Wild Life - Summer 2022

Wild Life

The magazine for Hampshire & Isle of Wight Wildlife Trust members

Summer 2022

Super Seagrass How we’re restoring this wonder plant in the Solent

ART OF NATURE Bringing the underwater world to life through art

CHANGING TIDES New opportunities for wildlife at one of our coastal reserves

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Hampshire & Isle of Wight Wildlife Trust

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Welcome

Protecting our precious marine environment

M

illions of people enjoy the Solent every year – including local residents, visitors and those who use the Solent for work or sport – yet very few realise the wonders that lie beneath the waves.

In this summer issue of Wild Life, we celebrate the incredible marine environments in our two counties, including the Solent, which is one of the most important coastal areas in the UK. The strait’s diverse range of habitats are of national and international importance providing homes for rare coastal plants, marine invertebrates, crustaceans and molluscs. These coastal habitats, including Southmoor Nature Reserve – see page 8 – are also vital feeding, roosting and over-wintering grounds for waders and waterfowl including dark-bellied brent geese, blacktailed godwit, little tern and ringed plover.

Yet, the Solent is under growing pressure from developments, pollution, climate change, sea level rise and increased recreational pressure.

Read the latest news on our campaign to protect internationally important habitats at Tipner West on page 10.

On page 18, we share how restoring our threatened seagrass meadows can play a vital role in capturing and storing carbon, nitrates and other pollutants; providing nature-based solutions to local and global problems.

Finally, we also highlight our amazing Secrets of the Solent project, which is supported by the National Lottery Heritage Fund, on page 22.

Within our coasts, harbours, mudflats and saltmarshes, there really is so much extraordinary marine wildlife and habitats worth protecting and we simply couldn’t do any of it without your support.

Thank you.

Debbie Tann, Chief Executive Twitter @Debbie_Tann

Hampshire & Isle of Wight Wildlife Trust

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Wild Life is the membership magazine for Hampshire & Isle of Wight Wildlife Trust.

Email membership@hiwwt.org.uk Telephone 01489 774400 Address Beechcroft House, Vicarage Lane, Curdridge, Hampshire SO32 2DP

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.

Wild Life Magazine Editor Jake Kendall-Ashton

Registered charity number 201081.

Company limited by guarantee and registered in England and Wales No. 676313.

Website hiwwt.org.uk

● We manage over 60 nature reserves. ● We are supported by 27,000 members and 1,600 volunteers.

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.

Cover image A juvenile tompot blenny in Bembridge Marine Conservation Zone on the Isle of Wight © Theo Vickers

For more information on our privacy policy visit hiwwt.org.uk/privacy-notice

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.

Wild Life | Summer 2022

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Contents

WILD SEASON

4 Your wild summer

Seasonal nature highlights to look out for from ‘sea grapes’ to seals

8 Discover Southmoor

A nature reserve that is (quite literally) changing with the tides THEO VICKERS

A round-up of the latest Trust news, successes and updates

15 AGM invite

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10 Wild news

Join us in person at our 2022 Annual General Meeting

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Team Wilder

We share the stories of local people taking action to protect marine nature

FEATURES

18 Super seagrass DAVID TIPLING / 2020VISION

CHAS SPRADBERY

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We’re on a mission to restore the Solent’s seagrass – and the signs are promising

22 The art of nature

Learn how we’re hoping the power of art can inspire people about marine environments

26 Fresh faces

An ID guide to six freshwater fish found in the UK’s streams, rivers and lakes

REGULARS

28 Wildife gardening

Top tips for curating a wildlife-friendly garden this summer from author Kate Bradbury

30 My wild life SIÂN ADDISON

Marine biologist Dr Tim Ferrero reveals why nature in the Solent needs protecting

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YOUR WILD SUMMER

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

Thank you Thanks to your support, we’ve been able to protect, create and monitor important marine habitats in our two counties. Learn more about how your membership is helping to create a Wilder Solent at hiwwt.org.uk/wilder-solent

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SUMMER SPECTACLE

Spectacular Solent The Solent as we know it today formed over 7,000 years ago. Originally, it was a major river, but after the last ice age it flooded and split the Isle of Wight from mainland England.

The strait is approximately 20 miles long, boasts an unusual ‘double tide’ phenomenon and is one of the most sheltered channels in Europe.

The stretch of water serves as a major shipping lane and hub for recreational water sports despite being only about four miles wide at its widest point.

Famous for hosting the annual Cowes Week Regatta and where Henry VIII’s warship the Mary Rose sank in 1545, the Solent is also internationally important for wildlife.

Each year, up to 125,000 migratory birds flock to the Solent’s coastlines while its patchwork of marine habitats hosts rare and unusual species from sharks, dolphins and seals to cuttlefish, seahorses and jellyfish.

Sadly, this special environment is under increasing pressure from human activities, which is why the Trust is helping to safeguard its future through our Secrets of the Solent project supported by the National Lottery Heritage Fund.

EXPLORE THE SOLENT THIS SUMMER

 Sign up to an intertidal survey – these monthly citizen science surveys are a great way to help us better understand the wildlife on the Solent’s coast.  Visit a marine mural – there are six enormous murals by street artist ATM to find in our counties, each of a different species found in the Solent. More on page 18.  Take a pledge for our seas –support our marvellous marine environments by choosing to stop using plastic, join a beach clean or eat sustainable seafood.

ADRIFT

The iconic Needles signal the western approach to the Solent.

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YOUR WILD SUMMER INSET: POLLY WHYTE

Cuttlefish can change colour and texture to camouflage, distract predators and attract mates.

Cuttlefish eggs

ALEXANDER MUSTARD / 2020VISION

Curious cuttlef ish After wintering in deeper waters, common cuttlefish typically move into shallow coastal waters to breed during spring and summer.

Female cuttlefish visit seagrass meadows to lay their dyed black eggs, known as ‘sea grapes’, which they attach in clusters to seagrass leaves and seaweed.

Like squid, cuttlefish produce clouds of black ink when threatened and can

beach. Cuttlebones, which are the chalky, lightweight inner shells of cuttlefish, often wash up on our shores.

Cuttlefish bone

PAUL GONELLA

Shark and skate egg cases are known as ‘mermaid’s purses’.

change the colour and texture of their skin to help camouflage them from predators. During summer, males attempt to attract females by passing rapid pulses of colour along their bodies in mesmerising displays.

These enigmatic cephalopods are found throughout UK waters but are especially common on the south coast.

Perhaps the best chance of spotting signs of a cuttlefish, though, is on the

URBAN FIELDCRAFT

Beach combing for egg cases

AMY MARSDEN

Wander along any beach in the UK and there’s a good chance you will stumble upon the empty egg case of a shark or skate.

Made of keratin, these strangelooking leathery capsules – also known as ‘mermaid’s purses’ – are where the fish embryo develops before hatching.

Egg cases vary between species but it’s relatively simple to identify which fish an egg case belongs to based on its size, shape and features. Generally, shark egg cases are smaller and have curly tendrils at each end while skates 6

typically have more rectangular egg cases with a horn protruding from each corner.

Egg case hunting on your coastline is great fun but is also a form of citizen science. Identifying and recording shark and skate egg cases can help conservationists learn more about our threatened marine wildlife.

The Shark Trust website offers useful guides to help ID egg cases and encourages people to share their egg case findings with them at recording.sharktrust.org/ eggcases/record

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HEAR THIS

Head to a woodland nature reserve, like Roydon Woods, and listen for the onomatopoeic call of a cuckoo.

DO THIS

Visit your local beach and spend some time exploring rockpools – you’ll be amazed at what you can find.

SPECIES SPOTLIGHT

Harbour seals

3 species to spot Beadlet anemone These dark red, jelly-like blobs are often seen in rockpools. When exposed above water, they typically retract their tentacles. Why not join one of the Trust’s intertidal surveys for a chance to spot one?

PAUL NAYLOR

CHAS SPRADBERY

White-tailed eagle Known as ‘flying barn doors’, these colossal birds can have a 2.4m wingspan. Though mainly found in Scotland, they were reintroduced to the Isle of Wight in 2019 and occasionally get sighted on the mainland including at Blashford Lakes Nature Reserve.

PETER CAIRNS / 2020VISION

to black, but generally they are grey with dark spots.

Typically, a harbour seal’s diet consists of various fish, though they will also predate squid, whelks, crabs and mussels.

See them this summer The first official sighting of a harbour seal in the Solent was recorded in 1994.

Since then, a small population has slowly established and now an estimated 80 harbour seals are resident in the Solent and their numbers are steadily increasing.

The most likely place to spot them in our region is Chichester Harbour, though they can also be spotted at Langstone Harbour and on the Isle of Wight.

To find out more about harbour seals, and other marine wildlife in our two counties, visit hiwwt.org.uk/wildlifeexplorer/marine

Common dolphin Pods of these energetic dolphins can be seen in the Solent, though mainly offshore. Also called short-beaked dolphins, they have distinctive figure of eight patterning on their flanks.

THEO VICKERS

Harbour seals are also known as common seals despite them being found in less numbers than the UK’s only other native seal, the grey seal.

Feeding at sea and in coastal waters, harbour seals are most often spotted resting on sandbanks, beaches and tidal rocks. This time spent on land allows the mammals to warm up and restore their energy before their next hunting dive.

The seals’ hauling-out behaviour is most common during spring and summer, which is their pupping and moulting season.

Females will give birth to a single pup in June or July each year. Incredibly, pups can swim when they are only a few hours old.

Harbour seals can be distinguished from grey seals by their smaller size, a more rounded head and a blunter muzzle. Their colour is extremely variable, from blonde

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NATURE RESERVE SPOTLIGHT

Discover...

Southmoor This coastal nature reserve near Portsmouth is changing with the tides – quite literally.

Since its sea wall was breached in 2020, the habitats at Southmoor have begun a fascinating transformation which is offering new opportunities for wildlife and visitors.

T

wo years ago, a summer visit to Southmoor Nature Reserve in Havant would mean strolling through a coastal marshland prolific with flowering orchids, wading birds and grazing cattle.

Since then, a dramatic and irreversible transformation has taken place. The waders happily remain but, sadly, the orchids are no more and the cattle are yet to return.

In August 2020, the deteriorating sea wall that defended Southmoor against the tides of Langstone Harbour succumbed to a series of fierce storms and was breached. The nature reserve was completely flooded.

Initially, there was real concern the entire site would be lost to the sea forever. Mercifully, those fears receded thanks to an outlet that allows some floodwater to drain away. However, the sea wall was so badly damaged that parts of the reserve are now completely underwater at each high tide. Trust staff have even found seaweed hanging from the top strands of barbed wire that was previously Southmoor’s cattle fencing.

CHRIS LYCETT

Opportunities for wildlife

The deteriorating sea wall before it was breached...

CHRIS LYCETT

...sea water floods into the nature reserve after the wall’s defences fail.

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All is not lost at Southmoor. The sea wall’s failing has resulted in a remarkable shift in habitat and opportunity has arisen from the change. What used to be coastal grazing marshland is now in the process of becoming saltmarsh, which is attracting new wildlife.

Joe Rackstraw, the Trust’s reserves officer at Southmoor, says: “The reserve was already an important site for nature, but it has become even more special because of the sea wall breach and the potential for new wildlife it could bring.

“It was sad losing the orchids but these flowers, plus others that were killed off, are slowly being replaced by saltwater specialist plants like glassworts (also known as marsh samphire).

“As a saltmarsh, Southmoor will attract wading birds like lapwing, avocet, redshank, greenshank, godwit, curlew and plover, as well as ducks like gadwall, wigeon and shelduck.”

“Trust staff have found seaweed hanging from the top strands of barbed wire that was previously cattle fencing.”

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NATURE RESERVE SPOTLIGHT

NOW YOU DO IT

CHRIS LYCETT

Visit Southmoor Nature Reserve KNOW BEFORE YOU GO Flooding at Southmoor Nature Reserve.

Haven for birdlife

TOP TIP: Southmoor is a great vantage point for spotting black-necked grebes, red-breasted mergansers and great northern divers in Langstone Harbour.

Going with the tide The Trust wants to use the breaching event at Southmoor to better understand

TOP WILDLIFE TO SPOT

how habitats can change when nature takes over. Thankfully, the flooding has not been detrimental to local wildlife at Southmoor. However, other coastal nature reserves that support a larger number of protected species, like Farlington Marshes, face a far greater risk from the impact of climate change.

These coastal habitats play an important role in helping to mitigate the impact of urban flooding from rising sea levels and more extreme storms. Ensuring that we can find suitable compensatory space really does have multiple benefits for people and wildlife. The challenge is finding those substitute habitats, and this is something we want to work with local authorities on to safeguard the future of our precious coastal wildlife.

Glasswort, or sea asparagus, is one plant species that could thrive in the new saltmarsh environment.

Skylarks: These ground nesting birds, renowned for their distinctive display flight and song, use Southmoor as a breeding site.

Red-breasted merganser: Look out for these handsome birds with their long, serrated bills at the reserve and in Langstone Harbour.

Curlew: Southmoor offers good habitat for this protected wading bird, with its unmistakeable downcurved bill and evocative ‘cur-lee’ call.

HABITAT OVERVIEW: SALTMARSH

TERRY WHITTAKER / 2020VISION

This included protected species such as curlew, dunlin and ringed plover, which feature on the ‘red list’ of Birds of Conservation Concern.

Carmen Green, Senior Ecologist at the Trust, says: “Southmoor is a haven for overwintering birds in the Solent and attracts an abundance of winter ducks and waders.

“With the fantastic habitats of Langstone Harbour and Farlington Marshes Nature Reserve either side of Southmoor, it’s possible to see a range of species here.

“It’s particularly good to find several rare and notable bird species at Southmoor and though we didn’t see one in our surveys, I’ve heard short-eared owl have been sighted at the reserve.”

Curlews are found at Southmoor.

TERRY WHITTAKER / 2020VISION

At high tide, when much of the eastern half of Southmoor becomes completely submerged, only a few islets of scrubland remain exposed. These have been readily accepted as ideal roost sites for gulls and terns as they are safely out of reach of predators like foxes.

Even before the breaching event, Southmoor was a known birding hotspot.

Since its transition to saltmarsh, that has become even more apparent. Last winter, the Trust’s ecology team carried out several bird surveys at the reserve and recorded over 1,400 birds of 35 different species.

Location: Southmoor Lane, Havant, Hampshire, PO9 1JW OS Maps grid reference: SU709051 Parking: Parking available on Southmoor Lane.

Nearest bus stop: Langstone Business Park, Penner Road, 10-minute walk to Southmoor.

Getting around: The reserve features several public footpaths and permissive paths across the site, some are unsurfaced and can be muddy when wet. Please keep to paths to avoid disturbing sensitive wildlife.

 Saltmarshes are coastal wetlands that are flooded and drained by salt water brought in by the tides.  The ecosystem provides important breeding and feeding sites for waders and waterfowl and nursery areas for fish species.  As well as supporting huge biodiversity, saltmarshes also protect us from coastal erosion and storm surges and help to combat climate change.  One hectare of saltmarsh can capture two tonnes of carbon a year and lock it into sediments for centuries.

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WILD NEWS

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

Concept drawing showing how Tipner West development could integrate nature-positive principles.

Trust delivers Tipner challenge to Portsmouth City Council

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But we still have a short window of opportunity to convince them to adopt an option that does not breach into the Special Protection Area – a fundamental red line for nature.

In April this year, the Trust and the RSPB unveiled a challenge to Portsmouth’s council to avoid destroying this protected wildlife site and instead deliver a better future for the people and nature of Tipner West.

We recognise Portsmouth needs new affordable homes, just as wildlife needs homes, but this should not come at the expense of nature.

Aerial veiw of Tipner West.

Any loss of legally protected wildlife areas is a fundamental red line for nature, and the council risks setting a dangerous ‘Portsmouth Precedent’ for building on protected sites nationally.

We now have the support of the MP for the area, Penny Mordaunt, along with the Portsmouth Labour and Conservative groups. We’re very close to securing a win for the people and wildlife of Portsmouth, but we still need your help to tell the council ‘Don’t Cross the Line’ into protected sites for nature. Find out more at hiwwt.org.uk/tipner

STRONG ISLAND

ince 2020, the Trust has led a high-profile campaign, in partnership with the RSPB, against Portsmouth City Council’s proposal to build a 3,500-home superpeninsula at Tipner West.

Such a development would threaten to concrete over legally protected intertidal and coastal habitats that are vital feeding grounds for internationally important populations of birds like dark-bellied brent geese.

As part of the campaign, over 25,000 people signed our petition calling for the council to rethink their proposals and 9,000 people responded to Portsmouth’s initial Local Plan consultation and eventually they listened, pausing their land reclamation plans.

Councillors are now deciding the fate of Tipner West as they finalise proposals ahead of publishing their Local Plan this winter. They have ruled out zero development and alternative, scaleddown plans would still destroy an area of legally protected coastal meadow, equal in size to five football pitches.

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NEWS

News in brief

Blashford Lakes appeal success Our flagship Blashford Lakes Nature Reserve is receiving an essential makeover after a successful fundraising appeal allowed the Trust to restore a vital boardwalk and one of the much-loved educational dipping ponds.

Once a series of lifeless gravel pits, Blashford Lakes in the New Forest now flourishes with wildlife and is home to one of our three nature education centres.

After 15 years, the boardwalk urgently needed to be replaced. Despite regular repairs, damage caused by the increase in heavy rainfall meant the boardwalk had to be closed to mobility scooters and wheelchairs as it was no longer safe for them to use.

Over at the original dipping pond the

Before the Blashford boardwalk was restored.

Meet our friendly new face

picture was not much better. The lining of the pond had been punctured by reeds and was no longer holding water.

The estimated cost of the repair works was £20,000 and after securing £5,000 in project funds and a further £10,000 from a generous individual donor, the Trust had a £5,000 shortfall.

Thanks to our amazing supporters, the appeal was a success, and we will be able to carry out the repairs to the boardwalk and reopen it to visitors, making it even more accessible to mobility scooters and wheelchairs.

As well as everyone who kindly donated to the appeal, the Trust would like to thank Tarmac, Waitrose and Hildon Ltd. for their valued support.

Have you noticed anything different in this issue?

Keen-eyed readers may have spotted that, after many years, our familiar and beloved badger has evolved, and we have an updated logo.

The new emblem was created after months of consultation across all the Wildlife Trusts and members nationally.

As a responsible charity, we aim to phase in the new logo over time to ensure the change is as cost effective and environmentally friendly as possible.

Therefore, you may see our previous logo on things like signage, uniforms and vehicles for a little while longer as we make sure items are only replaced when needed to reduce waste.

Blashford boardwalk partway through being restored.

Romsey Barge Canal restorations

Southampton set to be City of Nature The new officer will work to empower the people of Southampton to help wildlife flourish across the city and bring people together to tackle the climate and nature emergencies.

The partnership is delivered as part of Southampton City Council’s Our Greener City plan, which sets out environmental aims and pledges to 2030.

TRISH GRANT

An ambitious new project is set to help Southampton become wilder, greener and buzzing with wildlife.

Wilder Southampton is a partnership project between the Trust and Southampton City Council that aims to increase wildlife in the city, improve people’s health and wellbeing and reduce pressure on the environment.

We also want to see more wildlifefriendly outdoor spaces in Southampton by inspiring communities to take action for nature and enhance the wild areas where they live.

The Trust has recently recruited a new Wilder Communities Project Officer for Southampton who will work with communities to support nature’s recovery in the city.

Parts of Romsey Barge Canal have been restored to benefit people and wildlife as part of a joint project between the Trust and Test Valley Borough Council.

The canal, which runs alongside our Fishlake Meadows Nature Reserve, had been in steady decline following decades of recreational pressure and lack of management.

Creating a more natural meandering water channel and protecting the banks from further erosion will allow plants and aquatic wildlife to recover and thrive.

The canal restoration works were funded by the Environment Agency, Southern Water, Test Valley council and the Trust.

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WILD NEWS The Trust has expanded opportunities for wildlife to thrive on the Isle of Wight after acquiring over 350 acres of land at the Nunwell estate in Brading this spring.

Following the purchase of Little Duxmore Farm in 2019, Wilder Nunwell has become the Trust’s second dedicated rewilding site to help boost nature’s recovery on the Island.

The rewilding project is part of the Trust’s Nature-based Solutions programme. By creating nature reserves on former intensively managed land, new habitats are established for local wildlife.

Since 2019, Wilder Little Duxmore has seen wildlife recover with 36 bird species, including nationally threatened ones such as linnet and song thrush, recorded.

Invertebrates have also made a remarkable recovery with six of the UK’s ‘Big Eight’ bumblebee species recorded plus 19 butterfly species, including the endangered wall brown.

Aerial view of the Wildlife Trust’s newly-acquired rewilding site at Nunwell, Isle of Wight.

Wilder Nunwell to support nature’s recovery We anticipate many of these species will also recover and thrive at Nunwell over the coming months and years and we’ll keep you updated on progress.

The land at Nunwell was acquired with

PETE BOX

funding support from the Solent Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP) after the Oglander family, who own the land on the Nunwell Estate, approached the Trust because of their interest in rewilding.

LINDA PITKIN / 2020VISION

New chalk stream challenge for youth groups young people to learn about wildlife, habitats, and heritage.

The challenge combines pre-tested walking routes along local streams with opportunities for exploration. The routes cover Alresford, Whitchurch and Andover, though the activities can easily be adapted to other chalk streams.

The challenge is suitable for Scouts, Guides and similar youth groups, and can be customised for different ages.

If you’re a youth group leader looking to connect young people with nature, find out more about the challenge at hiwwt. org.uk/winterbournes/challenge

Split level view of the River Itchen.

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the Trust’s Watercress and Winterbournes Landscape Partnership scheme.

The scheme’s work, which is supported by the National Lottery Heritage Fund, is made possible by a team of brilliant, dedicated volunteers. Two such people Hazel and Sarah - are the brains behind the new Chalk Stream Challenge, which is a set of outdoor activities that allow

The chalk stream challenge aims to inspire exploration of river wildlife.

ROSS HODDINOTT / 2020VISION

Hampshire’s chalk streams are among the county’s most precious habitats. These resplendent waterways are found almost nowhere else on Earth and are home to many vulnerable species.

With pressures mounting on our chalk streams, however, they’ll need champions to safeguard them for the future. Now, there’s a new way to achieve this through Wild Life | Summer 2022

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NEWS

Beaver entering the water.

DAVID PARKYN

An overwhelming majority of Isle of Wight residents support the proposed release of wild beavers on the island, according to the results of a public consultation the Trust ran earlier this year.

We sent a questionnaire to every home on the island asking people for their views on the aquatic mammals being released in the Eastern Yar valley.

The Trust received almost 5,000 responses with more than 90% of people stating they feel positively about beavers being released to the Isle of Wight.

The public survey has now closed but the consultation remains ongoing as our beaver recovery project officer, Izzie Tween, continues to engage with landowners and communities on the island to review the impacts of the proposed beaver release.

Some residents have raised questions about the potential impacts of beavers on the Island. The Trust will work closely with riverside property owners and landowners to assess the likely level of impact beavers may have on their land. We’ll also consider impact mitigation options, including tree protection and dam manipulation solutions.

Following the consultation, the Trust hopes to submit a licence application, which is needed for any beaver release in the UK, to Natural England later this year.

If that licence application is successful, it’s hoped the first beavers could be released on the Island in the coming years.

Beavers are native British mammals and were once common in the UK before

NICK UPTON / CORNWALL WILDLIFE TRUST

Beavers gain public support for release on the Isle of Wight relentless hunting for their meat, fur and scent oils drove them to extinction by the 16th century.

Thankfully, conservation efforts have allowed the species to make a remarkable comeback across Britain. Wild populations are thriving in Scotland, Devon, Kent, Somerset, Wiltshire and Herefordshire.

Beavers are incredible ecosystem engineers and their activities create new wetland habitats, bringing benefits to a wide range of other wildlife, as well as mitigating flood risk and improving water quality. In areas where they are flourishing, they have attracted ecotourism, benefiting the local economy.

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WILD NEWS

KATE GARNHAM

Exposed seagrass on the intertidal shore at Seaview on the Isle of Wight.

Saving seagrass one seed pod at a time As natural habitats go, few can be more inspiring than seagrass meadows.

They support tons of wildlife, help

fight climate change and protect our coastlines from erosion.

Sadly, these internationally important

marine habitats have experienced significant declines. The UK has lost up to 92% of its seagrass over the past century.

Yet, there is hope, and the Trust has embarked on a pioneering seagrass restoration project in our two counties.

Since December 2021, we’ve handplanted over 40,000 seagrass seeds in the shores and mudflats of the Solent and are now beginning to see some promising signs of recovery from this extraordinary plant. Excitingly, we’ve discovered seedlings have successfully germinated at Seaview on the Isle of Wight, which represents our first success in our Solent Seagrass Restoration project. More on page 18.

There’s so much more we can achieve to help us restore this vital habitat for years to come. We plant seagrass seeds inside small hessian sacks, which we call seed pods, with each one holding up to 30 seeds. We will soon be offering supporters the opportunity to sponsor seagrass seed pods by donating £20.

To learn more about our seagrass restoration plans, visit hiwwt.org.uk/ seagrass-restoration

Team Wilder inspires new national Wildlife Trusts campaign The huge success of our Team Wilder initiative, which encourages people to take action for nature, has inspired a new campaign rolled out nationally by the Wildlife Trusts.

The campaign, called Nextdoor Nature, aims to empower disadvantaged communities to help local wildlife flourish where they work and live.

The ground-breaking campaign was set up to honour the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee and was made possible thanks to £5m funding from the National Lottery Heritage Fund.

Across our two counties, this additional support gives us the opportunity to expand the reaches of Team Wilder and build on its successes to date.

We plan to run new projects in Southampton, Portsmouth and on the Isle of Wight, targeting communities that we’ve not yet worked with.

Whether it’s establishing wild habitats 14

and green corridors in urban areas, or rewilding school grounds, it’s vital that people are given the necessary skills, tools and opportunities to support the wildlife on their doorsteps.

Research shows 85% of people in nature-deprived areas feel more natural spaces would improve their quality of life.

The majority also say that having access to local natural spaces is more important post-pandemic.

Nextdoor Nature will enable people to make this happen and, in doing so, take steps to tackle the nature and climate

crisis while also addressing important health and wellbeing needs.

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AGM 2022

AGM 2022

Notice of the 61st Annual General Meeting of Hampshire & Isle of Wight Wildlife Trust

Saturday 5 November 2022, 10am - 1pm Ashburton Hall, Elizabeth II Court, The Castle, Winchester, SO23 8UJ Dear Members, Following two years of holding our AGM online due to the pandemic, I am delighted to invite you to join us in person for our 2022 AGM on Saturday 5 November.

Our agenda starts at 10am and finishes at 1pm with complimentary tea, coffee and cake served during the break. As part of this year’s AGM, we will consider a Special Resolution to update our constitution by amending the Trust’s Articles of Association, and invite members to approve the appointment of a new President. As well as formal AGM business, the meeting will include: l Presentations from the Trust’s Chief Executive, Debbie Tann, and other staff celebrating the Trust’s successes and sharing future plans to deliver nature’s recovery across our two counties. l A Q&A session with myself and the speakers. l The chance to meet other Trust members and supporters, as well as trustees and staff.

I do hope you can join us to learn more about the Trust’s work and how your membership benefits local wildlife.

We look forward to seeing you there.

David Jordan OBE, Chairman This year’s AGM is once again in-person and will include a presentation by the Trust’s Chief Executive, Debbie Tann.

Join us at our AGM

Agenda Welcome by the Trust’s Chief Executive Annual General Meeting 1. Opening address by the Trust’s President 2. Apologies for absence 3. Minutes of the 60th Annual General Meeting 4. Report of the Trust’s Chairman on the year 2021–2022 5. Report of the Trust’s Honorary Treasurer on the year 2021–2022 and approval of Accounts for the year ended 31 March 2022 6. Elections to Council* 7. Special Resolution: To amend the Trust’s Articles of Association* 8. Appointment of President* 9. Appointment of Auditors: Azets, being eligible, offer themselves for reappointment.

Tea and coffee break Presentations by the Trust’s Chief Executive and staff Question & Answer session * Details of the candidates standing for Trustee election and re-election, plus the appointment of President, along with information on the proposed amendments to the Trust’s Articles of Association, can be viewed on our website at hiwwt.org.uk/agm This information can also be requested from the Trust’s office via email agm@hiwwt.org.uk or telephone 01489 774400.

If you would like to attend the AGM We would be delighted if you can join us. To register to attend, please book your place online now by visiting hiwwt.org.uk/agm Places are limited and must be booked in advance by 28 October.

If the meeting becomes fully booked before this date, we will close the bookings earlier. The AGM business papers will be available on the door on 5 November. They will also be available to view and download from 12 October, via hiwwt.org.uk/agm

If you are unable to attend the AGM You are very welcome to vote on the formal business via postal proxy vote. If you would like to register for a proxy vote, please email us at agm@hiwwt.org.uk or call 01489 774400 and provide your name and address (including postcode) and we will process your request. The deadline for requesting a proxy vote is 30 September. We will record the AGM so you can catch up on the proceedings after the meeting. We will post edited highlights on our website later in November at hiwwt.org.uk/agm

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TEAM WILDER

TEAM Welcome to Team Wilder, where we share the stories of local people coming together to take action for wildlife.

Arun Curson, Marine Champion

Arun taking part in an intertidal survey.

As Wildlife Trust volunteers go, few are more inspiring than 14-year-old, aspiring marine biologist Arun Curson.

The teenager became interested in marine wildlife aged six when he started rock pooling and became obsessed with identifying the creatures he found.

He has since become the Trust’s youngest ever marine champion. He joined his first intertidal survey at the age of 10 and impressed so much with his knowledge and enthusiasm that he’s now a reliable regular (usually the surveys are for over 16-year-olds).

So far, he has completed intertidal surveys at Lepe, Keyhaven and Calshot

near his New Forest home. He hopes to join a survey on the Isle of Wight this summer.

Outside of the surveys, Arun encourages his friends to do beach cleans, quizzes seafood restaurants over their sustainability and is developing a website to educate children about sharks.

When he’s older, Arun is aiming for a degree marine biology followed by a master’s in teuthology – the study of cephalopods – and would love to become the first person ever to witness a colossal squid (his all-time favourite animal) in the wild!

Lucy Tipper, Environmental Art Campaigner Hampshire-based artist Lucy Tipper is campaigning for wildlife through her nature-inspired illustrations.

After hearing about the proposed developments that would destroy legally protected nature sites at Tipner West in Portsmouth, Lucy wanted to give a voice to the wildlife that calls it home through her art.

She collects natural resources, such as seaweed, plant materials and water, from Tipner West before using an environmentally-friendly process to dye the paper for her illustrations.

Lucy, whose professional name 16

is Tangled Muses, said: “Tipner has been a pleasure to work with; it’s history, wildlife and tranquillity captured my imagination.

“The views and wildlife have inspired me each time I visit and it’s my hope that the spirit of Tipner West has poured into the images.

“Development will always be inevitable as people need homes; however, it’s my belief that we should prioritise making it sensitive to the wildlife that already calls it home.”

See Lucy’s incredible series of artworks, Voices of Tipner, at her website: tangledmuses.co.uk

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TEAM WILDER

Sammy Audley, Seagrass Ambassador

Brading Haven Yacht Club, Sailing Sustainably When it comes to raising awareness of the marine environment and reducing human impact on nature, the members of Brading Haven Yacht Club (BHYC) go the extra mile.

The Isle of Wight-based club, which is in a wildlife-rich conservation area of special scientific interest (SSSI), has taken numerous measures to support its natural surroundings.

BHYC’s commitment to being environmentally friendly includes carrying out monthly beach cleans and wildlife surveys, monitoring seagrass habitats and reducing its use of singleuse plastic.

Several of the club’s members have also become Marine Champions with the Trust, supporting the Secrets of the Solent project, while BHYC sailing instructors compete to see who can haul out the most rubbish from the sea each month.

Members are also encouraged to take care when dropping anchor to help protect and limit the damage to vulnerable seagrass beds.

The Trust has delivered several talks and workshops to BHYC’s young sailors who have since produced posters that are displayed in the club to promote environmental awareness.

Eleven-year-old Sammy Audley (left) harnessed the power of seagrass to win a public speaking competition at his school.

The Year 6 pupil of Stroud School in Romsey wowed his teachers and fellow classmates with a presentation on the marine plant after learning about the Trust’s Solent Seagrass Restoration Project.

Sammy became inspired by seagrass after finding out his mum, Vicky, had signed up to become a Solent Seagrass Champion with the Trust.

During Sammy’s three-minute talk he described the importance of seagrass, how it is threatened and how the Trust is helping to recover it in the Solent.

Sammy said: “I thought it would be a good idea to give my talk on seagrass as it’s an amazing plant and saving it is so important.

“I wasn’t expecting to win the competition, but I was overjoyed when they announced I was in first place.”

Many of the school’s staff and parents said they knew nothing about seagrass before Sammy’s talk and were fascinated by the Trust’s project.

Sammy, who received a trophy for his winning presentation, says he wants to use his love of engineering to create a seagrass-planting machine when he’s older.

Be a part of Team Wilder

Anyone can become part of Team Wilder. It doesn’t matter whether you’re an individual, a local business, a school or a community group, as long as you are enthusiastic about helping nature.

If you’d like to find out how you can get involved, please email wilder@hiwwt.org.uk or visit our website for more information.

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Superhero of the Sea 18

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SEAGRASS HABITATS

With an evolutionary history dating back to the age of dinosaurs, seagrass has stood the test of time. Yet, underwater meadows of this special and once common marine plant are on the brink of being lost from our seas. Now, the Trust is on a mission to sow the seeds of change and recover the Solent’s lost seagrass habitats.

I

THEO VICKERS

magine having the superpower to simultaneously fight climate change, provide wildlife with shelter, limit coastal erosion and inspire people to take action for nature.

Now suppose this miraculous ability belongs to a single plant. It sounds like something deserving of protection in the most secure vault at Fort Knox, right?

Yet sadly, despite having the potential to exist around the entire UK coastline, we may have lost up to 92% of this extraordinary plant in the last century.

The wonderplant in question is, of course, seagrass.

This special marine plant is known as an ecosystem engineer because it can profoundly change the environment in which it’s found.

In the Solent, there are primarily two species of seagrass: common eelgrass (Zostera marina) and dwarf eelgrass (Zostera noltii).

Unfortunately, neither have been immune to the catastrophic declines experienced elsewhere in the UK. But, if given a chance, they can bounce back.

Hampshire & Isle of Wight Wildlife Trust, in partnership with Boskalis Westminster and the University of Portsmouth, is on a mission to recover the area’s lost seagrass populations through its Solent Seagrass Restoration Project.

Here, we focus on the spectacular benefits of seagrass, what we’re doing to help and how you can get involved too.

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Ecosystem services

Seagrasses typically occur along shallow, sheltered marine coastlines and estuaries, from the Tropics to the Arctic Circle. They have roots, grass-like leaves and are the only flowering marine plant.

In the right conditions, seagrasses can grow to form luscious, dense underwater meadows with myriad benefits to wildlife and people.

Capturing ‘blue’ carbon Seagrasses are crucial allies in the fight against climate change.

Globally, seagrasses cover just 0.2% of the sea floor yet account for a mighty 10% of the ocean’s total carbon capture.

One study estimated a tropical species of seagrass (which doesn’t occur in the UK) can absorb carbon up to 35 times faster than rainforests.

Like all plants, our native seagrasses photosynthesise and sequester massive amounts of carbon dioxide from the surrounding seawater.

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But more importantly, their long leaves also slow the flow of water, which allows carbon-rich particles in the water to settle into the seabed where it’s buried and can remain locked away for millennia.

Wildlife-rich sea meadows Seagrasses support rich biodiversity, including marine creatures like sea horses, stalked jellyfish, sea anemones, pipefish and sea slugs.

They act as nursery habitats for commercially important fish, such as cod, plaice, herring and sea bass, the last of which spend up to seven years maturing in the Solent before joining migratory adult populations. Cuttlefish, meanwhile, visit seagrass meadows to breed, attaching their black eggs – known as ‘sea grapes’ - to the plant’s leaves.

Seagrasses also provide a major food source for birds like brent geese, which journey 3,000 miles from Siberia to the Solent every year for milder winters.

THEO VICKERS

Seagrass stores carbon and offers shelter to wildlife.

The extensive root system of seagrass helps stabilise the seabed, while its long leaf blades slow ocean currents, which reduces the size and power of waves and causes them to break further away from the shoreline. This mitigates coastal erosion and flood risk, especially during storms.

This phenomenal plant also improves our seawater quality by trapping sediments in its roots, oxygenating the water and absorbing contaminant nutrients in runoff from the land.

Inspiring people to act Another overlooked, yet critical, superpower of seagrass is its capacity to inspire people about their local marine environment.

Ellie Parker, who coordinates the Trust’s seagrass volunteer engagement as part of her role as Marine Officer, says: “I strongly believe our experiences within nature allow us to form a connection to, and an appreciation of, our environment – along with the desire to protect it. And I think seagrass has a very important and exciting role to play in this.

“The fact our Solent Seagrass Restoration work happens on the shore rather than out at sea allows us to engage a wider audience as it’s easily accessible by foot.

“This allows volunteers of various ages and backgrounds to experience the wonders of our marine environment first-hand.”

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SEAGRASS HABITATS

Ellie adds: “Without the support of volunteers, the huge amount of work required to help recover seagrass in the Solent simply wouldn’t be possible.

“Their enthusiasm and dedication inspire others to learn about seagrass and the importance of protecting our local marine wildlife, all of which helps us towards our vision of a Wilder Solent.”

How we’re helping

KATE GARNHAM

Hand planting seagrass seeds at Seaview on the Isle of Wight.

Sadly, our seagrass meadows are under threat. Disease, physical disturbance from dragging anchors and chain moorings, as well as threats from human activities such as pollution are putting seagrasses under significant pressure.

To support its recovery, the Trust has hand-planted over 40,000 seagrass seeds in the Solent’s shores since December last year. Excitingly, we recently discovered the first signs of

seedling growth at our planting site at Seaview and we’ll closely monitor the health of these, plus other existing meadows, through the summer.

Later this year, we’ll sustainably collect more seagrass seeds from harbours around the Solent and replant them elsewhere in the region as we continue our restoration work.

As superheroes go, seagrass is one clean, green, planet-saving machine. It just needs a helping hand to do its thing.

Get involved

To learn more about our seagrass restoration work, find out how to become a volunteer Solent Seagrass Champion or sign up to our regular seagrass newsletter, visit: hiwwt.org.uk/seagrass-restoration

Indeed, volunteers are vital to the Trust’s seagrass restoration project. With their help, we can monitor and survey existing seagrass meadows, collect seagrass seeds and plant them back out into the Solent.

IN NUMBERS

• A total of 95 people are currently signed up as Solent Seagrass Champions

ANDREW PEARSON

Seagrass volunteers

Seagrass offers a home to fascinating wildlife like anemones.

• So far this year, Seagrass Champions have committed 158 volunteer hours • We have Seagrass Champions of all ages, from 18 to 68, and around a quarter of our volunteers are under the age of 25

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TIM FERRERO

University of Portsmouth students help to sustainably collect seagrass seeds in the Solent.

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The Art of

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MARINE MURALS

With its power to transcend the written language, art can be a powerful tool for conservation. The Trust is hoping to harness that with a series of marine wildlife-inspired art projects to celebrate and safeguard the Solent.

T

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ADRIFT

he Wildlife Trusts have recognised that, for nature to recover, it needs more people on its side. Art can inspire this support by acting as a bridge that connects people with wildlife – and when it comes to the marine environment, which is typically harder to access, this becomes even more important.

So, in 2021, as part of its Secrets of the Solent project, the Trust commissioned renowned street artist ATM to create a series of murals to highlight our region’s incredible marine biodiversity in urban areas.

The Solent, a lively 20-mile stretch of water, is home to extraordinary wildlife and diverse habitats. Seagrass meadows, chalk reefs and rocky sponge gardens are home to species such as sharks, seals, dolphins, seahorses, anemones, sea squirts and cuttlefish.

Though millions of people enjoy it every year, very few get to encounter the spectacular marine life concealed beneath the Solent’s waves or appreciate just how important it is.

Through Secrets of the Solent, which is supported by the National Lottery Heritage Fund, the Trust hopes to bring this underwater world to life through art and interpretation. In revealing the Solent’s hidden natural treasures, we aim to inspire people to help protect these waters for generations to come.

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SIÂN ADDISON

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This striking lobster adorns the harbour office near Warsash and was the last of ATM’s six paintings, completed this May. Common lobsters are naturally blue in colour, only turning bright red when cooked.

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Found in shallow waters and often among seagrass meadows, this is one of two UK seahorse species. The enormous mural, which ATM completed in April this year, is painted on the Ocean Village car park.

3. Spiny seahorse, Isle of Wight Distillery, Ryde This special mural celebrates both a rare marine animal and its internationally important coastal habitat, seagrass. Spiny seahorses, also known as long-snouted seahorses, anchor themselves to seagrass leaf blades using their prehensile tail.

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SIÂN ADDISON

1. Lobster, River Hamble Harbour Office, Warsash

2. Short-snouted seahorse, Ocean Village, Southampton

ADRIFT

The first of ATM’s artworks was completed just over a year ago. A further five murals have since appeared across our two counties, each showcasing a different, charismatic Solent species.

Each hand-painted mural took the London-based street artist, who has a lifelong love of nature, up to four days to complete.

The murals have sparked huge interest among local communities. Even before ATM picked up his paintbrush, over 800 people got involved by voting online to decide which marine species the artist should paint at each location.

Then, during the painting process and following its completion, people continued to interact by sharing photos and videos of the art on social media and contacting the Trust.

We hope each mural will become a landmark in its respective location, inspiring locals and visitors to celebrate and learn more about the Solent’s wonderful wildlife.

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MARINE MURALS

4. Thresher shark, Langstone Harbour Office Building, Hayling Island

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These mysterious ocean predators visit the Isle of Wight’s east coast every summer. The large, migratory sharks use their huge whip-like tail, which can be as long as their body, to stun their prey.

BRET CHARMAN

5 SIÂN ADDISON

5. Harbour seal, Lord Louis Library, Newport Painted on the wall adjacent to Newport’s library, the harbour seal is clearly a popular marine mammal. ATM said this painting attracted more public engagement than any other mural he has ever created.

6. Spider crab, Hythe Pier, Southampton

SIÂN ADDISON

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This orange, spindly-legged crustacean was ATM’s first mural of the series, completed in June 2021. The artist included some green algae, which the animal uses for camouflage, on the crab’s back to ‘make it look alive’.

Other conservation art projects ATM’s murals are not the only way Secrets of the Solent has explored using art to engage people with nature. Previously, our Weave-A-Fish project saw local crafters send us knitted marine species to display at various Trust exhibitions and events, while our immersive litter sculpture at Portsmouth Museum – in collaboration with artist Trudi Lloyd Williams - helped raise awareness of how plastic pollution threatens our seas.

Looking ahead, this autumn we’re launching a photography exhibition, Lives of the Solent, to share stories of people whose work has been inspired and shaped by our incredible marine environment. We’ll also work with artist Hannah Horn on Mapping the Solent, a project involving communities helping to create six giant ‘puzzle piece’ murals. Each mural will depict a unique part of the Solent and will be installed around Hampshire and the Isle of Wight during National Marine Week from 24 July.

Learn more about these projects at: hiwwt.org.uk/secrets-of-the-solent

The Trust thanks the National Lottery Heritage Fund for supporting Secrets of the Solent, the project would not be possible otherwise.

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here’s a whole world of wildlife hidden beneath the surface of our streams, rivers and lakes. It’s often out of sight and out of mind, but spend a while watching a still section of water and you could catch a glimpse of a whole host of fish. Perhaps a pike lurking in a shadowy stretch, poised to pounce on passing prey, or a raft of roach roaming near the surface. Here are six fantastic freshwater fish to look out for...

Name: Chub Scientific name: Squalius cephalus Size: Up to 60cm

UNDERWATER LAKE © GRAHAM EATON NATUREPL.COM. ILLUSTRATIONS BY KATY FROST

This thick-set fish inspired the word chubby, possibly aided by its eclectic appetite. They’re known to eat anything from plant debris and invertebrates to smaller fish and frogs. The large mouth is a key identification feature!

Chub favour rivers and streams as they need flowing water to breed, but can sometimes be found in lakes.

Name: European eel Scientific name: Anguilla anguilla Size: Can be over 100cm Eels have an extraordinary lifestyle, much of which remains a mystery. They breed in the sea, then their tiny larvae drift for two or three years on Gulf Stream currents to European and North African shores. Some remain in coastal waters whilst others migrate upstream into freshwater habitats, maturing and living long lives until spawning urges drive them to migrate back to sea. Although now critically endangered, eels can be found in almost any watery place, and can even wriggle across land in wet conditions.

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This fearsome fish has a distinctive look, with a long, stretched-out green body splashed with yellowish markings. The fins are set far back on the body, perfect for a sudden burst of speed as they dash towards their prey — like a torpedo with teeth. Pike like to lurk amongst underwater plants, darting from their hiding place to ambush other fish, frogs, small mammals and even birds.

They can be found in many canals, rivers, reservoirs and lakes.

Name: Pike Scientific name: Esox lucius Size: Up to 150cm

Name: Perch Scientific name: Perca fluviatilis Size: Up to 60cm This green-tinged fish has the dark stripes of a tiger and an appetite to match. They’re piscivorous predators that regularly feast on other fish, as well as invertebrates. Smaller perch are often found in schools close to the bank. They are one of our most widespread fish and can be found in almost any freshwater habitat.

The silvery, red-eyed roach is one of the UK’s most common fish and can be found in almost any waterway. They can form large shoals, sometimes seen close to the surface but often lower down. To separate it from the similar looking rudd, look at the dorsal fin on its back: in the roach, this is level with the pelvic fin below the body; the rudd’s dorsal fin is set further back.

Name: Roach Scientific name: Rutilus rutilus Size: Up to 50cm Name: Brown trout Scientific name: Salmo trutta Size: Usually up to 80cm This adaptable fish can be found in waters across the UK, from Cornish rivers to Scottish lochs. Some brown trout live out their whole life in freshwater, whilst others known as ‘sea trout’ spawn in freshwater but migrate to coastal seas to grow. They eat a varied diet, including insects, crustaceans, and small fish.

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Summer

Wildlife Gardening The garden in summer is busy, as froglets and toadlets leave the pond for the first time, fledgling birds beg for food, and the whole garden buzzes with life.

In the sky, swallows, house martins and swifts gather insects to feed their young, and at night bats take their place, foraging among the treetops or swooping low over ponds.

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If you haven’t already, leave an area of grass to grow long, particularly around your pond. Long grass provides the perfect shelter for young amphibians and food for the caterpillars of several butterflies, including the ringlet, meadow brown and speckled wood. Here, you’ll also find beetles and bugs, plentiful prey for a variety

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

of species further up the food chain, like hedgehogs. Later in the season, the grasses will seed and you may spot house sparrows stripping them for food.

Avoid strimming your grass at all if you can, but if you must, be sure to check for hedgehogs and other wildlife first!

Being more tolerant of naturally occurring plants is also important in a wildlife garden. Anything from dandelions to nettles, dock and chickweed, provide food and shelter for a wide range of species. Let them flourish! Or at least leave a few around the edges.

It’s also a good time to do an audit of flowering plants in your garden. Fill gaps with flowering annuals such as cosmos

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ILLUSTRATION BY HANNAH BAILEY, PHOTO © SARAH CUTTLE

and borage, which are magnets for bees and other pollinators. Towards the end of summer, add Verbena bonariensis, rudbeckias and echinaceas for insects still on the wing. You can also sow foxgloves and other biennials now, which will flower next year.

If conditions are dry, it’s a good idea to water insect foodplants so they don’t shrivel up, and ensure flowers continue to bear nectar. Use water from your water butt if you have one, and grey water from baths and washing up bowls if you don’t — avoid using tap water as this is a precious resource. Leaving a dish of mud can help house martins fix and build their nests, and providing water — in a pond, bird bath or other container — will ensure foxes and hedgehogs have something to

drink, while birds can bathe and clean their feathers.

Take advantage of fine weather to construct that log pile you’ve been meaning to build, or start a large, open compost heap where wild things can live.

There are always improvements to make in our gardens, and summer is a fine time to do them. What can you add?

Get more wildlife-friendly gardening tips at wildlifetrusts.org/gardening

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MY WILD LIFE

Dr Tim Ferrero

TOM HARRISON

The Trust’s senior marine biologist, Dr Tim Ferrero, explains how a deep fascination with microscopic life has translated into a passion for conserving the Solent and inspiring others to value the marine environment.

My interest in marine conservation was sparked by my degree in marine biology. The course focused on human impacts in the marine environment, particularly from oil and sewage.

My degree also ignited a lifelong interest in the microscopic world. I’ve 30

never forgotten the first time I carefully sieved a sand sample and saw the diverse world of the meiofauna (animals generally much smaller than 1 mm) living in the spaces between sand grains!

After my PhD, I spent almost 24 years working at the Natural History Museum in London as a taxonomist, ecologist, and environmental consultant, largely focused on my first love, meiofauna, and

nematode worms specifically.

I joined the Trust in 2013 and though my role has changed title several times I’ve done very much the same thing – helping to lead projects focused on marine engagement and education, like Secrets of the Solent. During this time, I’ve been very lucky to work with a small, dedicated team of talented people, all

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OUR WILDLIFE CHAMPIONS

“Conservation can often focus on a few key species, but it’s so important to remember the scale of wildlife and habitat diversity that we are trying to secure for the future.” determined to realise our vision of a Wilder Solent.

One of the things I enjoy most about my work is engaging with audiences, sharing knowledge and experience and hopefully inspiring people to value the marine environment and take action to help protect it.

Scientifically, the sea and the seabed are the two biggest habitats on Earth and the oceans are staggeringly diverse compared with the land. This is mostly unrecognised outside rather specialist circles but, for example, the oceans support twice as many animal phyla - the major branches of evolution, like molluscs or arthropods - than the terrestrial realm, and more are still being discovered!

I grew up on the south coast and from where I live now, I can just see the Solent if I peer out of my loft office. I’ve really grown to love the Solent and feel a very personal connection to it. The Solent is very special, with diverse habitats, many fantastic species and some rather strange tides to contend with. But it’s also a place where the marine environment and humans come together and interact.

It’s hard to imagine many other marine areas quite so busy, surrounded by large urban populations, with industry, shipping, recreational boating and commercial and recreational fishing all occurring in a small area. This creates many pressures on habitats and species that are complicated to manage and so we must find innovative ways to achieve our aims for conservation.

My proudest achievements in marine conservation to date include helping to support the designation of five Marine Conservation Zones in our region and

working to support the introduction of fisheries byelaws to protect seagrass meadows from bottom-towed fishing gear, like oyster dredges. More recently, we discovered some of the seagrass seeds we planted have germinated and given our Solent Seagrass Restoration Project its first success and that is definitely a high point! In many ways, though, the biggest rewards come from seeing smiling, happy faces on volunteers or an audience I’ve just spoken to and knowing the seed may have been sown for future marine conservationists.

There are still many pressures facing the Solent’s marine wildlife. Some we can act on fairly quickly with the right determination and investment, like managing our fisheries sustainably and reducing the inputs of nitrates and sewage overflows. But we also face the pressures of climate change and sea level rise, and these problems require global efforts to solve.

But there is great hope in the work that we, and others are doing; always pushing for better conservation measures and individual action to reduce pressures.

We’re also pushing to expand our ability to restore degraded

habitats like seagrass meadows, saltmarsh and oyster reefs and increase the resilience of the Solent to the changes ahead through our Wilder Solent vision.

My favourite marine wildlife fact?

On planet Earth, four out of five multicellular animals is a nematode worm.

Most of the life in our world would pass through your kitchen sieve! It’s crucial we never forget the importance of the wildlife we can’t see. It’s what makes the world work, and where most of the planet’s biodiversity can be found.

Tim carrying out a seagrass survey.

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Leave a gift in your Will

Create a

natural legacy for local wildlife Seagrass meadows store carbon, offer shelter to wildlife and help protect our coasts. Our project to restore our local seagrass beds in the Solent will not only benefit wildlife but also play a role in combatting climate change, creating a better future for our seas, marine wildlife and coastal communities.

Funds left through gifts in Wills help us to commit to long-term projects like this, restoring habitats and creating a wilder future for everyone.

How do you feel about a gift in your Will to local wildlife? It costs nothing now and can be any size to suit your circumstances, but the impact will be witnessed by those following in your footsteps.

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

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