WILD NEWS

All the latest local and national news from The Wildlife Trusts

Beetle mania!

Surveys at Rutland Water Nature Reserve over the last year have to ed up an incredible 610 species of beetle, taking the total number of beetle species found at the reserve to 776! This makes beetles the most abundant group of organisms identified on the site. The surveys were carried out by volunteers Steve Lane, Graham Finch and Anona Finch, working alongside Species and Recording Officer Tim Sexton. The ‘Fab Four’, as they became known, set out to create a baseline of beetle records for the reserve.

Incredibly, 22 species were identified as being new to Leicestershire and Rutland and almost 70 are considered nationally scarce or of conservation concern. These included a number of reed beetles, a group of wetland specialists only found in reedbeds – one of which hadn’t been seen in the counties since 1895!

While Rutland Water is internationally recognised for its overwintering water birds, several insect groups have been well studied here, including moths, which closely follow beetles with 745 species recorded.

To the forest!

Pupils from Melton’s Birchwood School were given the opportunity to visit Melton Country Park for nine mornings of Forest School this spring, thanks to support from Melton Building Society.

The sessions began with a sensory walk, touch treasure hunt and smelly pots activity led by our Education O cer Rachel Ibbotson. The following weeks saw children explore further, including discovering signs of spring, a naturethemed World Book Day, leaf printing, building dens and making nests. For their nal session the students chose to mud paint, hunt for minibeasts and birdwatch. Each pupil completed eight activities to gain a Wildlife Watch Hedgehog Award for investigating wildlife, being creative, spotting wildlife and helping local wildlife.

The results of the beetle surveys coincide with the opening of a new ‘hotel’ for beetles at the nature reserve, created by staff and volunteers. The beetle loggery contains more than 100 logs and stands up to 3.5m tall. The sculptural installation replicates standing deadwood, one of the rarest kinds of deadwood habitat, and will provide a home for a range of saproxylic (deadwood associated) beetles as it slowly decays. Target species include the rhinoceros beetle and the lesser stag beetle, smaller relatives of the stag beetle.

“They really enjoyed their time experiencing the wooded area through sensory activities, being creative and discovering about wildlife,” adds Rachel.