Wild Life - Summer 2021

Wild Life Hampshire & Isle of Wight Wildlife Trust

Summer 2021

Celebrating 60 years Looking back on the Trust’s history and what is in store for the future

MONITORING MATTERS

How our ecology team survey and monitor new nature reserves

THE WILDLIFE OF WINNALL MOORS

Finding the balance between people and wildlife in Winchester

Hampshire & Isle of Wight Wildlife Trust

LESSER BUTTERFLY ORCHID: CHRIS BUTTON

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Welcome or the Trust, 2021 is a year of important milestones. We celebrate 60 years since the charity was founded by an incredible group of naturalists who were concerned about the threats to wildlife in the local area. We are so fortunate that they had the foresight to protect our counties’ special places for nature - without them, wildlife would be in a far worse state today.

I am sure our founding members would be proud of how much the Trust has achieved since then.

Swanpond Copse, our first Isle of Wight nature reserve turns 50 this year, too. A lot has changed for wildlife in that time, but this gem remains a haven for rare species, including red squirrels, dormice and silver-washed fritillaries. We have more than doubled our landholding on the Island in the last five years and now have 13 wonderful nature reserves, forming a connected network for nature. We have ambitious plans for a Wilder Wight and continue to seek opportunities to join up more wild places here.

Winnall Moors Nature Reserve celebrates its 40th anniversary this year too. It can be a challenge to balance the needs of rare and special wildlife with those of people in such urban fringe nature reserves. These

green lungs form the backbone of our Nature Recovery Network. Joining them up can provide natural solutions to climate change and create vital refuges for people and wildlife. We need to work with local partners and landowners to protect the land around them from development and recreation pressure.

We look forward to welcoming many visitors to our nature reserves this summer, but please be vigilant for anti-social behaviour that can harm wildlife. If you see people acting irresponsibly and against the rules of the sites, please contact the reserves team or report it.

Recently, we launched a very exciting project to explore how we can restore seagrass habitats for biodiversity and as a natural solution to climate change by storing ‘blue carbon’. Seagrasses can capture carbon at rates up to 35 times faster than tropical rainforests and account for 10% of total carbon burial in the ocean. These unique abilities make seagrasses one of our most important solutions to the climate crisis. Our marine team has extensive knowledge of the Solent, and we are delighted to be at the forefront of this important work.

Finally, please look out for your AGM invitation on page 14. Given the uncertainties around Covid-19, the

Hampshire & Isle of Wight Wildlife Trust 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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Trustees have decided to hold the AGM online again this year. We had double the usual number of attendees at last year’s AGM and excellent feedback. While we will miss seeing you in person, we hope it means more members will join us this year.

Debbie Tann, Chief Executive Follow me on twitter @Debbie_Tann

CHRIS GOMERSHALL / 2020VISION

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A year of important milestones

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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. ● We manage over 50 nature reserves. ● 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.

Wild Life Magazine Editor Claire Thorpe, 07469 855839 Design Keely Docherty-Lee, 07393 365408, keelydl@icloud.com 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 summer

Seasonal wildlife and places to experience it.

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Winnall Moors Discover Winnall Moors Nature Reserve this summer, a haven for wildlife in the heart of Winchester.

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Wild news All the latest news from Hampshire & Isle of Wight Wildlife Trust including how to attend the 2021 AGM.

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Focus on: New Forest Non-Native Plant Project Find out how we are helping stop the spread of invasive non-native plants in the New Forest and further afield.

16 Gardening

How you can work with your community to make space for wildlife and create a beautiful space for local people.

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Bats Venture into the nocturnal world of bats with our simple guide to batwatching.

20 Seagrass partnerships

Seagrass is vital for healthy marine ecosystems and is a key tool in the fight against climate change. Our new partnership will help protect this special marine plant.

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Team Wilder Stories from the schools that are helping wildlife in their grounds and communities as part of Team Wilder.

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Best places to see slow worms The elusive slow worm lives on many of our nature reserves, find out where to look for them.

GRAHAM HOGGARTH

How to get involved with your local Wildlife Trust Volunteer Could you donate your Local groups Join one of our

skills and time to look after wildlife? Visit our website to find opportunities near you (please check for restrictions due to Covid-19)

Donate to an appeal

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

Campaigning

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

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

Events Join us for an event or

activity near you – all organised by knowledgeable 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

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Monitoring matters From choosing the right land for species surveys to creating plans for the future, our ecology team take you through the process of creating a new nature reserve.

28 Celebrating 60

The Trust turns 60 – enjoy some of our highlights and aims for the future.

30 My wild life

Sophie Yeomanson worked as a Trainee Assistant Reserves Officer, she explains what the job meant to her and where she discovered her passion for wildlife.

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

SUMMER SPECTACLE

Aerial acrobats Swallows are one of our most beloved summer species; their swooping flight and distinct cheerful appearance are a real symbol of summer. Swallows eat insects, so they are commonly seen around water or farmland, catching their prey on the wing, and only coming to land to feed themselves or their chicks. These muddy and wet habitats also provide swallows with another essential for their lifecycle - mud. They construct intricate cup nests from mud and vegetation under the eaves of buildings, which earns them their full name, the barn swallow.

Their closest relatives on our shores are sand and house martins. The deep fork in a swallow’s tail and its red bib differentiates them from the martins, and the tail shape helps them manoeuvre after insects as they fly.

Swallow populations are relatively stable in the UK for now, but drier summers mean less muddy material available for their nests and rapidly declining insect populations are leading to a shortage of food sources.

MARK HAMBLIN

Swallows can be seen across much of Hampshire and the Isle of Wight, especially in late summer, when they rear a second brood of chicks or feed up ready for the flight back to Africa.

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SEE THEM THIS SUMMER:  St Cross meadows often has swallows nesting in the barns. Admire them as they fly around the farm and river, catching insects to feed their chicks.  Hockley meadows are home to swallows and martins; look out for then along the Itchen Navigation path.

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T h a n k y ou

Thanks to your su pport, we have been able to create and maintain habitats for swallows and other farmlan d wildlife in our two counties. www.hiwwt.org.u k

Swallows collect mud and twigs to build their cup-shaped nests under eaves or on ledges.

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YOUR WILD SUMMER

A pop of colour At first glance, common knapweed (also known as black knapweed), might look like thistles, but they lack the thistle’s formidable prickles.

Common knapweed is a hardy meadow and grassland plant found growing in all kinds of habitats, including gardens and road verges. The flowers contain goodquality nectar, so they are very popular with pollinators, including bees, beetles and butterflies. Later, as the weather cools, the fluffy seed heads provide food for birds. Greater knapweed is similar, but the flowers are richer in colour and the petals form long rays.

PHILIP PRECEY

Common knapweed is easy to grow and is an excellent addition to a wildlife garden as the flowers can last for months, from July onwards, attracting many insects.

Common knapweed

URBAN FIELDCRAFT

Small-spotted catshark

As the small-spotted catshark is nocturnal, the most many of us will ever see of them are their egg cases, known as ‘mermaid’s purses’. Once the young shark has hatched, the empty egg case may wash up on the shore. In this species, the cases are around 5cm long and have curly tendrils which would have attached them to seaweed or rocks. They are good indicators of the health of the seas locally.

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Small-spotted catshark

ALEXANDER MSUATRD / 2020VISION

This shark had a re-brand recently; previously it was known as the lesser-spotted dogfish. If you are a keen snorkeler or diver, you might see this harmless little shark in the shallows. They are a very common species that feed by night on crabs, small fish and other molluscs. When catsharks feel threatened, they quickly curl up into a doughnut shape to protect themselves and to look larger than they are. Bigger sharks can predate the small-spotted catshark.

HOW TO IDENTIFY MERMAID’S PURSES  Fill a bucket with fresh water and leave your egg case to soak for an hour or two.

 Use the Shark Trust’s ID guides at www.sharktrust.org to find out

which species your eggcase came from, log your record with them and keep the case as a souvenir of your time by the sea!

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SEE THIS

Look out for fox cubs born this year, starting to follow parents on hunting trips and play above ground.

DO THIS

Sit under a large broadleaf tree like an oak and see how many shades of green you can see in the canopy.

ANDY AMES

SPECIES SPOTLIGHT

The sound of summer

Top tips

H

ere in Britain, we have 33 species of orthoptera - the order that contains grasshoppers, crickets and bush-crickets.

As you walk through long grass in the height of summer you might notice these species pinging away just ahead of you, jumping using their powerful back legs.

Orthoptera is a noisy group of species, chirruping and singing to attract mates.

Species of grasshopper and cricket can be distinguished using just their songs!

Most species make sounds that can be heard by humans, but some bush-crickets have a song that is so high-pitched they can only be picked up by a bat detector.

Using detectors has been very helpful to ecologists who want to find out more about where bush-crickets live and for estimates of their population size, as they are often well camouflaged and hard to spot.

Insects in this group can be tricky to identify, as some have different colour

morphs within a species, and they can be hard to see up close, but there are some simple ways to narrow them down: Grasshoppers have short, stubby antennae and those that sing do so by rubbing their large hind legs against their wings. In contrast, crickets have long, thin antennae (often longer than their body) and sing by rubbing their wings together. Crickets often look flat, as their wings fold one on top of the other, rather than side by side as with grasshoppers.

Orthoptera lay their eggs in pods in bark, soil or plant stems, where they hatch into tiny, wingless versions of the adults.

Healthy populations of orthoptera are vital for other wildlife which feed on them. Many declining farmland birds rely on grasshoppers and crickets for food, including skylark, grey partridge and the cirl bunting. Reptiles and small mammals also depend on this food source in the summer.

ED MERRITT

Male woodland grasshopper

ED MERRITT

BOB CHAPMAN

CHRIS BUTTON

3 SPECIES TO SPOT Great green bush-cricket Only found in Southern England, they can grow to 7cm long and are easily identified by their size. If you are lucky enough to find one, they are best left alone they can give a painful bite!

Meadow grasshopper Among the most common grasshoppers, these are mostly green but there are also brown and purple morphs.

Meadow grasshoppers are found on damp grasslands from late April.

Long-winged conehead A type of bushcricket with an angled head, this species is widespread.

They feed mainly on plants, but will also eat small invertebrates.

Head to our website for tips on helping grasshoppers, crickets and other insects both in your garden and the wider countryside: www.hiwwt.org. uk/action-for-insects

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British White cattle graze the hay meadows at Winnall Moors

Focus on...

Winnall Moors

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STEVE PAGE

Ragged robin grows on the wetter parts of the site

together they form an expansive network for nature. Animals can move safely between habitats as they look for food, breeding space and shelter.

A rich history Winnall Moors is a real jewel in the city’s crown, and 2021 marks 40 years since it became a nature reserve. Its journey began in 1958 when Iris and George Whitfield bought the farm and much of the land that today makes up the nature reserve.

Iris was unconventional, recognising the value of wildlife on her land and rejecting many of the pesticides and chemicals that were becoming widespread at the time. By continuing with the traditional practice of haymaking and grazing with livestock, she safeguarded the site’s rare fen meadows.

Over the years, the Whitfield family sold land to the Trust to manage, with additional areas bought by the Trust through the support of our members.

Sections are also owned by Winchester City Council and managed by the Trust.

The Council’s land was initially bought to house a ring road, which thankfully did not go ahead. The thousands of visitors and abundance of wildlife that use and value the nature reserve today

are testament to how important this place is. Much of the nature reserve is kept as a sanctuary for wildlife, so the public footpaths are restricted to the south of the site and the edges.

Winnall Moors contains chalk streams, wet woodland, fen meadow, pasture and reedbed, all of which need different management approaches. It is this mosaic of habitats that led to its designation as a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI).

Rachel Remnant has been Reserves Officer on the site for 12 years, so she knows the habitats and wildlife well.

Previous wardens and others involved with the site in the last 40 years have passed on their knowledge to help her look after this dynamic wetland.

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ature thrives at Winnall Moors Nature Reserve in the heart of Winchester, but finding a balance that works for people and wildlife isn’t always an easy task.

The Winchester nature reserves of St Catherine’s Hill, Barton Meadows, Deacon Hill and Winnall Moors, and the water meadows at St Faith’s and St Cross are all managed by the Trust. These areas reach into the urban fringes of Winchester, providing residents and visitors with places to experience wildlife and get outdoors. Most importantly, the nature reserves create vital homes for wildlife, and

Treasured meadows The nature reserve contains the largest fragment of best condition fen meadow in Hampshire and is the only meadow in the upper Itchen Valley that is still cut for hay. This habitat was once common but much of it has been lost through drainage, intensive agriculture and development.

Many rare wildflowers are restricted to these damp areas, including the beautiful southern marsh orchid. The traditional

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FOCUS ON WINNALL MOORS

Rare habitats at Winnall Moors have become some of the last refuges in the county for specialised wildlife.

A profusion of meadow buttercups in the fen meadows

Grasshopper warbler

The River Itchen runs through Winnall Moors

streak of a broad-bodied chaser darting by. Otters swim in the river hunting for fish, and until recently, the plop of a water vole was often heard. Sadly, predation by invasive American mink has caused the water vole population to dwindle, but surveys and mink control are underway to help them re-establish.

A balancing act Being a five-minute walk from the High Street, however, can take its toll. Managing the many pressures can be a balancing act which at times require creative solutions.

Dogs are not allowed in Winnall Moors, which gives visitors closer encounters with wildlife. Lockdown saw a boom in wild swimming, leading to bank erosion and frequent disturbance to river wildlife.

Recently, starlings have abandoned their nests after suffering from disturbance below the tree they were using. While the Trust understands many people find wild swimming beneficial to their health and wellbeing, it is not

LUCAS STEIGERWALK

management technique of hay cutting creates a nectar-scented profusion of early summer blooms and the herb-rich, nutritious hay feeds grazing animals through the winter.

The rare habitats at Winnall Moors have become some of the last refuges in the county for the specialised wildlife that depends on them. Skills like haymaking, which conserve the habitat, are being lost. In many sites, cutting has been replaced with grazing.

Grazing produces a different plant community, which may be causing the decline in breeding waders in the valley.

Keeping traditional skills and techniques alive is intertwined with the preservation of wildlife in landscapes that have been heavily influenced by people. Winnall Moors has over 60 volunteers, who act as ambassadors for the Trust in their communities and help protect the site for the future.

A visit this summer will mean plenty of wildlife. Many migrant birds breed on the nature reserve, including reed and sedge warblers and reed bunting. Some evenings you may even be lucky enough to hear a grasshopper warbler calling. Most years, a cuckoo will impose its chicks on some unfortunate bird’s nest within the reedbeds too. Listen to the buzz of insects across the Moors and look out for the flash of a scarlet tiger moth or the blue

DERYN HAWK INS

AMY LEWIS

STEVE PAGE

appropriate on our nature reserves. The rising popularity of outdoor recreation shows quite clearly that we need far more robust green spaces in and around our cities. These will help relieve the pressure on wildlife and support people’s wellbeing.

The nature reserves around Winchester help form the backbone of a nature recovery network and joining them up could make them more resilient. The land surrounding our nature reserves is valuable to developers – but we know that the nature reserves are worth far more as refuges for wildlife and for people to enjoy. The wetlands are also vital for flood alleviation, soaking up much of the water that would otherwise overwhelm

Southern marsh orchid residential areas. Recent research by the Floodplain Meadow Partnership has revealed how much these meadows can help as a natural solution to climate change. They are a precious carbon store that has previously been under-researched and undervalued. We hope that sites like Winnall Moors Nature Reserve can act as a template for other urban nature reserves, extending the reach of this wildlife haven well beyond Winchester.

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WILD NEWS

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

Over 15

lapwing chicks fledged from Farlington Marshes Nature Reserve – the highest number the Trust has counted on the site.

Gifts in Wills - benefitting wildlife and local people for (nearly) 60 years

DAVID PHILLIPS

S

ixty years ago, a local conservation charity, then called the Hampshire and Isle of Wight Naturalist’s Trust, was born.

The Trust was set up to help protect local habitats and wildlife and enable communities to better understand nature.

At first, members sent in their payments by cheque and cash and their magazines were posted by hand. In 1973 we received our first significant legacy gift from John Harold Lush. Mr Lush’s gift allowed us to employ our first-ever conservation officer, setting us on the path to becoming the organisation we are today. We are grateful to have received many generous gifts over the years. Every one of these gifts has left a lasting legacy for wildlife

across our two counties. ● In 1991 we changed our name to Hampshire & Isle of Wight Wildlife Trust.

In the same year, Ron Ward, a local man with a love of nature, left his meadow in North Hampshire (now named after him) to the Trust, having worked during his lifetime to have it recognised as a Site of Special Scientific Interest. ● In 2009, visitors to Farlington Marshes Nature Reserve could get closer to wildlife thanks to a telescope bought with a gift in the Will of Harry Webb, a Portsmouth resident. ● In 2019 we launched our Wilder 2030 strategy outlining the Trust’s ambitious plans to get more people on nature’s side and create more space for wildlife to

thrive. It was also the year we created Newchurch Moors Nature Reserve on the Isle of Wight, with the help of a gift in the Will of Island resident Gwendolen Bunce.

Today, a total of 640 acres on the Island are managed for wildlife by the Trust.

2020 has brought the importance of wildlife and wild spaces, especially local wild spaces, back into sharp relief. It was a tough year for so many, but it has served to galvanise the vision of a wilder Hampshire and Isle of Wight.

Throughout our history, gifts in Wills, both large and small, have made a real and lasting impact on our local wildlife.

If you are ever considering remembering a charity in your Will, please remember Hampshire & Isle of Wight Wildlife Trust.

Saving Tipner - We called; you answered!

We were alarmed when proposals were put forward to expand the reaches of steel and concrete over one of Portsmouth Harbour’s last remaining intertidal mudflats – Tipner West. The area is protected for nature and is home to rare and important wildlife including brent geese, black-tailed godwit and dunlin. The site is also a haven for juvenile bass, and the mudflats help fight

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climate change by capturing and storing carbon dioxide. Proposals would see a land reclamation scheme and 3,500 houses devastate wildlife in the area.

We have been overwhelmed by your amazing support, with over 23,000 people signing our petition opposing the plans and helping us make headlines across the country.

This summer a public Local Plan consultation by Portsmouth City Council will mark a crucial moment for everyone who signed our petition as they will have the opportunity to formally record their opposition in a way that cannot be ignored.

Thank you so much for signing our petition to stand up for nature and watch this space!

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NEWS A Chinook helicopter carries gravel to Pewit Island.

INVESTING IN WILDLIFE

We are thrilled to welcome two new corporate supporters…

A Chinook helicopter delivered 56 tonnes of shingle to Pewit Island Nature Reserve this spring, part of an exciting habitat restoration project. The work will renew nesting and roosting habitats for seabirds and waders, finally allowing breeding seabirds to return to Portsmouth Harbour after years of absence.

Once home to a noisy, thriving colony of seabirds, human disturbance and habitat degradation led to the islet becoming unsuitable and the birds disappeared. The Trust hopes that sandwich and common terns, ringed plover and black-headed gulls could be breeding on the new shingle on Pewit Island by 2022. Waders including dunlin, oystercatcher and curlew will also benefit from improved winter roosting habitat.

Recreational pressure and the threat of development within the Harbour mean it is more important than ever to safeguard the special wildlife and habitats

found there. The project is an excellent example of multiple organisations working together for wildlife. The shingle was kindly donated to the project by Day Aggregates and Tarmac. The MOD also lent their time with the Chinook and a floating platform called a MEXEFLOTE, onto which the shingle was dropped.

The next stages of the project include adding decoy terns to the shingle. This will encourage terns to investigate the newly restored site, as the birds breed in colonies. The decoys fool the birds into thinking there are already terns nesting, and they land to inspect the habitat. If the birds begin to breed, we will also add electric fencing to deter predators.

Pewit Island is one of our restrictedaccess nature reserves, with no landing by people or boats permitted, to protect sensitive habitats and wildlife. The islet can be clearly viewed from the Portchester coastline.

The Trust, and Butterfly Conservation, received a highly commended award in the 2021 Ministry of Defence Sanctuary Awards for our work in bringing back the marsh fritillary to northeast Hampshire.

Populations of the butterfly had declined by 80% since the 1970s, due to habitat loss and degradation, leading them to become one of the most threatened butterflies in Europe. The marsh fritillary is mostly found on marshy grassland, where their main foodplant, devil’s-bit scabious, is present.

They do not disperse easily, meaning that as habitats become fragmented, they cannot travel far to new areas.

The land for the reintroduction is owned by the Ministry of Defence and has been managed by the Trust since 2009. Habitat improvement made it ideal for the fritillary reintroduction. The butterflies were officially reintroduced in 2018 with help from local experts from the Hampshire Marsh Fritillary Action Group.

The latest surveys showed the butterfly

Adult marsh fritillary was doing well and the population establishing on the site, with close to 200 adult butterflies and plenty of caterpillars recorded.

The Sanctuary Awards recognise outstanding contributions across the Ministry of Defence estate.

The project was funded through the generous support of Hampshire & Isle of Wight Wildlife Trust and Butterfly Conservation members, the Farnborough Airport Community Environmental Fund, the Ministry of Defence and the John Spedan Lewis Foundation.

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ANDY BARKER

Recognition for marsh fritillary reintroduction project

CHRIS LYCETT

Habitat restoration at Pewit Island Nature Reserve

The staff of the Isle of Wight Distillery have joined us as Marine Champions and ambassadors for seagrass. The island-based distillery, home of Mermaid Gin, have committed their support to the restoration and protection of the Solent strait’s internationally important seagrass meadows.

Southampton Football Club have pledged their support to Team Wilder. As part of their “Halo Effect” environmental responsibility, they have committed to making Southampton a cleaner, greener and more sustainable city, which includes educating and engaging staff, fans and players on issues related to biodiversity.

If your company shares our vision for a wilder future and would like to get involved and invest in wildlife, please contact Michelle at corporates@hiwwt.org.uk

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WILD NEWS Spiny Seahorses and Ripping Yarns

DAVE FOKER

Brimstone butterfly

Swanpond Copse Nature Reserve turns 50

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trees will grow back thicker. This dappled light allows bluebells, wood anemone and narrow-leaved lungwort to flourish and provide nectar for insects. The woodland is home to a range of butterflies including brimstone, white admiral and silverwashed fritillary.

There are now 13 nature reserves on the Island, all of which contribute to the Trust’s vision for a Wilder Wight and create a network of wild spaces for nature’s recovery. In the 50 years the Trust has been managing Swanpond Copse, a lot has changed for wildlife locally, but our nature reserves have always been havens for species both common and rare. With our new Wilder strategy, we have ambitious targets to restore nature on a landscape scale across the Island over the next 10 years.

Sites like Swanpond Copse are at the heart of these plans, acting as reservoirs for species to flourish and spread throughout the island.

Marine litter sculpture

RACHEL BRYAN

Swanpond Copse Nature Reserve celebrates its 50th anniversary this year.

The four-hectare woodland, near Ryde, was the first nature reserve owned by the Trust on the Isle of Wight. The Trust leased the reserve in 1971 and purchased it in 1991, with the support of our members and donors.

There is no public access to Swanpond Copse, which helps protect the sensitive wildlife that calls the woodland home.

Wildflowers carpet the woodland floor in spring and early summer and a small stream that runs through the site is home to fish such as stickleback and bullhead. Red squirrels and dormice are at home amongst the trees, while badgers rummage through the undergrowth, looking for food.

The Trust manage the small nature reserve by thinning and coppicing trees on rotation. Cutting trees creates a patchwork of light and dark, ensuring light reaches the ground, and means the

This May, we were delighted to open our new exhibition, Spiny Seahorses and Ripping Yarns, at the Portsmouth Museum and Art Gallery. The exhibition is a result of our collaboration with environmental artist, Trudi Lloyd Williams, who has been on a 12-year mission to raise awareness of the impact of marine plastics, through art and community action.

For the centrepiece of the installation, we worked with Trudi and local communities to turn the plastic litter typically found on our shores into an immersive sculpture, illuminated with special lighting to appear like the surface of the ocean. The piece is named after the spiny seahorses which call our local waters home, and the thrilling stories, or ‘ripping yarns’, told by sailors in traditional sea shanties.

The exhibition’s striking artwork is accompanied by our marine litter information boards. The boards explain the devasting impact of plastic pollution and the simple, achievable steps we can all take to reduce our everyday plastic consumption, improve ocean health and support a Wilder Solent.

The collaboration is part of our project, Secrets of the Solent, which is supported by the National Lottery Heritage Fund. To find out more about the project and how you can get involved, visit our webpage www.hiwwt.org.uk/SecretsOfTheSolent

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NEWS

ANDREW PARKINSON / 2020VISION

Coot

Exciting times for Watercress and Winterbournes It’s been a busy few months for the Watercress and Winterbournes Landscape Partnership Scheme, which is supported by the National Lottery Heritage Fund.

As Covid-19 restrictions have loosened, we’ve made great strides in caring for and celebrating our seven chalk streams - our photography competition and habitat

improvements to name a few.

The work we do wouldn’t be possible without our amazing volunteers. In recent months, many have completed invertebrate training to identify environmental pressures and have tested their local streams for pollutants. Others have installed rafts on the Upper Anton to

monitor American mink, an invasive non-native animal that preys on our W ATERCRESS & endangered water voles. W IN TERBOURN ES Our volunteers have also tackled invasive species of the floral variety, removing parrot’s feather from Laverstoke Pond and Himalayan balsam from the Bourne Rivulet, Candover Brook, Upper Test and Pillhill Brook. These fast-growing plants can quickly take over streams, and a swift response is needed to stop them from running rampant.

Communities along the River Arle and Upper Test have taken up the challenge of our Save Every Drop campaign.

Abstraction from the streams can put pressure on wildlife, so our volunteers have been reducing their water use and encouraging their neighbours to do the same. Learn how you can get involved in this and other activities at www.hiwwt.org.uk/winterbournes

Conservation grazing returns Cattle will graze two sites (St George’s Down and Prospect Quarry ) on the Isle of Wight from this autumn, to manage scrub and improve habitats for wildlife.

This project is run by the Trust and Wight Building Materials and funded by the Aggregate Industries. We would like to thank the organisations for their support.

Initial scrub management has already improved the sites for wildlife, and conservation grazing will further enhance them. Grazing creates a rich mosaic of

habitats, home to a diverse range of wildlife. The cattle help control dominant grasses, which could otherwise take over a site, and their feeding leaves tufts of vegetation where invertebrates can thrive.

Non-native species, including Japanese knotweed, are also being controlled at Prospect Quarry. Rare flora, invertebrates, dormice, reptiles and badgers are all set to benefit as the two sites are restored.

The Trust will monitor wildlife populations to check that the management

Jamie Marsh at the site where cattle will be introduced. is benefitting native species.

The project is part of the Trust’s work to create a Wilder Wight, part of the Wilder 2030 strategy for our two counties.

An opportunity to make 2021 the ‘super year’ for nature!

2021 is a crucial year for nature. Three major international summit meetings will present an opportunity to push governments around the world to accelerate action to tackle the climate and ecological crises.

The G7 in June brought leaders of seven of the world’s wealthiest nations to Cornwall. Then, in October, the United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity, COP15, in China, will decide the global framework for nature’s recovery by 2030, including a target to protect 30% of the Earth’s land and seas by 2030 – a target that the Trust has long been campaigning for.

Finally, the United Nations Climate Change Conference, COP26, will bring leaders together in Glasgow to reboot and refocus global efforts to confront the climate crisis. We hope to see an increased focus on the role nature can play.

Together, the G7, COP15 and COP26 are key to ensuring that nature’s recovery is prioritised post-pandemic. As the hosts of the G7 and COP26, the UK is in a unique position to steer the outcome of these events. The success or failure of all the summits will, in large part, be determined by the leadership demonstrated by our

government as other nations look to us to guide the world’s action to tackle the twin crises. That is why we are calling on the government to set an ambitious tone for these events including strengthening the Environment Bill and setting a legally binding target to halt nature’s decline.

We need leaders to come together and put in place ambitious plans and actions that set nature on the path to recovery. So, in 2021, the beginning of the UN’s Decade of Ecosystem Restoration, let’s use our voice and make sure our leaders step up and grasp this opportunity for a wilder future.

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WILD NEWS

AGM 2021

AGM ATTENDANCE

Notice of the 60th Annual General Meeting of Hampshire & Isle of Wight Wildlife Trust To be held online via Zoom, on Tuesday 2 November 2021, 7pm – 9pm Dear Members, I very much look forward to welcoming you to our AGM on Tuesday 2 November.

As you may know, in the light of the Covid-19 situation the Trustees decided last year that the safest way to hold the 2020 AGM was online. Over recent months we have been considering carefully how to hold this year’s AGM and the Trustees have concluded that given the uncertainties around scheduling face-to-face events the preferred option is to again hold it as a digital meeting. So, for the second time we will be holding our AGM online and hosting it as we did last year, via a Zoom webinar.

Whilst it is of course disappointing that we will be unable to meet with you faceto-face this year, we know from last year’s online success that many of the features of the AGM that you value were easily transferrable to Zoom. We

were delighted that more than double the usual number of members joined us for the meeting and we also had a more diverse spread of age groups joining us. The feedback from those of you that attended was that the online presentations, voting and Q&A session worked very well. We hope to replicate these successes at this year’s AGM on Tuesday 2 November.

We are aware that, unfortunately, holding the AGM online means that some of you will be unable to join us. You will be pleased to know we are working on plans for other member events which we hope will enable us to see you in person in future. We will be letting you know about these in due course.

We do hope that you will be able to join us online on Tuesday 2 November for our AGM. We very much look forward to welcoming you to the webinar for what promises to be an informative and interesting evening..

David Jordan OBE, Chairman

If you would like to attend We would be delighted if you are able to join us online. To register for the AGM webinar please go to www.hiwwt.org.uk/agm where you can book via an online form. Please note that webinar places are limited and the deadline for registration is Tuesday 26 October. When your webinar booking is confirmed, you will receive information on how to access the AGM business papers ahead of the meeting.

The AGM webinar will start at 7pm and the meeting will, as usual, include my report as Chairman of the Trust on the year 2020-2021, the report from the Trust’s Treasurer on the year 2020-2021, the approval of Trust’s Annual Report & Accounts for the year ending 31 March 2021, election of Trustees and appointment of auditors.

Following the formal business, and with the Trust now in its 60th year, our CEO, Debbie Tann, will reflect on the Trust’s development and achievements over the past six decades, as well as reporting on our progress to date with our Wilder Strategy and our plans going forwards.

Then, we are delighted that Craig Bennett, CEO of The Wildlife Trusts, will be joining us to give a presentation on The Wildlife Trusts’ strategy and how our work locally contributes to the national picture.

If you are unable to attend and would like a proxy vote

RICHARD JINMAN

You are very welcome to participate by voting on the formal business via postal proxy vote. To save on printing and postage costs we have not included a proxy vote request form this year, so if you would like to register for a proxy vote please let us know your name and address (including your postcode) by sending an email to AGM@hiwwt.org.uk or calling our dedicated telephone line – 01489 774411 – and leaving us a message.

We will then be able to process your request.

Craig Bennett – guest speaker at our AGM

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The deadline for requesting a proxy vote is Monday 20 September.

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WE NEED YOUR SUPPORT

FOCUS ON...

New Forest Non-Native Plants Project encourages people to ‘Be Plant Wise’

CLIVE CHATTERS

American skunk cabbage

CATHERINE CHATTERS

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The Trust’s New Forest Non-Native Plants Project aims to stop the spread of invasive non-native plants which cause environmental, economic or social damage. With the support of landowners, land managers, volunteers and contractors, the project is successfully controlling a wide range of species including Himalayan balsam, giant hogweed and parrot’s feather.

Unfortunately, these plants and the problems they cause are not confined to the New Forest, so Project Officers Catherine Chatters and Jo Gore are keen for our members to play their part in helping to stop the spread of invasive non-native plants, wherever they live.

Many invasive non-native plants were originally introduced to the UK as ornamental garden plants but have ‘jumped the garden fence’ and invaded the countryside, threatening to outcompete our native vegetation. If you have a garden, it’s really important to choose your plants carefully and select plants that are unlikely to become invasive.

Some invasive non-native plants have now been banned from sale. For example, it is now illegal to sell American skunk cabbage. This species, which originated in North America, has been planted in bog gardens, but has invaded ecologically important wet woodlands including the Trust’s Lymington Reedbeds Nature Reserve. It has large leaves which block out the light and can become dominant, outcompeting the woodland flora.

Contractors working on behalf of the project are successfully controlling

American skunk cabbage out-competes other vegetation American skunk cabbage, allowing native wildflowers to thrive.

If you are thinking of creating a wildlife pond in your garden, be careful when deciding what to put in it, as many non-native aquatic plants can become invasive. They can form dense mats of vegetation, blocking out light and preventing the growth of submerged native plants, leading to detrimental impacts on invertebrates and fish. Aquatic non-native plants such as parrot’s feather, New Zealand pygmyweed, floating pennywort and many others have been banned from sale, so be sure to check labels on plants before you buy them. You can buy plenty of attractive pond plants which are unlikely to

become invasive, such as curled pondweed, water forget-me-not and marsh marigold.

These will help create a thriving wildlife pond in your garden.

If you already have invasive non-native plants in your pond or garden, it is very important to dispose of them responsibly.

Most plants can be composted or taken to your local Household Waste Recycling Centre or disposed of through your local authority garden waste collection scheme. However, you should be aware that some plants such as Japanese knotweed are ‘controlled waste’ and subject to legislation so must be disposed of appropriately.

Japanese knotweed and montbretia have become established in the wild as a result of people dumping surplus garden plants. Other plants have become invasive after being deliberately planted in the countryside. New Forest ponds infested with parrot’s feather and New Zealand pygmyweed have had plastic planting baskets found in them.

Project Officer Catherine Chatters says: “Be Plant Wise - know what you grow, compost with care and stop the spread.”

To find out more about the Be Plant Wise campaign and how you can help stop the spread of invasive non-native plants please see www.nonnativespecies.org/beplantwise

“Know what you grow, compost with care and stop the spread.”

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Community

Gardening Come together with your community to make more space for nature.

Add bird boxes and bee hotels Help wildlife move into your shared garden by providing homes! Find that DIY expert in your community and get building.

Set up a community compost heap These work really well, helping to reduce waste sent to landfill as well as providing a home for wildlife and compost for mulching.

Plant native trees Many parks and shared spaces have room for trees and people love planting them. Set up a crowdfunder to buy a few and plant them together with your neighbours, or let selfseeded saplings grow.

Grow plants for bees Make a small pond A source of water is really important for wildlife, for drinking and bathing. People will be drawn there too if you pop in a bench.

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Everyone knows bees are in trouble and wants to help them. Grow herbs like lavender, oregano, rosemary and chives.

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ILLUSTRATION BY KATY FROST

Twice a year, I meet up with other members of my local community to plant up and tidy the planters on my local high street. While we work we chat, discussing planting methods and the best plants for bees. Some of us take the clippings home to compost.

Many of us end up in the pub afterwards. It’s a lovely thing to do, both for the community, the local wildlife and ourselves. Thanks to Covid we missed a session last year, but we have a date in the diary for summer and I’m looking forward to getting back to work.

Community gardens and gardening help bring communities together. They can be on virtually any patch of land, from large planters on a main road like the ones I tend, to a park or church grounds (or a section of them). I’ve even seen community gardens set up in raised beds on a little corner of pavement.

The space doesn’t matter, it’s what you do with it that counts. Whether you grow veg, flowers or focus on

wildlife gardening there’s plenty of reward to reap from your efforts. You’ll learn more about planting for nature, and can then pass this knowledge on to other members of your community, young and old. As a result, you’ll bring more nature to your doorsteps.

If you want to start gardening with your local community then start with your local park. There may already be a ‘Friends of’ group that you can join, but if there isn’t then set one up yourself - other ‘Friends of’ groups should be able to help. You’ll be amazed how many people in your community want to come out and help improve the area, and you’ll make new friends, too!

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

For more tips on how to make green spaces wilder, visit: www.wildlifetrusts.org/take-action-insects

Grow vegetables Many people want to grow veg but lack the confidence. Start with courgettes, beans and strawberries. Teach people how to sow seeds and raise crops themselves.

Garden organically Use a combination of companion planting and wildlife gardening to move away from using chemicals, helping your community learn how to garden in a wildlife-friendly way.

Create mini habitats Make log, leaf and stick piles for wildlife to live in, and leave seedheads and long grass over winter. Children will love making (and exploring!) homes for wildlife.

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PIPISTRELLE BAT: LAURIE CAMPBELL/NATUREPL.COM

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ummer nights may be shorter, but they’re alive with activity as a host of nocturnal creatures make the most of the hours of darkness. Tawny owls listen for rodents rustling across woodland floors, moths flicker around night-scented flowers, and bats swoop through the air, hunting the insects that swarm in the night.

There are 17 species of bat that breed in the UK, from Natterer’s bats that snatch spiders from their webs, to Daubenton’s bats that fish insects from the surface of lakes and rivers. The most widespread and frequently seen are the common and soprano pipistrelles, zigzagging through the air as they feast on up to 3,000 insects a night. Their nocturnal nature can make bats a challenge to watch, but there are few moments as magical as seeing these shadowy silhouettes sweep across a darkening sky.

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NIGHT RIDERS

Use a bat detector The easiest way to find and identify bats is with the help of a bat detector. These devices pick up the high-pitched echolocation calls of bats and makes them audible to humans. Different species echolocate at different frequencies, so we can work out which bat we’re hearing.

Bat detectors come in a range of prices and complexities and may take a bit of practice to use.

Watch the weather It’s harder for bats to hunt on damp or windy nights, so choose a dry, still evening for your bat watching expedition.

A sheltered spot will attract bats if there is a bit of wind.

Bring the bats to you!

Water features are the best bat attractors, but also fill your garden with a variety of insect-tempting flowers to create a banquet for bats. Pale and nightscented flowers are particularly popular with nocturnal pollinators. Bat boxes high on walls or trees can offer a safe space to roost.

Go where the insects are Bats are found in a range of habitats, from farmland to forests to gardens. They can often be seen hunting around features that attract insects, like trees, hedges and woodland edges.

Study the flight Bats have different flight patterns, which can give you an idea of the species you’re watching. Pipistrelles fly erratically, noctules have a direct flight with sudden swoops, and brown longeared bats have a slow, hovering flight.

Arrive before sunset Bats are easiest to spot around dusk, when they emerge to feed and there’s still enough light to see them. Our largest bat, the noctule, is often the first to emerge, sometimes before the sun has set. Children and some adults can often hear these without a detector!

Wait by water Just like other animals, bats need to drink, so they’re often found around waterways. Stretches of sheltered, still or slow-moving water also attract clouds of insects that they can hunt.

You may even see a Daubenton’s bat hunting low across the water.

Discover bats on a nature reserve near you at:

www.hiwwt.org.uk/nature-reserves

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Project Seagrass is launched T

ALL IMAGES: TIM FERRERO

The Solent Seagrass Restoration Project will monitor and restore healthy seagrass beds on our coast.

Seagrass at Osbourne Bay

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o work towards our vision of a wilder future with 30% of land and sea restored for nature, the Trust has joined forces with Boskalis Westminster. Together we will undertake an exciting new seagrass restoration project in the Solent.

The Solent Seagrass Restoration Project is beginning with a research and development phase. This phase will help us identify the best methodology for restoring seagrass, a keystone marine species, within the Solent. We will also monitor the habitat as a provider of carbon sequestration, further proving how vital seagrass is in reversing biodiversity declines and combatting climate change.

We want to see seagrass habitats in the Solent restored towards historical levels and for seagrass to be present in all locations that could support it. By restoring seagrass habitats, we will create a Wilder Solent.

The newly restored area will support

Seagrass at Yarmouth

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SEAGRASS

Calshot seagrass meadow

Spectacular Seagrass

Seagrass plants and meadows have the potential to store vast amounts of carbon. increased biodiversity and sustainable fisheries, as well as promoting a greater number of ecosystem services, including cleaner water. Healthy seagrass beds also create a natural solution to mitigating the effects of climate change.

The project is being led by the Trust’s Senior Marine Biologist, Dr Tim Ferrero. It allows us to upskill our team, including our Marine Champions, with direct experience of seagrass restoration. Our partners at Boskalis Westminster bring a wealth of knowledge, including that gained by working with other international NGOs on marine habitat restorations. Boskalis Westminster will also provide the Trust with access to the technical equipment needed for the collection and deployment of the seagrass seeds.

Our seagrass restoration project is an essential step in developing natural solutions to climate change. This has been acknowledged with funding raised by players of People’s Postcode Lottery and The Wildlife Trusts. This funding supports the first year of the project, which includes enabling us to purchase an underwater drone to capture footage of the seagrass.

Seagrasses are sometimes known as ecosystem engineers because they can profoundly change the environment in which they are found. They create unique habitats which become biodiversity hotspots for a wide range of wonderful marine wildlife. The long leaves of seagrass are home to all kinds of anemones, hydroids, sea squirts, sea mats and different coralline algae.

However, seagrasses also stabilise and oxygenate the sediment, slowing down water flow, which creates an ideal habitat for juvenile and adult crabs, sea snails, cuttlefish, pipefish and even seahorses.

A natural solution to climate change Seagrass plants and meadows have the potential to sequester and store vast amounts of the carbon that is dissolved in our seas - known as “blue carbon”. Like all plants, seagrasses photosynthesise, taking carbon dioxide from the water to build their leaves and roots. As seagrass plants die, they are replaced by new shoots and leaves. The dead material collects on the seafloor along with organic matter (carbon) from other dead

organisms. This decaying material builds up, forming layers of seagrass sediment.

If left undisturbed, the sediment can store and lock in carbon in the seafloor for thousands of years.

Seagrasses can capture carbon at rates up to 35 times faster than tropical rainforests and account for 10% of total carbon burial in the ocean (despite covering less than 0.2% of the seafloor).

This unique ability makes seagrasses one of our most important natural solutions to the climate crisis.

Another central element of the project, and part of our Wilder Solent aspirations, is increasing public awareness and engagement. We need more people to care about these incredible seagrass habitats and the benefits they can bring to the marine environment within the Solent.

One organisation joining us to help lead the way is the Isle of Wight Distillery. The Distillery has committed to becoming an ambassador for seagrass and we have already seen several of their team sign up to become Marine Champions. They will help us survey the seagrass and encourage their suppliers and customers into taking action to support the project.

Get involved and help us create a Wilder Solent Like the team from the Isle of Wight Distillery, you can sign up to become a Marine Champion! Doing so will help us to raise awareness and survey the seagrass and other intertidal species in the Solent. We also welcome direct donations to our marine conversation work. Visit the website

www.hiwwt.org.uk/seagrass-restoration

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TEAM WILDER

TEAM Welcome to Team Wilder - where local people are coming together and taking action for wildlife.

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vital part of our Wilder Strategy is to get more people on nature’s side. Our Team Wilder programme has made great progress in its first year – and is on a mission to help 1 in 4 people to connect with wildlife and take action for nature’s recovery.

Working with schools is an integral part of Team Wilder. We believe the children are the future and if children connect with nature early on in life, they will continue our work protecting wildlife and fighting climate change as adults.

Being in nature plays a big role in pupils’ wellbeing, motivation, and confidence. Research from The Wildlife Trusts and UCL shows that spending time in nature has a positive impact on children’s health and well-being. After spending time outdoors connecting with nature, 84% of children surveyed felt that they were capable of doing new things and 79% reported better relationships with their classmates.

Our Wilder Schools programme works directly with schools and teachers to connect students with nature. We train teachers to deliver outdoor classes independently, helping them overcome barriers that in the past made it challenging to work outside.

We also give advice on care of the school

grounds, to create wilder and greener spaces outside the classroom.

All schools, colleges, and education centres can get involved! Wild outdoor spaces in school grounds can be used to help create a relaxed atmosphere and reduce stress. Students can share and implement ideas for how to help nature thrive by setting up committees. Students can take the lead and set up projects, campaigns and scientific experiments to empower their peers and school staff to make changes for nature and the environment.

These examples and more will help us create a wilder Hampshire and Isle of Wight where nature thrives in all environments.

We connect students with nature and help teachers get classes outside.

St Alban’s C of E Primary School

We shared a Pollinator Promise

JULIE NEWM AN

The Pollinator Promise asks people to pledge to put aside a square metre area in their garden, school grounds or business to grow pollinator-friendly plants. The children had the ambition to involve the local community. But it has gone even further afield and with the support from school staff and Team Wilder over 2,000 people have pledged across the UK. The children’s motto is ‘Metre by metre let people know, metre by metre let pollinators grow!’  You can share your own pollinator pots or plots using #PolliPromise on social media

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TEAM WILDER

Droxford Junior School

Barton Peveril College

We support a Wilder committee Headteacher Mr Dampier said: “From my perspective it is important to have the Trust on board to support our long-term vision for our school grounds - not only for learning and play but also in an education/curricular sense. We wish the cycle of learning about wildlife, sustainability, stewardship, our local environment and the wider world to be led by the children and enjoyed by all.

The Wilder Project is a key part of this.”

NAT SERGII

We celebrated a student’s action for nature

MATTH EW DAMPI ER

Nat, a student at Barton Peveril Sixth Form College in Eastleigh combined his studies with an Extended Project Qualification to make space for nature on his college grounds. Nat transformed areas of the college fields by planting a wildflower bank. This became a part of a pollinator corridor, and within months was teeming with wildlife.

Wicor Primary School

We helped a Wilder journey We are working closely with Wicor Primary school to help support their current projects. They have done some amazing things so far, including planting flowers for specific insect species, engaging the local community and creating habitats within the school grounds.

Teacher Laura Moorhouse said “At Wicor, natural history is central to our values as a school. We have a bespoke curriculum, which over the last two years has focused on the importance of insects. Children studied the different species in depth and learnt about the devastating impact we are having on insect populations and the knock-on effect that this has on

biodiversity. We have used our grounds to provide rich habitats for wildlife and children are currently propagating plants aimed at the specific species of insects that we are studying.

“We are very grateful to Hampshire & Isle of Wight Wildlife Trust for producing some fantastic engaging and informative videos to support this learning. Our aim is to raise awareness in both the school and the wider community, to promote gardening for wildlife and to empower our children to make a difference. We are looking forward to working with the Trust closely in future to support the delivery of our natural history curriculum as we believe that working with

experts will enhance their knowledge and passion for the natural world. We are also looking forward to working with the trust in encouraging our council to stop cutting the verges in our community. We know how important it is to build up these networks for pollinators and to mitigate the effects of habitat fragmentation.”

If you want to become a Wilder School please email wilder@hiwwt.org.uk for more information or find lots of great resources on our website www.hiwwt.org.uk/education/resources Wild Life | Summer 2021

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6 places to see SLOW WORM © NICK UPTON

slow worms

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his confusing reptile is called a worm and looks like a snake, but is actually a legless lizard! They have a shiny appearance and come in various shades of brown, from greyish-brown to coppery. Their snakish appearance is betrayed by their lizard-like head, which seems to merge seamlessly into their body, and their eyelids, which snakes lack. Slow worms are found throughout Britain, but have never been found in Northern Ireland and the Isle of Man. Slow worms enjoy a variety of habitats, from heaths to grasslands and woodland edges, and can often be found in large gardens or allotments. You can make your garden more appealing for them with log piles, areas of long grass and a compost heap. If you lay down some cover, like a corrugated sheet or piece of old dark carpet, you may find slow worms or other reptiles sheltering underneath it.

Reptiles are best looked for on sunny days, but slow worms spend less time basking in the open than other reptiles and can be tricky to spot, so don’t be disheartened if you don’t find one! Your search could also reveal common lizards, grass snakes or even adders.

See the spectacle

for yourself

3 2 6 5 4 1

1 Bouldnor Forest Nature Reserve, Hampshire & Isle of Wight Wildlife Trust When you’ve finished searching for slow worms along the heaths of this scenic reserve, you can look for red squirrels leaping between the trees, or head down to the beach and hunt for fossils amongst the pebbles.

Where: Yarmouth, PO41 0AB 2 Emer Bog and Baddesley Common Nature Reserve, Hampshire & Isle of Wight Wildlife Trust The mosaic of habitats in these two reserves mean they are home to varied wildlife. Slow worms and other reptiles including adders and grass snakes are widespread. Look out for hobbies, warblers and stonechats and one of the many species of dragonfly found here.

Where: North Baddesley, SO51 9BN 3 Blow’s Downs, The Wildlife Trust for Beds, Cambs & Northants The slopes of these steep chalk hills are covered in wildflowers, from the frothy white of great pignut to the purple hues of scabious and knapweed, with patches of scrub to shelter wildlife. Regular monitoring confirms a thriving population of slow worms.

Where: Dunstable, LU5 4AE 4 Chobham Common, Surrey Wildlife Trust One of the finest examples of lowland heath in the UK, Chobham Common National Nature Reserve is home to many reptiles. As well as slow worms, there are adders, grass snakes, common lizards and the extremely rare sand lizard.

Where: Chobham, KT16 0ED 5 Hook Common and Bartley Heath Nature Reserve, Hampshire & Isle of Wight Wildlife Trust Open heaths and woodland provide the perfect habitat for reptiles, including slow worms. Look out for the Exmoor ponies that graze the site as well as rare orchids and wildflowers.

Where: Hook, RG27 9UP 6 Bovey Heathfield, Devon Wildlife Trust Once scarred by off-road vehicles and burned-out-cars, Bovey Heathfield is now a tranquil nature reserve. Follow the network of paths to explore this beautiful landscape of gorse and heather, home to slow worms, common lizards, grass snakes and adders.

Where: Bovey Tracey, TQ12 6TU

Slow worms are often mistaken for snakes.

Did you discover any slow worms ?

When spotting slow worms, please be sure to follow Government guidance on social distancing and stay local. And remember to tweet us your best photos! @HantsIWWildlife

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ECOLOGICAL MONITORING Bat roosting boxes

Monitoring

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the status of the habitats and identify what wildlife is present. The team may also need to confirm whether the area has any conservation designations (local, national or international) and priority species or habitats recorded.

Some species records would highlight a need for specific management. For example, if there are bat roosts on the site, any work on trees would need a survey beforehand and a plan in place to make sure bat roosts are not damaged.

Appropriate licences would be applied for, and mitigation or compensation measures delivered.

Once the team know which species are on the site and have a good idea of its condition, known as the baseline, the Trust will draw

ne of the aims of the Trust’s Wilder 2030 strategy is for 30% of land and sea to become wilder, with nature recovering, by the end of the decade.

To do this, the Trust will be linking up existing nature reserves, rewilding areas and, in some cases, looking to invest in new nature reserves with the help of you - our supporters. When the Trust acquires land, the ecology team are involved from the very start of that process. Senior Ecologist Sarah Jackson explains how the Trust goes about choosing, monitoring and improving land for wildlife.

Making a plan

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Duke of Burgundy butterfly

GRAHAM HOGGARTH

Once an area has been identified as a site for a new nature reserve, or an extension to an existing one, the first port of call is the local biological records centre: Hampshire Biodiversity Information Centre (HBIC) on the mainland and the Isle of Wight Local Records Centre on the Island. Here, they keep all the records of species (that’s nearly eight million records) and habitats collected from surveys and volunteer recorders.

The ecology team combine studying historic records with a site visit to check

Brown long-eared bat emerging

TREVOR CODLIN

MIKE READ

MATTERS up management plans for the site. These aim to improve existing habitats or enable low quality and man-made areas to revert to a more natural state which will be better for wildlife.

Surveys

The habitat type and species present will determine which surveys are needed.

Both individual species surveys and comprehensive surveys of the habitat may be used. The ecology team at the Trust includes seven ecologists with two trainees from spring to autumn. The team has also built excellent links with dedicated naturalists in the two counties over the years, who carry out surveys that require a lot of specialist knowledge, particularly botanical or invertebrate surveys. Members of the team hold licences to survey great-crested newts, dormice, bats, southern damselfly and white-clawed crayfish.

Reserves officers draw up site management plans for the nature reserves and work with the ecology team annually to determine which surveys need to take place. Sometimes initial

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ECOLOGICAL MONITORING management will involve large-scale changes, where surveys are carried out before and after works, to monitor the effect the management is having on wildlife. For example, at Copythorne Common Nature Reserve, there was extensive tree felling and thinning carried out to restore open habitats that had been lost. Using fixed point photography and reptile surveys, it was possible to show that reptiles such as slow worms had spread into the newly cleared areas. This data helps people understand that, while work like tree felling can look damaging, the aim is to enhance the habitats, and this work enables the Trust to demonstrate an increase in biodiversity.

You’ll need a licence for that

Next steps

To find out more about how the ecology team can help with surveys and habitat management advice see www.arcadian.consulting

of how populations are doing nationally, but it also helps the Trust tell if coppicing work locally is benefiting wildlife. It takes two to three years to get your dormouse license, learning how to handle and record this sensitive species.

Great-crested newt

DAVID KILBEY

Natural England has guidelines that tell ecologists how to survey for these newts, involving six site visits looking

for both eggs and adults. Surveys are done at night, where passers-by can be in for a surprise as a head-torchwearing ecologist pops up from the vegetation around a pond! Great-crested newts are fussy creatures, their presence requires clear water with plenty of invertebrates and good connectivity between habitats on land. It takes a year or two to gain your licence, and any significant management work on ponds with known great-crested newts must have a separate licence.

White-clawed crayfish The white-clawed crayfish is the only species of crayfish native to the UK and has suffered a dramatic decline across England since the 1970s. By 2010 this species was restricted to two locations in Hampshire – the headwaters of the River Itchen, and a tributary of the River Test.

This was as a result of the introduction of the non-native signal crayfish, and the disease crayfish plague which it carries.

Since 2008 the Trust has been conducting crayfish surveys to

ANDY KIRKLAND

As with a lot of the Trust’s work, Covid-19 affected the ecology team. In 2020 survey windows for breeding birds and greatcrested newts had to be missed. Certain mammals can contract the illness, so extra PPE is needed. For some species, such as bats, contact surveys are on hold.

Last spring, the Trust was delighted to purchase Deacon Hill Nature Reserve, thanks to the generosity of supporters and gifts in Wills. Baseline surveys for the nature reserve were delayed, but this year it has been possible to start gathering data. Initial surveys include monitoring butterfly populations, searching for Duke of Burgundy butterflies, breeding bird surveys and cowslip counts. These surveys will be done annually for the first five years, informing early management during the period of most rapid change; as the site establishes, surveys become less frequent.

Technology is always changing, and the ecology team keeps pace with new developments such as infrared cameras to study bat roosts and tablets for quick and efficient field recording. Each year the recently graduated trainees bring new knowledge and techniques with them, which helps the whole team to develop and grow.

ANDY ROTHWELL

Dormice The Trust takes part in the National Dormouse Monitoring Scheme run by PTES. This involves checking around 50 boxes for dormice each month including at Shutts Copse Nature Reserve and Chappetts Copse Nature Reserve where these surveys have happened regularly for over 10 years, although there are records for Shutts Copse back to 1992.

Not only does this survey give a snapshot

monitor the status of these remaining populations. This involves enhancing the habitat for our native crayfish where possible, and most importantly providing advice to ensure that signal crayfish and crayfish plague are not accidentally transferred to these areas. In 2012 the Trust begun to work in collaboration with the Bristol Zoological Society, to extend the range of the native crayfish on the River Itchen through the release of juvenile crayfish (of Itchen origin) born in captivity at Bristol Zoo Gardens.

The Trust aims to establish new crayfish ‘ark sites’, which are undisturbed and isolated away from rivers that support signal crayfish. The Trust would be delighted to hear from anyone who thinks they may know of sites that meets this description at: feedback@ hiwwt.org.uk.

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Celebrating 60 years of your Wildlife Trust

I

n 1961 the Trust was formed with 335 members and a little over £300 to our name.

A lot has changed for wildlife and in the field of conservation in the last 60 years, and so much of what the Trust has achieved is thanks to you - our members and supporters. We share some of the successes, highlights and our vision for the future as we look forward to the next 60 years and beyond.

2011

To celebrate the Trust’s 50th anniversary, staff and volunteers joined Vice President Chris Packham to make a huge 1,370kg seed cake, setting a new Guinness World Record!

1961

1965

The Trust has 1,000 members.

DARRAN JONES

Our first nature reserve was created at Upper Titchfield Haven.

Kingfisher

Our first Island nature reserve was created at Swanpond Copse.

1996

We reached over 10,000 members.

1973

Jim White, the Trust’s first Conservation Officer was employed.

1993

Swanwick Lakes Nature Reserve opened by Chris Packham on the site of former working clay pits.

ED MERRITT

1971

Testwood Lakes Education Centre

2003

Testwood Lakes Education Centre opened its doors on the site of a former gravel pit.

2004

2009

The New Forest Non-Native Plants Project was established to stop the spread of invasive non-native plants.

We reached 20,000 members.

1991

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1982

We employed our first Education Officer.

Grazing cattle in Long Valley - part of the MoD estate managed by the Trust.

STEVE BLACKER

DR DAVID WILLIAMMS

Badger at Roydon Woods

Renamed Hampshire & Isle of Wight Wildlife Trust and adopted the badger logo, in line with the national movement.

2007

We began working in partnership with the Ministry of Defence to help manage over 3,000 hectares of internationally important landscapes in north and east Hampshire.

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LIANNE DE MELLO

2013

LINDA PRIESTLEY

We purchased our first farm, College Copse, and established our grazing herd of British White cattle to help manage nature reserves.

British White cattle

Chalk streams are home to unique wildlife.

The Needles MCZ

2015

2020

2019

The Watercress & Winterbournes Landscape Partnership Scheme was awarded £1.9 million by the National Lottery Heritage Fund. This five-year project brings together local communities, landowners and 16 organisations to restore and celebrate our iconic chalk rivers.

Our most successful land purchase appeal ever raised over £245,000 to secure 124 acres of land on the Isle of Wight, creating the Newchurch Moors Nature Reserve.

2016

KEN DOLBEAR

Newchurch Moors Nature Reserve

Marsh fritillary butterflies

2018

The first generation of marsh fritillary butterflies were successfully reintroduced to Trust managed sites after disappearing from northeast Hampshire’s meadows.

2018

The National Lottery Heritage Fund awarded the Trust £640,200 towards ‘Secrets of the Solent’, a four-year project to celebrate the amazing people and wildlife that share our waters.

IAN PRATT

Over 1,600 people donated to an appeal to buy Hockey Meadows Farm, helping expand our successful conservation grazing operations.

Duke of Burgundy butterfly

2020

Members and supporters helped us raise over £150,000 to purchase Deacon Hill Nature Reserve near Winchester – a vital stronghold for the Duke of Burgundy butterfly.

2021

Today we have over 26, 000 members and manage 60 nature reserves covering 4,691 hectares of land. But there is still much more to do to turn the tide towards nature’s recovery.

The Wilder 2030 strategy brings a new direction to areas of our work, including outreach and work in local communities.

Much of this work now forms part of Team Wilder and brings with it new partnerships and links to many new areas.

Similarly, our Wilder Land and Sea programme with its focus on rewilding and nature based solutions, is creating new and exciting opportunities to restore much larger areas for nature.

Wilder 2030 Our ambitious 2030 goals, for 30% of land and sea to be made wilder, for the pressure on nature to be reduced everywhere else, and for one in four people to take action for nature, will not be easily reached. But all that we have achieved in the past 60 years shows how much we can accomplish by working together with our members, supporters and partners.

With the pressures of the climate crisis and ecological emergency weighing heavy on our natural world, the need to act is more urgent than ever. Wilder 2030 is our plan to see nature thriving across the entirety of our two counties and secure another 60 years for wildlife. We need you to help us put nature into recovery by 2030.

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GARETH HOGGARTH

We successfully campaigned for the designation of three Marine Conservation Zones (MCZs), the Needles, Utopia, and Offshore Overfalls, giving a range of spectacular underwater habitats and marine life national protection.

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MY WILD LIFE

Sophie Yeomanson This spring the Trust said farewell to Sophie Yeomanson, Trainee Assistant Reserves Officer.

Sophie developed an interest in wildlife at a young age and went on to complete a degree in Wildlife Ecology and Conservation at Sparsholt. She joined us in the summer of 2020 for a placement designed to help provide her with the essential practical skills needed to pursue a career in conservation management. She tells us what her experience with the Trust has been like and describes some of the skills she has gained.

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OUR WILDLIFE CHAMPIONS

It has been strange starting a new job during lockdown.

Everyone at the Trust has been friendly and supportive, but I have only met a handful of people face to face. Working for the Trust has been a dream come true for me, and I am so pleased that I’ve had this opportunity.

I was first introduced to Hampshire & Isle of Wight Wildlife Trust when I was at school in Year 6. We visited Swanwick Lakes Nature Reserve on a school trip and it made a big impression on me - I even kept the schoolwork I did, which mentions pond dipping as my favourite part of the day. It turns out that my school, Sarisbury Junior School, was the very first school to visit when the Swanwick Education Centre opened back in 1993.

I grew up near Swanwick Lakes, so I have been lucky enough to visit regularly.

My family aren’t what you’d probably call “outdoor people”, but we did enjoy going for family walks there regularly. When I got a bit older, I became a volunteer with the Trust and worked at Swanwick Lakes, so it is fair to say that I feel emotionally invested in that nature reserve.

CAMERON REID

Throughout my traineeship, I have been working with the team to cover ten different sites, including Swanwick Lakes.

I have developed practical skills such as brush cutting and received training in how to lead groups of volunteers. Winter (and lockdown) was difficult as we had no volunteers. Working on the nature reserves is physically hard at the best of

Marsh harrrier coming to land in the reeds

Education group at Swanwick Lakes Nature Reserve

times, but without the extra support, it was even more testing. The additional time with the Reserves Officers meant I could ask lots of questions, though, so there have been some benefits! My standout moment during my traineeship was doing a site check at Farlington Marshes Nature Reserve and a marsh harrier swooped right in front of me – amazing! My advice to anyone visiting one of the reserves is to stop and pay attention to what is around - listen to the bird song, look around. My dad is very jealous of my job now; I think he’d like to be working outdoors rather than in an office. My enthusiasm for nature has impacted my whole family.

“My standout moment was when a marsh harrier swooped right in front of me!”

They are all so engaged with what I do I’m always getting messages from various family members asking about different birds or things they’ve seen, and calls from grandma asking about gardening – I love it.

My placement with the Trust has made me more certain than ever that I want a career in land management for conservation. In fact, one day, my ideal job would be my manager Chris’s job as a Reserves Officer! I will be working for the RSPB as their Community Shorebird Officer for the Solent from this spring, so, I will be staying local and able to continue doing what I love. Hampshire & Isle of Wight Wildlife Trust and Swanwick Lakes Nature Reserve will always have a special place in my heart and, hopefully, in future, I will be able to return to the Trust, working on their nature reserves once more.

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O

W RA

ILDER FUTUR

E: hi

w w

F

Do something amazing for local wildlife /le rg.u k ave -gi f t.o t -in -

w

ill

Leave a gift in your Will In 2020 funds left through gifts in Wills were used to repair and upgrade the fence around the meadow at Coulters Dean Nature Reserve.

This work keeps our small herd of sheep safe whilst they keep the chalk meadow in top condition. Flowers such as greater butterfly orchid, rock rose and eyebright continue to flourish as the living legacy of these kind gifts.

Do you have a vision of a wilder Hampshire and Isle of Wight, where nature thrives and communities are connected to the natural world around them?

If so, once loved ones have been taken care of, could you do something amazing and leave a gift to local wildlife in your Will?

Find out more at www.hiwwt.org.uk/leave-gift-in-will VIEW ACROSS COULTERS DEAN - PAUL GONELLA

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