Charnwood Forest Project Update

By Isabel Raval

It has been a busy few months for the Charnwood Forest Project! After a couple of months off, at the beginning of March, we restarted the training sessions for the Wildlife Recording part of the project. Since then, sessions have covered the identification of twigs, bryophytes, lichens, mammals, and an introduction to birdwatching

Our aim is to encourage more people living in and visiting the area to become regular wildlife recorders, and the project has a goal of 10,000 new records being made on NatureSpot from within the Charnwood Forest Regional Park. If you would like to help us achieve this – whether your wildlife interest is generalist or specialist – use the project tag ‘Charnwood Forest LPS’ when you upload your records onto NatureSpot.

At the end of March new and experienced volunteers gathered together for induction days led by County Recorder for butterflies, Richard Jeffery, to prepare for the upcoming butterfly surveys. The season got off to a somewhat dreary start during April, but records across the three transect sites have so far included Brimstone, Comma, Small Tortoiseshell, Orange Tip, Peacock, Speckled Wood, Green Hairstreak, and various Blues and Whites. Let us hope for a continuation of more compliant weather over the next few months for our persevering volunteers

We have just held two induction days at the end of May to prepare volunteers and seasonal staff alike for the Grasslands Project surveys. These will be carried out throughout June and into July before the hay cuts start, at a mix of reserve and private sites across the Charnwood Forest Regional Park. The sites were first surveyed in the summer of 2021 to collect baseline botanical data, and after the implementation of some changes in management, we are returning this year to monitor whether any differences in the flora can be found.

One ‘ new ’ management technique has been to train volunteers to use scythes, a traditional skill that has lost favour in the UK. We plan on holding another scything course in mid-July so that more volunteers can help us mow some of the sites in the project that are difficult to manage with machinery

Chris Hill

The volunteers have been assisting me in removing unnecessary fencing at Mountsorrel and Rothley Marshes When we acquired the reserve in the early 2000s, extensive two-strand barbed wire was installed to prevent cattle from wandering.

However, due to various issues with fly grazing, it was decided not to graze the Rothley Lodge section of the reserve Consequently, it made sense to remove the old fencing, which had fallen into disrepair.

Regrettably, a group of young individuals from Sileby has been causing havoc at Cossington Meadows, as well as Mountsorrel and Rothley Marshes They have engaged in destructive behavior, including throwing bagged dog mess, chasing cattle, smashing interpretation boards, releasing tern rafts, leaving litter, and even setting fire to fences. Most concerning of all, their actions have disturbed a pair of barn owls and a pair of oystercatchers

To address the situation, both myself and the volunteers had to intervene. We had to rescue the tern raft and secure it using chains (as it was challenging to cut a metal chain with a knife) to prevent it from being used as a diving platform.

With the assistance of the police, I hope to curb the amount of antisocial behavior occurring on our reserves.

Joe Davis

A quick update from me. With spring in full flow our Reserves are flourishing and this mixed weather is great for wildlife. The team have been busy managing woodlands, and grasslands, planting trees and laying hedges and good watering really helps An example of the great effort the team have put in volunteers, staff and public courses we have manage to lay 544 metres of hedge this winter at Rutland Water alone. A superb effort.

Going forward my role in the Trust will be changing,. I will be the Head of Reserve Management. So I will be leading the Reserves Team across the two counties, not just at Rutland Water. We are approaching a really exciting time within the Conservation movement and the Trust will be looking to be at the forefront of this work in our counties. I look forward to meeting more of you as I get to know the Reserves and people in the coming months and see what great work you all achieve.

Thanks for your continued support and dedication.

Springing into fencing

By Matthew Heaver

Spring has truly arrived in recent days, bringing with it the delightful sounds of singing Cuckoo Sedge Warblers and Whitethroats echoing through the VTC yard I've been fortunate enough to conduct my Breeding Bird Survey in Hambleton Wood and witness the emergence of vibrant Bluebells As Spring unfolds, our focus with the volunteers has shifted from habitat management to infrastructure repairs I had the pleasure of working alongside our dedicated volunteers to replace worn-out fencing near both visitor centres.

Our first task was to replace the tired-looking fencing surrounding the Lyndon visitor centre, which had endured years of use as impromptu seating. The volunteers enthusiastically tackled the job, facing the challenge of fitting straight rails around corners. It involved some head-scratching moments, but with their bright minds, we managed to hone our carpentry and joinery skills in the process Reports from the following weekend indicate that our new fence is still being used as a bench, but you can't win them all!

Additionally, we had to replace a section of collapsed fencing at the entrance to the Egleton reserve, near the Anglian Water Birdwatching Centre One of my volunteer teams swiftly replaced a straining post, so I "suggested" they take on the task of digging in another one! Meanwhile, I worked alongside Katie, our Assistant Reserve Officer, to replace another strainer at the far end of the fence line. It may have sounded straightforward, but we hadn't anticipated the high water table, which transformed our post hole into a muddy pond! Nevertheless, our perseverance paid off, and by the end of the day, visitors to the reserve were greeted by a beautifully crafted chestnut post and wire fence. Well done to everyone involved!