Wild Leicestershire and Rutland, Winter/Spring 2024

Wild Membership magazine

Winter/ Spring 2024

Leicestershire and Rutland WINTER WANDER LAND

Stride out this winter to explore the wonders of local wildlife

Living statues Six places to see ancient and amazing trees

THE SECRET LIFE OF BADGERS

Unearthing the remarkable hidden world of badgers

LEICESTERSHIRE & RUTLAND WILDLIFE TRUST

Welcome Hope springs forth RIC MELLIS

Winter is a chilly time of year, so let me offer you the warmest of welcomes to your latest issue of Wild magazine!

Nature may be resting for now, but it won’t be too long before we see the first signs of spring. In this issue we explore some of the magical ways wildlife survives the cold to re-emerge in spring (see page 30). For me it’s those new shoots that signal the real start of the year and watching wildlife stir from its winter slumber is both thrilling and a privilege.

It also reminds me of one of the first books I read about the environment, Silent Spring by Rachel Carson. This landmark book, published in 1962, highlights the risks of pesticides to wildlife.

Sadly, more than 60 years on nature remains in peril. Last year’s State of Nature report clearly documents humanity’s impact on wildlife, with the very first page offering the shocking conclusion that ‘the UK is now one of the most nature-depleted countries on Earth’.

With so many negative headlines it can be tempting to despair, but the report also sounds a hopeful note, identifying that conservation action can work in ‘setting species on the path to recovery’. We have seen this first hand through the work we do on our own nature reserves.

Targeted conservation work dramatically improves the chances for wildlife, which is why we have launched our latest campaign to do even more on our reserves. For the first time any donation you make will be match funded, so your gift will go twice as far! I hope you will consider donating. See the back page to find out how.

Thank you for all your support, without which we could not achieve nearly as much as we do to protect wildlife.

CEO

LINDA PITKIN/2020VISION

Mat Carter

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Leicstershire and Rutland Wildlife Trust Get in touch

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WILD Leicestershire and Rutland is the membership magazine for Leicestershire and Rutland Wildlife Trust and is free to members.

Protecting and enhancing the wildlife and wild places of Leicestershire and Rutland and engaging people with nature.

Email info@lrwt.org.uk Telephone 0116 262 9968 Address The Old Mill, 9 Soar Lane, Leicester, LE3 5DE Website lrwt.org.uk Registered charity number 210531 facebook.com/leicswildlife x.com/leicswildlife instagram.com/leiceswildlife linkedin.com/company/leicswildlife/

Leicestershire and Rutland Wildlife Trust Chair Ann Tomlinson Vice Chair Bob Bearne Hon. Secretary Peter Williams Hon. Treasurer Andy Thorpe CEO Mat Carter Head of Reserves Joe Davis Supporter Development Manager Josephine Taylor Head of Nature Recovery Ben Devine

Wild | Winter/Spring 2024

The Wildlife Trust Magazine Team Editor Benedict Vanheems Designers Kolt Graphic Design UK Editor Tom Hibbert UK Designer Ben Cook Cover image Phil Savoie, naturepl.com Views expressed in this magazine are not necessarily those of the Editor, CEO or the Council of the Trust. Articles, letters, photographs and artwork are welcomed on the understanding that no liability for their safe custody or return is incurred and the right to abridge or refuse publication is reserved.

Contents 4 Wild news

All the latest stories from LRWT and around the country.

11 Our amazing volunteers!

Celebrating the incredible work of our incredible volunteers.

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Your Wild Winter It’s spawning season for pike. Plus, turn duck detective!

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The secret life of badgers Dr David Duckett gets us up close to this much-loved mammal.

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Wild Winter Walk Explore the wonderful winter wildlife of Wanlip Meadows.

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Terrific trees Six places to admire truly special, old and unusual trees.

22

Devoted to the dormouse Our role in securing a brighter future for dormice.

26

Wildlife gardening Prepare for a spring or summer drought and help wildlife.

28

My Wild Life Finn Miskin-Young shares his passion for moths.

VAUGHN MATTHEWS

30 Pressing pause

The clever trick insects deploy to survive the winter cold.

34

Events and activities Get out and about with our guide to events and activities.

6 ways to get involved with your local Wildlife Trust Donate Help us protect the wild

spaces of Leicestershire and Rutland by donating to our appeals. lrwt.org.uk/appeals

Fundraise

From taking part in a sponsored run to organising a tea party, you could help us raise funds. lrwt.org.uk/fundraise

Volunteer

Wildlife Watch

Could you offer your skills and time to help look after local wildlife? We would love to hear from you. lrwt.org.uk/volunteer

Inspire a wild child by signing them up for our junior membership, Wildlife Watch! lrwt.org.uk/wildlife-watch

Businesses

Legacy You can include a gift in

Become a corporate supporter of LRWT and make wildlife part of your business. lrwt.org.uk/corporate

your Will for wildlife and the future of our local natural world. lrwt.org.uk/legacy Wild | Winter/Spring 2024

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LEICESTERSHIRE & RUTLAND WILDLIFE TRUST

WILD NEWS

All the latest local and national news from The Wildlife Trusts

T

he Trust’s Rutland Osprey Project marked an incredible milestone in 2023 as we celebrated the 250th successfully fledged chick.

Launched in 1996 in partnership with Anglian Water, the project sought to reintroduce ospreys back to England after an absence of 150 years. In the first five years the project coordinated the collection of 64 juvenile ospreys from Scotland, with the first chicks released at Rutland Water in 1999. One of the original chicks, fondly known as ‘Mr Rutland’, has raised 32 chicks to date, while Maya, his recent breeding partner, has had 37 chicks since arriving at Rutland.

The chicks are ringed for identification and monitoring at around six weeks old, and at just seven to eight weeks will fledge and leave the nest to overwinter in Africa, hopefully returning in early spring to raise the next generation.

Encouragingly, the ospreys of Rutland Water are engaging with birds from other osprey reintroduction programs, and have been recorded in Wales, Northumberland and the Netherlands. Mixing like this adds to hopes for a more self-sustaining breeding population of ospreys, both locally, nationally, and internationally.

Open grounds success The Charnwood Local Group are delighted with the success of their open grounds event at The Brand in September. Visitors explored the woodlands, quarries, ponds and gardens, following the quiz trail or joining one of the guided walks. Children were treated to minibeast hunts and pond dipping, with highlights including a young frog, toad, and a scorpion beetle!

More than 300 people attended, helping raise an incredible £2,120 to support the work of the Trust. Thank you to everyone who came along, with special thanks to Colonel Robert and Janie Martin for hosting this fun and enjoyable event.

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Wild | Winter/Spring 2024

RAY KILHAM

Ospreys on the up Come and admire the ospreys during the breeding season at the Manton Bay nest at our Lyndon Visitor Centre, or watch them online via the live nest cams. You can also contribute to the ongoing success of the project by donating to our osprey Future Fund at lrwt.org.uk/osprey25

LRWT NEWS Have your say From time to time we invite you to have your say, so we can continue to improve as a Wildlife Trust.

In February we will be conducting a membership survey. This will be your opportunity to tell us what you like about being a member and to share your thoughts on what could be done better. We will also be asking about any concerns or issues you might have regarding local wildlife, so that we can contact MPs and councillors collectively to press for change.

The survey will be emailed to all members, and we want to make sure no one is missed out. Please check that we have your correct email address. Should you wish to update it you can email us at membership@lrwt.org.uk or phone 0116 262 9968 during office hours.

CHRIS GOMERSALL/2020VISION

Next phase for Sea Dragon

Thank you Ed Many of you will have known Ed Darby, who passed away in March 2023. Ed was dedicated to local wildlife, a Trustee for many years, and served on the Trust’s Conservation Committee right up until his death.

He was active in the Charnwood Local Group, and with his partner Elspeth contributed enormously to the monitoring and recording of botany in the Charnwood area.

He had also had a long involvement with the Leicestershire and Rutland Bat Group.

His involvement with the Trust has had a direct impact on our work. We are immensely grateful for the generous way Ed shared his expertise, both as a valued Trust colleague and in playing a key role in protecting local wildlife. He will be sorely missed.

Funding has been secured to preserve the Rutland Sea Dragon, two years on from its excavation at Rutland Water Nature Reserve. The grant, from the Government’s Levelling Up Fund, will enable the 180-million-year-old ichthyosaur fossil to be cleaned and studied in detail.

“I am really excited to move to the next phase of the project,” says Joe Davis, Head of Reserves. “By cleaning up and studying the find we hope to learn so much more about the fossil – maybe how it died, what it ate, and perhaps even see the eye ring on the fossil, which has so far remained hidden in the Jurassic mud!”

The Rutland Sea Dragon is thought to be the first of its species found in the UK. The remarkably complete, 10m-long fossil was removed from the mud then wrapped in a protective jacket of plaster of Paris. Work is expected to begin within the next few months.

Wild | Winter/Spring 2024

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LEICESTERSHIRE & RUTLAND WILDLIFE TRUST

LRWT NEWS Boost your wellbeing

Numerous studies show that time spent outside in nature is good for us. Green spaces help us to reconnect with our wild side, recover from the stresses of everyday life, and lift our mood.

Now is an ideal opportunity to make a healthy New Year’s resolution to get outside more – to stroll, to admire the natural world and breathe deep to reduce the cortisol levels behind those feelings of being overwhelmed. Let the Great Outdoors be your Natural Health Service. Feed your wild side and boost your wellbeing in 2024! ● Explore local green spaces

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Wild | Winter/Spring 2024

project was launched by the Trust last June as part of 30 Days Wild. The project aims to identify local glow worm populations. Many people got involved and headed into the countryside under the cover of darkness to look for these incredible beetles. Their sightings were reported through our website and displayed on an interactive map.

Sightings were confirmed at many of the historic locations despite unseasonably wet weather. More excitingly, a previously unknown population was discovered near Hinckley.

Sightings continued to early September, long after the typical glowing season.

It is hoped there will be an opportunity to explore the reintroduction of glow worms across suitable limestone grassland nature reserves in Leicestershire and Rutland, along with work to enhance grassland habitats between existing populations to establish ‘Light Lines’, or glow worm corridors.

● Join Team Wilder by taking

action for local wildlife: lrwt.org.uk/team-wilder

● Come along to one of our

Birdwatching or Wild Walks: lrwt.org.uk/events

TOM MARSHALL

G

low worms have suffered huge declines over the last 20 years, with numbers falling by as much as 75% in parts of the South East.

The limestone grasslands of Leicestershire and Rutland have historically supported a number of populations, most recently in Leicestershire in Gresley Wood, New Lount Nature Reserve, Bagworth Heath Woods and Stonesby Quarry. In Rutland glow worms have been recorded at Essendine, Barrowden, Burley Wood and Ketton Quarry.

The status of glow worms in the two counties is uncertain. However, due to habitat loss and a changing climate, populations are presumed to be declining. Leicestershire and Rutland Wildlife Trust believes that everyone deserves to experience the amazing sight of glow worms, lit up across species-rich grasslands, and that glow worms should be protected for generations to come.

With this in mind, a citizen science

THOMAS JOHN ELLIS

Brighter future

or visit a nature reserve: lrwt.org.uk/nature-reserves

News from

LRWT NEWS

How we’ve been inspired by our members, volunteers and supporters.

Green shoots to sprout extdoor Nature has been working with Belgrave Neighbourhood Cooperative Housing Association (BNCHA) and their tenants over the past six months. The association is England’s largest mutual housing cooperative, with more than 300 properties and over 400 residents across Leicester.

Following a meeting with BNCHA we explored the idea of community connection around nature within the city and what that might look like for their tenants. Many of their properties have pockets of green spaces that could serve these needs.

Nextdoor Nature was invited to the association’s Belgrave Unity meeting, hosted in part to address the recent challenges that the community had been facing and to bring partner organisations, stakeholders and residents together to discuss providing positive opportunities based on the needs of the community.

Shortly after it became apparent that the wonderful walled garden to the rear

We are on the cusp of something very special in this vibrant part of Leicester. of their head office would offer a perfect space for a community garden project.

The garden has a large lawned area, patio, cherry trees and plenty of space to work with – a wonderful blank canvas!

BNCHA host Monday afternoon sessions for their community, inviting an array of organisations to deliver various

opportunities for people as they come together over refreshments. Nextdoor Nature attended some of these sessions to understand if and what people would like to do around the idea of developing a community garden, led by them and for them and their wider community.

We are on the cusp of something very special in this vibrant part of Leicester and now have a group of interested volunteers, while BNCHA have generously donated £500 to kickstart the project! We need tools and more people – people with practical skills, gardening gurus, people to shout about it, and people to potter and enjoy the space. We have developed a mission statement, distributed flyers among the community, and held a follow-up meeting to see how local people might like to be involved.

Drawing on connections from other Nextdoor Nature work we have brought in other potential partners to help launch this exciting new community garden, including the police to help us reach the

Watch the Nextdoor Nature Belgrave Coop in action in our latest YouTube video: youtube.com/@ lrwt56/videos

community, Public Health to tie in with their food-growing initiatives, Leicester City Council Parks to explore the potential for this to become an RHS It’s Your Neighbourhood garden, Men in Sheds for advice and potential tool donations, and local social prescribing link workers to offer their clients a safe place to boost their physical and mental health.

This garden project will develop and evolve over time. We are excited to be spending the winter planning and preparing for the rewarding growing season to come.

If you would like to find out more please contact Fee Worton, Nextdoor Nature Community Organiser at fworton@lrwt.org.uk Wild | Winter/Spring 2024

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LEICESTERSHIRE & RUTLAND WILDLIFE TRUST

UK NEWS UK UPDATE

Nature for the people

River restoration should be high on the agenda, with pollution threatening wildlife like kingfishers

he coming year will bring with it a general election, with the people of the UK given the opportunity to choose their representatives in government.

One thing is clear: whichever party forms the UK Government, they must make it a priority to tackle the nature and climate crisis.

The Wildlife Trusts have created a set of asks detailing what we want to see – and what nature needs – from the UK Government. Our asks are broken down into five key sections, each with three simple steps outlining how it can be achieved.

The Wildlife Trusts are calling for whomever makes the next UK Government to:

Bring back our lost wildlife

Nature is declining at a speed never previously seen and shows no signs of slowing. We need the Government to reverse this trend and put nature into recovery. They must ensure that at least 30% of land and sea is protected for nature by 2030. They must also stop the damage to our seas through sewage discharges and river pollution, as well as safeguarding Marine Protected Areas from development and destructive fishing methods. Finally, we want to see wild beavers in every major river catchment in England, Scotland and Wales – restoring wetlands and making space for nature.

End river pollution

Many of the UK’s rivers are polluted beyond legal limits, and less than half are in good condition ecologically – but the Government can take action. Firstly, they must ensure that environmental watchdogs have the powers and resources to enforce the law, with regular monitoring and commensurate penalties for parties who knowingly break it. They must halve nutrient pollution from sewage, wastewater and agriculture by 2030. Finally, we need stronger protection for chalk streams, one of the world’s rarest habitats.

Fund wildlife-friendly farming

Farming is one of the main causes of wildlife declines, but it doesn’t have to be. Government can support farmers to grow in harmony with nature and help bring wildlife back. They need to double the budget for wildlife-friendly farming, halve the use of pesticides and protect farming against climate change. The extreme heat and droughts in 2017 and 2022 provided a taste of the reality to come; farmers need more support to adapt to climate change.

Green our communities KINGFISHER © JOSHUA COPPING

Too many of us live in polluted, nature-deprived neighbourhoods. These poor-quality living conditions are damaging people’s health and cutting lives short. We need a Natural Health Fund to reduce the strain on the NHS and public services. We need a legally mandated right to a clean and healthy environment, protecting nature and the health and wellbeing of us all. And we need all children to be given the opportunity to learn outdoors.

Tackle the climate emergency

Climate change is driving nature’s decline, whilst the loss of wildlife and wild places leaves us ill-equipped to reduce carbon emissions and adapt to change. It’s a vicious cycle that demands immediate action. We need the UK Government to help nature and people adapt to climate change, protect the blue carbon in our marine environments, and make our homes more energy efficient.

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UK NEWS

UK HIGHLIGHTS

In hot water Summer saw global sea surface temperatures reach an all-time high, with worrying implications for the world’s wildlife. In August, the Copernicus climate modelling service reported that the global average daily sea surface temperature hit 20.96°C, breaking the record of 20.95°C set in 2016.

The changes to sea temperature we are already seeing as the climate warms are particularly dangerous to unique and threatened ecosystems, such as warm water coral reefs. This risk was demonstrated this summer in Florida, where corals were not only bleaching at alarming rates, but dying very quickly.

The UK’s seas will not be immune to the changes we are seeing now. June saw an extreme marine heatwave develop off our coasts. Sustained high temperatures can lead to the death and changes in behaviour of fish and other marine wildlife, with significant impacts on food webs.

Alongside the record sea surface and land surface temperatures, the last year has also seen unprecedented changes in the extent of Antarctic sea ice and wildfires. Other extreme weather was also widespread, with many catastrophic heatwaves and flooding incidents around the world.

As the impacts of a warming planet become more obvious, the Wildlife Trusts are urging this UK Government to accelerate action on climate change. It’s vital that we reach net zero greenhouse gas emissions as soon as possible, but also that we do more to adapt to the changes we are already seeing. The impacts of climate change will keep getting worse until the world hits net zero greenhouse gas emissions. Global emissions are still increasing, and haven’t started to drop yet.

Find out more about combatting the climate and nature emergency at wildlifetrusts.org/emergency

Grey partridges are just one of the threatened species that will benefit

New fund for nature’s recovery The Wildlife Trusts are ramping up plans to combat the nature crisis thanks to a £6 million investment from the Ecological Restoration Fund. The money will support rewilding projects, the reintroduction of keystone species and better protections for marine and coastal habitats.

The programme will work towards creating bigger and more connected wild areas for nature’s recovery, which

are essential to protecting 30% of land and sea by 2030. Projects that will benefit include a coast-to-coast nature recovery programme along Hadrian’s Wall, peatland restoration in Northern Ireland, and wetland restoration across the River Severn catchment.

Find out more at wildlifetrusts.org/6-million-ERF

Discover how The Wildlife Trusts are helping wildlife across the UK

A model approach The Wildlife Trust for Lancashire, Manchester and North Merseyside is growing a sustainable alternative to goose-feather down. BioPuff®, which can replace feathers in padded jackets, is made from the fluffy seadheads of bulrushes. The Trust plans to re-wet agricultural peatland to grow the bulrushes, protecting the carbon in the peat and reducing emissions. wtru.st/bulrush-clothing

The buffalo-down

GREY PARTRIDGE © DAVID TIPLING/2020VISION; WATER BUFFALO © ROBERT PHILLIPS

UK UPDATE

Herts and Middlesex Wildlife Trust has introduced a herd of water buffalo to improve rare fen habitat at Thorley Wash Nature Reserve. These hardy animals will graze the ditches and marshy areas that cows prefer to avoid, preventing the need for heavy machinery to clear scrub and improving the site for wildlife such as water voles. wtru.st/herts-buffalo

Seeing reddish Hampshire & Isle of Wight Wildlife Trust has rediscovered one of the UK’s rarest moths. The reddish buff is only found on one site in the country, a Wildlife Trust nature reserve on the Isle of Wight, but had not been recorded since 2019. This year, the Trust’s annual survey revealed two adult moths. wtru.st/seeing-reddish

Wild | Winter/Spring 2024

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LEICESTERSHIRE & RUTLAND WILDLIFE TRUST

WILD THOUGHTS

James Brittain-McVey @TheVampsJames

@jamesmcvey

Keep a wild heart this winter

FERAL PIGEON © JUAN MANUEL BORRERO, NATUREPL.COM

I love spending time in nature.

There’s just something special about getting outside, seeing wildlife, feeling like you’re part of something bigger. But we live busy lives, finding time isn’t always easy. When I’m in the studio, or on tour, it’s so easy to forget just how important time in nature is and how it’s always just beyond the door.

That’s why I’m a huge fan of The Wildlife Trusts’ 30 Days Wild challenge. It’s all about everyday actions. That’s the amazing thing about experiencing nature – it doesn’t have to be something big. Taking a few minutes outside, watching a bird or standing under a tree, can be just as powerful as spending a whole day exploring a forest or walking along a beach. It just gives you a rush of happiness that’s hard to find anywhere else.

In winter, we need that feeling more than ever. But it can sometimes seem harder to find. Days are shorter and darker. The leaves and flowers are mostly gone. Those sunny June memories of 30 Days Wild with bees, birdsong and butterflies seem like a lifetime ago. But remember the message: do one wild thing a day. It’s not always easy, but try to find the time and I promise you that you won’t regret it.

I live in a city, but even there I can head outside and find some mood-boosting wildlife. I can head to the park and see birds flying around the bare trees, or take a walk along the river. Watching the water flow by can give you an incredible sense of peace,

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even on the gloomiest winter day. If you’re lucky enough to have a garden, you don’t even have to go that far. We have so much wildlife on our doorstep, just waiting for us to enjoy it.

Earlier this year, I had surgery on my vocal cords. I couldn’t sing, couldn’t even talk for months. Spending time in nature really helped with my recovery. I even came up with the melody for my new single whilst walking around a park. The power that nature has to heal and inspire us is incredible.

There are definitely days when it feels harder. When it’s cold outside and the couch feels too comfy to leave. But make that effort, even if it’s just to step outside for a moment. See if you can hear a robin singing, or even just spot a pigeon. Feel the breeze on your skin, or touch a tree and trace the texture of the bark. Find that little something that reminds you that nature is all around us, that we’re connected to it. Take it in, let it fill your soul, ground you to our amazing world. It’s therapeutic and good for us on so many levels.

Just one little moment a day is all it takes to keep your heart wild, and a wild heart will make winter so much more wonderful.

Find out more about how nature can help our health and wellbeing at wildlifetrusts.org/wellbeing

FEED THE BIRDS

Helping birds through the chilly months is a great way to connect with nature in winter. Energy rich foods such as suet are especially welcome, and don’t forget to offer clean, ice-free water too.

Find out more and learn how to make your own bird feeder at lrwt.org.uk/ actions/how-feed-birdsyour-garden

James Brittain-McVey is a nature lover and musician, best known as the guitarist for The Vamps. He has been an ambassador for The Wildlife Trusts since 2021, inspiring his fans to think about their impact on the natural world.

James’s new solo single, Dancing on the Head of a Needle, is out now.

Our amazing volunteers!

Volunteers are the beating heart of the Trust. Without them we couldn’t achieve nearly as much as we do, as Volunteer and Events Coordinator Helen Fairhead explains

V

olunteering can offer a fantastic opportunity to meet new friends, gain additional skills, and improve health and wellbeing. But without our army of volunteers, the Trust simply couldn’t achieve all the work necessary to maintain our reserves, capture essential data or enhance habitat for wildlife across our two counties.

In my role I get to see the amazing contribution that all volunteers make towards helping nature and the joy that giving back brings to all involved. This can have an incredible ripple effect across communities.

Flying the flag

Many volunteers are out there, day after day, flying the flag for wildlife and raising awareness of our work – for example, posting wonderful wildlife photos on social media or commenting and sharing our own social media posts. Whatever action, it all helps to tip the balance in nature’s favour. All our volunteers should feel very proud of what they help to achieve.

The Trust offers social events for our volunteers, such as Christmas parties and barbeques, including our Cuppa Cake Catch-up held twice a year for volunteers to learn about the fantastic

Did someone say cake? There’s a social side to volunteering too!

Volunteer options are diverse and include, for example, welcoming members of the public to our Visitor Centre at Rutland Water. work happening across the Trust and the amazing contribution of their work.

Volunteers are also sent a bi-monthly volunteer magazine summarising all the activity of the past two months and the accomplishments achieved.

Many opportunities

You might think that volunteering with a Wildlife Trust would involve only physical, outdoor work. However, there is a diverse range of opportunities, including administrative work or, for example, helping with our inner-city community project, Nextdoor Nature.

Other roles include helping to enter data as part of our important wildlife surveying work or assisting with admin at our head office.

There are also opportunities at our Volunteer Training Centre at Rutland Water, and we encourage self-led volunteer groups, which helps us achieve even more.

Every role and every hour generously given towards our fight to become a stronger voice for nature is appreciated. Our

team of volunteers continue to turn up in all weathers and often go out of their way to step in whenever we need that extra support. They are year-round ambassadors for wildlife and do so much outside of their time with us, for example offering talks or walks, while inspiring so many people in their daily lives.

Their impact offers many other immeasurable benefits too. Volunteers contribute towards the building of new friendships, countless laugh-out-loud moments, and sharing, compassion and social support. We thank you so much for making this happen!

Volunteer with us

● Find out more about volunteering

and the current opportunities available at lrwt.org.uk/volunteer ● If you have any other questions

please contact Helen Fairhead at volunteering@lrwt.org.uk or call 01572 720049.

Wild | Winter/Spring 2024

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LEICESTERSHIRE & RUTLAND WILDLIFE TRUST

Your wild winter The best of the season’s wildlife and where to enjoy it on your local patch

Olive-green pike return to spawn in the same location every year. They live for about 18 years and can reach hefty proportions; the heaviest caught in the UK topped 21kg!

WINTER SPECTACLE

Spawn again

LINDA PITKIN/2020VISION

The mighty, torpedo-shaped pike can grow to more than a metre long and is found in lakes, reservoirs and slow-flowing rivers. It has a deserved reputation as a ruthless predator, skulking among the vegetation from where it bursts out to nab its hapless prey. On the menu is everything from smaller fish to ducklings and even small mammals.

Pike spawn once the water temperature reaches around 9oC, which in a mild winter may be as soon as February. The normally solitary

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fish congregate in the shallows and the frenzied activity begins. Larger females can produce up to 500,000 eggs but will lay them in batches over many days. Several males may pursue a female, each desperate to release its milt, or sperm, onto her freshly laid eggs.

SEE THEM THIS WINTER  Soar and Wreake: These large, slow-flowing rivers support a healthy population of pike.  Rutland Water Nature Reserve: The pike lurk in the deeper waters of the reservoir outside of the spawning season.

Thank you!

Members like you give us the resources we need to protect freshwater wildlife, both on our reserves and in the wider landscape by working with our partners.

YOUR WILD WINTER

Coronation Gardens

Grow wilder Nourish your wild side

Invite wildlife in

CHRIS GOMERSALL/2020VISION

Duck detective Head to a lakeside and play duck detective. Many have flown in from Scandinavia and the Arctic to be here this winter.

Wigeon These winter visitors prefer to graze on grasses. It is the males that have the red heads and pink flush to the breast.

ditching peat, pesticides and weedkillers, or letting a patch of grass grow longer as shelter for frogs and insects. How about planting nectar-rich flowers for pollinators, or digging a pond – a lifesaver in hot weather?

Growing some of your own healthy, organic food in harmony with nature offers more opportunities for both wildlife and you to thrive. If you’ve never done it before, start with easy, prolific croppers such as courgettes, strawberries and climbing beans, and look forward to an abundant summer.

CHRIS GOMERSALL/2020VISION

Did you know the UK’s gardens cover an area greater than all its nature reserves combined?

Gardens offer huge potential for wildlife – if we welcome it in.

The Wildlife Trusts have launched Coronation Gardens for Food and Nature, a new initiative to encourage more of us to grow food and make space for wildlife. The programme, in partnership with Incredible Edible, Garden Organic and the National Federation of Women’s Institutes pays tribute to the king’s long-term commitment to the natural world.

Taking part could be as simple as

The Coronation Gardens website offers advice on getting started, with ideas for growing food, expert blogs, and the opportunity to add your garden to the Coronation Gardens map. Seek inspiration at mycoronationgarden.org

Teal Our smallest duck with the impressive ability to take off almost vertically when disturbed. Here from the Baltic and Siberia.

CHRIS GOMERSALL/2020VISION

Download your free guide to wildlife gardening and create an outdoor space that rolls out the green carpet to local wildlife! Visit: lrwt.org.uk/wildlife-gardening

Tufted duck Check out the hairdo on these widely distributed dapper ducks! The hens have up to 11 eggs in a single brood.

GUY EDWARDES/2020VISION

JANET PACKHAM

Fuel their winter Winter is a tough time for animals that don’t hibernate. Help birds stay warm by offering a selection of energy-dense foods such as sunflower seeds, fat balls and unsalted peanuts.

Keep food off the ground and consider using squirrel-proof feeders. Don’t forget to provide fresh, clean water for drinking and washing.

HEAR THIS

January is fox mating season and things can get noisy! Ever heard a pained scream at night? That is a vixen, or female fox, letting males (or ‘dogs’) know they are ready to mate.

SEE THIS

Snowdrops brighten up winter days, offering the promise of warmer days to come. Dimminsdale nature reserve is renowned for its snowdrops. lrwt.org.uk/nature-reserves/dimminsdale

Wild | Winter/Spring 2024

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LEICESTERSHIRE & RUTLAND WILDLIFE TRUST

FACT FILE Latin name: Meles meles Weight: 10-12kg Size: 70-75cm (excluding tale) Lifespan: Typically, 6-7 years but can live to 15 years Population: 485,000 (2017 estimate for England and Wales.

Significantly fewer today due to culling.)

The

secret life of badgers Nocturnal badgers spend most of their time below ground, which makes them something of a mystery. Dr David Duckett, Chairman of the Leicestershire and Rutland Badger Group, takes us on a journey of discovery as we get up close to this much-loved mammal.

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BADGERS

I

n Britain the badger is a wellknown and iconic species repeatedly appearing in history and folklore. One notable example is Badger in the children’s favourite novel The Wind in the Willows by Kenneth Grahame. In the book Badger is universally respected by all the other animals and, indeed, The Wildlife Trusts adopted the badger as its logo.

Around the country there are frequent references to the badger or brock (an old English name for badger) in place names.

Here in Leicestershire, for example, we have Brocks Hill Country Park in Oadby and the Badger pub in Cropston.

Despite this, humans rarely see badgers, except dead by the roadside, as this fascinating animal is both nocturnal and lives most of its life underground, keeping many of its ways of life hidden from view.

There are up to 15 species of badger worldwide. The badger found in Britain (Meles meles) is the Eurasian species seen over a wide range, from Ireland in the west, across much of Europe and Asia, to Japan. It is a mammal belonging to the weasel or Mustelid family, which in Britain includes the otter, stoat, weasel, pine martin, polecat and the introduced American mink.

Sett piece Badgers live socially in underground setts, which are dug out using their very powerful short legs with front feet equipped with long, non-retractable claws. A sett may have one to more than 80 holes or entrances, and although there is no direct correlation between the number of holes and the number of occupying badgers, there is probably a broad positive association.

Setts can be very extensive

Typical entrance to a badger sett.

Badger clans number up to around 20 individuals, with six most typical.

The number of badgers living socially in a sett may vary from two to 20 or so and established over many years, with some believed to go back centuries. But they can be dynamic, being extended or vacated both temporarily and permanently, particularly if the sett or local environment is disturbed.

The social group, or clan, lives in a main sett but may have one or more smaller outlier setts which are used more occasionally, possibly by a pregnant sow or a group member following disharmony in the clan. Through mutual grooming and scent sharing, badgers in a clan have a unique, unifying smell.

Rural badgers typically make their setts in countryside with a mix of deciduous woodland, pasture and arable fields, particularly on sloping ground. However, badgers are very adaptable providing there is suitable shelter, food and water using many, sometimes unusual habitats, especially in the urban environment.

Chambers made Examination of setts has shown them to consist of a series of tunnels and chambers. They are notably clean with nest material confined to sleeping and nesting chambers. Few setts have been excavated as this is difficult and destroys them. This is only done legally in a situation where the sett is being destroyed, for example for approved development.

More recently high-tech methods such as ground-penetrating radar have been attempted with some success.

It appears that badgers rarely defaecate in setts, probably only in exceptional

circumstances when confined to the sett, and then in dedicated latrine areas. There is limited evidence of dead badgers being found in setts, dispelling the idea that badgers bury dead members of their social group in disused parts of the sett.

The number of badgers living socially in a sett may vary from two to 20 or so, with the average being six. Researchers have shown they share the sett space, moving every day or two between chambers and in winter getting closer together.

Get to know the badger Badgers have an extremely strong bite due to their powerful jaw muscles supported by a bony structure on the top of their skull (the sagittal crest) and the articulation of the lower jaw, which is locked into the skull at the socket, unlike other mammals.

But despite being classified as carnivores, they are truly omnivores. Whilst some vertebrate food including young animals is taken, up to 70% of their diet may be earthworms, which are ‘hoovered up’ when they come to the surface at night. Other food items include various invertebrates (mainly insects), fruit and cereals. Badgers love sweetcorn, as many allotment holders will know!

Badgers generally defaecate in discrete dung pits, which are often used to mark their territorial boundary, and frequently grouped in latrine sites.

Adults are heavier in the autumn after laying down fat reserves for overwintering, with the males (boars) being slightly larger than the females (sows). Sex Wild | Winter/Spring 2024

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LEICESTERSHIRE & RUTLAND WILDLIFE TRUST

GILLIAN LLOYD

Badgers possess powerful jaw muscles.

PHILIP PRECEY

Tell-tale signs of badger activity: Pawprint (above) and clawmarks.

SUE CROOKES

differentiation is not easy, but boars tend to have a wider head than sows. Badgers have the classic black and white facial markings, so well-known to everyone, while the rest of their fur appears grey. It comprises long (7-10cm) guard hairs which are pale excepting a 1-2cm black band just below the light tip. These overlie a thick white underfur.

Only about a third of badger cubs survive their first year. Starvation and dehydration, particularly in dry weather,

Badgers, along with a few other mammal species, are fascinating in that they may mate all year round, but the fertilised eggs remain suspended in the uterus until they implant into the uterine wall and develop in about early December.

This phenomenon, known as ‘delayed implantation’, enables badgers to broadly synchronise the birth date to maximise food availability for their cubs. An increase in hormone levels almost certainly triggers implantation, but what causes this change

and temporary) between clans. Dispersal, particularly of males, seems to occur more in low-density populations.

Peak times for matings are February, post cub birth, and September. Badgers increase weight as winter approaches and especially include fruit and cereals in their diet. They don’t hibernate but

DNA testing of badger cubs has shown that the siblings often have different fathers are the main causes of early mortality.

Badgers also have relatively poor eyesight, made up for by reasonable hearing and an extremely well-developed sense of smell, which is vital for most aspects of their life.

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DAVID DUCKETT

Cycle of life Badgers generally have their young in February following a gestation of eight weeks. The number of cubs in a litter varies from one to five, with an average of three. The cubs, which are dependent on their mother, remain underground for eight to ten weeks before emerging, usually in April. The cubs are weaned at three to four months.

isn’t clear. It’s possibly an alteration in the status of the sow’s fat reserves.

Further intrigue arises from paternity of the cubs in a litter. Despite being highly social and territorial within their clan, DNA testing of badger cubs has shown that the siblings often have different fathers. The responsible boars may be males from the sow’s clan or from other territorial groups that have mated with her at different times of the year. This inter-clan mating prevents inbreeding.

Young badgers become sexually mature at about 12-14 months, and most young stay within their social group, although there is some dispersal (both permanent

Top: The artificial sett at Rutland Water under construction, overlooked by the relocated hide. Bottom: After burying.

BADGERS are less active, especially above ground, in November and December. Whilst I haven’t fully checked my records, I believe I’ve seen badgers on every day of the year.

Badger watching Although live badgers are rarely seen, it’s possible to observe them at their setts, particularly in the spring and summer. Having found a potentially active and viewable sett, basics to successful viewing are to be quiet, not to wear bright or noisy clothing, or perfumes, to arrive well before sunset from a downwind direction, to keep hidden and, lastly, to be patient. Owners of trail cameras may use them to check potential sett activity before viewing.

Seeing a live badger in its environment is a magical moment for most people, and even more so when young cubs are present. Most people get hooked!

Organised badger watches are held at Rutland Water Nature Reserve from April to September. There is a dedicated badger watching hide. Until last winter this was located near a badger sett under a large ash tree that was considered to have become dangerous.

As a regular volunteer at the reserve, I led a team that relocated the hide to another safe and accessible site, which unfortunately wasn’t too close to a badger sett. As compensation, this move provided a fantastic opportunity to install an artificial badger sett near the hide to encourage badgers. This comprised a tunnel system with two nesting chambers and four exit holes.

With dedicated support feeding from the reserve staff, up to four badgers were seen in watches up to October 2023.

Protections and threats Badgers and their setts are protected by the Badgers Act (1992) and the Hunting Act (2004). Nevertheless, they remain subject to many threats including: Development: Prior to development there should be an Environmental Impact Assessment with protection or mitigation actions as necessary (such as moving badgers to a nearby artificial sett). This is done under licence, granted by Natural England, where required. Unfortunately, processes aren’t always followed.

Baiting: The illegal and horrific practice of digging badgers out and setting dogs on them either at the sett or removed to a baiting pit. An estimated 10,000 badgers die this way every year.

Sett blocking: This regularly occurs for nefarious reasons. Blocking has been associated with illegal fox hunting to stop hunted foxes going to ground. To what degree badgers die through being entrapped is unknown, but evidence of dead trapped badgers has been found.

Traffic accidents: It is estimated that 50,000 badgers die on our roads every year, with many more injured.

Culling: Legal badger culling has been ongoing in England since 2013.

Appallingly, 210,555 badgers have already been killed with a further 53,234 deaths sanctioned by January 2024. This decimation is based on the Government’s belief that badgers are a major cause of bovine TB in cattle. Yet following significant research, most mainstream badger scientists have consistently refuted this view, identifying the contribution by badgers as small at most.

In March 2022, an independent peerreviewed scientific review of data from Defra concluded that badger culling has been ineffective in reducing bovine TB in cattle herds. A better solution than culling badgers is urgently required.

Leicestershire and Rutland Badger Group (LRBG) This group is one of about 50 badger groups across the country which exist to support the conservation and protection of badgers. Most are members of the national Badger Trust. Although the LRBG has its own membership, it is affiliated to LRWT and functions as one of the Local Groups, with an active meetings programme.

Details of membership can be at badgergroup.org.uk

The badger’s keen sense of smell compensates for its not-so-sharp eyesight.

Wild | Summer 2023

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LEICESTERSHIRE & RUTLAND WILDLIFE TRUST

Discover the winter wildlife of Wanlip Meadows It didn’t take long for nature to reclaim this former quarry – with a little help from the Trust. Where diggers once toiled for gravel, today’s extractions are altogether gentler as wildfowl probe and dabble for a juicy morsel. Conservation Officer Chris Hill shows us round.

Shepshed

VAUGHN MATTHEWS

Ashby-dela-Zouch

Wanlip Meadows was purchased by the Trust in 2004 and is a superb example of what can be achieved once quarrying has ceased. Leicestershire County Council’s Watermead Country Park lies to the east, separated by an attractive, fast-flowing section of the River Soar.

Following gravel extraction in the 1990s, the remaining pits of the old quarry were filled in with inert waste such as rubble, bricks and broken up concrete before being reinstated as permanent pasture.

The northern field, known as ‘The Flash’, is a shallow depression formed as a result of the waste beneath the surface settling. This fills with water following heavy rain, making it a hugely attractive gathering place for all manner of waders and wildfowl.

The shallow water and gradients offer ideal conditions for birds to 18

Wild | Winter/Spring 2024

find food in the mud and surrounding wet grassland. Common meadow-rue and great burnet are two species of wild flower that have persisted here since the quarrying ceased.

Not all the site was used. Along the river a 30m strip was left untouched and here you can still find a number of the original, tall hedges that were retained.

You have two options for gaining access to the reserve.

One is to enter through Wanlip village via Rectory Road and then Church Road, turning right at the tight T-junction at the bottom.

Follow this unmade track to the end and you will see the inverted V gate 1 . Please do not park in front of the two metal gates Alternatively, you can view The Flash from the hide in Watermead Country Park (car park charges apply) or gain access to the reserve at the metal gate at Snipe Field 5 .

Great Burnet

Loughborough

Melton Mowbray

Coalville Oakham

Leicester

Hinckley Market Harborough

On entering the nature reserve 1 you will see an interpretation board in front of you. From here you can view The Flash and, in the distance, you will see the hide.

Please note it is not possible to gain access to the hide from The Flash as the River Soar runs between the two!

Binoculars will come in handy here to spot the birds using the shallow water to feed and rest. Snipe, lapwing, wigeon and teal are just a selection that could be in residence, though with patience this list could easily be extended. Those of you with an interest in flora would benefit by visiting again in spring or summer when wetland plants such as ragged-robin, forget-me-nots, common fleabane and buttercups come into flower.

NATURE RESERVE WALK

1 2 3

The Flash, Wanlip Meadows

We use cattle to manage the reserve and check the growth of trees and invasive scrub. As this reserve is noted for its wildfowl and waders, we are looking to maintain a reserve that allows the wetland birds to feel safe. It would be easy to leave trees to dominate the reserve, but this would only see deterioration in the quality of habitat and abundance of the birds that frequent this precious area.

Walk past the shallow scrape on your left (in winter it is worth looking out for snipe around the edge) and carry on towards the corner waymarker.

Go through the gap in the fence and on your left 4 and you will see the meandering river. The river here is quite special. It has managed to retain all of its natural features, such as riffles and pools. There are some overhanging willows, and it still has a gravelly riverbed.

This is one of the best places on the reserve to spot, or hear, a kingfisher. Their call is short and high pitched and is often a reliable sign that a kingfisher will be flying past very soon. If you do hear one be sure to stand still, preferably crouch down, and wait for the blue flash.

If the river is running clear, keep your eyes peeled for various fish lurking just under the water surface. You might see chub, roach, gudgeon, minnows, bullheads and the occasional pike (see page 12). The

5

footpath then follows the river 5 until it enters Watermead Country Park over a wooden bridge. You can then extend your walk – perhaps via a chip shop in Birstall – or simply retrace your steps.

Minnow

NIALL BENVIE/2020 VISION

The path 2 runs south and has a tall, mature hedge with wet ditch running alongside it to your right. Reed buntings, long-tailed tits and chaffinches, together with dunnocks and bullfinches make the most of the dense cover offered by the hedge. The spring-fed ditch beneath carries water all year round. There is a steady flow even during hot, dry periods and it’s this that draws in amphibians looking for food and shelter. Herons can be spotted too, feeding on the frogs. Come spring they will supplement their diet with grass snakes.

At the metal kissing gate 3 , the footpath runs diagonally through the field we call Rush Close. You might encounter the Longhorn cattle at this point but don’t be afraid – they may look fierce but are quite harmless.

MALCOLM BROWN

Kingfisher

4

FACTFILE Located south of Wanlip village, just north of Birstall, alongside the River Soar. From Rectory Road, turn into Church Road then head right at the T-junction.

Nearest postcode: LE7 4PJ Map ref: SK 601 106 what3words: ///kinds.jokes.boxer Parking: At the bottom of the lane Size: 16.2ha For further information, please see our Nature Reserve Guide or visit lrwt.org.uk/nature-reserves

Wild | Winter/Spring 2024

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LEICESTERSHIRE & RUTLAND WILDLIFE TRUST

6 places to see

FROSTY OAK TREE © GUY EDWARDES/2020VISION

terrific trees

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rees are impressive at any time of year.

They can live for centuries, the shape of their trunks and branches telling the story of their long lives. Some grow tall, others wide and sprawling, creating natural, living statues.

Winter is a wonderful time to discover the UK’s old and unusual trees, as many have shed their leaves, revealing the unique shapes beneath. Here are six Wildlife Trust nature reserves where the trees have a story to tell.

You can discover even more at wildlifetrusts.org/ancient-trees

See the spectacle

for yourself

1 Glenarm, Ulster Wildlife One of Europe’s best examples of wooded river valley and parkland, with large numbers of ancient and veteran oak trees. Keep an eye out for signs of mammals including red squirrels, pine martens and badgers.

Where: Glenarm, BT44 0BD 2 The Hollies, Shropshire Wildlife Trust A spellbinding grove of ancient hollies, perched on the edge of the Stiperstones. Each windswept tree is a unique character. Some are three or four centuries old, wizened and creaking with age.

Where: Snailbeach, SY5 0NS Moseley Bog, Birmingham & Black Country Wildlife Trust Moseley Bog is a gateway to Middle Earth. The gnarled old trees were a favourite of author JRR Tolkien, who lived nearby. They provided the inspiration for the old forests in The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit.

Where: Birmingham, B13 9JX 3

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Prior’s Coppice, LRWT This truly ancient woodland is a relic of the once sprawling Leighfield Forest. Giant coppice ‘stools’ are evidence of centuries of traditional management. Coppicing extends the life of trees and some of the stools found here are an incredible 5m across!

Where: Braunston, LE15 8DB 5

Cwm Byddog, Radnorshire Wildlife Trust One of the top 20 ancient tree sites in Wales, with some trees thought to be up to 800 years old. One mighty oak has a girth of 6.3m, whilst there’s an alder with a 5m girth.

With so many old trees, it’s also a great place to see lichens.

Where: Powys, HR3 5SL Alderney Community Woodland, Alderney Wildlife Trust This may not be the oldest woodland on our list, but these trees tell a story. Many of Alderney’s trees were felled by the Nazis during WWII, so the Trust has planted over 12,000 trees to bring the woodland back. This history is evident in the Community Woodland, with several bunkers on the reserve.

Where: Les Rochers, Alderney 6

Did you spot any tree-mendous trees?

We’d love to know how your search went.

Please share your best photos! @wildlifetrusts

LEICESTERSHIRE & RUTLAND WILDLIFE TRUST

DANNY GREEN/2020VISION

Devoted to the

dormouse

Dormice have been absent from our counties for two decades, but a project to reintroduce them offers hope for the future. County Mammal Recorder Dr Helen O’Brien, who lead the feasibility study into their release, tell us more.

T

Driving the decline Dormice are strongly dependent on woodland habitat and features such as hedgerows and scrub that connect sites 22

Wild | Winter/Spring 2024

Inside a dormouse nestbox.

TOM MARSHALL

he common or hazel dormouse was once widespread in the UK but has declined a staggering 51% since the year 2000. Its range is now more restricted than ever, making the dormouse vulnerable to local extinction. These tiny mammals, weighing just 15-40g, are mainly found in the south of England and Wales, with scattered populations in the Midlands and the north of England where they have been reintroduced over the past 30 years to improve the species’ chance of survival.

Though once present in parts of east Leicestershire and Rutland, the last record here is from 2004 and it was accepted they were absent from the two counties after several local studies found no evidence of their presence.

and help them to disperse. The main reasons behind their decline are the fragmentation, deterioration and loss of habitat, and the changing climate.

Inappropriate management of woodlands in the past has meant dormice are now absent from many counties.

While many areas may now be more appropriately managed and better suited to dormice, they are unlikely to return without some assistance due to their isolation from viable populations. How

we manage our woodlands and connect them to the wider countryside will determine the survival of this species.

Changes in our climate generally mean warmer, wetter winters. This is not good for dormice, which hibernate in winter when food is scarce. If they wake up during a mild spell, they may starve or become weak and in danger of predation.

Conversely, an unseasonably cool summer may trigger an involuntarily semi-state of torpor, which if occurring during the breeding season or when offspring are young, could seriously impact a local population.

Local reintroductions In late 2020 LRWT commissioned a study with the support of Twycross Zoo to investigate the feasibility of reintroducing dormice to our two counties. The study considered past and present records of dormice and identified the National Forest cluster of woodlands – both new

DORMICE REINTRODUCTION plantations and ancient woodland – as offering high potential. The National Forest Company and Twycross Zoo supported further surveys to validate the findings, confirming the suitability of key sites within the vice-county boundaries of Leicestershire and Rutland.

The study supported evidence for a local reintroduction and 38 dormice were released into a large woodland at Calke Abbey on the edge of Leicestershire in summer 2023. The reintroduction was led by the wildlife charity People’s Trust for Endangered Species (PTES) alongside landowners, the National Trust and many partners, including LRWT. National Trust rangers and volunteers helped to install large cages on trees within the woodland. The dormice and their nestboxes were then placed inside the cages and the dormice fed a mix of high-protein nuts, seeds and fruit over a 90-day period to ensure they gained weight and to help them settle into their new homes.

Introducing dormice in this way gives them the best chances of survival. We were able to monitor the amount they were eating and whether they were still using the cages over the 90 days.

During that time 200 nestboxes were also installed around the wood for the dormice to use on leaving the cages.

Nest checks Monthly nestbox checks for dormice and their nests have been carried out by rangers, volunteers and licenced

Did you know?

Hazelnuts are full of protein and a major source of food for small mammals. Dormice, bank voles and wood mice gnaw the nuts in different ways, leaving tell-tale signs of their presence.

FACT FILE

51 % decline since 2000

dormice handlers as part of the National Dormouse Monitoring Scheme, led by PTES. These inspections reveal whether dormice populations have increased and dispersed across the woodlands and hedgerows following their release. The signs so far are good; the dormice have produced offspring and are using boxes away from the release cages.

LRWT is working closely with its many partners, including landowners, to help improve woodlands and the connectivity between them. Taking this landscapescale approach to help dormice and other vulnerable species is part of the Trust’s overall strategy towards nature recovery and improving resilience to climate change. By getting this right, we can work towards a more promising outlook for dormice and support additional releases in the future.

Lost from 17 counties 1,078 dormice reintroduced since 1993

WHERE THE DORMICE COME FROM The Common Dormouse Captive Breeders Group is a unique partnership that includes the Wildwood Trust, Paignton Zoo, and the Zoological Society of London who together breed the dormice destined for release.

The dormice undergo an eight-week quarantine and receive a full health check by veterinary staff prior to being released into their new environment.

WORKING TOGETHER

Installing one of the cages.

Checking in on the dormice.

• National Trust • People's Trust for Endangered Species • Leicestershire & Rutland Wildlife Trust • Twycross Zoo • The National Forest • Zoological Society of London • Paignton Zoo • Leicestershire & Rutland Mammal Group • Nottinghamshire Dormouse Group • Derbyshire Mammal Group

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“You don’t need to do a lot on the farm to make a big difference – it’s all about getting the right habitat in the right place”

LINNET ON A SUNFLOWER HEAD © ANDYWORKS, ISTOCK.COM

Robert Law, Jordans farmer

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Sowing Survival Farmland covers a vast area of the UK, around 70% of our land, so the way farms are managed has huge implications for our wildlife. As farmland developed, many animals adapted to take advantage of the habitats it provided. There were hedgerows to hide in, ponds to drink from, and a wide variety of plants to provide food. But as farming has intensified over the years, many of these features have been lost, with a big impact on the wildlife that has grown to rely on them. Nature was pushed to the margins, and in some places even those margins were lost.

But some farms are bucking the trend. Through the pioneering and industry-leading Jordans Farm Partnership, The Wildlife Trusts and Jordans work together to support the farmers that grow oats for Jordans cereals, helping them to farm in harmony with nature. Every farmer in the partnership is committed to managing at least 10% of their farmed land for wildlife, though many go well beyond that – the average is 27%!

These farms are full of conservation success stories, from rare nesting stone curlews to buzzing insect populations. In winter they provide vital food supplies, particularly for birds. There are finches and buntings mingling in mixed flocks in the fields, with yellowhammers adding a splash of colour.

Charms of goldfinches live up to their collective name, taking to the air with a chorus of soft, jingling calls. Larger birds like lapwings and golden plovers scour the soil for invertebrates, whilst redwings and fieldfares gorge themselves in berry-laden hedges.

In many cases, the work that Jordans farmers do throughout the year continues to pay off in winter.

The hedges, rough field margins, woodlands, ditches, and ponds they create and protect provide shelter and a natural food source. At Hatchepen Farm in Hertfordshire, 2.5 kilometres of hedgerow have recently been created, a welcome sight to the grey partridges, corn buntings, finches and thrushes that spend the winter on the farm.

But birds have a big appetite in winter, so many of the farmers take extra measures to feed their

feathered friends. They plant their very own bird buffet, known as a wild bird cover crop. This is an area of crops grown just for the birds, left unharvested to provide seeds that birds can feast on throughout the winter. The exact mix of plants varies from farm to farm. On Ragley Hall farm in Warwickshire, farmer Andrew Keyte sows a mix including linseed, millets and sunflowers. Over winter this feeds finches, yellowhammers, sparrows and other birds. Many other Jordans farmers enjoy a similar selection of birds on their dedicated plots.

To provide even more of a helping hand, the farmers may also offer supplementary feeding, scattering seeds across their land to tide birds over until spring. A winter bird survey of Woodhall Farm in Hertfordshire recorded hundreds of bramblings and linnets taking advantage of the bird crops and extra seeds. Some of these bramblings may have flown over 2,000km from Fennoscandia to find enough food for the winter.

You can learn more about the Jordans Farm Partnership, and how the growers are helping wildlife thrive on their farms, at wildlifetrusts.org/jordans-farm-partnership

LAPWING © DAVID TIPLING/2020VISION; FARMER AND ADVISOR © MATTHEW ROBERTS

Winter on a Jordans Farm

LEICESTERSHIRE & RUTLAND WILDLIFE TRUST

Saving water

for wildlife ILLUSTRATIONS BY HANNAH BAILEY, PHOTO © SARAH CUTTLE

We’ve all noticed the recent changes in weather patterns. More of us are experiencing drought more often, and can expect to more frequently in future. Winter is the perfect time to start preparing your garden for a parched spring and summer.

Wildlife suffers in drought. Birds like robins and blackbirds struggle to find worms and grubs to feed their chicks when the soil dries up. What’s more, leaves shrivel, putting caterpillars and other grubs that eat them at risk, while flowers produce less nectar, which has a knock-on effect on pollinators.

As gardeners, we should adapt to drier conditions by growing more drought-resilient plants, but we mustn’t neglect the wildlife that also uses our gardens. By topping up bird baths and ponds, using grey water to hydrate our plants and providing supplementary food when natural sources have (literally) dried up, we can make life easier for wildlife struggling to adjust to climate change.

Our reliance on mains water should be at the heart of dealing with drought. Aim to use less

tap water, which means saving more rainwater.

Collecting water in winter to use in spring and summer will not only keep your garden growing and your wildlife thriving, but will also reduce pressure on reservoirs and rivers when it’s dry, and sewerage systems when it’s wet. When reservoirs dry up our rivers are drained as back-up but, conversely, heavy showers can result in sewage discharges into rivers and the sea. Everything is connected – simply by saving rainwater and using less mains water we can save local species, save entire river ecosystems, and still have attractive, species-rich gardens.

Get more tips for growing in harmony with nature at mycoronationgarden.org

Kate Bradbury is passionate about wildlife-friendly gardening and the author of Wildlife Gardening for Everyone and Everything.

Recently, she has provided advice for the Coronation Gardens for Food and Nature website.

GARDENING FOR WILDLIFE

Save water Invest in water butts now to store up winter rain. Buy as many as you can afford and connect them to the downpipe of your house for maximum flow.

(Councils may offer cheaper versions or you might find a bargain at your local tip.)

Make a rain garden If budget allows, transform your space so that all rainwater soaks into the soil slowly, rather than going down the drain.

Create shade Grow tall plants or trees, or let your hedge grow taller rather than cutting it back this winter. Plants in shade are less likely to scorch and the soil remains wetter.

Use grey water Keep a bucket in your shower, a washing up bowl in your kitchen sink, and syphon water from your bath to hydrate your garden. Use eco detergents to reduce the impact on soil health and use the water immediately so it doesn’t go bad.

Add a pond Now’s a good time to dig a pond, which should fill naturally before spring. Ensure it has shallow margins and sloping sides, and consider running a pipe from your shed roof so it fills automatically when it rains.

Mulch the soil Cover bare areas of earth with bark chippings, home-made compost, gravel or even plant material to lock in moisture, which will help plants grow.

Grow more plants Cover every inch of space with plants, including climbers up walls and fences. The more plants you grow, the more humid your environment, the less dry the local atmosphere.

Grow drought-tolerant plants Replace thirsty plants like astrantia, astilbe and persicaria with drought-resilient plants like lavender and salvia, but don’t stop growing natives as many species rely on them.

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LEICESTERSHIRE & RUTLAND WILDLIFE TRUST

MY WILD LIFE “It’s like finding a jewel when I open the trap” Volunteer Finn Miskin-Young loves to switch on his moth trap lights and settle down to watch the night flyers arrive. Wendy Tobitt discovers why Finn also loves talking about moths.

I discovered moths on family camping holidays. I was 11 years old when I went to a moth-trapping event in Kelling Heath, Norfolk, and it was just magical. One minute they weren’t there then suddenly they were! That sense of wonder has stayed with me.

Why do moths matter?

Moths and their caterpillars are essential food for frogs, bats and garden birds like robins that need moth caterpillars to feed their young. Moths are pollinators too, helping wild flowers set seed and expand their range.

Where are you moth-trapping?

Once a month I take my moth trap onto

an LRWT nature reserve. I get there just before dusk, set it up then settle down for a few hours. Moths spend the first hour of the evening feeding and then I switch the lights on. Some are dainty and delicate, others yo-yo up and down, while some are powerful and fast.

I love just sitting there watching them flying around.

We have many different habitats in Leicestershire and Rutland, which support hundreds of species. From my home I go east for moths of ancient woodlands and calcareous grasslands, and west for moths of the Charnwood Forest heath habitats.

Do you need special kit?

I bought a ‘beginners’ moth trap for my garden and use it on the reserves too.

Special lights attract the moths in, which

AMY LEWIS

“Moths are invisible to us most of the time, but they are just as important to the natural ecosystem as butterflies and bees.”

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Wild | Winter/Spring 2024

then rest inside suspended cardboard egg boxes. Some moths go into the trap, some stay outside on the grass, but every moth is recorded. All the moths are released unharmed.

Is there a scientific reason for trapping moths?

Moths are not the picture-postcard species of the natural world, but they do have an important role in the ecosystem.

They are an indicator species responding to climate change; some that were only seen in the south are now recorded in the Midlands and further north. Moths like The Vestal and Bordered Straw that migrate from continental Europe, and even north Africa, are expanding their range too.

Butterfly Conservation holds the records of more than 2,500 moth species in their National Moth Recording Scheme.

NatureSpot and the Leicestershire Moth Group submit their sightings to this scheme. There aren’t many branches of

Muslin moth

VAUGHN MATTHEWS

VAUGHN MATTHEWS

OUR WILDLIFE CHAMPIONS

More on moths

Bordered Beauty

science that have this breadth of scientific research. Recording moths is important citizen science that anyone can do – you don’t have to be an expert.

Moth-trap set!

Merveille du Jour

How can people start mothing?

Come along to a public moth trapping event (which I wish there were more of!) and see the magic of moths for yourself.

I was thrilled to be inside the amazing Moth Hotel at the Timber Festival last year and talking to everyone who came along. I love talking to people who think moths are a novelty.

However, you can just put a light on outside and watch them fly around it.

Moths love sugary, sweet things like rotting fruit and berries, so leaving those in the garden will also attract them.

Elbow-striped Grass-veneer. You don’t get these sorts of names in other fields of ecology!

How do you know what they are?

There are websites such as ‘What’s Flying Tonight’ where you can enter your postcode and see which moths are likely to be flying in your area. And as soon as you post a photo of a moth on social media, there’s someone who can identify it for you.

Victorian naturalists gave unusual names to moths such as Vapourer, True Lover’s Knot and Mother Shipton. Some of them are really descriptive, like the

Do you have a favourite moth?

Merveille du Jour is my favourite, with its pretty mint-green mottled wings. It’s like finding a jewel when I open the trap in the morning and see one.

Can we see moths in winter?

Yes, there are species that only fly in winter. The Chestnut, a small brown moth, is often the first one I spot in January because it flies through the winter on warmer evenings. The Quakers are really exciting because they’re the first moths of the spring season. Then I look out for Pale Brindled Beauty and Dotted Border.

Contact us if you or someone you know could feature in a future issue of Wild. We’re looking for inspiring stories from people like you!

Email info@lrwt.org.uk

Elephant Hawkmoth

Wild | Winter/Spring 2024

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VAUGHN MATTHEWS

How do you fit in moth trapping with work?

Currently I’m working in retail, where the shift system gives me time to volunteer and do regular moth trapping. I get a lot of satisfaction from opportunities with LRWT to engage with people and watch them be amazed by the magic of moths.

I’d like to find work where I’m using my Environmental Science degree. Just now I’ve got the chance to gain more experience of practical conservation activities where I’m learning from staff and other volunteers who are so knowledgeable.

Identifying: Brush up on your ID skills and know which moth species might be on the wing in your area.

The What’s Flying Tonight? website can help you find out. Get started at butterfly-conservation.org/ moths/whats-flying-tonight Trapping: Learn more about where and how to trap moths with the NHBS Guide to Moth Trapping: nhbs.com/blog/moth-trapping

WINTERING 7SPOT LADYBIRDS © PREMAPHOTOS, NATUREPL.COM

LEICESTERSHIRE & RUTLAND WILDLIFE TRUST

Insects have an incredible trick for surviving the harsh weather of winter, as entomologist Dr Ross Piper reveals.

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Magazine Name | Summer 2023

H

uman ingenuity and technology have enabled us to thrive in every corner of the globe, from the chilly polar regions to the sweltering tropics and everywhere in between. Insects might lack our technology, but this hasn’t limited their own ability to colonise and thrive in just about every terrestrial and freshwater habitat there is.

How are these animals able to survive extremes of temperature: the cold winters of temperate locations and periods of intense heat and drought? These six-legged marvels have evolved a number of ways of dealing with extremes, from waxy exoskeletons that minimise water loss to behaviours such as migration. However, they also have an ability that makes them more-or-less immune to the vagaries of the environment. It is known as diapause. This phenomenon is easily overlooked and is as remarkable as it is subtle; a

period of seeming calm and inactivity that belies extreme changes at the cellular level.

In response to challenging environmental conditions, insects can stall their development, effectively pressing the pause button until conditions improve. The diapausing animal is still alive, but its cellular machinery shifts from cells dividing and organs developing to a state of ‘tick-over’ and maintenance. With that said, some diapausing insects may even remain active, but they feed less and their reproductive development will be slowed or halted.

How does this differ from the hibernation we see in mammals? In hibernation, metabolism slows and body temperature drops, but in essence, it is a very deep sleep. In contrast, diapause is a much more extreme form of inactivity, as the life of an insect in this state is effectively ‘paused’.

Wild | Winter/Spring 2024

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PRESSING PAUSE

Hide to survive In a deep state of diapause, the insect can’t respond to danger and flee from predators, but usually diapause takes place in the soil, behind flaking bark, deep within a plant stem or in some similar sheltered location, offering a degree of protection from these external threats. If you go out searching for insects in the depths of winter, it’s not difficult to find lots of examples of diapause. You might discover beetles, wasps and lots more besides under the bark of a dead tree, a whole community of diapausing species in a grassy tussock, or eggs and myriad larvae in the upper parts of the cold soil.

Across the vast diversity of insect life, diapause is extremely common; however, for any given insect species the phenomenon only typically occurs in a single stage of the life cycle. Often, diapause happens in the immature stages of the life cycle – the eggs or the larvae – but it can also occur in the pupae as well as the adults. Take, for example, the peacock butterflies you might find in your garden shed in the depths of winter. These are in diapause and in really cold snaps you can even see ice on them. Shutting down for the colder months, the bodies of these diapausing

butterflies will undergo some radical changes, such as the production of anti-freeze chemicals and the shrinkage of their flight muscles, which will grow back to normal size as diapause comes to an end.

How is this strange state triggered? It’s not as though a jaded insect suddenly decides one day that it needs a long rest. The actual triggers are environmental and rather subtle. In insects that need to survive the winter, it is falling temperatures and shorter day length that trigger the cellular changes needed for diapause. For example, blowfly maggots frantically feeding on a carcass in autumn will respond to the decreasing day length and falling temperatures by guzzling the decaying matter they need, before crawling out of the carcass and burrowing into the soil. Normally, the maggots would pupate straight away, but the physiological response to the shortening days and lower temperatures is stalled development, so the maggots don’t pupate until the following spring. The raft of changes that occur inside the body of the diapausing insect can include the production of compounds and proteins that protect delicate cellular structures from the ravages of extreme temperatures.

Dr Ross Piper is an entomologist, ecologist, author and presenter. His pursuit of insects, especially beetles, has taken him around the world.

ROOSTING PEACOCK BUTTERFLY © GARY K SMITH, NATUREPL.COM

In some insects, flight muscles get smaller at the onset of diapause and then increase in size again towards the end.

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Wild | Winter/Spring 2024

PRESSING PAUSE

The UK’s insect populations have suffered drastic declines, with far-reaching consequences for wildlife and people. Find out how you can help reverse these declines at

wildlifetrusts.org/action-for-insects

EGGS ON A PUSS MOTH CATERPILLAR © ROSS PIPER

Biding their time With its life on pause, a diapausing insect is capable of some extremely impressive feats of survival.

Take the large copper butterfly (which was once found in the UK but is now sadly extinct here); the caterpillars of this fenland species can handle being completely submerged in fresh or brackish water for 28 days with no impact on survival. They can go on for much longer too, at least 84 days, but beyond 28 days fewer of them make it through the ordeal. This underscores just how little metabolism is going on in the diapausing insect; it must be using a vanishingly small amount of oxygen to survive underwater for such a long period of time.

Perhaps the most nefarious exhibition of diapause is in parasitoid wasps and flies. The female parasitoid will deposit her eggs, either singly or en masse, into or onto the unfortunate host. Depending on the species, the development of the eggs or young parasitoid larvae will be stalled until the host becomes acceptably plump and ripe for being devoured. As well as the normal triggers of diapause, these parasitoids may be able to pause their development by detecting levels of certain hormones in the host that indicate when development should be stalled and when it should be kickstarted.

The active larva of the remarkable, albeit ghoulish small-headed flies seek out their host, a spider, and tunnel into its body, often through the leg joints.

Once inside, the larva will make for the book lungs (the spider’s respiratory system) and there any further development will be halted, sometimes for many years, until the spider is sufficiently sized for the fly larva to grow and pupate. When the spider is pleasingly plump the larva jolts into action, swiftly consuming the innards of the doomed host.

Sometimes - and adding insult to injury - the larva induces the host to spin a protective web that will shelter it during pupation.

This ability to slow or halt development is one of the cornerstones in the success of the insects.

It allows them to sit out extreme conditions, sometimes for very long periods, waiting for the better times to return.

A parasitoid wasp ( ) laid these eggs on a puss moth caterpillar.

Development of the larvae within the eggs will be paused until after the host has spun a cocoon to pupate in.

Magazine Wild | Winter/Spring Name | Winter 2024 2023

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LEICESTERSHIRE & RUTLAND WILDLIFE TRUST

JANUARY

Events & Activities January – April 2024

North West Group

Mon 1 Jan, 1pm New Year Walk at Bagworth Heath Blow away the Christmas cobwebs starting at Bagworth Heath Woods car park (LE67 1DL) and taking in the old pit area of Bagworth Heath Country Park, Bagworth Church, Centenary Woods and the Royal Tigers Arboretum.

Melton Mowbray Group

Get closer to nature and feel inspired on one of our events.

To allow for flexibility, please be aware that our full events programme has moved online. Check there for further details, including how to book, prices, times, and venue. Anyone booked on an event or volunteering activity will be notified of any changes. New events are constantly being added, so check regularly for the latest updates: lrwt.org.uk/events

Mon 8 Jan, 7.30pm Talk, topic to be confirmed Check lrwt.org.uk/local-groupevents for details.

Charnwood Group

Weds 10 Jan, 7.30pm Honduras: Biodiversity Hotspot The cloud forest of Honduras’ Cusuco National Park is incredibly biodiverse.

Kate Moore describes some of her wildlife encounters during her visit there last year, including hummingbirds, venomous snakes, moon moths, vampire bats and many other species.

North West Group

Fri 19 Jan, 7.30pm Nature-Friendly Farming Newbold Coleorton smallholder Julie Holland describes how a nature-friendly approach has benefitted her animals, plants, and her farm’s biodiversity.

North West Group

Sat 20 Jan, 2pm Meet the Cattle Meet Julie Holland’s rare breed cattle and see how an ordinary field has been converted into a dynamic feeding place. Meet at Julie’s – the last house heading north on Worthington Lane, Newbold Coleorton. Followed by a walk around New Lount Nature Reserve.

Rutland Water Nature Reserve: Volunteer Training Centre

Sat 20 and Sun 21 Jan, 9.30am – 4pm Hedgelaying for Beginners Learn how to hedge-lay and lay your own section of hedge on this weekend course. £99pp.

Rutland Group

Local groups oup Charnwood Local Gr

2LF. Ashby-de-la-Zouch, LE65 vid Maltby Da ct nta Co £3.

Admission rgaret on 01530 222934 or Ma .

Mabey on 01530 412410

house Indoor meetings: Wood St, in Ma 50 ll, Ha age Eaves Vill borough, gh Lou es, Eav use ho od Wo oup mbers, Rutland Local Gr LE12 8RZ. Admission £3 me Volunteer s: ng eti me r oo Ind . n free m Road, £3.50 non-members, childre off Training Centre, Oakha nts. sion £2. mis Check website for walk eve Ad .

8BP 5 LE1 n, Hambleto on ore Mo e Kat . ct om Conta Attend in person or on Zo , 05 10 89 9 on 50 rd 01 Contact Becky Howa .co.uk katemoore123@yahoo 07908 252271.

Group Great Bowden Local

age Hall, Indoor meetings: The Vill LE16 , den Bow at Gre The Green, Bruce ct 7EU. Admission £4. Conta .

76 White on 01858 4679 Group Melton Mowbray Local

nd Leicestershire & Rutla p ou Gr er dg Ba

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Meetings held online via on tt cke Du vid Da Contact Dr , 31 72 9 0116 25 uk info@badgergroup.org.

nd Indoor meetings: United Leicestershire & Rutla l St, Reformed Church, 2 Chape Bat Group . s and Melton Mowbray, LE13 1LZ Please wear warm clothe £2 non, bring ers and ar twe foo e riat rop Admission £1.50 memb app on will ws Da ors er ect Pet det ct members. Conta a torch. Some bat r you e hav you , if t 19 bu 21 be available on 01664 85 be y ma orld.com own, please bring it. Events peter.dawson69@ntlw lks Wa er. ath cancelled in adverse we and p ou ers Gr mb cal me Lo up st North We are free to bat gro ial.

Indoor meetings: Ashby for others. Booking essent Road, £3 Methodist Church, 5 Burton

Mon 15 Jan, 7.30pm All at Sea and Up the Creek!

Rupert Kirkwood has been kayaking around Devon and Cornwall for the last 15 years to admire the marine and coastal wildlife. In this talk he will share his experiences as a wildlife photographer and film maker.

Wild Walk at Cossington Meadows

Weds 17 Jan, 10am Winter Wildfowl Walk Discover the wide variety of wintering wildfowl with Chris Hill. Waterproof footwear and clothing essential!

Great Bowden Group

Weds 17 Jan, 7.30pm Rewilding at Knepp Kate Moore looks at how the Knepp Estate in Sussex has tackled their rewilding and the results achieved.

FEBRUARY Rutland Water Nature Reserve: Volunteer Training Centre

Sat 3 and Sun 4 Feb, 9.30am – 4pm Hedgelaying for Beginners See 20 January for details.

Leicestershire & Rutland Badger Group

Thurs 8 Feb, 7.30pm From a Mouse to a Red Deer Everything is important to us – even an albatross! Pauline Kidner, founder of the famous Secret World Wildlife Rescue in Somerset, talks about the work of the centre. The Badger Group’s AGM follows the presentation.

EVENTS AND ACTIVITIES Melton Mowbray Group

Mon 12 Feb, 7.30pm RAF Melton Mowbray Brian Fare presents a history of the airfield at Melton Mowbray.

Charnwood Group

Weds 14 Feb, 7.30pm When the Kite Builds Dr Mike Pienkowski chaired the Red Kite Project Team up until 1995. In this talk he shares why and how red kites were restored across Britain. Mike’s wellreviewed book on the subject will also be available to buy.

Wild Walk at Dimminsdale

Fri 16 Feb, 10am Snowdrop Walk Andy Neilson leads a walk to explore Dimminsdale’s winter wildlife, including the sensational snowdrops!

North West Group

Fri 16 Feb, 7.30pm Butterfly SOS Andy Neilson describes the current state of UK butterflies and suggests how members can help them survive the many threats in today’s world.

Rutland Group

Mon 19 Feb, 7.30pm From Hampshire to Rutland: A Conservation Story Rutland Water Reserve Officer Matt Heaver talks about the progress and plans of woodland habitats at Rutland Water and his previous experiences in conservation in Hampshire Great Bowden Group

Weds 21 Feb, 7.30pm Birding Photos and Stories Jonathan Cook is the Bird Recorder for Northamptonshire and a keen photographer. He will show us some of his best pictures and the stories behind getting them.

MARCH Rutland Water Nature Reserve: Volunteer Training Centre

Sat 2 and Sun 3 Mar, 9.30am – 4pm Hedgelaying for Beginners See 20 January for details.

Melton Mowbray Group

Great Bowden Group

Mon 11 Mar, 7.30pm The Majestic Tree Stewart Marshall manages trees and woodlands for Leicestershire City Council and gives us a talk on modern arboriculture.

Weds 20th Mar, 7.30pm Rutland Water Nature Reserve Tony Clarke shares a brief history of Rutland Water and some of the wildlife to be found there over the course of the year.

Charnwood Group

Wild Walk at Ketton Quarry

Weds 13 Mar, 7.30pm AGM followed by talk by Dave Foley Dave explains how going on Army exercises abroad led him to become a birdwatching squaddie!

Dave’s short talk explores the wonderful birds he spotted and how this piqued his interest in foreign birding.

Leicestershire & Rutland Badger Group

Thurs 14 Mar, 7.30pm Making Space for Nature in the City John Bristow, Senior Nature Conservation Officer at Leicester City Council, gives us an overview of recently completed projects to create space for wildlife within Leicester, along with an insight into the planning system and how new regulation will help support local biodiversity.

North West Group

Fri 15 Mar, 7.30pm Calke Park Colin Stewart introduces us to a different side of this important National Trust estate, with an exploration of the extensive commercial operations at Calke, including the tramway, lime yards, coal mining and clay products.

North West Group

Sat 16 Mar, 10am Calke Park Walk Colin Stewart leads a three-mile walk around Calke Park to see the sites of his industrial archaeology talk the night before. Route includes stiles and is potentially muddy, so dress appropriately.

Meet at Calke Explore. To book a place call David on 01530 222934.

Tues 26 Mar, 10am Reptile and Butterfly Walk Join Sarah Bedford on this walk to search for reptiles and early butterflies.

APRIL

Sat 6 and Sun 7 Apr, 9.30am – 4pm Drystone Walling Get to grips with the skills necessary to make your own drystone wall. £99pp.

Melton Mowbray Group

Mon 8 Apr, 7.30pm Talk, topic to be confirmed Check lrwt.org.uk/local-groupevents for details.

d for the full an e m latest program of events

Thurs 18 and Fri 19 Apr, 10am – 4pm Botanical Art Course Try your hand at art and connect with nature with botanical artist Dawn Wright. £99pp. Opportunity to purchase an art pack containing paints, brushes and paper on the day at £12 each.

North West Group

Weds 10 Apr, 7.30pm Building a UNESCO Global Geopark Dr Jack Matthews outlines the internationally significant geodiversity of Charnwood Forest, including its outstanding ancient fossils, and the ways it has shaped the landscape, communities and people of Britain’s ‘unexpected upland’.

Check online

Thurs 11 Apr, 7.30pm The Work of Badger Trust and Local Badger Groups Sally Jones, Groups Coordinator for the Badger Trust, looks at the Trust’s origins and mission, and the vision for a world where badgers are respected as part of our wildlife heritage.

She delves into the important national campaign messages and relationships with its network of over 50 affiliated local badger groups.

Rutland Water Nature Reserve: Volunteer Training Centre

Rutland Water Nature Reserve: Volunteer Training Centre

Charnwood Group

Leicestershire & Rutland Badger Group

Fri 19 Apr, 7.30pm Cloud Wood Local members share the amazing legacy of the history, management and wildlife to be found in this incredible reserve, ‘one of the best woods in the East Midlands’.

North West Group

Sat 20 Apr, 2pm Cloud Wood Walk See the wonders described at the previous night’s meeting. Meet in the layby opposite Cloud Wood (grid ref. SK 417 8BG, post code DE73 8BG). Enjoy a springtime walk when the wood is at its best.

Wild Walk at Cossington Meadows

Weds 24 Apr, 7.45pm Barn Owl Walk Join Chris Hill on the lookout for barn owls. Waterproof footwear and clothing essential!

Rutland Group

Mon 18 Mar, 7.30pm Enhancing Our Rivers Dr Patricia Antunes talks about her work at the East Mercia Rivers Trust leading river restoration and habitat creation projects for the River Welland catchment.

Easter Family Fun! Look out for our Wild Play and family activities over the Easter holidays. Full details will be posted onto the events page nearer the time. Or sign up for our e-newsletter to stay up to date: lrwt.org.uk/newsletter

This programme is liable to change or cancellation, for which LRWT can accept no liability.

Members and non-members are welcome unless otherwise stated.

Wild | Winter/Spring 2024

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Wild About Our Reserves Appeal Help us protect the wild spaces of Leicestershire and Rutland.

Donate to the Wild About Our Reserves Appeal and your gift will go twice as far! This year your support will have an extra impact thanks to matched funding by one of our generous donors. All gifts to the appeal will automatically be doubled until we reach our £100,000 target. That means for every £10 you give, £20 will go towards the future of our nature reserves.

Donate Today lrwt.org.uk/ appeals

Your support will help us pay for projects across our reserves, such as these: ● £10,000 to replace the hides at Kelham Bridge, creating safer spaces for visitors. ● £2,000 to create a pond at Altar Stones to help improve biodiversity. ● £6,000 for a new tern raft at Cossington Meadows, creating safe conditions for breeding. ● £1,100 to buy a bracken roller to create space for other flora to grow.