Gwent Wildlife Trust
Ymddiriedolaeth Natur Gwent
Wild About Gwent
AUGUST 2013
The Other Gwent Anniversary: Alfred Russel Wallace 1823-1913 Ian Rappel, GWT Reserves Manager “…the river in front of our house was the Usk, a fine stream on which we often saw men fishing in coracles...” Alfred Russel Wallace, My Life This year is our half-century at GWT, but 2013 also marks another Gwent-related anniversary with 100 years since the death of the great Usk-born, Victorian naturalist Alfred Russel Wallace. Wallace is best remembered today as the scientist who, in parallel with Charles Darwin, developed the theory of evolution by natural selection. But whereas Darwin had spent the years following his return from the voyage on The Beagle in 1836, running a huge network of correspondence and conducting intricate experiments to illustrate his ideas of species change, Wallace came to his independent
conclusions in the midst of a malarial fever in the heart of an Indonesian jungle. Wallace sent his thoughts – On the Tendency of Varieties to Depart Indefinitely from the Original Type – to Darwin and the influential geologist Charles Lyell in 1858. Within a few months, it was presented alongside Darwin’s own work in front of the Linnaean Society in London. Wallace’s communication had effectively provided Darwin with the stimulus he needed to write The Origin of Species. Darwin had, by then, burrowed himself into Down House for over two decades, carefully fact-checking the evidence for the mutability and mobility of species by breeding pigeons and collecting examples from animal husbandry – he wasn’t about to be pipped to the post by this field biologist! Wallace was initially unaware of the impact of his letter. But on his return to Britain he displayed a quality of social awareness that was visible throughout his life when he insisted on Darwin’s primacy over the theory of evolution. >P2
New Grove Meadows – a jewel in the crown Rebecca Price, GWT Wildlife Projects Officer At the end of 2012, HRH The Prince of Wales suggested a remarkable nationwide project – a meadow in every county across the UK to mark the anniversary of The Queen’s Coronation. Named the Coronation Meadows Project, it celebrates the nation’s best wildflower meadows, while raising awareness of their decline and efforts to conserve and restore them. The project is led by Plantlife in partnership with the Rare Breed Survival Trust and the Wildlife Trusts. The first stage of Coronation Meadows was launched on 5th June at Highgrove House, the Prince of Wales’s home in Gloucestershire, with the announcement of the first sixty flagship meadows. >P3
New Grove Meadows (Gemma Bode)
Gwent Wildlife Trust, Seddon House, Dingestow, Monmouth NP25 4DY Tel: 01600 740600 Fax: 01600 740299 Email: info@gwentwildlife.org Web: www.gwentwildlife.org Reg Charity No: 242619 Limited Liability Company No: 812535
Corncrake (Rachel Davies)
Where have the Corncrakes gone? Dave Richards, GWT Chair of Trustees “How often do you hear a corncrake?” The retired farm worker’s question took me by surprise. I don’t hear questions about them too often. I told him sadly that changes in farming practices over the years have made most of our corncrake habitat unfavourable. And here in Gwent, the corncrake is extinct. The man regretted that his grandson couldn’t now hear the thrilling sound of a male corncrake calling. When conservation organisations, like GWT, ask for your money to save species at risk of global extinction, please don’t ignore them. We are all diminished by the permanent loss of such wonderful animals and any contribution can go a long way toward helping species and habitat under threat. Equally, think of the effect on that man of the loss of a familiar bird in the countryside he knew so well. GWT fights to prevent local extinctions and to reverse them if we can. The water vole re-introduction project means visitors to the Gwent Levels can once again hear the ‘plop’ of a vole entering the water as they approach. By conserving habitats for our local species, we make their disappearance from our lives less likely. Bringing the corncrake back may be beyond our reach, but we will act on other species when there is still time. Your support helps us to do that, and we are very grateful.
GWENT WILDLIFE TRUST x WILD ABOUT GWENT
(Continued from page 1) Indeed, it was Wallace himself who coined the phrase ‘Darwinism’ to describe the theory. When questioned on why he and Darwin had developed such similar theories individually where all their contemporaries failed, Wallace came up with a reason that many members of GWT will identify with: “First (and most important, as I believe), in early life both Darwin and myself became ardent beetle-hunters... it is this superficial and almost child-like interest in the outward form of living things, which, though often despised as unscientific, happened to be the only one which would lead us to towards a solution of the problem of species.” As travellers and collectors both, Darwin and Wallace were also able to trace geographical variations within and between species, and through these collected experiences both men became ‘haunted’, as Darwin termed it, by the mystery of the origin of species. Wallace and Darwin may have shared experiences, passions and ideas, but their backgrounds were radically different. Darwin was a member of the gentry and married into the famous Wedgewood family. His five-year journey around the world in The Beagle was undertaken as a gentleman companion to Captain Fitzroy. Wallace, in contrast, started his life in lower middle class poverty – his father had chosen to settle in Usk at the time because he couldn’t find anywhere else with lower living costs. Wallace had spent much of his early adulthood undertaking perilous journeys into the rainforests of the Amazon and the Malay Archipelago in search of plant and animal specimens for European museums. As naturalists inspired by the variety of life around them, both Darwin and Wallace would be appalled if they could see the extent of today’s global biodiversity crisis. Wallace himself lived long enough to see some of the 20th Century’s damage in this area. But his approach towards the issues reflected his empathy towards the human condition. At a time when many of his contemporaries were concerning themselves with conservation of wilderness through game reserves and so on, Wallace took a more humane approach towards the conservation of nature. Reflecting his life-long commitment to socialism, he regarded the improvement of people’s living standards as a central part of conservation – a position more in-tune with modern ideas of sustainable development than the prevailing wilderness romanticism of his age. But he was not wholly utilitarian, and his warnings
Alfred Russel Wallace (George Beccaloni)
on the impact of untrammelled economic development are unfortunately still familiar to many of us in environmental conservation: “...if we continue to devote our chief energies to the utilising of our knowledge of the laws of nature with the view of still further extending our commerce and our wealth, the evils which necessarily accompany these when too eagerly pursued, may increase to such gigantic dimensions as to be beyond our power to alleviate.” Above and beyond these concerns, Wallace’s and Darwin’s ideas still carry a profound impact for our practice of conservation. The theory of evolution by natural selection – and the ideas of biogeography that Wallace developed – gave rise directly to the science of ecology, and, as such, inform our on-the-ground decisions over habitat management on a daily basis. Alfred Russel Wallace’s life, passions and (sometimes controversial) ideas are well worth celebrating in 2013, and here’s a list of further reading and websites that you can follow now that I’ve got you interested in this grand old Gwent-born naturalist: • The Malay Archipelago, by Alfred Russel Wallace (Stanford Travel Classics) • Natural Selection & Beyond: The Intellectual Legacy of Alfred Russel Wallace, edited by Charles H. Smith and George Beccaloni (Oxford University Press) • Batu-Angas: Envisioning Nature with Alfred Russel Wallace, by Anne Cluysennar [a local Gwent poet] (Seren Books) • Infinite Tropics: An Alfred Russel Wallace Anthology, edited by Andrew Berry (Verso Books) • www.nhm.ac.uk/nature-online/scienceof-natural-history/biographies/wallace • www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b01r9rxr • wallace-online.org • wallacefund.info
Common spotted orchid (Rebecca Price)
(Continued from page 1) Monmouthshire’s Coronation Meadow is GWT’s very own New Grove Meadows Nature Reserve, together with the adjacent New Grove Farm Meadow, owned by members of the Monmouthshire Meadows Group. The grassland flora across much of the site is indicative of an unbroken history of traditional management, and includes thousands of green winged orchids – a threatened species that has made a home at New Grove. With fantastic views of the Brecon Beacons to boot, the site really is an inspiring and beautiful place. Our Coronation Meadow stands as one of the very best meadows in the country, but also reflects the joint work of Gwent Wildlife Trust and Monmouthshire Meadows Group
Hay rattle (Rebecca Price)
Meadow waxcap (Rebecca Price) Smoky spindles (Rebecca Price)
New Grove Meadows (Gemma Bodé)
to conserve meadows by working closely with those who own them. We now have three hundred species-rich grassland Local Wildlife Sites in Monmouthshire, and many more which are in the process of restoration. Each and every one of these sites is precious and vital to helping conserve a habitat which was once so much more widely spread.
To find out more about the country’s Coronation Meadows go to coronationmeadows.org.uk or even better, come and visit New Grove Meadows and see for yourself what makes our nation’s meadows so amazing. And if you have would like some advice on managing meadows, contact me at rprice@gwentwildlife.org.
Gwent’s Darkest Wildlife has Awoken Nick Moylan, GWT Volunteer It’s spring. After their winter’s sleep, the bats are awake and they’re hungry. Don’t hide. They may be creatures of the dark. They may seem creepy and mysterious. But bats are also shy, misunderstood, fascinating creatures. They’re also the only mammal that can truly fly. Bat mothers are very nurturing, caring for their pups for several weeks until they are ready to take flight. One of the most fascinating aspects of many bats is their ability to catch prey. A bats’ echolocation is so effective it can detect a tiny gnat’s size, direction, and distance – while flying. Many bats have excellent vision but they have adapted their echolocation skills to forage on insects in the night sky. The bone structure of a bat’s wing is very similar to that of a human hand. In fact, it’s a very long hand with webbed fingers. This allows for excellent dexterity and precise movement. Complete with thumb like claw for gripping a crevice, the bat wing provides an admirable example of mammalian evolution. Bat habitats vary. They may live in woods or cracks within the roof of a building. Bats
are indicators of biodiversity and often roost near areas of insect abundance. The greatest threat to bat population is human activity. Bats are extremely vulnerable during winter hibernation and maternity periods. They only birth one pup. So if we disturb a roost, we can have detrimental effects on bat population. Bats are often accused of carrying rabies. But thousands of bats are screened for the virus every year and cases are very rarely found in Britain. Of course it is very uncommon to come into direct contact with bats. They want to avoid us as best they can. The rare virus can only pass through scratches or mucus which is why protective gloves are worn when experts handle bats. Bats also won’t chew your roof insulation or wiring because, unlike mice and rats, they don’t make nests so don’t need to chew up material to make them. They don’t make their own access holes either – which is why it’s important to allow access for bats into buildings – even new ones! Britain has around eighteen species of bat, all of them exclusively feed on insects. The Common Pipistrelle being the most common. These light brown bats can be viewed in flight around sunset and can consume about three thousand insects a night. That colony roosting
Common Pipistrelle (Amy Lewis) in your local church tower is actually helping you have a midge-free summer evening. Pipistrelles often fly low providing a good viewing opportunity for amateur observers. Observing a bat in flight can be a mystical and entertaining experience, one that both adults and children love. The best period to do this is in early spring as they come out of their winter slumber. But you can see them through to October when they start to stockpile fat for their hibernation. There are hotspots around Gwent where you can view bats. Rivers or lakes are good areas to view bats in flight. Cwmbran’s Boating Lake and the Pontypool valleys are excellent spots as well. Check out the Bat Conservation Trust’s BigBatMap.org to view all the areas in the UK where bats have been spotted, updated regularly by bat enthusiasts and experts alike. August 2013
Eyebright (Neil Aldridge)
Treecreeper (Neil Aldridge) Red beetle (Mark Bissett)
Swallow (Ray Armstrong)
Broken Chain!
Common lizard (Ray Armstrong)
Ray Armstrong, Local Wildlife Expert & Photographer
C’mon, get snappin’ To celebrate fifty years of Gwent Wildlife Trust, we are putting on a photography competition for all you budding Andy Rouse’s. We know many of you, when out looking for wildlife, take your camera with. Here’s your chance to share with us some of your best pictures. The competition is limited to one entry of one photograph per person. There are two categories – for under 16s and the 16s and over. Photographs must have been taken in Gwent, and should have a wildlife or Living Landscape theme. The prizes for both categories are places on GWT’s events in 2014 up to the value of £20. The short listed finalists will go on display at our 2013 Annual General Meeting in September where the overall winner in each category will be announced. The winning photographs will be published in our Wild About Gwent issues in 2014. Entries must be received between 15th August and 31st August 2013 and should be sent to our dedicated competition email address at photocomp@gwentwildlife.org. Please include your full name, contact email address, your date of birth if entering the young person’s category and the location of the photograph. Full terms and conditions are listed on our website. GWT will send you a message to confirm that we have received your entry. GWT will be producing a 2014 calendar from the most suitable photographs from the competition and our own archives, which will be on sale in the autumn. Check out our website for more details nearer the time. Many thanks to trustee Rob Waller for his help with putting this project together. GWENT WILDLIFE TRUST x WILD ABOUT GWENT
The swallows have been nesting in our barn on Beacon Hill for nearly thirty years, thrilling us with their aerial acrobats around our home. On one occasion during nest-building season, I witnessed the male drop a feather he was carrying and the female diving to recover it. Then she dropped it, only for the male to retrieve it. This highly skilled and apparently playful routine went on for two or three minutes before the feather was finally carried to the nest. Maybe it was a celebration of a job well done? Adult swallows usually produce two broods and on fledging, the young birds always returned to the barn to roost. But last year the first brood fledged and never returned to the barn. The adults failed to produce a second brood. This unusual behaviour corresponded with a shortage of insects in the garden. We have a large flowering cotoneaster and in previous years when in flower, it was a sea of sound and movement, alive with hover flies, bees, flesh flies, small beetles and butterflies. But in 2012 there was hardly any activity. The solitary mining and masonry bees have also disappeared from the garden over the last few years. I concluded this lack of insects explained the swallow’s behavior. The adults probably had to travel some distance to find food for their young and as a consequence, the fledglings moved to a better feeding area and an alternative roost. Meanwhile, the adults were deterred from attempting a second brood because of the lack of food. Despite swallows generally returning to their ancestral home, we’ve had none this
Hover fly – Scaeva pyrastri (Ray Armstrong) Magpie moth (Ray Armstrong)
Red mason bee (Ray Armstrong)
Wasp beetle (Ray Armstrong)
year. It’s the end of an era. It’s depressing but not unexpected as the fledglings were not imprinted on the nest site because they didn’t roost there last year.
Our swallows have disappeared because there are no insects. We have an area of about six hundred square metres of bluebells in open grassland and this year, I’ve seen only a small amount of insects around them. As an active moth trapper, I’ve seen the numbers of moths plummet. Additionally in past years, large numbers of dusk flying cockchafer beetles have invaded the moth trap but their numbers have also declined. These insect losses have been accompanied by a decrease in the numbers of bats in the area. Even the common lizard, whose diet includes insects and was common a few years ago, is a rare sight. When the equilibrium is disturbed in a natural community, it can have a harmful ‘knock-on’ effect and the entire food chain suffers. We ignore this loss of our insects at our peril. Bee colonies and solitary bees have suffered this year terribly. And less pollination means the UK fruit industry and honey industry will suffer as well. Despite the national concern in many quarters regarding the continuing loss of our insects, the UK government continues to resist the banning of neonicotinoids – pesticides already banned in the EU considered by many to imperil our bees, birds, and mammals. But pesticides are not the only reason for our insect losses. So many other factors contribute to the
decline of our insects, like changing weather patterns, the destruction of field margin habitats to urban sprawl, the loss of our pastures, and the overuse of hedge cutting machines that devastate hedges. The bird losses in a twenty square mile area centred on the Trellech Plateau over the last thirty years are extremely distressing. In that time, we appear to have lost thirteen species – grey partridge, little owl, lesser spotted woodpecker, lesser whitethroat, pied flycatcher, spotted flycatcher, grasshopper warbler, redstart, turtle dove, whinchat, willow tit, yellow wagtail and reed bunting. A further twelve species are on the brink of been lost – cuckoo, green woodpecker, kestrel, lapwing, mistle thrush, skylark, tree sparrow, pied wagtail, swallow, swift, wood warbler and yellowhammer. We are fast approaching a ‘tipping point’ for our wildlife. An urgent, joined up coordinated plan of action is needed at local and national level to safeguard our biodiversity. If the wildlife losses in the countryside continue at the current pace, then it will not be long before the only places we will be able to see some wildlife will be on isolated reserves. We all have an obligation to protect our wildlife, not just for ourselves but for future generations. Caring for the environment takes only a little time but extinction is forever!
Catching the elusive Stag Beetle Rebecca Price, Wildlife Projects Officer The Stag Beetle (Lucanus cervus) is the UK’s largest terrestrial beetle. It measures up to 8cm in length and is a chestnut reddybrown colour. Males can be easily identified by their large mandibles which are used for fighting over females. Very little is known about their distribution in Wales but we do know their numbers are in decline due to habitat loss. In order to try and find out more about where these beetles are distributed in Wales, Natural Resources Wales (NRW) are asking the general public and landowners living near woodlands, especially in the Wye Valley, for help in setting up flight interception traps on their land or in their gardens. These basic traps use root stem ginger as a lure to draw in males actively searching for a mate. The traps are erected on sites in the vicinity of woodlands from the middle
Male stag beetle (Neil Phillips) of May through to the end of July. Traps are checked on a daily basis, or put up intermittently, to ensure males, and possibly females, are not trapped for too long. If you have any records of stag beetles, or are interested in joining in the hunt next season and setting up a trap, please contact Rob Bacon, NRW Conservation Officer at robert.bacon@ naturalresourceswales.gov.uk. Further information about the survey, visit monmouthshiremeadows.org.uk.
Latest News We’d like to say thank you and goodbye to our Eastern Valleys Trainees, Sally Ann Morgan, Bethan Hopkins and Mickael Duvinage. They all did a great job and we wish them well in their future careers. Taking their place is our new People & Wildlife Assistant Trainee, Anna Storhaug, who has studied Countryside Management. Anna assists with managing reserves and running workshops school groups. We’ve also said farewell to our Grazing Trainee, Alaw Hughes, who did a splendid job looking after our flocks of sheep. Her shoes have been ably filled by Andy Beadsworth, who is funded by Wye Valley Area of Natural Beauty (AONB). Andy’s come to us from Yorkshire Wildlife Trust and is assisting with livestock management and conservation grazing issues. Our new summer seasonal surveyor, Andy Karran, is out and about most days checking out Gwent’s best wildlife. Andy, a professional surveyor, has an MSc in Ecology. We’ve been lucky enough to secure another Heritage Lottery Fund Ecological Heritage Trainee placement. The post has been filled by Laura Dell, who studied Zoology and went on to get an MSc in Environment Biology. She will be primarily surveying on AONB sites and is helping with the dormouse rounds. And, we’d like to give our warmest congratulations to Alice (our Water Vole Project Officer) and Ben Rees on the birth of Alfred in April and we look forward to her return in 2014. We also say a temporary goodbye to Conservation Officer Sorrel Jones, who will be on maternity leave by the time WAG goes to print. We’ll be on tenterhooks waiting to hear her news. Good luck Sorrel and see you again soon. Sorrel’s temporary replacement is Lindi Rich, who will cover for Sorrel during her maternity leave. Lindi has worked for a wide range of environment agencies including CCW (now Natural Resources Wales).
August 2013
GWT LOCAL GROUPS
Shrill carder bee (Gabi Horup)
Hover Fly (Helophilus trivittatus) Ray Armstrong
LOCAL GROUP CONTACTS Abergavenny Local Group Keith White 01873 852036 keith.white@tesco.net
Blaenau Gwent Local Group Rodney Morris 01495 308056 remorris66@mailshack.com
Chepstow Local Group Hilary Lee 01291 689326 hilary-lee@tiscali.co.uk
GWT Office
01600 740600
info@gwentwildlife.org
Monmouth Local Group Alison Willott 01600 740286 alisonwillott@hotmail.com
Torfaen Local Group Vicky Hannaford 01495 759139 v.hannaford@hotmail.co.uk Usk Local Group David Gale 01291 673141 david@gale4241.fsworld.co.uk
Wildlife in Newport Group Roger James 01633 263374 smallranunculus@btinternet.com For more information on our work tasks and any volunteering, see the GWT Events Guide 2013 or go to www.gwentwildlife.org.
Siskin (Ray Armstrong) GWENT WILDLIFE TRUST x WILD ABOUT GWENT
Keep Wales Buzzing! Laura Dell, Conservation Heritage Trainee Despite a sunnier year than previously, the long winter decimated UK bee populations. According to the British Beekeepers Association, this year is the worst for honey bee colonies since records began. But bumblebees and solitary bees seem to be hit hard as well. With year after year of lousy weather, and threats from pesticides and urban sprawl, our bees need all the help they can get. In the UK, there are 24 species of bumblebee, but only eight are commonly found in most places. Sadly, most species have declined greatly in recent years and two species have become extinct in the UK since 1940. There are several species that are at high risk. This includes the Shrill Carder Bee, once common and widespread, now restricted to a few regions, with the Gwent Levels acting as a major stronghold. One of the primary factors causing this decline has been the tremendous loss of wildflower-rich grasslands in our countryside, due to changes in farming practices and development pressure. This has meant fewer flowers in the landscape, leaving bumblebees with less to feed on. Fortunately, there is work being done to help our bumblebees along, with many organisations working alongside landowners to increase wildflower habitat on their land. This includes Gwent Wildlife Trust’s Shrill Carder Bee Project, where
we are working to raise awareness of this special bee and work with landowners to restore wildflower-rich grasslands, both through sensitive grassland management and the introduction of locally harvested wildflower seed on carefully chosen receptor sites. In addition, everyone with a garden, no matter how small, can lend a helping hand to bees. Flowers are a bee’s only source of food and as many of you would leave food out for birds, foxes and hedgehogs, why not do the same for our bees! The best bee flowers are those that are rich in pollen and nectar. Plants that bloom early in spring should be planted alongside those that are in flower until late summer to provide a constant supply of food throughout the bee season. These include flowers such as bluebell, dead nettle, and lungwort in spring, foxglove, everlasting pea and comfrey in early summer, and sunflower, heathers, and lavender in late summer. If possible avoid plants such as pansies and double begonias, as well as those with densely packed heads of multiple flowers, which have been bred for their pleasing appearance but do not provide much food for pollinators. Try not to use non-native plants that may escape from the garden like rhododendron and Himalayan balsam, as these can cause problems for our native flora. If you are not familiar with the different garden plant species, then why not pick up a native wildflower seed packet from your local garden centre. Alternatively, look out for the flowers that bees are buzzing around in your local nursery. And remember, the more bees you attract, the more your garden will grow.
Bombus hortorum covered with pollen after visiting foxgloves (Ray Armstrong)
Coal spoil at Silent Valley (Tom Eyles)
Silent Valley: An Overview
Silent Valley (Jane Corey)
Tom Eyles, Reserves Officer Silent Valley Local Nature Reserve is a stunning mixed-habitat reserve situated above the village of Cwm, near Ebbw Vale. It is a very steep site, balanced on the edge of the mountain and has a wild, unspoiled feel to it. It is a stunning beech woodland wonderland. From the very top (where it holds the record of highest beech woodland in the UK) to its base, Silent Valley is filled with a rich forest of beech – one of the reasons it has Site of Special Scientific Interest status. It is a wonderful comparison to walk among at the magnificent fully mature trees lower down and then trek to the top and look at their stunted counterparts holding on to the windswept nutrient-poor top section of the mountain. Near the base of the reserve stands a lovely example of wet woodland filled with alder, willow trees, and a scattering of wood horsetail which can be seen easily from the main path. This wet area holds many of the fungi species that make Silent Valley their home. It is also a refuge for a large number of frogs and toads that spawn in the ponds on the mountain.
In the warmer areas, there is a very large population of common lizards; they can often be seen basking on the dark coal spoil that shows through the heather in some areas. The coal spoil stands as a reminder that not long ago, the sides of this mountain were heavily mined. The remains of a tramline (called dramline locally) are still evident and used as the only vehicle route for the top section of the reserve. There are also remains of stables and cottages and even a farm. The industrial heritage of Silent Valley goes back as far as medieval times with evidence of iron smelting still visible at the very bottom of the valley. But what the industry has left, the wildlife has taken over. Along the rich acid grassland filled with the ancient meadow, ant mounds are a favoured feeding spot for green woodpecker. Just below the dramline is a stunning bluebell meadow holding populations of small pearl bordered fritillaries. Further up, the reserve returns to acid grassland with patches of heath and coal spoil, home to two distinct grayling butterfly populations and breeding areas for redstart in the summer. At the highest point of the reserve in spring and summer, you will be rewarded with the sight of many meadow pipits and skylarks which use the higher grassland to breed and also a very healthy raven population that make the high altitude woodland their home. For seeing a vast diversity of wildlife, Silent Valley is well worth a visit in the spring and summer. But if you are hardy and like the wild side of nature, visit in the depths of winter for a visually stunning if a little bleak look at our valleys wildlife.
Join us for an evening with Stephen Moss at GWTs Annual Meeting You are invited to Gwent Wildlife Trust’s 50th Anniversary Annual General Meeting on Wednesday evening September 18th at Glenyr-Afon House in Usk. After business and updates from staff on some of our work during the year, radio and TV broadcaster, producer, wildlife writer and President of Somerset Wildlife Trust, Stephen Moss will talk about his life among British wildlife, generously illustrated with video clips and anecdotes from his thirty-year career with the BBC Natural History Unit. Stephen was the original Springwatch producer (which won a BAFTA award) and has worked alongside David Attenborough, Bill Oddie, Alan Titchmarsh, Chris Packham and many others. The evening will conclude with an opportunity to ask Stephen those burning questions you might have such as just how they managed to capture such amazing images of British wildlife or even where to enjoy the best wildlife watching on the Somerset Levels! The meeting starts at 7pm. The cost is free and teas and coffees will be served. Contact our offices at 01600 740600 for more information.
Bluebells at Silent Valley (Tom Eyles)
August 2013
Corporate £50
takes off
Thursday 13th June saw the launch of our new Corporate £50 Challenge. The afternoon, hosted by Ancre Hill Estates at their Vineyard in Monmouth, saw five teams sign up for the challenge - Ancre Hill Estates, South Wales Argus, SET Office Supplies, Wilkinson, and UHY Peacheys. The challenge provides each team with a £50 note and fundraising packs. The teams have only twelve weeks to raise as much money as possible using their £50 note. Guests were provided an overview of GWT by our Chief Executive, Tom Clarke and our President, Roger James told the teams about the history of GWT. Richard and Joy Morris, owners of Ancre Hill Estates, provided a tour of the vineyard and an insight into their biodynamic farming that aims to create a harmony between agriculture and the environment. We would like to personally thank South Wales Argus and Ancre Hill Estates for sponsoring the challenge. We’ll keep you informed about how the teams are faring on the Gwent Wildlife Trust website.
Croes Robert Wood (Jan Kinchington)
From Orkney with Love Previous Chief Executive, Julian Branscombe, celebrates our anniversary year Gwent Wildlife Trust is the most exciting and important organisation I have ever been involved with. My time with GWT – from 2001 to 2009 – will always be a highlight of my life. It was a thrill to work with so many enthusiastic and dedicated people. Some, like Derek Upton and John Kelly, are no longer with us but thankfully more than ten thousand of us carry on our crucial mission. I joined a vibrant Trust, following its dramatic growth of the late 1990s when Jon Winder was at the helm. The Heritage Lottery Fund reserves capital works programme, charcoalmaking at Croes Robert, the Wildlife Sites project and the field teaching programme at Silent Valley were all progressing well. GWT’s land management responsibilities had just mushroomed following the acquisition of Springdale Farm, and the introduction of meadow restoration at New Grove Meadows and Pentwyn Farm. However, short-term grants fuelled much
1963 GWT started
1963 Magor Marsh
1970 Henllys Bog
of our work, and we had plenty of other challenges. The next few years saw financial ups and downs, but our saving grace was that the membership continued to grow. Member contributions powered various projects when individual grants ran out. We strengthened links between the Wildlife Trusts across Wales, and grasped local opportunities such as the extension of the Magor Marsh reserve in the run up to our 40th anniversary. The dynamism of our staff and volunteers had GWT being increasingly welcomed as a partner by local authorities and companies. The Derek Upton Centre at Magor Marsh became the hub of our fantastic educational work. Then the twin opportunities of the former Ebbw Vale steelworks site and the People & Wildlife Project led to the dramatic renewal of our work in that valley. The purchase of a hundred acres of dairy farmland next to Pentwyn Farm in 2008 was momentous. I love reading the updates on Wyeswood Common in Wild About Gwent. I had every confidence in the success of the project, given GWT’s long-standing pedigree as a world leader in grassland management and restoration.
1980 First member of staff
1981 First proper offices in Monmouth’s Shire Hall
We worked valiantly to defend individual pockets of wildlife habitat from unnecessary and inappropriate development, with a number of successes. When we failed to halt individual developments, I firmly believe that GWT’s approach still helped shape future decision-making. We may have lost some battles, but our principled, reasoned approach was essential to the wider fight to achieve a balance of land-use which puts the long-term needs of wildlife and people before the allure of short-lived economic spurts. A whole wetland landscape was at threat when the Gwent Levels Motorway came back onto the political agenda in 2005. GWT was forceful in leading opposition to this anachronistic marshland motorway – the epitome of unsustainable development. When the scheme was shelved again in 2009, the relief was enormous. It is heartbreaking to see it back on the UK and Welsh governments’ agendas now. There are so many other opportunities to
invest in sustainable economic growth. In these tough times, we must ensure that government does not mortgage us to the hilt through a road scheme which will destroy habitat and tie us ever more firmly to dependence on fossil fuels. Would it bring any lasting benefits at all given how it would act as a catalyst for even more private car use across South Wales?
missed Gwent’s wildlife, from the wood warblers near our house in Pontypool to the greater butterfly-orchids near the office. And I am heartened to hear of the continuing strides that GWT is taking. In so many ways, the Trust is now more important than ever. We have achieved so much in our first half century. There is even more to do in the Trust’s next fifty years.
Gwent Wildlife Trust is uniquely placed to influence our global future. The Gwent Levels are world class for fenland insects, and twenty years have now elapsed since the Levels were suggested as a Ramsar site (a wetland site considered to be of international importance). GWT needs to work with all quarters to secure a consensus that all economic investment should provide lasting jobs, enhance quality of life and enrich local biodiversity as part of a worldwide wildlife network. Over the four years since I have left, I have missed the work at our ambitious and determined Wildlife Trust, but I’ve also
Wyeswood Common (Jane Corey)
£50 for 50 Years Challenge This year, to celebrate 50 wonderful years of the GWT, we’re setting you a challenge: can you help us raise £50,000 in one calendar year?
in Newport. It will be your choice of a luxurious spa day for two, an adventure activity for four, or a round of golf for two on their famous Roman Road course.
How you raise the money and what you do is up to you. Perhaps you can hold a cake sale? A coffee morning? Or perhaps you can get yourself sponsored at a running or walking event? Wash cars for your neighbourhood? Hold a pub quiz? Have a swear box at home or at work? Save all your 50ps? The idea is up to you!
The only rules are that the money needs to be raised legally and be sent to GWT before 15th December 2013. It doesn’t matter how you raise it, but we’d love to hear how you did it – tell us what you did and don’t forget to include photographs! We’ll include the most interesting efforts in our April 2014 Wild About Gwent and on our website.
And of course, you don’t need to stop at £50 or even £500. At the end of the year, the highest fundraiser will win a fantastic prize at the Celtic Manor Resort
1983 Silent Valley
1987 Move to White Swan Court
Kate Humble, TV presenter and a member of GWT says, “Happy Birthday, Gwent Wildlife Trust! And good luck with your
1991 Pentwyn Farm
‘£50 for 50 year’s challenge”. And don’t forget, no matter how much your raise, every penny counts! If every single one of our member households were to raise just £50 each, we’d be on the way to nearly a quarter of a million pounds. Imagine the difference that would make to the wildlife of Gwent. For more information and to download a fundraising pack, please visit our website on www.gwentwildlife.org or call Liesel Townley, Fundraising Officer on 01600 740600.
1996 New Grove Meadows
1998 Silent Valley Schools Project
NEWS IN BRIEF
Reminiscing on our 50th Anniversary Batman heads for the finish (Larissa Joice)
Racing for
Wildlife
More than 160 competitors took part in our first annual ‘Race for Wildlife’on Sunday 12th May at the Undy Athletic Ground. The 10k route through the Gwent Levels and the 1k race (which challenged children and parents in the athletics field) was a great success, raising over £2,000 toward GWT projects. We would like to thank Eastman Chemicals, Chepstow Harriers, Dirt Magazine, South Wales Argus and the Free Press for their coverage of the event and all the staff and volunteers who helped on the day.
Fun run start (Larissa Joice)
2001 Springdale Farm
Stephanie Tyler, former Development Officer and current GWT Surveyor
Jon Winder, former GWT Conservation Officer, Reserves Manager and CEO
It was 1980, but it seems a lifetime ago when I was interviewed for the first salaried post with Gwent Wildlife Trust.
I can’t believe it is now nearly a quarter of a century since I arrived in Gwent in 1990.
My official position was Development Officer, but as the only member of staff, my job was a mix of Conservation, Publicity, Education and Reserves Officer. I spent a lot of time developing contacts with local authorities, giving talks to try to increase membership, going to endless shows and events, arranging meetings at Usk College and ensuring the newsletter was produced and reserves were managed. I had very few spare evenings or weekends. During my time with the Trust, we set up of GWT’s first office in the Shire Hall in Monmouth, began the formation of local groups, and acquired the two hay fields on the western edge of Magor Reserve as well as Prisk Wood, Strawberry Cottage Wood and Cwm Merddog/Silent Valley. I also participated in work done by the Manpower Services Commission teams at Magor Marsh and Prisk Wood, building paths from coppiced willow logs and building the first hide. I remember trundling bottles of wine down the uneven paths to the hide for its official opening. My time at GWT was so busy that when I reluctantly left to work for RSPB Wales, I suddenly had free time!
2003 Derek Upton Centre
2005 Move to Seddon House
At that time the Wildlife Trust was working out of two rooms in White Swan Court in Monmouth. There were many ups and downs in the eleven years I worked for the Trust. At one point, there was only enough funding for the Trust to employ me as the sole employee. From that low point the Trust grew from strength to strength. The achievements came from the committed volunteers and hard working staff that I worked with. Grassland conservation must be the key achievement during the time I worked for the Trust along with the purchase of Pentwyn Farm, New Grove Meadows, Springdale Farm and the subsequent adjacent land purchases for those three sites. Funding for Pentwyn Farm was achieved by the immense support from local people that recognised the intrinsic beauty of a unique small holding that time had forgotten – a haven for wildlife with overgrown hedgerows and species-rich grassland. At the time Pentwyn had not been notified as a Special Site of Scientific Interest (SSSI) and was surrounded by agriculturallyimproved grassland making it feel very isolated and vulnerable. In 1996, the Trust took the opportunity to buy Bush Meadows, land that was speciespoor as a result of heavy grazing and the addition of fertilizers. This allowed the Trust to almost triple the area under traditional hay
2007 Flora of Monmouthshire by Trevor Evans
2008 Wyeswood Common
provision the construction of the Magor Education Centre was completed just before I left in 2001. The use of this building has been a great success. One member of the education staff recently told me that they could now do with more space because it is so busy!
meadow management and create woodland connectivity to Pentwyn. Walking through the Bush Meadows last summer was a delight. The land is filled with Green-winged orchids, Birds-foot Trefoil, Common Cat’sear and Black Knapweed, amongst others. We now have areas of species rich grassland much larger and much more secure because the Trust had the vision to buy species-poor grassland next to speciesrich grassland. These days, New Grove Meadows could not be more different to the species-poor agriculturally improved fields that we purchased in 1997. Education has always been a priority for the Trust, but over the years it has been difficult to achieve its high aspirations without the funding and infrastructure to support it. The schools project in Ebbw Vale based at Victoria Park was set up in the late 1990s. This delivered education sessions for local schools in Ebbw Vale and used the Silent Valley Nature reserve for its activities. With up to eight school visits a week, the Trust started to deliver its long cherished aim. Looking forward to expanding education
2010 10,000 members
2010 ERC opened
It is much more difficult to assess successes in integrating wildlife conservation with planning. When I started major developments were about to start such as the construction of the Second Severn Crossing, cutting yet another slice of the wonderful Gwent Levels. During my time other land was lost including the Gwent Euro Park and the LG factory. The threat of the M4 relief road is still with us today despite it first raising its ugly head back in the early 1990s. Despite pushing for a Gwent Levels conservation strategy, I left without seeing any increased protection for the so called Gwent Levels SSSI.
Media Matters We are pleased to announce the support of the South Wales Argus, the Free Press Series and Monmouthshire County Life during our 50th Anniversary year. They have kindly agreed to publicise the great work we do together with promoting our fundraising and awareness events. We would especially like to thank Nicole Garnon, Editor of the Free Press Series for her continued support.
But there have been wonderful successes on issues on which GWT campaigned against. The most important was the rejection of the Usk Barrage proposals and the development of the Rugby Centre of Excellence along the banks of the Usk. Both of these would have had a significant effect on one of the wild rivers of Wales. One of the major successes was the agreement by all South Wales local authorities to follow the same guidance for the selection of Wildlife Sites. For this system to be robust support is needed for the selection criteria. This has now been taken forward and the implementation of designating wildlife sites is well underway. The Trust has made a significant contribution to conservation and the understanding of conservation in Gwent. However, the future of wildlife conservation is indistinguishably linked to the effects of global warming and how we work to minimise and combat it. This is the challenge for the Trust in the future.
2012 Barecroft Common fields
Canada goose at Llandegfedd reservoir (Stephen Shutt)
2012 The Wildlife Trusts 100th Anniversary
2013 GWT’s 50th Anniversary
The Life of a Voluntary Warden Keith Allen, GWT Warden I’m the warden of three very different reserves and it’s a job that holds quite a lot of responsibility. As a warden, it’s up to me to keep an eye on the place – checking for litter, broken fences, fallen trees, etc. But it also gives me a chance to get to know a reserve up close and enjoy it through the seasons. And it’s a great excuse to walk my dog in different places, heavenly places. Croes Robert was the first reserve I took on. Having just moved to a house a few hundred yards away it was an obvious place to take the dog. The previous warden had recently retired, so I offered to take on his duties. Croes Robert may not have enormous amounts of visitors, but it can still be plagued with litter, like chinese lanterns and birthday balloons blown in from the big cities. I also go around with a hand saw, after high winds, cutting off branches blocking the paths, or with a spade trying to stop excess water destroying the same paths. Unlike most reserves it has a considerable staff presence – Reserves Officer, Jan Kinchington, probably spends half her time there coppicing, making charcoal, and surveying the local dormice population. In fact, the reserve’s dormice are so interesting to me, that wardening at Croes Robert has led me to get a dormouse handling licence. May is my favourite month just to potter around the reserve – bluebells, blackcaps and that lovely spring green as the leaves open on the trees. I sometimes think of the place as an extension of my back garden. New Grove Meadows is probably the next
Sheep’s Sorrel at Beacon Hill (Gabi Horup)
Fallow deer fawn (Steve Waterhouse)
Common Spotted Orchid and Rough Hawkbit at New Grove Meadows (Chris Jones)
nearest reserve to my home. As the bluebells fade in Croes Robert, the orchids at New Grove form a carpet of colour. When they flower, the reserve gets lots of visitors, ones who ask questions. I knew little about wild flowers when I first took it on, but with help from GWT staff and a few books I can now distinguish the various orchids that appear there and answer visitor questions. Because the reserve is alongside a road, litter can be a major problem there. An office desk,
a child’s slide, tyres, sheets of polystyrene, are just some of the mess people have dumped. Usually I just have to call a staff member with a truck to collect and dispose of them and soon the reserve is in shape again. And I’ll help out when someone needs to chainsaw trees fallen on the fences from the adjacent Forestry Commission Wales land. Beacon Hill is a different sort of reserve. It is not owned or leased by GWT, but managed under an agreement with the owners – Forestry Commission Wales. I was walking my dog (what else!) up there one day when I came across three GWT staff members who told me they were looking to take on managing Beacon Hill. I immediately volunteered at the opportunity to join the effort. Beacon Hill is a beautiful place. It comes into its glory in August when the heather flowers, but the views, and feeling of wide-open space, are there all year. My wardening duties at Beacon Hill are very diverse. As part of the reserves’ ‘management committee’ I sometimes need to co-ordinate volunteers and subcontractors for various projects. I also do regular fixed point photography there so we can record the changes in the habitat. I’ll work cutting gorse, clearing trees, and I’ll also act as a public information officer, spending some time chatting to the other dog walkers and visitors explaining what GWT is all about. This year I’m leading a woodcock survey. Writing this has reminded me of an annual warden’s task I always forget – washing the interpretation boards! I’ll just put out the sponge and bottle of soapy water along with the dog lead ready for the morning…
Stop the Vandalism The Welsh Government has recently announced that they will be consulting on proposals for a new motorway across the Gwent Levels in September. GWT is deeply concerned as the project would have a disastrous effect on the Gwent Levels, for both the people and the wildlife that live there. The Gwent Levels are one of our Living Landscape areas, where we have three nature reserves, including our founding reserve, Magor Marsh. Sorrel Jones, Conservation Officer, said, “The Gwent Levels are a unique area – it’s peaceful and unspoilt, with a rich history and culture. It’s teeming with wildlife; for example we are now seeing more water voles swimming in the reens found on the Levels, as well as birds, GWENT WILDLIFE TRUST x WILD ABOUT GWENT
otters, and rare insects.” “It would be a tragedy of massive proportions if this act of vandalism were to go ahead, made all the more poignant by the fact that publicly available data shows that traffic use of the M4 itself is falling, and is lower than it was in 2004!” The current (but rapidly rising) price tag attached to this motorway is £1bn, whilst upgrades to existing roads and public transport improvements in the area would come in at a fraction of this cost and achieve the same ends. GWT is a long standing member of the Campaign Against the Levels Motorway (CALM), an alliance of organizations that also includes RSPB Cymru, Friends of the Earth
Cymru, community councils and numerous individuals opposed to road building on the Gwent Levels. CALM members are now getting ready for action, by commissioning research into alternatives, producing briefings for councillors and assembly members, and ensuring that local people are aware of the proposals and the potential impacts. Together with CALM, we are appealing to the people of Newport and others who live in and around the Gwent Levels to stand up to protect this amazing landscape and its wildlife, and stop this unwanted act of vandalism. If you would like to support CALM and/or receive the CALM newsletter, please let us know – info@ gwentwildlife.org.
Could Ratty be swimming along here again? (Michael Rodgers)
Re-homing Ratty! Story and pictures by 16 year old Magor Marsh volunteer Michael Rodgers Ratty the water vole from Wind in the Willows a classic childhood memory, could he really disappear for ever? It seems not for the Gwent Wildlife Trust are fighting for Ratty’s new stronghold at Magor Marsh, but has ratty faced a hard road along the way. The water vole is Britain’s fastest disappearing species. The biggest cause of this is the American Mink. The Mink was brought to Britain in the early 1960s for the fur trade but animal right activists broke into these farms and released the mink. Mink can be found throughout the British Isles except the northerly reaches of Scotland. The reason mink are so good at hunting water voles is because female mink are small enough to fit down the water voles burrows something none of their native predators can do. Water voles are slightly larger than a rat with darker colouring, a lighter belly and little ears on the side of the head. They also have a blunt nose making their face seem round, as well as a hairy tail. Water voles can eat up to 80% of their body weight per day. They eat the lush vegetation around the reserve and will often leave a 45° cut from where they have chewed through a stem. They have up to five litters a year which are born naked and about the age of four months they leave the nest. Another problem for water voles is that their habitat is vastly disappearing. Water voles act as mini beaver’s as such and over time
change the very landscape through their burrows and munching through reed beds for food. The Gwent Wildlife Trust is using the 36 hectares of Magor Marsh to form Gwent’s last stronghold for Ratty. It started in 2002 when the Trust decided to start a scheme to reintroduce Ratty onto Magor Marsh. In order to do so the warden on the reserve has been monitoring and removing any mink found. The reserve needed very little management for the reintroduction due to the excellent habitat already there. In 2012 the trust has released 100 sexually active water voles onto the reserve and plan to release another 100 in the Summer after performing a survey on the reserve in March. I spoke to Alice Rees the Water Vole Project Officer who said that the project so far has been a great success and “they have even been seen leaving the reserve and moving into the local water ways”. When asked about how they planned to perform the survey she said “we have chosen the uninvasive option where instead of tagging the voles we will be counting the number of the latrines we have” this means the greater the number of latrines the reserve has the bigger the established population is. The voles are released through a soft release programme. This is where a family group or breeding pair would be placed into a cage like the one here and left for a few days for them to acclimatise to the reserve although food is provided daily for them. A baffle is then placed on the cage allowing them to come and go as they please, after a week they are completely dependent on the reserve and the soft release cage is removed.
Ratty’s nest (Michael Rodgers)
Water vole about to be placed into soft release cage (Michael Rodgers)
Male Mink (Michael Rodgers)
Soft release cage (Michael Rodgers)
August 2013
Gwent Levels Living Landscape walk (Jon Postill)
Gwent Wildlife Trust –
a look back and a look ahead Roger James, GWT President Now that it’s Gwent Wildlife Trust’s 50th anniversary, I’d like to share with you a look back at some of our accomplishments and offer some of my aspirations of our future. But before I do, let me start at the here and now. Gwent Levels Living Landscape walk (Jon Postill)
Gwent
Levels Living Landscape Walk
Tom Clarke, CEO Thirteen of us braved the May drizzle on a twelve mile trek through the Gwent Levels, from our Solutia/Eastman Reserve, via the coastal path to Nash nature reserve and Magor Marsh to celebrate GWTs 50th anniversary.
Despite a world-wide recession and joining the rest of our community – the public, businesses, and volunteer organizations – in trying hard to makeends-meet, I believe we are in good shape. Our income and expenditure is carefully managed thanks to a first-class finance committee composed of staff and volunteers. New schemes are constantly being sought to increase our income and membership recruitment remains at a good level thanks to our Senior Recruitment Officer, Martyn Wright (and ably assisted by his crowd-pulling hedgehog).
As the rain moved on and the sky became bright and clear, we saw avocets at Nash and many curlews from the sea wall along the Severn Estuary.
We have a large number of reserves which we either own, lease, or have an influence on and which are well managed by our professional staff aided by an army of committed volunteers. These reserves reflect the diverse landscape of Gwent including woodland, marshland and our glorious hay meadows. As well as fulfilling their potential as preservers and enhancers of biodiversity, the reserves are also the goods in our shop window. We use them as examples to demonstrate to our members, funders and potential funders that given the right fiscal and practical support, contributing to GWT is a sound investment.
The photo features the group, enjoying a tea break in Redwick beside the church, prior to the final push to Magor Marsh, finishing the day weary, but inspired at what a fantastic living landscape we have on our doorstep in Gwent.
And when people look closely at Gwent’s environment – see its beauty and understand how fragile it is – they come to us to ask questions, to seek advice, and to learn more. That is something we are very proud of.
Who in their right mind would want to carve a road through it?
For a glimpse into the past I can do no better than refer to an article by the late Tom Sawyer who was the first secretary of GWTs predecessor, the Monmouthshire Naturalists’ Trust.
On the way, staff members Richard Bakere and Becca Price explained some of the flora, fauna and landscape features that make the Gwent Levels such a unique and valuable part of Wales. We all enjoyed the opportunity to get closer to one of our Gwent Living Landscapes (the environment in and beyond the reserves, encompassing a greater natural space), especially because the route took us along paths that few of us had walked.
Writing in 1970, Tom outlined his concerns about the alienation of people GWENT WILDLIFE TRUST x WILD ABOUT GWENT
from the countryside. Tom was an educator, a lecturer in biology at a technical college and his main concern was that too much emphasis was placed on the technical, classroom-based learning rather than practical experience in the field where many graduates would eventually have to ply their craft. GWT as it stands now has made great strides in addressing this problem. Many children and teachers benefit from visits to our education centres at Magor Marsh and Ebbw Vale and our outreach programme in conjunction with Newport City Council has resulted in over three thousand children from over sixty schools being taught practical ecology. We have a very comprehensive events schedule which introduces a wider public to the nature of our county and teaches some of the practical skills required in conservation. The recently formed science forum acts in an advisory capacity to GWT but also has a teaching role where people can take part in our surveys and learn at a more advanced level. Space precludes the focus on our many other aspects of progress and I can do no better than refer you to a chapter written by Vice President David Leat in the recently published book, Wildlife in Trust. I am proud to be the President of an organisation that can stand tall amongst the ranks of conservation bodies. We have a loyal, dedicated staff, committed volunteers and a camaraderie, which is, from my point of view, both exciting and humbling. Our aspiration for the next fifty years is to leave our environment in a better shape, to share with future generations the importance of caring for our surroundings. We face many problems – climate change, globalisation, over population and increasing habitat loss on a global scale. We must be ready to meet and respond to those challenges with a robust and focused Trust. I would like to thank the staff volunteers and organisations which have supported me in my presidency. Special thanks must go to my wife, Julia, without whose support, I would not be able to function effectively.
Happy Birthday Monmouthshire Meadows Group! This year, the Monmouthshire Meadows Group celebrates ten years of work to conserve and restore flower-rich local grasslands. The group helps members manage their own fields and gardens effectively to encourage wildflower diversity, and offers botanical surveys and management advice. They also hold annual open meadows days where members and nonmembers alike can visit some of the best meadows in the county. With well over a hundred members, the group influences the management of over 600 acres from mini-meadows in gardens, to hay meadows and pastures on small farms. Many of the county’s surviving meadows are small and with difficult access, making for challenging management conditions. Here, the group has played a vital role in helping grassland owners find contractors who can undertake hay cuts and graziers willing to help graze sites at the appropriate times of year. Thanks to one of the group’s members, the group includes a couple of Exmoor ponies who are very much in demand, to help graze flower-rich sites. The Monmouthshire Meadows Group has
Monmouthshire Meadows Group 10th Party (Keith Moseley)
been a consistent and welcome force for wildflower grassland conservation in the county and has inspired other counties to follow suit with their own meadows groups. We enjoy working with them and wish them a very happy birthday! In celebration of a decade of making meadows, the group have compiled a
book entitled ‘Wildflower Meadows in Monmouthshire: Ten years of conserving and restoring flower-rich grasslands’ featuring accounts of some of the group’s meadows, written by their respective owners. Please visit their website at www. monmouthshiremeadows.org.uk for more information.
Wildlife Wizards Work their Magic! Three teams of primary school pupils met this March in battle, to determine who would be this year’s Wildlife Wizards. The schools – Malpas Church in Wales Juniors, Rogiet Primary and New Inn Primary – had already fought off other schools to reach this stage. The Gwent Wildlife Trust’s Wildlife Wizards final (kindly hosted by Eastman Chemicals, Newport) was a thrilling climax to the competition. The 9-11 year olds put on a fantastic performance throughout seven rounds, testing their wildlife knowledge and field skills to the maximum in front of a spellbound audience. They matched fruits and leaves to their trees, identified twigs and objects, and answered some tricky questions about wildlife. Would you know what a fly agaric is or what’s the accurate definition of a stalactite? Well, these Wildlife Wizards did! The last team standing was Rogiet Primary.
“I’m so proud of the team’s achievement as the standard of knowledge in all the teams was so good”, said Vicky Curtis, Headteacher of Rogiet Primary School. “The Rogiet team revised hard and worked well together and have a great sense of achievement in their victory.” Leah, a student from Rogiet Team, added, “We’re over the moon to win the competition. We were proud to be ambassadors for our school.” Glan Usk Primary School teacher, Bev White said, “Our school really enjoyed taking part and the children have been inspired to explore the great outdoors. Our head girl asked if this summer, instead of having the usual Talent Show, please could we have an inter year group Wildlife Wizard quiz instead!” Eastman Chemicals generously provided the winner’s shield, T-shirts, children’s goody bags, and a wonderful buffet for all the ravenous guests.
Wildlife Wizards winners 2013 (Kathy Barclay) “As an organisation we love supporting this event as it gives children from all backgrounds a chance to demonstrate their wildlife knowledge. We really enjoyed it as audience members and learnt a lot too!” said Eastman’s Janet Roberts. If your child’s school would like to join in with Wildlife Wizards, please contact Helen John or Kathy Barclay at Gwent Wildlife Trust on 01633 889048 or write to them at magormarsh@gwentwildlife.org.
August 2013
The lowdown on Levels volunteering An interview with Magor Marsh Volunteer Rob Waller Q. What volunteering do you do? I go to the weekly Magor Marsh Levellers session where we do a wide range of reserve maintenance such as willow and reen clearance, mending boardwalks and fixing fences. My wife volunteers in the office and together we monitor some nestboxes at Springdale and mink rafts at Magor. We also did a wildflower survey at Springdale. Q. Why did you start volunteering? When my wife and I retired a few years ago we wanted to keep active and try some new things. We had been inactive members of GWT for many years but now we had the time and opportunity to get more involved. Q. What do you get out of it? It’s a mixture of the selfish and a more general sense of putting something back to help the environment. The benefits have been far greater than expected. I get to be a boy again, messing about with bonfires and coming home all covered in mud. The wildflower survey was just brilliant – we learned so much and country walks have far greater interest for us now. The teamwork and companionship are wonderful and are strengthened when we build a bridge or tackle something new.
Q. Who else gets involved? The amazing thing is the range of people who are volunteers: men and women, young and old, employed and unemployed. Professors work alongside milkmen, exservice people alongside students. You don’t have to be super fit. Q. Do I need to be a wildlife expert? No. Some are and some are not. For me, it has been really interesting to learn more about wildlife and to see the Magor Marsh reserve from the inside out. But there are loads of other skills that can be learned and developed. Q. What about the practicalities? Well, things like the training in the use of certain tools is given but you don’t really need any previous experience. Health and safety are emphasised and we have not lost anybody yet! The weather can be a challenge at times but we always cope. You have to get there under your own steam but it is great being in the open air and to watch the seasons change. The washing machine gets good use after a day at Magor Marsh! If you are interested in becoming a volunteer with GWT, then visit our website or phone the office at 01600 740600 or contact Val Jackson on vjackson@gwentwildlife.org.
This 50th Anniversary Bumper edition was kindly supported by a small Kilgwrrwg based company, Mair Rossiter, and Norman Williams. Many thanks to them for their kind generosity.
Corporate Members Platinum Caldicot & Wentlooge Levels IDB
Gold
Bronze
Advanced Elastomer Systems
Ancre Hill Vineyard
Orb Electrical Steels
International Rectifier
TriWall Europe
Eastman
Frank Sutton
Tata Steel General Dynamics
GWENT WILDLIFE TRUST x WILD ABOUT GWENT
Mandarin Stone Marshalls
WAGTales • During the 20th century, UK bat numbers plummeted. Several species of bats are now seriously threatened, and recently, the Greater Mouse-Eared bat became extinct as a UK breeding species. Pipistrelle numbers, for example, are estimated to have dropped by about 70% between 1978 and 1993. • Did you know that a hedgehog will travel up to two Kilometres a night and cover at least twelve gardens looking for food?
Hedgehog (Graham Bradley)
• Fungi do not photosynthesise but acquire the nutrients essential for growth from organic material such as dead wood or leaf litter. They produce nutrient-absorbing threads called mycelium that extend through the soil like an intricate web. These fine threads secrete enzymes that break down complex molecules such as lignin found in wood.