struggling pollinators.

Kate Bradbury is passionate about wildlife-friendly gardening and the author of Wildlife Gardening for Everyone and Everything in association with The Wildlife Trusts.

Discover more ways to welcome moths and butterflies into your garden on our website: wildlifetrusts.org/butterflygarden

Grow night-scented plants Plant a mixed native hedge If you have space, plant a native tree or two. Many moths lay their eggs on the leaves of willow, dog rose, birch and hawthorn. Grow a climber, such as honeysuckle, through the hedge to make it even more moth-friendly.

Plant groups of common jasmine, evening primrose, honeysuckle and night-scented stock together, so that moths can find them more easily.

Leave some weeds Many moths lay their eggs on the leaves of nettles, brambles, dock and dandelions. Even leaving weeds at the back of borders, where you can’t see them, will make a difference.

Don’t be too tidy While some moths breed in long grass, many caterpillars and pupae spend winter hibernating in grass or among leaf litter and other plant debris. Leave things where they are in autumn and winter, and tidy up in spring instead.

Magazine

Wild Name Life ||Summer Spring 2020 2019

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Bringing back our missing species We have seen otter, water vole and the rare marsh fritillary butterfly brought back from the brink – but what’s next for our missing species?

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he next decade is critical for wildlife. Decisions and actions taken in the next 10 years will affect the next thousand years, and by 2030 we must see nature recovering and wildlife returning – if we delay, the damage will be irreversible.

We have ambitious plans for nature’s recovery in our two counties, and bringing back missing species is an integral part of our vision.

Missing species are animals and plants that were once present in our natural environment, but have been driven to local (or, indeed, national) extinction.

Every species has a role to play in the complex jigsaw of our natural world, and if we don’t reverse this trend of decline our ecosystems will eventually collapse.

This is why we are working hard to bring back missing species, and we are proud to have a strong track record of success. Through leading and supporting local reintroduction projects, we have seen otter, marsh fritillary butterfly and water vole return to their former haunts. Looking to the future, we are excited to be exploring the feasibility of a number of new reintroduction projects.

Otters inbound Pushed to the brink by hunting, habitat destruction and pesticides, the otter became virtually extinct in the south east at the end of the 1970s. But after huge efforts to improve the condition of our wetlands and address negative misconceptions about the species, the future is looking much brighter.

In the early 1990s the Trust worked in partnership with the Environment Agency on an otter reintroduction and river restoration programme on the River Itchen. This was controversial at

the time and met with some hostility, but perseverance and the unwavering support of committed local landowners saw the otter returned to Hampshire’s waterways.

Since then, we have continued working with the Environment Agency to engage local landowners and river managers, offering advice and widespread support for river restoration projects. We have created space for otter on a landscape scale, and this elusive animal has now recolonised most river catchments in Hampshire.

Of course, the otter is not the only animal under pressure, and we have been privileged to help save other species from local extinction.

A milestone for marsh fritillaries The marsh fritillary is one of our most beautiful butterflies and was once widespread in wet meadows across Britain. However, like many pollinators, it suffered from years of habitat loss and degradation, and the last marsh fritillary butterfly disappeared from north Hampshire’s meadows in the mid-1990s.

In an effort to revive it, we entered into an exciting partnership with Butterfly Conservation to return the marsh fritillary to a place where it once thrived.

In 2012, a captive breeding and release programme was launched.

Four years of planning and feasibility studies later, 300 marsh fritillary caterpillars were collected from several strongholds in Devon under license from Natural England.

These caterpillars were then transferred to experienced local breeders who nurtured them as they grew, pupated, emerged as butterflies and laid eggs. Between April 2018 and March 2019, over 27,000 marsh fritillary larvae were released onto a Trust-managed complex of wet meadows. The butterflies now breed and fly there – something we have not seen in north Hampshire for over two decades.

This was made possible by the support of our members and those of Butterfly Conservation, as well as the Farnborough Airport Community Environmental Fund, the Ministry of Defence and the John Spedan Lewis Foundation.

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Ross Hoddinott/2020VISION

lianne de mello

russ valentine

bringing back our missing species

tom marshall

A wilder future

The return of water voles

nick upton/cornwall wildlife trust

We have had similar success with the water vole, an animal that now swims in abundance in parts of Hampshire from which it was once entirely absent.

The water vole was prolific in Hampshire until the arrival of American mink in the 1950s. Predation by these invasive carnivores, combined with habitat loss, resulted in the water vole becoming Britain’s fastest declining wild mammal. One of the last remaining strongholds was Winnall Moors nature reserve, but water vole disappeared from many parts of Hampshire where it was once common. So in 2009 a

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reintroduction project was launched to bring this charismatic rodent back to our local waterways.

The Meon Valley water vole reintroduction project, led by the South Downs national Park Authority, saw 2,548 water voles released into the river. Among the release sites were two Trust nature reserves: St Clair’s Meadow near Soberton and Upper Titchfield Haven near Fareham. We manage these sites carefully to encourage water vole to thrive, and it is a joy to hear the distinctive ‘plop’ as one hops into the water – a sound that we can now call familiar.

We have exciting plans to facilitate the return of other missing species and it has been hugely encouraging to see the recent success of the sea eagle reintroduction on the Isle of Wight. The sight of these majestic birds soaring over their island home has captured the imaginations of so many, and we hope to follow this achievement with a very different animal; one that can change the shape of entire ecosystems.

Ecosystem engineers With its distinctive flat tail, webbed feet and hefty frame, the beaver is as recognisable as it is resourceful. Beavers are often referred to as ‘ecosystem engineers’ because of the way they make changes to their habitats. By creating ponds and coppicing trees and shrubs, they improve water retention within their wetland homes. This creates diverse environments that can benefit a host of other species, including otters, water shrews, water voles, birds, invertebrates (especially dragonflies) and fish.

In Britain, the beaver was hunted to extinction in the 16th century for its fur, meat and scent glands. The loss of this extraordinary mammal led to the steady degradation of the rivers, lakes, meres and mires that it built, and the Wildlife

austin morley

bringing back our missing species

Trusts are working to bring the beaver back to Britain.

We are encouraged that beaver reintroductions elsewhere have proved successful, and have commissioned a feasibility study for Newchurch Moors nature reserve on the Isle of Wight. The study will be delivered by Exeter University and Derek Gow Consultancy, and the outcome will tell us whether the habitat is suitable for beavers. We hope to have the results by autumn, so keep an eye on our website for updates.

Previous studies have identified the Isle of Wight as a suitable reintroduction site, and we have started work to build on these findings. It appears that the Island is still an ideal location, provided that we can work with local farmers to secure more wintering habitat.

With their support, we believe that cirl bunting can thrive here, and eventually colonise Hampshire too.

In creating habitat for cirl bunting, we will also provide much needed space for other farmland birds like yellowhammer, as well as invertebrates like grasshoppers and crickets. We hope that the cirl bunting’s arrival may be a catalyst for the widespread recovery of wildlife on the Island as we move forward with our vision for a wilder Wight. n

Elsewhere on the Island, we are looking into the feasibility of reintroducing cirl bunting. This small, finch-like bird was once widespread across much of southern England, so much so that it was known as the ‘village bunting’, but due to habitat loss it is now only found in south Devon.

With concerted effort from Devon’s farmers over the last three decades and two successful reintroductions (including one in Cornwall), cirl bunting

steve waterhouse

Cirl buntings bouncing back

pairs have increased from fewer than 150 to more than 1,000 in the south west. But a second population must be established if it is to colonise other counties.

Visit our website to find out about other species we have pulled back from the brink, like the white clawed crayfish and sword leaved helleborine, and keep up to date with future reintroduction plans: hiwwt.org/missing-species

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Team

Welcome to our new Team Wilder page – a place where we share stories about local people taking action for wildlife.

We love hearing from our members, so if you’re helping wildlife where you live, we want to know about it! Email us at Wilder@hiwwt.org.uk or post to Magazine Editor, Hampshire & Isle of Wight Wildlife Trust, Vicarage Lane, Curdridge, Hampshire SO32 2DP.

Janet from the Test Valley

Wilder Wallops Last October I went to Hampshire & Isle of Wight Wildlife Trust’s Annual General Meeting and learned about their new Wilder Strategy – WOW! It completely captured my imagination. I could see my village being part of Team Wilder with its own Wilder Wallops group.

Two landowners have asked us to help them transform their paddocks into wildflower meadows, and we are now a working group for the Village Neighbourhood Plan. A number of people have stepped forward to train as Wilder Champions, particularly for our school and gardens. There is a real buzz in the village now that we have begun and there is so much energy and enthusiasm to get our projects off the ground.

janet herring

Initially I rallied a team of 12 like-minded people, which has since grown into 42 households. The offers of help and support from local people have been humbling, and Wilder Wallops already has some exciting projects lined up.

Janette from the Isle of Wight

My Mini Meadow Last year I decided to give up mowing the lawn. I stopped mowing at

the end of May, and by the end of June I had a lovely mini meadow where my sterile lawn used to be!

janette stroud

I was so excited when I started counting the species of flowers and grasses, not to mention insects. I don’t have enough knowledge to identify everything, so I invited a local expert to come and help. We found 34 plant species (including the rare knotted hedge parsley), and lots of different pollinators.

In the middle of October I cut the lawn back, and am now letting it grow once again.

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My meadow has brought a new dimension into my life, and I hope this might persuade others to try their own experiments. If the neighbours don’t understand, don’t worry; the wildlife would thank you if it could.

team wilder

Netty from Hayling Island susanne hasselmann

Wildflower Island

The Wildflower Island project aims to help protect and

enhance the natural beauty of Hayling Island, building on the amazing biodiversity we are so lucky to have on our doorstep. The team properly formed in July last year, and met up with a number of other community conservation projects in the borough, to get some ideas of what we could do.

With financial support from the Hayling Lions, and agreement from Hampshire County Council, in October we were able to plant over 2,500 bulbs, and sow wildflower seed in the copse outside the Mill Rythe schools.

In February the first drifts of snowdrops and crocus made an appearance, providing sustenance for over-wintering bees.

In spring, as the leaf canopy unfolds, we will have clusters of bluebells and wood anemones, and as we move into summer, there should be a lovely display of native wild flowers for islanders, visitors and our wildlife to enjoy.

Gemma from the Test Valley

A Greener Future for our Villages

It started with some like-minded locals gathered

around a kitchen table and now, after a packed out inaugural event in October 2019, a number of villages in the Test Valley are taking action to secure the future of our communities.

janet te shepherd

Our group, ‘A Greener Future for Our Villages’, will be running a series of events, as well as working to create opportunities to recycle more plastics, share food, and re‐wild gardens.

We hope that this will reduce the Test Valley villagers’ impact on the environment, and also encourage neighbours to meet people that they wouldn’t normally speak to.

Finding ways to work together is vital if we are to adapt to the environmental threats we are currently facing, and leave a sustainable legacy for our children and our children’s children.

In the words of Sir David Attenborough: ‘What we do in the next few years will determine the next few thousand years.’

Laura from Portsmouth

Portsmouth’s first Wild Street

Francis Avenue is a residential street in Southsea, a densely populated area

where there is very little green space. So we, the residents of Francis Avenue, decided to grow Portsmouth’s first Wild Street. The idea behind it is to help nature recover in our gardens and forecourts. Individually these areas are small, but together they are a valuable resource for wildlife.

Among other things, we have installed a bin shelter in our paved forecourt with plants on the roof to attract pollinators, and the Trinity Methodist Church has added a bug hotel and planters to their grounds. We have also taken part in a training day provided by the Trust, where we networked with other project organisers to share ideas and experience.

laura mellor

Looking to the future, we hope to develop partnerships with the wider community, including local schools. This will take time, but we are delighted to have started taking positive action that will benefit our wildlife, our street, and our city.

Wild Life | Spring 2020

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6 places to hear birdsong

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pring is a time of change. For our feathered friends, thoughts turn from survival to more amorous pursuits. As birds across the UK search for a mate, the landscape fills with song, the chorus growing as summer visitors arrive from farther south. Almost any garden, park or nature reserve can offer a seasonal symphony, perhaps with the warble of backcap or the melodic voice of the blackbird. This spring, why not seek out the captivating sounds of the song thrush, the cascading chorus of a willow warbler or the distinctive churring of a nightjar.

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Wild Magazine Life Name | Spring | Summer 2020 2019

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5

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See the spectacle

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for yourself

1 Pamber Forest Nature Reserve Listen for the songs of spring migrants including garden warbler and blackcap, and delight in the wealth of wildflowers.

Where: Tadley, RG26 3EQ 2 Winnall Moors Nature Reserve Reed warbler, sedge warbler and chiffchaff sing at full volume. If you’re lucky, you may hear the high pitched cheeping of a kingfisher.

Where: Winchester, SO23 8DX 3 Martin’s Wood Nature Reserve Visit at daybreak and hear a cacophony of birdsong.

Song thrush, blackbird, chiffchaff and chaffinch all make their voices heard at this Island nature reserve.

Where: Newchurch, PO36 0NL 4 Swanwick Lakes Nature Reserve Swanwick Lakes is awash with warblers. Chiffchaff, whitethroat, willow warbler and blackcap can all be heard singing merrily during the spring.

Where: Swanwick, SO31 7AY 5 Roydon Woods Nature Reserve Hear great spotted woodpecker drumming out the rhythm of the season while blackbirds sing melodiously.

Where: Brockenhurst, SO42 7UF 6 Bouldnor Forest Nature Reserve Visit at dusk to hear the male nightjar’s distinctive ‘ churring’ call as he displays to females by wingclapping and flying around.

Where: Yarmouth, PO41 0AB

Reed warbler © Chris Gomersall/2020VISION

Thank you

Martin’s Wood and Roydon Woods were both gifted by people who wanted to see their land managed for wildlife. Upper Inhams Copse (part of Pamber Forest) was purchased using a gift in the Will of Gwen Talmey, and donations from Trust supporters allowed us to buy Winnall Moors. Thanks to the kindness and continued support of members like you, birds will sing at these nature reserves for years to come.

Magazine Wild Name Life | |Summer Spring 2020 2019

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hanks to supporters like you, over the past three years we have been able to expand our estate by 75 hectares (185 acres).

Hockley Meadows Farm, St Clair’s Meadow and Newchurch Moors were all purchased as a result of our last three land purchase appeals, and these special places are a testament to the generosity of local people. With your help we will continue to build a joined-up network for nature across our two counties.

Hockley Meadows Farm

lianne de mello

In the spring of 2017, thanks to kind donations from local people and a gift left to us in the Will of Winchester resident Miss Patricia James, we were able to buy Hockley Meadows Farm.

Nestled in the heart of the Itchen Valley, this site has become an integral part of our conservation efforts and benefits wildlife right across Hampshire.

Hockley Meadows Farm is a hub for our conservation grazing animals, and

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we manage it sensitively to ensure that both livestock and wildlife have the space they need to thrive. We are expecting between 60 and 70 lambs to be born in April this year, and when they are old enough they will leave the farm to graze our downland nature reserves. Allowing livestock to graze the land prevents excess nutrients building up in the soil, which stops aggressive plants out-competing more delicate species.

At the farm itself, our cattle attract flies, beetles and other invertebrates, which encourage swallows and bats.

When we need to worm our cattle, we do so with a product that does not persist in the dung, turning each cowpat into a microcosm of life for all the creatures that depend on manure.

The margins around the fields and ditches are left uncut, and during the spring they are occupied by a huge number of damselflies and other invertebrates. Last summer black

Hampshire Isle of2020 Wight Wild Life | Spring 2020 Wild Life | &Spring

Hockley Meadows Farm River Itchen

Hockley Water Meadows headed gull foraged over the farm, and kingfisher are regularly seen hunting in the River Itchen, which runs down the western edge. True to their name, barn owl have been spotted around the barn – although we haven’t seen any signs of nesting in the barn owl box, we remain hopeful that it will be occupied one day.

ian pratt

Putting nature back on the map

putting nature back on the map

St Clair’s Meadow Nature Reserve

This wildflower meadow in the Meon Valley hosts a rich variety of species, and when the site became available to buy in 2017 we launched a fundraising appeal within the local community to purchase the land. The response was staggering, and thanks to the generosity

of local residents and a grant from Biffa Award, the meadow is now flourishing.

Much of our initial work at St Clair’s focused on establishing a grazing regime on the site. By sensitively managing the floodplain with help from our grazing animals, we hope to restore the meadows to their former diversity and see wildflowers growing in greater abundance.

In the summer months, clouds of beautiful demoiselle and golden ring dragonfly flit through the air while migratory swift and swallow feed on the rich insect life the meadow supports. Otter and water vole have also been spotted, and we are monitoring these species closely to establish their numbers.

We will soon be working with the Environment Agency to explore the

possibility of realigning and restoring the short, straight section of river back to its naturally meandering course. This would provide additional chalk stream habitats and spawning grounds for freshwater fish such as brown trout, bullhead and brook lamprey.

St Clair’s Meadow

River Meon

Newchurch Moors Nature Reserve The stretch of river running through Parsonage Farm could become a real stronghold for water vole and other wetland wildlife once restored to its natural state, and introducing beavers may help us achieve this. Elsewhere, these ‘river engineers’ are breathing life back into degraded floodplains, and they could do the same on the Island.

A feasibility study is underway to see if a beaver reintroduction will be possible.

We are also conducting surveys to find out what species are present on the site. We have red squirrel, dormouse,

r r Ya Rive

ian pratt

Thanks to an overwhelming number of contributions from our supporters, a kind gift in the Will of Isle of Wight resident Gwendolen Bunce, and additional funding from Southern Co-op, we were thrilled to end 2019 with the purchase of Parsonage Farm and Hill Heath on the Isle of Wight. These two sites now form part of our newest nature reserve, Newchurch Moors.

Newchurch Moors is a rich tapestry of habitats, from ancient woodland and river to grazed pasture and marshland. These diverse patches of land are adjacent to Martin’s Wood, and in purchasing the sites we created our largest reserve on the Island, totalling 124 acres.

With an abundance of insects and invertebrates rising from the marshes to feed small birds and mammals, this reserve is an excellent hunting ground for top predators such as buzzard and barn owl.

Newchurch Moors

Martin’s Wood

kingfisher and many others, but we are sure there is more to discover. Once we have better familiarised ourselves with the landscape, we will build a practical plan to help this special reserve reach its full potential.

plans for the future

We have ambitious plans to expand our estate and create more space for nature over the coming years, and hope to acquire more sites that we can devote to nature’s recovery. With your support we have achieved a great deal, but there is so much more we can do.

Together, we will put nature back on the map. Find out more about our vision for a wilder future for Hampshire and the Isle of Wight: hiwwt.org.uk/wilder-hampshire-wight

Wild Life | Spring 2020

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To tree or not to tree?

That is the question… as a rule, the answer is generally ‘to tree’. But be sure to do your homework before your plans take root.

Trees are magical things. They enhance human well-being, provide food and shelter for wildlife, and absorb the harmful carbon emissions that are driving climate change.

Planting trees is becoming increasingly popular as a simple way to help tackle the climate crisis, and there’s no doubt that we need more. The UK is one of the most tree impoverished nations in the western world, and it is vital that we take action. Your garden could be the perfect spot for a new tree, but there are a few things to consider before heading to the garden centre.

amy lewis

The right place

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Wild Life | Spring 2020

As a starting point, take a look around your neighbourhood and see what trees are present – this will give you an idea of the species that might do well. Then take a closer look at your patch, starting with the soil.

The easiest way to find out what kind of soil you have is to get a handful of it, roll it around in your hand and see

Your garden could be the perfect spot for a new tree what it feels like. If it is gritty and you can feel sand, you have sandy soil – ideal for a pale and pretty silver birch.

In contrast, clay soil is much smoother, becomes sticky when wet and will smear easily over your hand – perfect for hawthorn, crab apple and our favourite festive evergreen, holly.

Soil density and drainage must also be considered. Willow, alder and oak trees thrive in wet, heavy soils, whereas birch, beech and lime do much better in dryer environments. For detailed information on different soil types, visit at the Royal Horticultural Society’s website, where there is plenty of advice available.

Take a look at the infrastructure surrounding your tree, particularly in cluttered urban areas. Will a large tree with spreading roots damage

niall benvie/2020 vision

The best start If your tree arrives with no pot or soil, store it upright in a sheltered spot where it won’t be affected by wind and frost. Make sure the roots are hydrated and be sure to plant it within a few days. If the tree is in a container, ensure it is kept wellwatered and plant at your leisure.

underground pipes, or cast shade over someone else’s property? If you are unsure, always get professional advice.

Once you know what type of soil you have and how much space there is to work with, you can work out what species of tree will do best on your plot.

The right tree As a rule of thumb, always choose native species. For millions of years our native trees and animals have been evolving together, adapting to the qualities that make each species unique. This long history of co-evolution means that many wild animals have adapted to withstand native trees’ defences and benefit from their resources. The difference between native and non-native trees in terms of their value for wildlife is stark: the nonnative horse chestnut introduced from the Balkans supports a grand total of four species, whereas our indigenous oak can host up to 284.

Native species are always the better option, but some are more prone to

disease than others and should be avoided – ash trees, for example, are highly susceptible to ash dieback.

Instead, choose species which are showing resistance to disease and climate change like oak, field maple, hornbeam and beech.

Planting trees from UK stock also helps stem the spread of infectious diseases. Before buying your tree, always ask if it was grown in the UK. If it wasn’t, consider going elsewhere.

It is worth considering whether your tree should be softwood or hardwood. For the most part, hardwood is preferable – the slower growth and longer lifespan of hardwood trees provides long-lasting and better habitat for most animals.

Fruit trees are particularly valuable as they are a great source of food for invertebrates, wild birds and mammals.

Bird cherry trees are lovely to have in the garden with their glorious flowering spikes, pretty bark and golden yellow autumn leaves. n

vision

Trees planted in a square pit tend to do better than those in a round pit, as the square shape makes it easier for the roots to break into the soil. To give your tree the best chance of establishing, keep it well-watered for the first two years.

peter cairns/2020

jim higham

Next, check your planting area. If it is overgrown, cut the grass short and remove any weeds – this will reduce competition for water, helping your sapling settle and thrive. If you are planting more than one tree, place them more than two metres apart with bigger gaps if the tree is likely to grow large in maturity.

Ask an expert n When selecting your tree, ask for advice if you are unsure which species is best suited to your patch.

Most garden centres will have a member of staff able to advise you, and there is also information available online. Visit our website to find out more: hiwwt.org.uk/ actions/how-plant-tree n If you don’t have a garden but would like to help look after trees in your local area, visit our website to find volunteering opportunities near you: hiwwt.org.uk/ volunteering-opportunities n For information and advice on managing woodlands and other special habitats, contact us on Feedback@hiwwt.org.uk

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my wild life

Claire Percival Claire first joined Wildlife Watch, the Trust’s wildlife club for children and their families, when she was two years old. Being part of the group had a huge impact on Claire’s life and now, aged 34, she is a volunteer Wildlife Watch leader.

I first attended Wildlife Watch in 1987 when I was two years old. I was there with my older brothers who were the official Wildlife Watch age, but as I didn’t want to miss out my mum stayed so that I could join in. From then on, my mum became a volunteer leader and eventually took on the group.

Wildlife Watch was always a highlight of each month. Over the years, various friends joined me at the group and I made lots of friends there too. One of the standout moments for me was clearing out a pond. We were allowed to go right in and were soon in over our wellies. One child felt something wriggling in her boot and, on further investigation, discovered it was a stickleback!

Another moment I will never forget is when we had a float at the Titchfield Carnival. We turned the entire float into an oak tree and all dressed as animals that you would find living there. By the time we got to the evening procession a storm had started and half the float blew away! We continued until the end of the procession, looking like some very bedraggled woodland creatures!

Wildlife Watch inspired me to try new things, take risks and challenge myself, as well as teaching me about the beauty and opportunities that the everyday outside world has to offer. It has shaped the person I am today and helped me build confidence, analytical skills and the ability to communicate and socialise with a wide variety of people.

As soon as I returned from university I became a leader alongside my mum, so that I could pass on the same sense of wonder and understanding to a new generation. It has been fantastic to add the Wildlife Tots to our group and inspire children from an even younger age.

Wildlife Watch showed me that it’s fun to try new things, it’s OK to fail, it’s best to try again and very rewarding when you eventually succeed. I can honestly say that the group has had a huge impact on my life and has helped me grow as a person. Wildlife Watch continues to impact me – it is truly inspiring to watch the children and tots in our group discover what the natural world has to offer, and it is a privilege to help in their development.

If your little ones are wild about nature, find a Wildlife Watch or Tots group near you on our website: www.hiwwt.org.uk/wildlife-watch-and-tots 30

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my secret garden — my wild life — Dixie, Crane Park Island, London

Getting outdoors allows Dixie to explore and express who she is. Her garden is an important place for her to connect with nature.

Now she gets to share the joy of wildlife, and wildlife gardening, with more people by starring in the new film, The Secret Garden.

Hampshire & Isle of Wight

See the film, in cinemas from Easter Monday, and then discover your own wild life. www.wildlifetrusts.org thesecretgardenfilm.co.uk 2

Magazine Name | Summer 2019

Magazine Name | Summer 2019

Wildlife Trust

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