annualreview
2013-14
PAUL THRUSH
HERTS & MIDDLESEX WILDLIFE TRUST
Protecting Wildlife for the Future
XYYXYXYX ANNUAL REVIEW
Herts Environmental Records Centre is now managed by the Wildlife Trust, following a transfer from Herts County Council in November 2013. Working together with partners including Herts Natural History Society, Herts and Middlesex Badger Group, Herts and Middlesex Butterfly Conservation and the Boxmoor Trust, we’ve added an impressive 200,000 new wildlife records to the database. Compiling the data in one place allows us to see the priorities for conservation across our region and provides an accurate picture for local authorities to base development decisions on. The centre now holds 900,000 records of wildlife habitats, species, Local Wildlife Sites, nature reserves and Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSIs), with more being added every day. This would not be possible without the input of volunteers who are out on a regular basis, recording wildlife. www.hercinfo.org.uk Banded demoiselle damselflies
2 annualreview 2013-14
GUY EDWARDES/2020VISION
Towards a million records for wildlife
From the Chief Executive
Contents
’d like to share with you a snapshot of the work the Trust has achieved in the last year. I took over from Jane Durney in April 2014, and I’d like to take the opportunity to thank her for leading the successful year for the Trust that this report summarises. Over the next few pages you can read about the impact we’ve made across our priority habitats – wetlands, grasslands and woodlands. In 2013-14 we worked to encourage wildlife to thrive not just on our nature reserves, but across our towns and countryside too, with the help of many different partners across Hertfordshire and Middlesex. In 2013 the State of Nature report was published, a major national review of the natural environment through a collaboration of 25 UK conservation and research organisations. This underlined that threats are increasing and wildlife is continuing to decline. As part of the national network of Wildlife Trusts, we are working collectively to seek to address this and create a future for wildlife. An important part of our work is about raising the profile of the natural environment, whether that’s through advocacy with key decision makers, working with the business sector, influencing housing developments or educational activities. We are already working in partnership with Affinity Water, Thames Water, UK Power Networks and Lafarge Tarmac. I would like to see this area growing and I’m keen to hear from any business that would like to support us. In generating this support alongside a growing membership we can, together, build a legacy for the generations ahead. There is always more work to do of course, and we have big plans for 2014-15. We’ve highlighted just a handful of next year’s objectives here – which are both exciting and challenging. I would like to say a big thank you to all of our members, volunteers, other supporters and my colleagues. Without you, this work simply wouldn’t happen. Lesley Davies Chief Executive
Tawny owl chick
The full, statutory annual review is available to download at hertswildlifetrust.org.uk/annualreview
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RESTORING RIVERSI TOGETHERI
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PROTECTINGI PRECIOUS MEADOWSI
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WILD WOODS:I INSPIRINGIA NEWI GENERATIONI
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10 OUR SUPPORTERSI 12 FINANCIAL REVIEWI
Common lizards at Aldbury Nowers
PAUL THRUSH
16 A MODEL FORI THE FUTUREI
Protecting Wildlife for the Future
CREATING A LIVING LANDSCAPE reating a Living Landscape is about working with landowners and other partners to secure the future of wildlife across our towns and countryside, connecting good quality habitat up with our nature reserves where possible. By working together we can create a resilient natural environment, both for wildlife and for people. Some of our most important ecological networks are rivers. In a county where nature competes for space with roads, railways, houses, businesses and a growing number of people, some of the most precious habitats on earth have been put under immense pressure. Hertfordshire’s chalk rivers have been modified, polluted or have simply run dry, as we take water from their sources for public consumption.
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Restoring rivers together
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Restoration in action
Caddis fly
Tim Hill, Conservation Manager Thanks to funding from Natural England the Trust completed a project to restore the river Mimram at Singlers Marsh in Welwyn. Sections of the river were cleared of deep silt and then re-gravelled to provide valuable new habitats for invertebrates such as mayflies and caddis flies and spawning grounds for fish. River restoration projects also began on the Beane, Mimram, Stort and Lea. << Richard Benyon with river sample
ANDY SANDS
SARAH BUCKINGHAM
The Trust plays a pivotal role in speaking up for our globally rare chalk rivers through our Living Rivers project. Crucially, we work with people on the ground who have an interest in the future of the river – action groups, landowners, anglers, local authorities and government agencies. It’s by bringing all of these interests together that practical, effective plans can be made for the future of the rivers and their special wildlife. We pioneered a web-based approach to coordinating conservation action plans, with the Beane Mimram Partnership. From this we have since established new river partnerships on the Ash, Rib and upper Lea. In 2013 our river work was held up nationally as an example of best practice. Environment Minister Richard Benyon visited the river Mimram in Welwyn to launch the catchment based approach to river restoration, which recognises and promotes the involvement of multiple stakeholders. Now the Trust has been appointed by the Environment Agency as Catchment Host for the whole of the upper Lea Catchment. This includes the River Lea from Luton to Hoddesdon and all five tributaries – the Mimram, Beane, Ash, Rib and Stort. With our local knowledge, effective partnerships and practical action we are bringing people together for the good of the rivers and their wildlife.
PAUL THRUSH
Tim Hill. Conservation Manager
In 2014 a water vole was spotted at the Trust’s Amwell Nature Reserve for the first time in ten years, demonstrating that our habitat improvements are helping one of Britain’s most threatened mammals
In 2014-15 we will… continue our Living Landscape work with partners on Hertfordshire’s rivers, producing Catchment Management Plans for the whole of the Hertfordshire Lea Catchment
Keeping watch on our rivers
Saving water, saving wildlife Charlie Bell, Hertfordshire Living Rivers Officer
In partnership with the Natural History Museum, the Trust is coordinating the training of volunteers across the counties to carry out invertebrate monitoring, as part of the Anglers’ Riverfly Monitoring Initiative (ARMI). The ARMI is used widely in the UK as a ‘neighbourhood watch’ for rivers, practiced by anglers, environmentalists and community groups to provide an effective measure of the health of the river.
PETER TATTON
Charlie Bell, Hertfordshire Living Rivers Officer
In St Albans, with funding from Herts County Council, the Trust developed a river school initiative with the theme of ‘Save Water, Save Wildlife’. Water abstraction for public consumption has a major impact on flows in our chalk rivers.
Primary school children were introduced to the special wildlife of the river Ver and then set a challenge of how they, their families and schools could save water, so reducing the impact of water abstraction on the counties’ chalk rivers.
Protecting Wildlife for the Future
CREATING AND ENHANCING NATURE RESERVES e work to protect more than 40 nature reserves across Hertfordshire and Middlesex. From coppicing woodlands to cutting and raking grasslands, our Reserves Team are out every day working to manage nearly 2,000 acres of wildlife-rich habitat. Sadly, the grasslands we look after are some of the few that remain in our two counties – nationally we have lost 97% in the last century, so it is vital that we protect and enhance those we have left. Like our ancient woodlands, many have developed their special nature over hundreds of years and aren’t easily replaced.
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Protecting precious meadows Keeping a grassland in good condition requires either cutting or grazing. Our reserve volunteers play a key role in this management through raking up cut grass, checking on livestock and monitoring the grassland species. It’s a delicate balance. Too many livestock and we will lose the botanical interest of a site; too few and grassland quickly starts turning to lower value habitat, as it becomes overgrown. In the last year we’ve brought in additional ‘living lawnmowers’ and we now have a flock of 50 Shetland sheep, seven Konik ponies and the additional use of water buffalo and cattle, through arrangements with local farmers. In 2013-14 we recruited and trained volunteers to support vital monitoring on some of our most botanically rich grasslands. In a well-managed chalk grassland for example we are looking for species such as wild thyme, rock rose and milkwort. In addition we are now using GIS (Geographic Information Systems) to track habitat works on our nature reserves. This involves plotting our work on a map by way of a computer model and will improve efficiency, allow us to monitor our work and plan for the future.
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Alistair Whyte, Nature Reserves Manager
Yellowhammer
Keeping meadows mown
extend our monitoring programme to include Aldbury Nowers, Hunsdon Mead and the ancient meadow at Fir and Pond Woods, and recruit volunteers to support this
Rose Gibson, Grants Officer With the help of East Herts Council we purchased special mowers to help us with the long term management of grasslands at seven of our nature reserves – Amwell, Balls Wood, Hertford Heath, King’s Meads, Patmore Heath, Tewin Orchard and Waterford Heath. This ongoing care helps not only wildflowers, but species that depend on well-managed flower-rich grasslands for insect food, such as yellowhammers and other farmland birds.
TOM MARSHALL
In 2014-15 we will…
Butterfly bonanza
PAUL THRUSH
Paul Thrush, Senior Reserves Officer In July 2013 we recorded the highest ever number of butterflies at Aldbury Nowers Nature Reserve since the Wildlife Trust started doing the weekly survey there. The record-breaking results for one week, on just one stretch of the reserve, included 296 marbled whites, 145 meadow browns, 144 Dark green ringlets, and 57 large skippers. Nineteen fritillary dark green fritillaries, which are locally scarce, were spotted – and the steady increase in their numbers over the last three years shows the success of our grassland management work.
Awash with orchids
In May 2013 we successfully completed our project at Thorley Wash Nature Reserve to restore the wet grassland, protecting important botanical species which in turn support a huge range of insect life.
A staggering number of orchids bloomed at Blagrove Common Nature Reserve in the summer of 2013. We manage the site through grazing and cutting back dominant species that would otherwise swamp the grassland and its special flora. Longhorn cattle are often used to graze the common; the particular way that these traditional breeds graze allows rarer wildflowers and other plants to emerge.
Common spotted orchid
NATUREPL.COM
Luke Shenton, Reserves Officer
Protecting Wildlife for the Future
INSPIRING PEOPLE TO TAKE ACTION ak-hornbeam woodlands are a particular feature of the Hertfordshire landscape. Across the UK the extent of woodland is actually increasing, mainly due to commercial planting of coniferous woodland. And yet, woodland wildlife such as birds, butterflies and flowering plants continue to decline. Without management, woodlands become significantly less rich in wildlife – and the special nature of ancient woodlands, which have developed over hundreds of years, can’t be quickly replaced with new planting. Woodlands have a special place in people’s hearts and we want to inspire more people to learn about and care for them through our events and volunteering opportunities.
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Wild Woods: inspiring a
“I cannot express enough how much we enjoyed Wild Woods Day. We only intended to pop by for an hour or so and have a nosey about, but it was so engrossing we were there all day! We loved all the things to do and returned home laden with leafy crowns, willow woven leaves, pine cone animals, flappy bats and best of all massive smiles! It really was brilliant.”
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We reached hundreds of children through our community projects in the woodlands of South Hertfordshire and the Colne Valley
Orange tip butterfly
Learning about woodland wildflowers Jennifer Gilbert, Colne Valley Project Officer As part of our Connecting People with the Colne Valley project we ran a programme of workshops to teach people how to identify and survey for different species, with the aim of increasing our base of volunteer surveyors. One of our most popular workshops was woodland wildflower identification, inspiring more people to learn and care about our woodlands.
PAUL THRUSH
The Trust launched the three year Heritage Lottery funded Woodlands for People and Wildlife project in 2011. It was designed to engage local communities through a range of events and volunteering opportunities, with the aim of encouraging more people to care for the woods. It also aimed to improve the habitat in some of south and east Hertfordshire’s most important woodlands. Twenty six new volunteers were recruited in 2013/14 to help with woodland work parties, community events and butterfly surveys. The project delivered its second Wild Woods Day, now one of the Trust’s flagship community engagement events, which was hugely successful, attracting 500 people. A family-oriented events programme ran throughout the year, which saw children enjoying and exploring the woods through the seasons – from magical winter adventures to Alive and Deadly in the summertime.
ELENA CAPEL
Tom Day, Head of Living Landscapes
“Outstanding workshop. Very well presented and clear. I liked the mix of presentation followed by a field walk. I felt privileged to have the opportunity to attend.”
new generation
More volunteers in the Colne
Getting children outdoors Sarah Buckingham, Communications Manager
A second volunteer warden was recruited to help look after Old Park Wood and Broadwater Lake nature reserves in Harefield and we continue to work with the Harefield Conservation Volunteer Group, running volunteer work parties.
SUSANNAH Oâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;RIORDAN
Rob Hopkins, Reserves Officer
Our screening of Project Wild Thing, a film about the disconnection between children and nature, attracted 120 people including lots of schoolteachers. This was a joint initiative with Hertfordshire Natural History Society. We gathered feedback from viewers after the film, about what we can all do to get more children outdoors. This information has been used in planning our next big project to engage families.
In 2014-15 we willâ&#x20AC;Ś work with Lafarge Tarmac at Panshanger Park to launch a Forest School programme linked to the National Curriculum, enabling primary school children to spend time learning outdoors
Protecting Wildlife for the Future
GENERATING SUPPORT e work to raise funds for our conservation and educational work chiefly through membership, donations and grants.
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It’s your Wildlife Trust Emma Norrington, Head of Fundraising and Communications
Joining the Trust is easy – set up a regular Direct Debit at hertswildlifetrust.org.uk or call 01727 858901 and encourage your friends and family to join too
PAUL THRUSH
Business backs wildlife Corporate support is an important source of income for the Trust and takes many different forms – from annual membership subscriptions and volunteer activity days to adopting a nature reserve, like UK Power Networks have done.
UK Power Networks helped us with the harvest
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I would like to say a big thank you to all of our members, for their continued support throughout 2013-14. Membership subscriptions are vitally important to us, making up the majority of our income. It hasn’t been an easy year for fundraising so I’m pleased that many members chose to increase the value of their membership subscription, as part of our upgrade campaign. We saw a slight increase in membership income over the course of the year, from £881,000 to £888,000. This shows the continuing commitment of local people to the work we do.
UK Power Networks: working for wildlife in Tewin Sarah Rutherford, Fundraising Officer In 2013-14 we were very pleased to receive the continued support of UK Power Networks (UKPN), Platinum Corporate Members of the Trust since March 2011. By adopting Tewin Orchard nature reserve UK Power Networks are helping us to manage the site knowing we have the ongoing support of a whole team of eager volunteers, and in return they have a great day out for all their staff. In September UKPN staff took part in a wildlife work party picking fruit at their ‘adopted’ nature reserve, Tewin Orchard. The site is rich in wildlife, particularly butterflies, birds and mammals, which all thrive because of the way the orchard is traditionally managed. The amount of apples, pears, plums and damsons picked in just one day was amazing! There was enough fruit to make hundreds of bottles of apple juice, which – along with numerous cookers and eaters too – we were able to sell at our Apple Day in October 2013, making an excellent contribution to our fundraising efforts.
Your business could be working for wildlife too. Call Sarah Rutherford in our Fundraising Team on 01727 858901 ext 242 to find out more
Thank you We would like to thank our members, volunteers, local groups and all our other supporters:
In 2013 you helped us to raise more than £11,000 towards our Otter Project, working to protect this iconic mammal on our local rivers
In February 2014 a grant from SITA Trust allowed us to restore wetland habitat for otters at Amwell, Hunsdon & Eastwick Meads, King’s Meads and Rye Meads nature reserves. The work was in response to local monitoring which showed a serious decline in otter numbers in the Lea Valley. It’s vital that we continue to provide adequate habitat for otters to rest, breed and feed and the grant allowed us to build new otter holts and improve habitat for fish, thereby providing more food for the otters.
NATUREPL.COM
Action for otters
• Alan Evans Memorial Trust • Affinity Water • Ardeley St Lawrence C of E Primary School • Audrey Randall (in memory) • Barrie & Maureen Stockwell (in memory) • BIG Lottery Awards for All • Bob Denmead (in memory) • Bourne Leisure Group • Broxbourne United Reform Church • CEMEX UK Operations • Christopher Laing Foundation • City Bridge Trust • Cllr Nick Hollinghurst • Cllr Ian Reay • Coca Cola • Countryside Management Service • Dacorum Borough Council • Defra, East Herts District Council • Easneye Estate • East Herts District Council • Eileen Barratt (in memory) • Environment Agency • Essex Wildlife Trust • Fred Young (in memory) • Friends of Mimram • Friends of Minet Country Park • Friends of Northaw Great Wood • Friends of Stocker’s Lake • Friends of Colne Valley Park • Friends of Tring Reservoirs • Gaddesden Row School • George Harrison (in memory) • GlaxoSmithKline • Gordon Cunnell (legacy) • Groundwork Hertfordshire • Groundwork Thames Valley • Harlow District Council • Heathrow Communities Fund • Helen Jones (in memory) • Heritage Lottery Fund • Hertford Heath Parish Council • Hertfordshire County Council • Hertfordshire Locality Budget Scheme • Herts Moth Group • Herts and Middlesex Badger Group • Herts and Middlesex Bat Group • Herts and Middlesex Butterfly Conservation
• Herts Natural History Society • John Treleaven (in memory) • John Spedan Lewis Foundation • Johnson Matthey Plc • Kate Aylett • Lafarge Tarmac • Laurie Miller (in memory) • Lee Valley Regional Park Authority • London Borough of Hillingdon • London Wildlife Trust • Malvern Way Infant & Nursery School • Maple Primary School • Marion Sellers (in memory) • Neale Holmes-Smith • North Hertfordshire District Council • RSPB • Radlett Preparatory School • Richard Ball (in memory) • River Beane Restoration Association • Robert Clutterbuck Foundation • Rural Payments Agency • Rye Meads Ringing Group • Scottish Power – Rye House Power Station • St Albans City and District Council • St Albans Town Hall • St Mary’s C of E Primary School • St Michael’s C of E VA Primary School • St Thomas of Canterbury Catholic Primary School • SITA Trust • Spear Charitable Trust • Taylor Walton LLP • Tewin Bury Farm Hotel • Tewin Fly Fishing Club • Thames Water Utilities Ltd • The Institute of the Motor Industry (IMI) • The Red Lion in Welwyn • The Richard Cowley Fund for Local Charities • UK Power Networks (Operations) Ltd • Vandervell Foundation • Verulamium Museum • Vine House Farm • Ver Valley Society • Veolia Environmental Trust • Welwyn Hatfield Council
Protecting Wildlife for the Future
FINANCIAL REVIEW
From the treasurer irstly I would like to say thank you to our outgoing Treasurer John Bristow, for his dedication in keeping the Trust’s finances on track over the last few years.
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Income Despite difficult fundraising conditions both nationally and locally, our membership income has seen a small increase in 201314. We also saw a small increase in income of £43k from unrestricted income, which is money we can spend on any activity in line with our charitable objectives. Overall our income fell in the year, but this was mainly due to the successful completion of our project at Thorley Wash Nature Reserve, which was a significant sum in our 2012-13 budget, at £388k. Expenditure In view of the continuing difficult trading conditions faced by the Trust and charities more generally, Trustees have been keen to ensure that, whilst satisfying our strategic objectives remains paramount, proper caution and control with regard to expenditure should be maintained where possible. The costs of generating income in 2013-14 were broadly in line with 2012-13. The importance of membership We are hugely grateful for the continued support from you, our members. Many of you increased the value of your subscription during the year, enabling a small increase in our membership income. Membership continues to be a crucial source of financial support for us; we could not exist to protect local wildlife without the support of local people like you. Clive Hinds Treasurer
Trustees’ statement These figures are extracted from the audited statutory accounts, which were approved by the Trustees on 19 June 2014. The full statutory Annual Report and Financial Statements, on which the auditors, Mazars LLP, gave an unqualified report, will be delivered to Companies House and submitted to the Charities Commission. These summarised extracts may not contain sufficient information to allow a full understanding of the financial affairs of the charity. For further information, the full statutory accounts should be consulted together with the Auditors’ Report and the Trustees’ Annual Report, which may be obtained from the Trust’s registered office at Grebe House, St Michael’s Street, St Albans, Hertfordshire, AL3 4SN. An assessment of the major risks has been done and recommended actions will be followed up. Signed on behalf of the Trustees
M Master Chairman 19 June 2014 Independent Auditors’ Report to the Members We have audited the financial statements of Hertfordshire and Middlesex Wildlife Trust Limited for the year ended 31 March 2014 which comprise the Statement of Financial Activities, the Balance Sheet and the related notes. The financial reporting framework that has been applied in their preparation is applicable law and United Kingdom Accounting Standards (United Kingdom Generally Accepted Accounting Practice). Scope of the audit of the financial statements A description of the scope of an audit of financial statements is provided on the Financial Reporting Council’s web-site at www.frc.org.uk/auditscopeukprivate. Opinion on the financial statements In our opinion the financial statements: • give a true and fair view of the state of the charitable company’s affairs as at 31 March 2014 and of its incoming resources and application of resources, including its income and expenditure, for the year then ended; • have been properly prepared in accordance with United Kingdom Generally Accepted Accounting Practice; and • have been prepared in accordance with the requirements of the Companies Act 2006. Stephen Brown Senior Statutory Auditor For and on behalf of Mazars LLP Chartered accountants and Statutory Auditor The Pinnacle 160 Midsummer Boulevard Milton Keynes MK9 1FF
To join the Trust today, call 01727 858901 or visit hertswildlifetrust.org.uk 12 annualreview 2013-14
Consolidated Statement of Financial Activities
INCOME 2013-14*
for the year ended 31 March 2014 Unrestricted Restricted Funds (£) Funds (£) INCOMING RESOURCES Incoming resources from generated funds: Voluntary Donations, gifts and grants Membership subscriptions Legacies Activities for generating funds Fundraising activities Trading subsidiary income Investment and other income Incoming resources from charitable activities Grants Fees and contracts
Total 2014 (£)
Total 2013 (£)
89 888 25
-
89 888 25
76 881 37
51 28
-
51 28
38 7 13
17
443 15
443 32
833 19
1,098
458
1,556
1,904
384
10
394
372
-
-
-
3
384
10
394
375
655
455
1,110
1,371
66 1,105
4 469
70 1,574
51 1,797
Net incoming/(outgoing) resources Gains on investments
(7) (1)
(11) -
(18) (1)
106 6
Net movement in funds for the year Fund balances brought forward
(8) 1,359
(11) 1,549
(19) 2,908
112 2,796
Fund balances carried forward
1,351
1,538
2,889
2,908
Total incoming resources RESOURCES EXPENDED Costs of generating funds: Costs of generating voluntary income Fundraising trading: cost of goods sold and other costs
Charitable activities Conservation and nature reserves Governance costs Total resources expended
2% 3% 2% 2%
6%
28% 57% 28% 6% 3% 2% 2% 2%
57%
Membership subscriptions Grants Donations, gifts and grants Fundraising activities Legacies Fees and contracts Investments and other income
WHERE DOES YOUR £1 GO?*
4%
25%
71% 71p Conservation and nature reserves 25p Cost of generating voluntary income 4p Governance
PAUL THRUSH
* These percentages are rounded up for illustrative purposes
These diagrams are an illustration of Herts and Middlesex Wildlife Trust’s income and expenditure for the year ending 31 March 2014. For a copy of the full audited accounts which contain the detailed information required by law, visit hertswildlifetrust.org.uk/annualreview
Protecting Wildlife for the Future
STAFF AND TRUSTEES
Staff and trustees Central support Chief Executive Jane Durney Office Manager Becky Vernon-Clinch Head of Finance and Administration Chrissie Russell Finance Officer Jason Davis Communications Manager Sarah Buckingham Communications Assistant Julie Mulley Cleaner Vicky Brown Living Landscapes Head of Living Landscapes Dr Tom Day Hertfordshire Environmental Records Centre (HERC) Manager Ian Carle Hertfordshire Environmental Records Centre Data Officer Jennie Mitchell Conservation Conservation Manager Tim Hill Water Vole Conservation Officer Martin Ketcher Wildlife Sites Programme Manager Carol Lodge Planning and Policy Officer Odette Carter Colne Valley Living Landscape Officer Jennifer Gilbert Volunteering Coordinator Ann Favell Hertfordshire Living Rivers Officer Dr Charlie Bell
Reserves Nature Reserves Manager Alistair Whyte Senior Reserves Officer Paul Thrush South Herts Woods Living Landscape Officer Susannah Oâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Riordan Reserves Officer Jenny Sherwen Reserves Officer Andy Brown Reserves Officer Rob Hopkins Reserves Officer Luke Shenton Marketing and Fundraising Head of Fundraising Alison Shersby Fundraising Officer Sarah Mee Grants Officer Rose Gibson/Emma Norrington (maternity cover) Membership Development Officer Caroline Stanton Membership Officer Alan Cotterell
as at 31 March 2014
Trust Management For the purposes of the Companies Act 1985, the Council of Management is regarded as the Board of Directors of the company. Officers and Trustees as at 31 MARCH 2014 Honorary President Sir Simon Alexander Bowes Lyon, KCVO Honorary Vice-Presidents Richard Ball (died 28 April 2013) Colonel Peter Echlin Gerahty (died 16 November 2013) Robert Wilson Council of Management and main committees and working or advisory groups on which they serve: Chairman Michael Master Vice-Chairman Dr. Veronica Edmonds Brown Company Secretary Brenda Barrett Treasurer John Bristow (Treasurer to 16 November 2013) Clive Hinds (Treasurer from 16 November 2013)
SUSANNAH Oâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;RIORDAN
Tim Bell Andy Brown (co-opted 20 June 2013, elected AGM 16 November 2013) Dr. Agneta Burton David Gompertz Paul Knutson Sarah Kohl (co-opted 4 April 2013, elected AGM 16 November 2013) Andrew Woods
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The first dormouse monitoring programme of its kind in Hertfordshire began at Balls Wood Nature Reserve in 2013. In 2012, evidence of dormice was found, to the delight of surveyors. Since then, 100 nesting tubes have been installed and the woodland habitats improved to help the dormouse population flourish.
BEV LEWIS
Dormouse delight
Protecting Wildlife for the Future
A model for the future The completion of an innovative two year habitat mapping project means we can now pinpoint where the priorities are for creating ecological networks across Hertfordshire. The map highlights one of these potential ecological networks to the west of Stevenage. Red areas are priorities for habitat restoration. The maps are generated by a computer model built by the Wildlife Trust which uses data on the distribution of plants to identify priorities for landscape-scale conservation.
Download Hertfordshire’s Ecological Networks: A report of the current situation and priorities for restoration at hertswildlifetrust.org.uk/local-nature-partnership
Herts and Middlesex Wildlife Trust is a charitable company limited by guarantee (no. 816710) governed by its Memorandum and Articles of Association. It is registered as a charity with the Charity Commission (no. 239863). Registered office: Grebe House, St Michael’s Street, St Albans, Hertfordshire AL3 4SN 01727 858901 info@hmwt.org www.hertswildlifetrust.org.uk
MAP: © CROWN COPYRIGHT AND DATABASE RIGHTS 2014 ORDNANCE SURVEY 100048466. YOU ARE NOT PERMITTED TO COPY, SUB-LICENCE, DISTRIBUTE OR SELL ANY OF THIS DATA TO THIRD PARTIES IN ANY FORM. CONTAINS ENVIRONMENT AGENCY DATA LICENSED UNDER THE OPEN GOVERNMENT LICENCE V2.0