oebuck R
The Wildlife Trust Magazine for Newcastle, North Tyneside and Northumberland
Issue 139 July - November 2016
Photo Competition The winners are announced
Wildlife Discovery Centre Countdown to opening begins
Our Wildlife 2016 Save the date in your diary plus news from around the UK
Legacies
Generosity helps boost Trust
Flexigraze
Sheep reared, sheared and spun
Kielder
A wild and alive living landscape
Contents Remember wildlife when snapping
4
Partnership working reaps rewards
5
Photography entries amaze the judges
Annie Charnley
Local News
6-7
out and about with People & Wildlife
8
Wildlife legend turns 90
9
Funding vine house farm scoops award
10
Get knitting with Flexigraze yarn
11
Reserves & Volunteers Discovery Centre almost completed
12
Ospreywatch takes off again
13
6-7
Photography competition alex lister
Corporates Carillion clay leaves staff floored
14
our wildlife outdoor festival is back
15
Conservation Druridge Bay lots going on
16
Meadows project in its final year
17
karpet mills homes for birds
19
Kielder wild and alive
20-21
UK News
14
13
Beachbusters
Volfest back again 22-23
Have fins will travel a dolphin’s tale
24
London set to go green
26-27
Born to be wild the green cure
30-33
Go Batty around the UK
34-35
Annual Report
AR
strategic report activity details
36-38
financial activites for year end
39
Patrons: Conrad Dickinson, Bill Oddie & Chris Packham President: Chris Mullin Vice Presidents: Charles Baker-Cresswell & Angus Lunn Vice President & Founder: Tony Tynan Chairman: Sandra King Vice Chairman: Ian Armstrong Honorary Secretary: Nigel Porter Honorary Treasurer: Sue Loney
mike jeffries
Biggest youth project ready to start
18-19
Wonderful wildlife
Chief Executive: Mike Pratt Head of Marketing & Fundraising: Sheila Sharp Head of Conservation: Steve Lowe Head of Land Management: Duncan Hutt Head of Business Management: Jane Speak Development Manager: Nick Mason EcoNorth: Vicki Mordue, Managing Director
28-29
At a rockpool near you
Find us on: northumberlandwt
@NorthWildlife
Chief Executive’s Comments ashley fowler
10
Boxing clever
jack perks
Northumberland Wildlife Trust Ltd Garden House St Nicholas Park Gosforth Newcastle upon Tyne NE3 3XT Tel: (0191) 284 6884 Fax: (0191) 284 6794 Web: www.nwt.org.uk
Natural Inspiration Since early childhood I have, like many others, been inspired constantly by nature and all I see and experience of it. To me, being around wildlife and in the outdoors feeds my spirit as well as my mind and body, in addition to being of scientific interest. It is the catalyst for the creative side of my life, mostly writing, and this in turn makes me want to explore it all even more. My natural curiosity hasn’t changed that much in 50 years. I recently had a collection of prose poems published, inspired by the amazing make-up of a snow bunting’s Arctic nest, constructed from tiny fragments of the whole of its special environment, from golden eagle and ptarmigan feathers to hare and Arctic fox fur. It is remarkable that the minute patterns of nature reveal bigger truths about the landscape and even how the universe is constructed. Finding ways to express this, especially the vocabulary for it, is critical as far as I’m concerned. This is why it pains me to find out that the Children’s Oxford Dictionary is increasingly editing nature’s words out as they get used less. Many species’ names as common as ‘wren’ have gone already, as well as words like conker, cowslip and acorn. They are being replaced by new words and phrases in more common everyday use linked to social media and screen based lifestyle pursuits. The words still exist of course and children can still encounter them in other places, but as many have observed, it is a sad reality that these words are being downgraded and nature’s dictionary is disappearing. This along with the de-natured childhoods of many young people today means children on average spend 20 hours online and nearly the same watching TV every week, so there isn’t much time left for exploring outdoors on the face of it. Most only roam 300 yards from the house; it was up to six miles a generation ago. Despite this, there are still those children and families who take time to see nature and enjoy the outdoors in many ways, as we see in our responses to 30 Days Wild and My Wild Life, but there has been a step change in recent times away from nature. Without the words to express a relationship with nature people could become even more disengaged. So what is our Trust doing to restore a balance of nature in children’s lives and imaginations, and their speech? We have an active education team
Registered Charity No. 221819 Registered Company No. 717813 Registered in England & Wales VAT No. 556 103264 Roebuck Editor: Fiona Dryden Roebuck Designer: Richard Clark Thank you to all contributors. Online version available
Part of the campaign to keep nature in the Children’s Oxford Dictionary
that delivers Forest Schools and other activities, utilising the environment holistically for education. We incorporate work with young people into many of our projects. Increasingly we are working with health providers to engage with young people in the green spaces on their doorstep such as through the Wild West project, making the most of city parks and their natural history. All of this we want to expand and widen the range of ways we work with young people to reconnect them to nature and to bring out the inspiration and expression many of them still have. We also manage sites with an artistic element, Northumberlandia being an obvious and very larger than life example of imagination in restoring a landscape people can walk on and be inspired by. We are also hoping to incorporate artful design in some of our site improvement work at Kielder, as well as in our new Hauxley Wildlife Discovery Centre. What we are ultimately about is to ensure that we catalyse the next generation of nature writers, poets, sculptors and musicians to bring the countryside and nature alive for all of us. I reckon that it is these artistic means that often pull people in to emotionally link with the natural world and that’s what we will need more of in future; expression that demonstrates to everyone that nature really matters to us, that it is essential to being human.
Mike Pratt Chief Executive Northumberland Wildlife Trust
Northumberland Wildlife Trust is a member of the largest voluntary organisiation in the UK concerned with all aspects of wildlife protection - The Wildlife Trusts. The views expressed are not necessarily those of the Trust or the Editor. Whilst every effort is taken to check accuracy of the information contained herein, no responsibility can be taken for errors or omissions. The contents are Copyright. Front cover photo: Morning Deer © Brian Avery All other photos © NWT unless otherwise stated
Roebuck is printed on
Local News
In Northumberland we’re blessed with some iconic wildlife: red squirrel, puffin and grey seal are all photogenic but present an interesting challenge - how do you capture an image that doesn’t look just like thousands of other images? The more time you spend watching, studying and photographing a species, the wider the range of behaviour you’ll see, and the greater the range of photographic opportunities that you’ll encounter. Grey seal is a species that may seem to offer few opportunities for creativity, but they’re large, so don’t need to be approached closely, and don’t move around much unless disturbed, so you can regard them as a feature in the, occasionally dramatic, landscape they inhabit. The grey seal haul-out at St Mary’s Island offers lots of possibilities but please don’t approach any closer than 50m from the seals! They’re resting and recovering but still present opportunities from a distance that won’t cause harmful disturbance. I’ve recently seen images of a photographer who approached so closely that all of the seals left the island and, within hours, the same photographer had posted his images on social media.
martin kitching www.newtltd.co.uk
Seal of approval
Grey seals
If the welfare of wild animals takes second place to peer-acclaim then it’s probably time to reevaluate what you’re doing! Martin Kitching Senior Guide Northern Experience Wildlife Tours www.newtltd.co.uk
Howes and knowes: an introduction to Berwickshire place-names by Michael E Braithwaite Berwickshire is one of our neighbouring counties so it is interesting to compare its place-names with ours, and indeed to remind ourselves of the origins and meanings of the names of familiar places and features. This 40-page booklet takes us through placenames derived from topographic features, plants, animals and their habitats. Many are common to Northumberland but in Berwickshire are expressed rather in Scots English, for example, our crags are their craigs. And, as with us, there are numerous denes, cleughs and hopes (valleys of various sorts). We also share hare, which refers to the mammal only in the case of some modern names (the brown hare is an introduced species). In older names it denotes hoary, rough-textured, grey, as in lichen-covered rocks or bark. And we have plenty of clarts (mud), although I’m not aware of a clarty name. The author lives in a farmhouse called Clarilaw
4 ROEBUCK 139 July - November 2016
in neighbouring Roxburgshire, and although the name might be derived from claver (clover), he speculates whether it, and perhaps other “clover” names, refer rather to clarts - in his case at the foot of the law (hill). Michael Braithwaite is a distinguished botanist, and this booklet is both scholarly and highly entertaining. The Berwickshire Naturalists’ Club, founded in 1831, was the first local field club in Britain and has always included northern Northumberland in its ambit. The booklet is available by mail order only from Michael Braithwaite, Clarilaw Farmhouse, Hawick, TD9 8PT. It is priced at £5 (inc. p&p) with cheques being made payable to: Berwickshire Naturalists’ Club. Angus Lunn Vice President Northumberland Wildlife Trust
Northumberland County Council has successfully reopened the B6344 between Weldon Bridge and Rothbury in Northumberland after a major landslip event in late 2012 required the road to be closed to traffic. EcoNorth (the Trust’s consultancy service) is proud to have supported the road reinstatement project after having been appointed by the Council in early site investigation and then by principal contractor VBA during the main construction period. The re-opening of the road has undoubtedly been an engineering challenge. EcoNorth has had the privilege of working closely with the project team as the site was not without its environmental challenges, due to the sensitive nature of the location and the abundance of protected species present. EcoNorth’s team of ecologists has been involved with ecological survey work to inform ecological impact assessment, liaison with Natural England to ensure the protection of the River Coquet and Coquet Valley Woodlands Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI), along with mitigation measures to protect fauna and habitats which have been developed to fit with the emerging construction programme. The project has also challenged EcoNorth’s surveying capabilities, with surveys ranging from badger, bat, amphibian, reptile, moth and pine marten surveys, using traditional field surveys and camera trapping surveys for otter and badger and light trap sampling for moths, all co-ordinated to inform the potential effects of the project. The extensive ecological survey work has revealed the presence of an abundance of protected species in the area, and most notably the south facing slopes have provided a haven for reptiles, which have provided a challenge during all phases of the project, but have also been very positive in engaging the whole construction team in the biodiversity of the area. Even following the extensive survey works, the rich wildlife of the area kept everyone on their toes, through some surprises which included a pair of grey wagtails opting to nest in a cavity within the collapsed road. However, due to awareness of the whole construction team and directing activities away from the nest, the pair still managed to fledge young from this location. We are all delighted the road is now re-opened and serving the Rothbury community, but, as ecologists, we will miss the privilege of working in this location which is one of the most biodiverse sites EcoNorth has worked on. We are also glad to say the site remains a haven for the flora and fauna identified thanks to the co-operation of all the teams working to deliver the project. John Thompson Principal Ecologist EcoNorth Ltd
all photos © econorth
A wonderful example of partnership working
B6344 at Cragend, February 2013
B6344 at Cragend, March 2016
Emerald moth
Badger caught on a camera trap
Bird box
Slow worm
Award winners
EcoNorth is delighted that the Cragend Landslip project has just won the Large Project category of the 2016 Institute of Civil Engineering’s (ICE) Robert Stephenson Awards.
(01670) 735 547 enquiries@econorth.co.uk www.econorth.co.uk
1st
Morning Deer, Brian Avery Wildlife in the Landscape
2nd
Heathered, Neil Wayper Wildlife in the Landscape
3rd
The Sentry, Steve Wrightson Wildlife in the Landscape
1st
Not a Care in the World, Annie Charnley Wildlife in Action
2nd
Shortie Glare, Bill Richmond Wildlife in Action
3rd
Bittern Take Off, Chris Castling Wildlife in Action
1st
Nuthatch, Jonathan Gaunt Wildlife Portrait
2nd
Smiler, Andy Colls Wildlife Portrait
3rd
Drake Gossander, Samuel Hood Wildlife Portrait
Outstanding entries for the fourth year running Following the success of the previous three North East Wildlife Photography Competitions, Northumberland, Durham and Tees Valley Wildlife Trusts joined forces for the fourth year with the Natural History Society of Northumbria, Alan Hewitt Photography, Nestlé and the Great North Museum: Hancock to host the 2016 competition. The competition attracted over 1500 entries and left our experienced panel of judges, which this year included Tony Henderson, The Journal 6 ROEBUCK 139 July - November 2016
Environment Editor and Janet Blair, Editor of Living North magazine and 11 year old Max Eve the youngest judge ever and two times winner of the Young Person’s category, buzzing with excitement at the quality of submissions. Also, back by popular demand was George McGavin, TV wildlife presenter and resident ‘bug man’ on BBC1’s The One Show. George was such a hit at last year’s awards ceremony, he was invited back to host this year’s awards ceremony
which took place at The Great North Museum: Hancock on 14 July. This year, there were six competition categories to enter: wildlife portraits, wildlife in action, wildlife in the landscape, nature up close, mobile nature and young person’s, with prizes for each category winner and runners-up and an overall winner being selected from one of the categories for the main prize of £250 which was provided by Nestlé Fawdon.
r all Ove er nn i W
1st
Poppy With Hoverfly, Ken Nyberg Nature up Close
2nd
Orange-tip Butterfly, Samuel Hood Nature up Close
3rd
Marmalade Fly, Joe Finlay Nature up Close
1st
Street Frog, Fabien Balezeau Mobile Nature
2nd
A Northern Lady, Trevor Richardson Mobile Nature
3rd
Thirsty Work Being a Snail..., Tracey Laing Mobile Nature
1st
Greedy Bird, Hannah Bishop (age 11) Young Person’s
2nd
Greater Spotted Woodpecker, David Raffle Young Person’s (age 13)
3rd
Sleepy Swan on Nest, Amy Hedley-Steritt Young Person’s (age 12)
Organisers & Supporters:
Prizes donated by: Westcountry
W ldl fe Photography
HA NC OC
K
Centre
www.wcwpc.co.uk
Good Food, Good Life Northumberland, Durham & Tees valley
FARNE ISLANDS BOAT TOURS
July - November 2016 ROEBUCK 139 7
Local News lynette friend
Getting out and about The Trust’s ‘Out and About’ project, launched in February 2016, has just come to an end and, needless to say, a great time was had by all who were involved. Funded by the Out and About Fund at the Community Foundation Tyne & Wear and Northumberland, the aim of the project was to connect children to nature using Forest Schools’ techniques which includes den building, mapping activities, looking at animal skins and skulls, trails, campfire cooking and species identification. The Trust worked with primary school children from four Newcastle schools: Hawthorn Primary, Our Lady and St Anne’s RC Primary, Moorside Community Primary and Broadwood Primary, with each school attending our forest school site at East
Chevington for 6 outdoor sessions As an added bonus, a number of children used digital cameras to capture images of their forest school setting and activities which they will be sharing with school peers and parents as part of an assembly. They will also be highlighting items they have made and talking more about their achievements with some children planning to show PowerPoint presentations or videos.
Community Tyne & Wear and Northumberland Enriching lives through effective g iving
A pupil from Broadwood Primary School, finding out more about trees
katy cook
naomi waite
naomi waite
Dylan Wardell (2) with his needle felted blanket
Well and truly fleeced Two year old Dylan Wardell from Bardon Mill in Northumberland has a new blanket, and one thing is guaranteed - you won’t see another one like it! For the blanket has been crafted from the fleeces of the Trust’s Flexigraze sheep and was made in celebration of the wonderful products
8 ROEBUCK 139 July - November 2016
which are available from our grasslands. It all started at the beginning of March when we hosted two rural skills events for volunteers where, amongst many things, they sheared a number of the Flexigraze sheep, which graze on our Save our Magnificent Meadows project sites around the region, as part of our conservation grazing scheme. The raw fleeces were then sent to The Tynedale Spinners and Weavers (members of the Association of Guilds of Weavers, Spinners and Dyers) in Stocksfield, where volunteers washed and carded them to disentangle and
intermix the fibres before working tirelessly to turn them into the impressive felt blanket which is so unique because, unlike most high street blankets, it is 100% natural and has never been dyed! The colour shades within the blanket, even down to the white and black shades in the badger design, which was needle felted by Trust volunteer Naomi Repper (who hails from Prudhoe), are the natural colours of the fleece of different breeds of sheep - which is pretty amazing and something Dylan is very attached to.
paula turner
Sleeping beauty As everybody knows, Sleeping Beauty, the fairy-tale character slept for 100 years, but Paula Turner, Trust HR and Payroll Officer thought she had her very own Sleeping Beauty in her back garden when Brenda the hedgehog came to stay. Brenda was found in a field in Linton, just outside Ashington, last November and taken to the Blyth Wildlife Rescue Centre weighing only 200 grams. At that time, she was too small to hibernate (hedgehogs lose 1/3rd of their body weight when they hibernate) so was kept indoors, but, following a course of fine dining, by mid-February she weighed 800 grams and she was ready for fostering and hibernation. Within one week of living in a special pen in Paula’s garden, the region experienced frost and a flurry of snow, but, because of her increase in weight, she was able to hibernate safely. The Trust is passionate about hedgehogs so Brenda’s progress became a talking point within the organisation and was a source of great excitement when she awoke from hibernation on Tuesday 10 May and was released shortly after a health check-up. Anybody interested in helping the charity and/or making a donation should call the Blyth Rescue Centre on: (07910) 643 122, email: info@b-w-r.org.uk or visit: www.b-w-r.org.uk.
Hauxley after dark The Trust offered members of the public the rare opportunity to walk round our Hauxley reserve after dark recently and catch a glimpse of a variety of night time animals including moths, bats and owls. A large crowd of people turned out and, needless to say, the wild residents on the reserve didn’t disappoint. duncan hutt
The Trust joined thousands of wildlife supporters in May in wishing Sir David Attenborough a happy 90th birthday. In 1965 Sir David became an associate member of the Wildlife Trusts, is now President Emeritus of The Wildlife Trusts and is no stranger to our Trust. In 1976 he opened ‘Hancock’s Hut’, the first Northumberland Wildlife Trust office which was a portacabin behind the then Hancock Museum and, when we opened our new HQ building in November 1985, he jumped at the chance to come back.
tom marshall
Happy birthday Sir David… still mighty at 90!
Brenda, the rescue hedgehog
Sir David Attenborough
geoffrey willey
From left to right: Bob Edmonds (former NWT Chair), Sir David Attenborough & The Rt. Hon. The Lord Joicey (Former NWT President). Opening the new Trust HQ, 5 November 1985.
A group of youngsters enjoyed a close encounter of the great crested newt kind, under the watchful eye of a licensed newt surveyor.
July - November 2016 ROEBUCK 139 9
Funding
Trust supporter scoops well deserved award vine house farm
A wildlife-friendly farmer’s efforts in contributing towards the conservation of UK wildlife were recognised with an accolade at the Third Sector Business Charity Awards 2016, when Vine House Farm picked up the ‘Charity Partnership Small Business Award.’ Fourth-generation farmer, Nicholas Watts, has been working the land at Vine House Farm in Deeping St Nicholas in Lincolnshire, since he was a boy. His passion for birds has shaped his method of wildlife-friendly farming, and led to Vine House Farm’s partnership with all 47 wildlife trusts, including ourselves in 2007. Through this partnership, 5% of bird food sales are donated to Vine House Farm customers’ Wildlife Trusts near them, resulting in more than £1,000,000 being received by 2015. Don’t just take our word for it, why not see for yourself by logging on at: www.vinehaousefarm. co.uk and reading all about the wonderful world of Vine House Farm.
It’s inspirational that Nicholas Watts recognised the terrible impact modern farming methods were having on birds, and that he had the courage to act on his findings, to change things and to influence others to do the same. ashley fowler
Mike Pratt, Chief Executive, Northumberland Wildlife Trust
Boxing clever
A new batch of bird boxes is now available to buy from the Northumberlandia Visitor Centre
10 ROEBUCK 139 July - November 2016
Many thanks to Ashley Fowler, one of our volunteer reserve wardens at Northumberlandia, for his donation of £105 to the Lady of the North’s upkeep from his sale of handmade bird boxes. Retired assistant head teacher Ashley was looking for a project to keep him busy over the winter. Upon receipt of a large quantity of wood from a friend, he set about combining his interests of woodworking and conservation to create the wonderful bird boxes, initially for installing around the 46 acre site and as presents for family and friends, but as more people saw them they Ashley Fowler with started asking if he would make one of his bird boxes them one in return for a donation. By March of this year Ashley had built over 30, and a number of the more recent boxes have bark on the front of them from felled trees on the site. Ashley lives in Cramlington and watched the giant landform sculpture being built, before becoming a volunteer warden in October 2014. He spends every Tuesday ensuring the Lady looks her best.
Cash boost for wild flower training
Flexigraze wool: reared, sheared and spun for you
The Trust has received £250 from The Wild Flower Society towards the cost of organising and running wild plant identification training courses for volunteers around the region. The Wild Flower Society is the only national society created specifically for amateur botanists and wild flower lovers in the UK. Running for over a century, the Society boasts a number of very eminent botanists and academics through its plants with at least 14 members having plants named after them.
Wool, spun from the fleeces of 40 of Flexigraze’s rare breed sheep: Hebridean, Manx Loaghtan, Shetland and Swaledale which have all grazed on Trust reserves across the region including Hauxley, East Chevington, Linton Lane, Prestwick Carr and Holywell Pond is now available to buy.
The WILD FLOWER Society
Britvic partnership to strengthen communities from the grassroots up Leading soft drinks manufacturer, Britvic, has announced it has two new longterm community partners: Sported and The Wildlife Trusts, which includes Northumberland Wildlife Trust. Both partners have been chosen by Britvic to complement its sustainable business, people and planet focused strategy. In particular, the strategy’s priorities around promoting active lifestyles, protecting the environment and supporting local communities. Each charity will benefit from a combination of corporate support, employee volunteering support and fundraising initiatives.
Wool: Double knit. 50g. Natural undyed. £5.00 per ball. Twine: 50g. Natural undyed. £1.50 per ball. Available from: • NWT headquarters, St Nicholas Park, Jubilee Road, Gosforth, Newcastle NE3 3XT • Northumberlandia, Blagdon Lane, Cramlington • Online shop www.nwt.org.uk/shop (p&p charges apply)
Four spring legacies for the Trust The Trust is delighted to have been named as a beneficiary in four legacies totalling £31,555. Geoffrey Willey from Ponteland, the Trust’s oldest member, and who died in April 2015 just months short of his 104th birthday, left a legacy of £4,000 and Doreen Hall from Blyth bequeathed the wonderful sum of £18,000 to us. In addition we have been fortunate to benefit from two discretionary trusts; £4000 was received for red squirrel conservation from the estate of Audrey Williams, and all the fives - £5,555 – was received from Margaret Sjurseth.
This selfless generosity is hugely appreciated and, it goes without saying that the money will be used carefully to continue our valuable conservation work. If you are inspired by the wildlife and landscapes in our region, please consider leaving us a legacy to safeguard them for future generations. If you would like to find out more about legacies, visit our website www.nwt.org.uk/legacies or contact Jane Speak, Head of Business Management at the Trust on: (0191) 284 6884.
Supporting our appeals A massive thank you to author Andy Paciorek for his very kind donation of £771.92 to our Red Squirrel and Living Seas appeals. The donation comes as a result of a book Andy has recently published titled: Folk Horror Revival: Field Studies, and is a collection of essays and interviews by many cinematic, musical, artistic and literary talents Published by Wyrd Harvest Press, 100% of all profits from sales of the book are being donated to environmental, wildlife and community projects undertaken by the Wildlife Trusts and Andy has previously supported both Cheshire and Warwickshire Wildlife Trusts. The book is available from www.lulu.com and is priced at £15.00 (excl VAT).
July - November 2016 ROEBUCK 139 11
Reserves & Volunteers
Amazing volunteers help building take shape May 2015
alex lister
In May 2015 we started work on the Wildlife Discovery Centre on our Hauxley reserve (supported thanks to National Lottery players) and just look at what our army of volunteers has achieved in the subsequent 14 months. Although the wonderful building is the most visible hive of activity on the Hauxley site, it is not just that which is keeping the volunteers busy as they are busy working on numerous other tasks on the reserve such as managing the land extension and the creation of the new circular walk and new wetland habitat around the revamped outflow. But all this would never have been possible without the army of hard working and dedicated volunteers who have given up their own valuable time to build our magnificent new centre, with a number of volunteers turning up four or five days a week! And talk about ‘Grey Power’… some 90% of the regular building volunteer group (around 20 people) have retired from work, and of the other builders, about 60% of them are over 65 years of age. The oldest volunteer is 84 and turns up every Friday to work on reserves tasks! But it’s not long now before you can experience the Wildlife Discovery Centre for yourself with the new look reserve and building due to open this autumn. In the meantime, visit the Hauxley Nature Reserve - straw build Facebook page at www. facebook.com/HauxleyNatureReserve and watch the picture slide-show, or come along to one of the Open Days, the second weekend of every month.
June 2016
Without the volunteers, there wouldn’t be a building as magnificent as this one is going to be. They have all done fantastic jobs and without their long term commitment to the project, we certainly wouldn’t have got this far so quickly. Alex Lister, Druridge Bay Reserves Manager, Northumberland Wildlife Trust
reserves ROUND-UP BELTINGHAM AND CLOSE HOUSE:
BIG WATERS:
EAST CRAMLINGTON POND:
The winter floods deposited large volumes of sand and silt on these sites, and, unfortunately the deposits contain abundant Himalayan Balsam seed which is a setback in our efforts to control the species. We have volunteer work parties booked in to remove the plant over the summer months; hopefully we will reduce the plant to low numbers again by the end of the year!
Repairs have been undertaken on the majority of the boardwalk; work to raise the height of a stretch near the main members’ hide will be undertaken in the autumn. This has been funded by support from players of People’s Postcode Lottery. Several hundred metres of dilapidated fence have been repaired which will enable us to bring an extra area into favourable management through cattle grazing.
Following restoration of the small meadow in 2011, and introduction of yellow rattle seed, the condition of the grassland has continued to improve with the spread of many wildflowers which were present in very small numbers originally. This year a patch of Adder’s-tongue fern has made a surprise appearance!
12 ROEBUCK 139 July - November 2016
wayne henderson
Meet Biscuit, the resident Robin at Northumberlandia who spends most of his days perched on top of the board to the left of the entrance, sitting in his castle of twigs and branches behind the entrance sign or wooing the lady robins on the site with worms. Keep an eye out for him next time you visit Northumberlandia.
Volfest, back for a third year The Trust’s ‘Volfest’ which celebrates the service of our volunteers was back for the third year in succession at Kielder Castle at the end of April. As with previous years, a volunteer awards ceremony was held and, given the calibre and dedication of all our volunteers, judging each category proved very difficult. However, in the end the Jack of all Trades’ Award went to Cathy Bell for the third year running with the Special Recognition Award being presented to Mel Rockett and Christine Hall hard at work putting Don Learmonth for always being the last stone in the gabion wall there when needed to lead tasks, transport volunteers to assist with the multiple Kielder projects and take part in project and other general practical conservation general practical conservation work. The Estates tasks. team relies heavily on Mel and Don. As always, we couldn’t function as effectively Finally, the Outstanding Service Award as we do without the support of our fabulous for the most recorded hours of service went to volunteers. If you would like to find out more about Christine Hall who clocked up an incredible 807.5 how to be a volunteer, log on at: www.nwt.org. volunteering hours, with 551 of those hours being uk/volunteer or contact Lou Chapman, Volunteer accrued building our Wildlife Discovery Centre at Coordinator on: (0191) 284 6884. Hauxley, although Christine has also found time The event was sponsored by the Trust’s Save to volunteer on the Kielder water vole project, Our Magnificent Meadows Project supported Ospreywatch, the Save our Magnificent Meadows thanks to National Lottery players.
alex lister
Lord of all he surveys
forestry commission england
Spring shocker for osprey and her nest So this is springtime in Northumberland? A penny for this osprey’s thoughts as she sits on her snow-covered nest in Kielder Forest. This was the scene on Sunday 1 May on Nest 3 at Kielder, where the resident pair of ospreys was incubating three eggs. Only a few weeks before the photo was taken by the nest webcam, they had been enjoying temperatures of around 30°C in their wintering areas of Africa. Northumberland Wildlife Trust is one of the partners in Ospreywatch at Kielder Water and Forest Park.
NEWSHAM PONDS:
MILl BURN AND GRASSLEES BURN:
NEST BOXES:
Following the clean-up of the pond, removal of fishing platforms, and the blocking of access to areas of the pond, incidents of anti-social behaviour have greatly reduced. The formation of a wardens’ group from passionate locals has helped to keep the site looking good and gently remind other users of appropriate behaviour.
Volunteers who have braved the swarms of midges and cleggs over the last 15 years to control bracken at Mill Burn have seen a massive reduction in the dominance of the plant. This summer we have begun to switch our attention to reduce the vigour of bracken at our Grasslees Burn reserve.
Around 100 nest boxes have been erected on various reserves including Briarwood Banks, Juliet’s Wood, Tony’s Patch and Linton Lane. The boxes will benefit a range of species including the target species, redstart and pied flycatcher, on the three upland woodland sites. Bird ringing expert John Strowger has agreed to add Briarwood Banks to his surveying list and will be gathering valuable info on bird trends for the reserve.
July - November 2016 ROEBUCK 139 13
Corporates
Beachbusters! Staff from Virgin Money stepped out of their day jobs in the bank during a red hot week in May and headed out into the sunshine to clean the beach at Newbiggin by the Sea with Trust Head of Conservation, Steve Lowe. The Team from the company’s Gosforth office mastered their litter-picking equipment and cleared a whopping 150kg of waste from the beach in a little less than three hours. More
rubbish would have been collected by the team had it not been for passers-by thanking them for all the hard work! Items collected included a car battery, bike seat, a shark egg case (which is very unusual for the Northumberland coast) and handfuls of nurdles - small plastic pellets which are used to make plastic products.
Carillion clay saves the day Carillion plc has donated over 50 tonnes of clay for the floor of our new Hauxley Wildlife Discovery Centre, saving the Trust thousands of pounds. Formed in 1999, Carillion is one of the UK’s leading integrated support services companies, employing over 40,000 people worldwide, with established businesses in the UK, Canada, the Middle East and North Africa.
Natural Habitats Fund
Steve Lowe (far right), NWT Head of Conservation, with Virgin Money staff
Northumberland Wildlife Trust offers three levels of corporate membership which are designed to enhance your Corporate Social Responsibility commitments, provide year-round benefits to your business and support your staff development, PR and marketing strategies. You choose the level that you feel reflects your company’s commitment to the local environment. To find out more about becoming a corporate member contact our Marketing Office on 0191 284 6884 or via email to sheila.sharp@northwt.org.uk
BRONZE
SILVER
GOLD
A-one + www.aone.uk.com
Howick Hall Gardens www.howickhallgardens.org
Elanders Ltd www.elanders.com
Esh Group www.esh.uk.com
Albion Outdoors www.albionoutdoors.co.uk
NCFE www.ncfe.org.uk
Harlow Printing Ltd www.harlowprinting.co.uk
Lafarge Tarmac www.lafargetarmac.co.uk
Bell Ingram www.bellingram.co.uk
Northern Experience Wildlife Tours www.northernexperiencewildlifetours.co.uk
Karpet Mills www.karpetmills.co.uk
Mears Ltd www.mearsgroup.co.uk
Northumberland County Council www.northumberland.gov.uk
North East Chamber of Commerce www.ne-cc.com
Nestlé Confectionery Ltd www.nestle.co.uk
Blyth Harbour Commission www.portofblyth.co.uk
Ord House Country Park www.ordhouse.co.uk
Potts Printers Ltd www.potts.co.uk
Colton Excavations www.coltonplanthire.co.uk
Percy Wood Leisure Ltd www.percywood.co.uk
Riverside Leisure www.riverside-leisure.co.uk
Croft Veterinary Hospital www.croftvets.co.uk
Poltross Enterprises www.poltross.com
Geoffrey Lurie Solicitors www.geoffreylurie.com
Sykes Cottages www.sykescottages.co.uk
Gustharts www.gusthart.com
Wardell Armstrong www.wardell-armstrong.com
Hexham Steeplechase Co Ltd www.hexham-racecourse.co.uk
Whitley Bay Golf Club www.whitleybaygolfclub.co.uk
Berwick Holiday Park www.haven.com/parks/ northumberland/berwick
14 ROEBUCK 139 July - November 2016
Northumbrian Water Ltd www.nwl.co.uk The Banks Group www.hjbanks.com Thermofisher Scientific www.thermofisher.com
Our Wildlife 2016 Saturday 20th August, 10am - 4pm
Blagdon Hall, Seaton Burn, NE13 6DE tom marshall
An outdoor festival of wildlife encounters, including: • Hear from polar explorer Conrad Dickinson on his expeditions and trekking with Prince Harry
See wildlife up-close
• See wild birds and mammals up close with experts • Have a go at pond dipping • Make a seed bomb to plant your own meadow • Get top tips from award-winning photographers • Be creative with seaweed art • Listen to wildlife storytelling
Polar explorer Conrad Dickinson
• Go on a tractor-trailer wildlife safari* • Gain exclusive access to Blagdon Hall’s gardens • Enjoy Northumbrian pipers ‘Robson’s Choice’ • Browse local produce from our stalls • Food, snacks and refreshments available* Try your luck with our raffle! Top prizes include: a bicycle, a glider flight, sea kayaking, binoculars, a food hamper and many more…
Fun for the whole family
Tickets
Northumberland
Adult
£8
Child (5-17)/OAP/Student
£5
W i l d l i fe Tr u s t
Free
Under 5s Pre-booking recommended. *Not included in ticket price.
Book online now: www.nwt.org.uk/whats-on Northumberland Wildlife Trust Ltd
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Registered in England & Wales
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Registered Company Number: 717813
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Registered Charity Number: 221819
Conservation
Bay of plenty
DUNcan hutt
has a tidal influence it should be of great value for a range of waders and waterfowl, elsewhere it should prove of value to amphibians and insects. Here too we have been working to improve our access paths and installed screens from which new areas of the reserve can be observed.
ISBN: 978 1 907114 13 7
Duncan Hutt Head of Land Management Northumberland Wildlife Trust DUNcan hutt
While we are in the process of constructing our new centre at Hauxley it is easy to forget that the Dynamic Druridge Project also involves work on other Druridge Bay reserves. At Druridge Pools we have now re-profiled some of the bank on the main pool to create more marginal habitat for feeding waders. If this is a success we will look to repeat this on other parts of the pool in the coming years. The Dynamic Druridge Project also helps fund our grazing on site. Every year is different and it is not possible to get the stock levels perfect for all possible scenarios but this year it seems to have been very successful with ruff observed lekking and spoonbill, great white egret and glossy ibis all seen on the reserve. At East Chevington we have created a new wetland area on an unused corner of the site’s farmland and while this will take some time to settle in and colonise it should help increase the value of the site for a range of wildlife. At Hauxley we have been very busy regrading parts of the extension to form a system of pools, scrapes and wet ditches. Where this
The Natural History of the North in Tudor England: A gazeteer of William Turner’s references to birds, fishes and plants
n New wetland area at East Chevingto
Bank re-profiling at Druridge Pools
William Turner was born in 1508 in Morpeth and died in 1568. He was a naturalist, botanist, and theologian and became known as the “Father of English botany.” His book “A New Herball” was the first English herbal to include original material. This fascinating colour illustrated book details the records and observations of birds, fishes and plants recorded by Turner in the North of England and then compares them with their distribution today. It was written by Marie Addyman and produced by the Friends of William Turner and is sure to be one of those essential books for anyone interested in local natural history. Priced at £7.95, the 56 page book is 196mm x 130mm and copies are available via the shop in Morpeth Chantry.
conservation ROUND-UP PRUDHAM QUARRY:
SEA BASS:
The Prudham Quarry planning issue was brought to our attention by concerned Trust members. The proposed re-opening of the quarry would affect the Fourstones and Park Shield Quarry Local Wildlife Site that the quarry sits within. The Trust was not satisfied with the information provided by the applicant and will continue to monitor the progress of the application.
From Friday 1 July 2016, recreational sea anglers can only land one seabass a day (above the minimum conservation reference of 42cm).
NewCASTLE & NORTH TYNESIDE LOCAL WILDLIFE SITES: We have been commissioned by the local authorities to undertake a review of the Newcastle and North Tyneside Local Wildlife Sites to assess whether they can retain their designation. This means conservation staff are enjoying plenty of time out in the sun counting butterflies, grasses, amphibians and trees! The project will be led by Trust Conservation Officer Sarah Beeson.
16 ROEBUCK 139 July - November 2016
HORTON BURN YELLOW FISH: Following the success of the Living Waterways project, the Trust teamed up with the Environment Agency, Northumbrian Water and local residents to install yellow fish plaques on road drains in a street in the Horton Burn area of Cramlington. Four children from local schools came to the installation to show everyone that they can be a ‘Horton Hero’ just like them by not dumping paint, chemicals and soaps down the road drains that lead to their local burn.
Heading towards the finishing post large amounts of sediment, leaving deposits of up to one metre deep in places. How this has changed the site we will only know as this year goes on - it may have brought with it new sediments that will colonise with calaminarian species or possibly these sediments too are uncontaminated and full with invasive non-native Himalayan balsam? As you can imagine, we are hoping for the former…. Looking forward to the rest of 2016 the project is working with local artists Michelle Milburn and Carol Nunan on celebrating the wonders of whin grassland and we are looking forward to seeing the finished pieces, as they paint and produce prints of the whin flora found along Hadrian’s Wall right up to the coast near Howick. To round off an already busy year, towards the end of 2016, we will be reviewing the results of all our monitoring to see how successful we have been to date. There will be many more activities including planting our remaining plug plants on project sites and training sessions for everybody to get involved in so keep an eye on our website www.nwt.org.uk/whats-on for new events being posted on there.
Learning about geology at a SoMM quarry visits
Naomi Waite Conservation Officer & Save our Magnificent Meadows Project Officer Northumberland Wildlife Trust
Spring sandwort
HIGHTHORN OPENCAST:
CALLING ALL MARINE MAMMAL WATCHERS!
After further evaluation and discussion over the proposed opencast application, a joint statement was issued by RSPB, National Trust and Northumberland Wildlife Trust. Our position has not changed and we still object overall, on grounds of uncertainty of deliverability of net gain for wildlife and on a point of policy principle, in relation to coal extraction and climate change. Our full response can be viewed on the Northumberland County Council Planning Portal.
Northumberland Wildlife Trust, in association with other local conservation charities ORCA, Sea Watch Foundation, MARINELife and the North Sea Wildlife Trusts, is calling on members of the public to join it in a weekend of whale and dolphin spotting this July, as part of its Big Watch Weekend, which this year runs on Saturday 30 & Sunday 31 July, 10.00am - 4.00pm. Anybody interested in getting involved in Big Watch Weekend and becoming a citizen scientist should contact Aurelie Bohan, Northumberland Wildlife Trust Living Seas Officer by either email: aurelie.bohan@northwt.org.uk or telephone: (0191) 284 6884 for more details. It’s great fun and it’s free.
BEACH CLEANS: Business volunteers from all walks of life are lining up to help protect our beach environment including Active Northumberland, Greggs and Virgin Money. The Virgin Money team from the company’s Gosforth office mastered their litter-picking equipment and cleared a whopping 150kg of waste from the beach in a little less than three hours - for more on this story, turn to page 14.
July - November 2016 ROEBUCK 139 17
naomi waite
We are now into our last year of the Save our Magnificent Meadows Project (the UK’s largest grasslands and meadows project funded by Heritage Lottery Fund and managed by Plantlife) and what a fantastic year it has been, despite the odd hiccup! Throughout the winter we have had much fun with the mini-digger continuing to expand the areas of exposed calaminarian soils on the Burnfoot site in Allenheads and the Trust’s Williamston reserve on the east bank of the River South Tyne. The aim of this work is to create areas of bare contaminated land that will colonise with calaminarian species such as mountain pansy and alpine pennycress. During the spring months we ensured these areas were free of birch and gorse saplings and, to our surprise, in April we found some baby spring sandwort plants - one of the key calaminarian species. We had not expected the areas to be colonised so quickly, but what a pleasant end to a particularly bad winter. As part of the project, supported thanks to National Lottery players, we have also been running many courses and community activities, including taking three groups of school children (aged 8-12) to whin quarries, such as Howick Quarry, to see for themselves how they are restored and for them to learn more about rocks and flowers. Perhaps the best part of these activity sessions was the children getting very excited that you can actually eat some wildflowers, so who knows, they may all be dining out now on dandelion, red clover and pignut. The devastating floods of December resulted in some changes on the calaminarian sites; Partridge Nest, near Bardon Mill, was under water through much of December, washing away our signs and monitoring areas. The force of the water also carried with it
Conservation
Wildlife: it’s on all our doorsteps This year, the swifts re-materialised on Thursday 5 May. My swifts, four of them, turning lazy arcs over the street, as if to say “hello.” Their return had been on Friday 8 May in 2015, and Tuesday 6 May in 2014. “Suddenly in the sunshine, gliding in a low salute to say it will be okay,” I had written in my field note book. I had been looking out for them, fretting that summer could not start without their aerial presence. They are my swifts, although in truth they nest at the top of our street not under my eaves. While they are here they book-end my summer, but even after they have fled south from the city I think of them in mid-winter when they are south of the Congo, and try to stay in touch with them, at least in my imagination. They require no effort to bird watch, with the best views from a roof top window, as they shriek 18 ROEBUCK 139 July - November 2016
past at chimney height, so fast that their brown shapes become an iridescent smear. Wildlife so close I can watch from my bed! Wildlife is an everyday presence, but maybe requires a bit of practice to admire. I see much more locally than I ever do in the countryside. I know the seasons of the street, and its little enclave of woodland at the top of the road by the dual carriageway, much better than any of Northumberland’s famous reserves. I am lucky enough to walk to work, fifteen minutes into Newcastle but could happily take all day. Sometimes the delays are not entirely straight forward. For example, picking up worms off the pavement on rainy days as they inch, unwittingly, towards the rush hour road can be a fiddly business. Downed bees and none-the -wiser woodlice also get the same treatment rather
than leave them to be squished underfoot. Then I have to carry the wiggling or tickling waifs to some nearby lawn. The police or social services have never been called for which I am grateful. At other times it is the soundscape that stops me, especially in spring as first the chiff-chaffs, then the blackcaps kick off in the woods. They have a perfect amphitheatre for their songs. The woods enclose a sloping fragment of municipal grass land, unmown as the council seeks out budget cuts. The bird song bounces across this arena, which now sports swards of meadow foxtail and Yorkshire fog grasses that have had the chance to show off rather than be shorn into submission. High overhead the local sparrowhawks use the CCTV gantry of a tower block as a vantage point, unless the crows chase them off, both
Giving a brood a home fiona dryden
Dave Armstrong, Warehouse Manager, Karpet Mills
species showing off in the updrafts around this urban remnant of when Newcastle was being remodelled as the Brasilia of the North. Again, they are all mine, if only because I am not sure anyone notices. I have discovered some new wildlife to admire a current office move into the middle of Newcastle has resulted in temporary hot-desking high in a city centre block from which I can see the black backed gulls and herring gulls skirmishing for territories over the flat topped roofs. They seem to have established in the city in just the last few years, or maybe they were earlier, but I’ve only just noticed. The most outrageous are herring gulls that reared broods on top of the sweeping modernist ramp up to the car park of the Newgate Hotel, their fledglings growing fat on a diet of city pigeons
and abandoned kebabs. Sadly the hotel is now being demolished, but I expect those gulls will be at home anywhere around the Bigg Market. They have added to my city soap opera. Take time to find your own wildlife, something particular and perhaps secret to you. You do not need to go far; very local is best of all, nowhere special. Or so it seems. Those swifts are very special to me. When they are gone the skies that little bit emptier but I can hear their Geordie shrieks over in Zambia.
mike jeffries
Ringlet butterfly
It is not just Mike Jeffries who appreciates wildlife on the doorstep of his work place! Trust corporate member Karpet Mills Ltd has a strong commitment to helping the environment, with staff at the company’s Newcastle operation in the middle of the Airport Industrial Estate in Kingston Park, installing a number of bird boxes around the site to house the growing number of birds including blue tits and sparrows which perch in the trees around the industrial estate … not to mention the robins which sit in the building’s rafters over the winter. The boxes are in addition to the bird feeders hanging outside the main warehouse which feed the bird population of Kingston Park on a daily basis. If you are visiting the site at any time, keep your eyes open for the aerial battles between the sparrow hawks and crows.
Dr Mike Jeffries Department of Geography Northumbria University
July - November 2016 ROEBUCK 139 19
Conservation
Kielder: wild & alive Northumberland Wildlife Trust is now focusing much more on restoring, recreating and reconnecting specific wildlife-rich spaces by working in partnership with local communities, landowners, schools and businesses. One of these ‘Living Landscapes’ is Kielder Water & Forest Park, a very big and remote part of northwest Northumberland. Kielder encourages hyperbole due to the size and scope of its wildlife habitats, a dynamic mix of old and new. Enormous systems of ancient blanket bogs and raised mires of international importance envelop the ridge tops and high hollows, with peat deposits slowly accumulating in the cold, wet conditions and specialized wildlife suited to nutrient poor soils. Away from the high tops, England’s largest forest which has been planted over the last century, produces half a million cubic metres of wood each year for construction, chipboard and card manufacturing. Lying in the valley bottom, Kielder Water is the largest man-made lake in northern Europe. Over the last forty years, it has helped to regulate water flows in several northern English rivers, providing extra capacity for river water abstraction throughout the year. Both these man-made features have been colonised by wildlife. The Forest is home to England’s largest red squirrel population and a superb population of birds of prey including goshawk and tawny owl. The fish which are stocked in Kielder Water have also helped to attract a growing population of nesting ospreys, with four pairs this year. Our involvement in nature conservation at Kielder is long-standing. Thirty years ago, we were restoring the Border Mires after their postwar drainage and afforestation. Leadership from the Forestry Commission enabled largescale restoration to slowly help the bogs heal, with Trust staff and volunteers contributing thousands of hours of practical labour to lovingly restore these gems. A long standing partnership with Northumbrian Water has also contributed to the creation of new wetlands, grasslands and native woodland on the shores of Kielder Water at Bakethin Nature Reserve. This quiet oasis close to Kielder Castle is a great place to see adders, red squirrels, crossbills and great views over the reservoir, with the teeth of Shetland, Hebridean and Manx Loaghtan sheep and Exmoor ponies keeping habitats shipshape. Two years ago the Trust decided to focus more on Kielder. With lots of help and support 20 ROEBUCK 139 July - November 2016
from fantastic partners, we secured further finance to protect Kielder’s large red squirrel population from the EU LIFE fund. Support from the Heritage Lottery Fund has aided development plans to reintroduce water voles to Kielder and make it easier for the Forest Park’s 400,000 annual visitors to get closer to Bakethin’s wildlife and ospreys. If our proposals are approved this summer, these exciting initiatives will begin before the end of the year. The Trust is now devoting energy to planning a new native woodland at the head of the Kielder valley. We hope the Wildwood will build on remnant montane woodland to create a complete upland ecosystem of mires, heathland, montane scrub and native Scots pine woodland. Small-scale works have already been undertaken, with recent alder and birch planting by Trust volunteers. With careful planning, the project has the potential to extend across the border into Scotland and become a truly landscape-scale restoration project. People are central to making these plans come alive. Your support, through regular giving, enables us to plan for a wildlife-rich future with confidence. A very committed and growing team of volunteers, both locally based and from further afield, hugely increases our ability to help nature, surveying key species across huge areas, creating new nature reserve habitats and sharing their wildlife knowledge with visitors. Organisations with a shared vision also make change possible. Our partners at Kielder are committed to ensuring wildlife prospers and helping people connect with nature in the Forest Park. Forestry Commission especially, as the single largest landowner, continue to demonstrate a passion for wildlife conservation and research across the public forest estate. If you haven’t been to Kielder recently, please do go and visit this summer. Kielder Osprey Watch and evening motor boat cruises run through summer weekends, so why not log on at www.nwt.org.uk/whats-on to see what’s on offer. Bakethin Nature Reserve lies just off the main road along Kielder Water and has free car parking and easy walking on the Lakeside Way. Many more active volunteering opportunities will also be coming your way, so keep an eye on our website www.nwt.org.uk/volunteer or contact Lou Chapman, Volunteer Coordinator on: (0191) 284 6884 for details.
Kielder Water
Nick Mason Development Manager Northumberland Wildlife Trust Water vole training with volunteers
steve playle
forestry commission england
Osprey ringing
Border Mires vlounteers learning to dam
UK News
Trusts embark on biggest-ever youth project Over the next seven years, Our Bright Future will improve social cohesion, create opportunities for young people and improve our environment
chris granger
Young people on a straw bale construction workshop at Hill Holt Wood (see box story, right)
T
he Wildlife Trusts are leading a £33m programme to create the next generation of environmental leaders. Our Bright Future aims to tackle the lack of opportunities for young people by addressing society’s systemic environmental problems. Backed by the Big Lottery Fund and run by a consortium of eight partners, Our Bright Future consists of 31 projects. It brings together 100 organisations and 50,000 young people across the UK, to help them step up and take what is rightfully theirs: a healthy planet, a thriving economy, a brighter future. “Every generation has what it takes to create 22 ROEBUCK 139 July - November 2016
positive change,” said Stephanie Hilborne, CEO of The Wildlife Trusts. “This programme fuels the creativity, inspiration and resilience of our young people. With increasing pressure on nature it has never been more important. Societal and environmental challenges are two sides of the same coin. We want to see a generation of courageous, wise leaders empowered to change our world for the better.”
“These youth-led projects will help young people take what is rightfully theirs – a healthy planet, whilst developing the employment skills crucial to a growing economy,” said Peter Ainsworth, UK Chair of the Big Lottery Fund. “In time Our Bright Future will use the success of the projects to show decision makers that the green economy is a real choice for business.”
The green economy is a real choice for business
Lat newsest UK-w ide wildl and issue ifetru s org/n sts. : ews
Four Our Bright Future projects
Hackney transformed
Your Shore Beach Rangers cornwall wt
Cornwall Wildlife Trust Young people will increase their knowledge of the marine ecosystem and be more aware of their ability to make a positive contribution to the health of their marine environment. They will also improve their employment prospects through increased life skills.
Bee You
blackbuRne house education blackburne house
Bee You will train young people in the art of beekeeping along with teaching entrepreneurial skills to help take honey and other products to market. The project will help to improve local neighbourhood green spaces and make them better for wildlife.
hill holt wood
This project focuses on environmental land management and ecoconstruction, to build young people’s engagement with both their natural and built environment. Starting in Lincolnshire, it will expand into other counties, developing valuable skills for a wide range of young people.
Milestones
wiltshire wt
wiltshire Wildlife Trust Milestones will help young people to build trust and foster an appreciation with the environment through the creation of community green spaces. This approach has been shown to have beneficial effects on well-being, behaviour and social integration.
Growing Up Green
In life, it is all too easy to take things for granted. I grew up near some woods and was allowed to venture wherever I wanted. I took this contact with the natural world as a given, running wild with my brothers and friends. It wasn’t until my twenties that I realised how lucky I had been. By then I was living in the most nature-deprived part of north London. The lifeless, closely-mown grass and wide tarmac paths of the local formal park didn’t do it for me. I paced the streets until I found a tiny little pocket of wild land at Gillespie Park, and would walk for miles along the canal to Camley Street Natural Park. In 2016 something spectacular changed in this area. A real wildlife oasis, hidden from the public for nearly 200 years was opened up: Woodberry Wetlands. A reservoir surrounded by reeds and paths where wild plants, insects and birds thrive, all about 500 yards from my first flat. It had been there all along. But it wasn’t until London Wildlife Trust inspired Thames Water to open the gates and drew in Berkeley Homes and Heritage Lottery Fund that everything changed. Local children, deprived of so much that I took for granted when I was their age, now have somewhere to play that is alive with wildlife. Now they can see herons and hear reed warblers on their doorstep. Our President Emeritus was there to hail the opening of Woodberry. “It’s David Attenborough!” a child shrieked in amazement as the great man walked along the path. “No-one at school will believe I’ve seen him here!” Sir David explained that he valued this place as much as he valued the rainforest; that he believed the courtship rituals of the great crested grebe to be as fascinating as those of birds of paradise; that our natural heritage was the most special inheritance we have; that everyone deserved to know and love wildlife, and that Northeast Londoners should be no exception. Thanks to London Wildlife Trust, they aren’t any more. Thank you so much for supporting your Wildlife Trust to make such transformations possible.
hill holt wood
find out more See all 31 projects at ourbrightfuture.co.uk. Young people can get involved via the website, or email ourbrightfuture@wildlifetrusts. org.
Stephanie Hilborne OBE Chief Executive of The Wildlife Trusts Together there are 47 Wildlife Trusts covering the UK, all working for an environment rich in wildlife for everyone, on land and at sea. Contact us on enquiry@wildlifetrusts.org or 01636 677 711. To join your Wildlife Trust, visit wildlifetrusts.org/joinus. Natural World, The Kiln, Waterside, Mather Road, Newark, Notts NG24 1WT. Editor Rupert Paul Layout editor Dan Hilliard twitter @wildlifetrusts facebook.com/wildlifetrusts
July - November 2016 ROEBUCK 139 23
UK News
UK’s most-travelled dolphin? Research assisted by Cornwall Wildlife Trust reveals one lone bottlenose dolphin’s incredible wanderlust
French fishermen named the ragged-finned dolphin Clet when he first followed their boats in 2008. Since then, the solitary male bottlenose has been seen as far north as the Isle of Mull, and as far west as Galway. He’s also visited Wales, the Isle of Man, Scilly, Dorset, Cornwall and Devon. His wanderings have been mapped by the Environmental Records Centre for Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly, working with the Sea Watch Foundation. The Records Centre is hosted by Cornwall Wildlife Trust, and has collated sightings over the past five years. Most bottlenose dolphins live in social groups, and stick to a home territory. They face growing threats from noise disturbance, development and accidental capture in fishing nets. The Trust believes Marine Protected Areas combined with local action to reduce these threats are the best way to protect highly mobile species. Meanwhile please report any new sightings of Clet to Niki.Clear@CornwallWildlifeTrust. org.uk. More on cornwallwildlifetrust.org.uk.
Surfing the Mull-to-Arran ferry. Clet’s damaged dorsal fin makes him easy to identify.
angela marie henshaw
Nick Davis, Hebridean Whale & Dolphin Trust
Dec 2014
Showing off at Fowey, Cornwall. Clet usually seems to appreciate human company .
Clet’s travels
The records centre has collated data on Clet from Spring 2011, when he was off the coast of Brittany. Since then he’s spent most time off Cornwall and Devon. He may be wandering due to hostility from other bottlenose dolphins. Full sightings map on erccis.org.uk/ TrackingClet.
Dec 2014 Oct 2014
Sep 2014 Apr 2014
Feb 2014 Aug 2015
lynne newton
Online guide to summer wildlife
Puffins: simply irresistible
24 ROEBUCK 139 July - November 2016
Summer is the perfect time to immerse yourself in wildlife – and our new ‘Top Wildlife Experiences’ guide is bursting with ideas on how you can do it. Fancy delighting in a glow worm,
staking out a badger sett, lounging with a lizard, making a splash with gannets, or falling for THE fastest bird? These and many more are on wildlifetrusts.org/lovewildlife.
Plant a bat feast!
tony hamblin / flpa
Any flower that attracts moths like this elephant hawk attracts bats too
The RHS, Bat Conservation Trust and The Wildlife Trusts have joined forces to encourage everybody to make steps to help bats in their area. For example, planting flowers in your garden which attract night insects, such as honeysuckle, evening primrose, globe artichoke and eryngium will make the perfect bat feast! Find out how to help bats in your garden with the new FREE online guide Stars of the Night, available on wildaboutgardens.org.uk.
Boost for ancient woodland in Warwickshire
Farming for wildlife
steve cheshire
The Wildlife Trusts are setting out on a new partnership with Jordans Cereals, who have a long history of wildlife-friendly farming. Now their 42 farms, totalling 44,500 acres, will build on that heritage with advice from experts at their local Wildlife Trust, making a landscape-scale contribution to wildlife and communities. The Jordans Farm Partnership will create a model for UK farm sustainability and set new standards for nature-friendly farming. For a chance to win a case of Jordans granolas see jordanscereals. co.uk/wildlife.
Look out for our badger logo on Jordans cereals later in the summer
mikerae.com
Under new management: Bubbenhall Wood
A brown hare on a Jordans farm in Suffolk
A crucial new purchase by Warwickshire Wildlife Trust has filled in the gap between two existing reserves to create an area of woodland and grassland bigger than Hyde Park. “We now own or manage over 1000ha of wild space in Warwickshire, Coventry and Solihull, for the benefit of people and wildlife,” said the Chief Executive Ed Green. “Linking these two patches means that the wood is now big enough for us to plan a reintroduction of dormice. In a county with not much ancient woodland that’s a big deal.” Thanks to the many donations from members and grants from funders that made the purchase possible, including National Lottery players, WREN as part of the Landfill Communities Fund and the Banister Charitable Trust. More on warwickshirewildlifetrust.org.uk. July - November 2016 ROEBUCK 139 25
UK News
London’s brand new gre Welcome to Hackney’s Woodberry Wetlands: closed to the public for 175 years, now restored. Emma Warren visits London Wildlife Trust’s newest reserve.
I
pennydixie.co.uk
t’s a bright winter morning and a small band of Wildlife Trust members are ducking through a temporary entrance to Woodberry Wetlands in Stoke Newington, London. London Wildlife Trust’s David Mooney is corralling people through the hand-made doorway – “a Harry Potter portal” – hidden behind an advertising hoarding. They’re getting a sneak preview of London’s newest nature reserve. It’s a big moment: these are the first members of the public to enter the site since 1833 when Victorian industrialists had the reservoir dug by navvies to sell drinking water to the growing local population. The view that greets the group as they walk along the brand new boardwalk is stunning: silvery reed beds all around the margins, spring sun reflecting on the water, and a gaggle of blackheaded gulls dotted about an island made of 200 year-old silt.
26 ROEBUCK 139 July - November 2016
Wild places are important everywhere, but particularly in cities as Sir David Attenborough said in his speech at the reserve’s opening event in May. “To hear birdsong above the hubbub of the traffic, to see the seasons as they pass, to see not just asphalt and brick and concrete but reeds and willows... it is a necessity for all of us.” The wildlife is as spectacular as the vista: snipe and breeding Cetti’s warblers (firsts for Hackney),
To see not just asphalt and concrete but reeds and willows is a necessity for all of us
as well as sedge warblers and great crested grebes. “It’s like being out in the countryside,” says Terry Skippen, who has volunteered here for 18 months. “It’s amazing to see all this nature and wildlife in inner London”. The £1.5m site, has been brought into the public realm by an extraordinary collaboration between the Wildlife Trust, Hackney Council, site owners Thames Water and Berkeley Homes. The Heritage Lottery fund pitched in £750k to restore the coal house which is now the site’s café, and a central part of the Trust’s plan to bring in a new audience. There are dawn chorus walks with breakfast thrown in, and bat evenings with dinner. The Trust has invested in the cultural side too. The wrought iron gates were inspired by Charles Rennie Macintosh’s Glasgow School of Art and they’ve hired illustrator Celyn Brazier to create tapestries instead of the standard watercolour
pennydixie.co.uk
een oasis A 10 minute walk from Manor House Station. 226 Lordship Road, N16 5HQ woodberry wetlands
Emirates stadium olympic park
city of london
tower of london River thames
information panels. “We’ve gone for something unusual because we want to attract Londoners who might not normally come to a nature reserve. And we want them to realise that they love wildlife,” says David Mooney. “This area suffers from high socioeconomic deprivation. There’s a severe lack of high quality green space.” Francisco Do Carmo started out as a volunteer five years ago before becoming the wetland’s conservation volunteer officer. He and his team cut the reed on a four-year rotation, and last winter planted 400 metres of hedgerow all along the outer fence. They’re creating a woodland trail, they built the volunteers’ hut and put up all the fencing. It’s hard graft that has attracted 220 volunteers over the last two and a half years. “People come from all over London,” he says. “It’s just a special place.”
pennydixie.co.uk
Where is it?
Sir David Attenborough with David Mooney and Francisco Do Carmo at the opening event in April: “This is what makes life important”.
Bat detectors have revealed all three bat. pipistrelles, Daubenton’s and Leisler’s
pennydixie.co.uk
The reed cutting work party keeps the wetland from becoming a scrubland. alastairmarshphotography.co.uk
The 11-hectare wetland reserve is a huge new asset for local people and wildlife
y rare Woodberry’s great crested grebes. “Ver “It’s d. Davi Sir said ” ago, s year 100 r”. marvellous to see things getting bette
July - November 2016 ROEBUCK 139 27
UK News
The rocky horror show
jack perks
Rockpools are a vital part of the summer holidays. And that’s before you know what’s really going on in them. Jules Howard explains
Jules Howard Zoologist Jules is author of Sex on Earth: a celebration of animal reproduction juleshoward.co.uk
I
magine a world consumed each day in a washing machine of tidal violence, where daily battles are fought over scraps of food and shelter. Where shells, suckers and tentacles outnumber backbones. Such a place exists today. It is called a rockpool. And it is a writhing hotbed of weirdness: a place where new creatures are swapped about with mind-bending irregularity. Here, boneless animals such as the bootlace worm grow metres in length or, like the velvet swimming crab, come armed with fierce red eyes, razor sharp pincers and an attitude to match. Here, crabs decorate their shells with seaweed providing an amazing hairdo of camouflage, and some of the animals, like the snakelocks anemone,
28 ROEBUCK 139 July - November 2016
photosynthesise. Here, sea slugs steal poisonous cells from other creatures and wear them on their back like armour. This is their world, not ours. And it is an interesting place indeed. Thrown into their twice-daily tidal maelstrom, rockpool dwellers must make the most of every opportunity they get. Their sex lives reflect that. Many, like the sea slugs, are hermaphrodites, able to put every encounter with a fellow of the same species to good use. Then there are the slipper limpets, an alien invader that pumps out special chemicals to attract passers-by, forming a literal ‘sex train’ of up to 25 individuals. Shelled creatures occupy pride of place in most rockpools. There are shelled worms (bristleworms),
No shell is safe from the pneumatic crowbarring of a starfish’s stomach
National Marine Week: join in! ross hoddinott / npl
An entire world of perfect greens and reds To check out these Rocky Horror Shows for yourself, along with the opportunity to encounter other amazing delights, such as basking sharks, seals, dolphins and puffins, make a date for National Marine Week, which this year runs from July 23 to August 7. During that time The Wildlife Trusts will hold hundreds of events – including rockpooling – to celebrate our rich array of marine and coastal wildlife. Contact your local Wildlife Trust, or see wildlifetrusts. org/nationalmarineweek. jack perks
Back off or I’ll bite! An edible crab in a Cornish rockpool. Believe it or not, the barnacles are fellow crustaceans matthew roberts
shelled tiny crustaceans (barnacles, who kick food into their mouths with their legs) and shelled larger crustaceans, such as the hermit crabs, locked in a ceaseless quest for ever more suitable housing. In most habitats on Earth, a shell is a guarantee of safety. But in a rockpool no shell is safe from the drilling mouthparts of the dog whelk (a monstrous kind of rock snail), or the pneumatic crowbarring of a starfish’s inside-out stomach. These are deliciously nightmarish creatures, easily observable to anyone with a little bit of patience or a dab of luck. There are some vertebrates, of course. You might spot the shadows of darting gobies or blennies, or a pipefish lying amongst the weed.
The common starfish looks harmless enough. Unless you’re a mollusc.
But most will move on in the next tide, to other rockpools, or rocky reefs in deeper water. It’s not only on the rocky shore that this horror show is played out. Sandy beaches hide similar dramas: cuttlefish bones, necklace shells that, like the dog whelk, drill into their prey, and the dried egg cases of sharks and rays. For me, a trip to the beach is always exciting: the intriguing and fascinating cast of rockpools, and the delightful surprise of the strandline. And every tide brings new players and new finds.
sing Every childhood should include mes too. d thoo adul y Ever s. around in rockpool
July - November 2016 ROEBUCK 139 29
kamel adjenef / istock
UK News
Dr William Bird, MBE is an expert on the effects of nature on health. He is founder of intelligenthealth. co.uk
Born to be w
Our hunter gatherer past designed us to move around outdoors, in groups, with a sense o which is why modern life makes us ill – and why getting back in touch with nature makes u
30 ROEBUCK 139 July - November 2016
Children feel it instinctively: we are designed to be connected to nature
wild
of purpose. We’re still like that now, us well again. Dr William Bird reports.
D
epression. Diabetes. Obesity. As a doctor I see chronic diseases every day. They are part of modern life. And they have grown as we have become more and more ‘modern’ – or, to put it another way, more and more sedentary, more disconnected from nature. Could this disconnection be one of the main causes? I’m lucky enough to be editing the Oxford Textbook of Nature and Public Health. So I can say that some very clever people from all the top universities – including Stanford, Harvard, Yale, Oxford, Cambridge, Melbourne, Brisbane – are now looking very, very hard at what’s actually happening to our brains and bodies when we get disconnected from nature. And the results are in. But first, let’s get the story straight.
We are not designed to sit for long periods indoors looking at a screen Who are we? I’d like to take you back 100,000 years. And let’s imagine those 100,000 years are 24 hours. So 24 hours ago we were hunter gatherers. Genetics were making us better and better at it, generation by generation. And every single part of being a good hunter gatherer is connected to the environment. Then, just two and a half hours ago, agriculture starts. We’re still outdoors – and in fact most of us are still hunter gatherers – but we start to have herds and then, later still, we start growing things in the ground. The first cities come along an hour ago. So think about those 24 hours: this is just an hour. And still people are active. Then industrialisation, two and a half minutes ago. Digital technology, 20 seconds. And suddenly here we are, sitting for long periods, indoors, isolated, often looking at a screen. That is not what we were designed
to do – and we just can’t adjust in those 20 seconds. So we are now in a hostile environment for which our minds and bodies were not designed. So, what does that mean? Let’s look at what’s changed. First of all, we’re often isolated. Loneliness is one of the chief causes of ill health in cities; its effect on the rate of heart disease is exactly the same as smoking 20 cigarettes a day. We are not designed to be lonely. Second, we are not designed to look at concrete and areas of threat. We are designed to look at nature, and we are designed to be in touch with nature. Third, we’re not designed to have no purpose. We want to do things, to make things, to be useful. If we get these three things wrong, we get chronic stress. Note that’s not the same thing as acute stress, which is different. We all get acute stress when we’re doing something we don’t particularly like, but we know by the evening it will all be over. Chronic stress is when you go to sleep and you wake up with the same anxiety, worry or fear because things aren’t right. Does lack of nature causechronic stress? Let’s look at some experiments. And I can assure you, there are loads of these. The first one is over the page: the city street with and without trees. It shows how even a subliminal exposure to a picture of trees has a positive effect on cognitive performance. So clearly it’s not just our conscious side. There’s something deeper in us that responds to the sight of those trees, because the people weren’t actually conscious that they’d seen them. But that engagement was so important. Another study, which has been repeated many times, relates green space to depression and anxiety. Of course the researchers have to adjust out other factors such as affluence and education. But people living in areas with tree cover showed significantly reduced anxiety and depression. Another looked at children facing significant problems in their lives, and found that their stress in high nature surroundings was significantly less than in low nature. July - November 2016 ROEBUCK 139 31
UK News In other words, nature was helping to reduce their overall stress. A huge study of mortality data looked at how green the subjects’ neighbourhood was. It showed that just having greenery and trees, particularly in deprived areas, reduced the health inequalities between rich and poor.
This makes you ill
Trees in deprived areas reduce the health inequality between rich and poor How do we get well? The good news is that if you become habitually active and your stress levels drop, then even if you don’t lose any weight, the visceral fat reduces. So getting outdoors and not being stressed reduces your instances of chronic inflammation. And getting out is a lot easier when you have a purpose (see Gym v Work Party opposite). In short: 1. We are designed to be connected to nature. 2. When we disconnect we develop chronic stress, so we eat more and exercise less. We lay down visceral fat and damage our cells (see box on p13). 3. All this leads to chronic disease. 4. Connecting people to nature is therefore good medicine.
■ Find more information on nature and health at
istock
Why do we get ill? At the cell level, inflammation is the cause of almost every disease we have. It means our immune system is heating up and sending out signals. It causes all 23 chronic diseases that afflict us, including diabetes and heart disease. Chronic stress increases visceral fat – that’s fat inside your body. We all have fat on the outside of our bodies, but it’s the stuff inside that’s the dangerous bit. You can’t see it and it’s poisonous. It generates lots of this inflammation. Unfortunately the more inactive we are, the more stressed we are and the more we eat the wrong things, the more that visceral fat grows.
The science of why we all need trees even make you better at maths!
Here are two pictures of the same street, one with trees added in Photoshop. The researchers showed people one or other of the pictures for a short while, and then gave them a mental arithmetic test, taking 13 away from 1000 repeatedly. They recorded their subjects’ success, and repeated the whole experiment many times.
City street without trees Group 1 just saw this picture for a minute or so. Their scores were the lowest. Group 2 were shown the same thing, but with the trees below added just for a microsecond, so it was subliminal. They scored better. Group 3 saw the trees normally for the full minute. They scored the same as Group 2 – the people who saw the trees momentarily.
City street with trees Group 4 saw the tree version too, but they also had someone telling them about those trees: what type they were, what animals lived there, what their evolution was. So they got engaged and interested. They did the best.
intelligenthealth.co.uk.
Research by Ying-Hsuan Lin, Chih-Chang Tsai, William C. Sullivan, Po-Ju Chang, and Chun-Yen Chang. Originally published in Frontiers in Psychology 2014
32 ROEBUCK 139 July - November 2016
who are we?
This makes you better
years ago 100k
hunter gatherers
I’ve picked a date of 100,000 years ago to keep it simple, but in fact modernlooking human hunter gatherers first emerged about 200,000 years ago
first herders
75k
rupert paul / bbc wt
eed nature As you read this, hopefully your brain cells are whirring away. They use 20-30% of your energy. The rest is in your muscles, where the mitochondria, the little batteries in your cells, are all charged up, saying: “Hey! Ready to go!” How does your phone feel after a night on charge? It’s warm, because electrons have been leaking out. Exactly the same here; your mitochondria have been charged up all this time and they can’t hold it. It’s like a cracking dam – bits of water flowing through the gaps. These little bits are called free radicals, and they start coming out when you’re not doing anything. The longer you sit there, the more the free radicals come out. Soon they start to damage your mitochondria. You’ve only got 35 in each cell; zap too many and the cell stops. So finally you’ve got up and started walking. The charge drops, because you’re using it. No more free radicals. Antioxidants build up, you get more mitochondria and you clear up all the debris in the cell. So as soon as you start activity, loads of good things happen. But if you don’t move, and sit still even longer, the radicals start to damage your cells’ ability to divide. Effectively, their ageing speeds up. And as the cells die they send out inflammatory agents.
first cities
gym v work party So we need to be active, connected to nature and social. But how to get people to do these things? For that we need to have some purpose. Here’s a girl taking part in two activities, and what she said.
heart rate
don’t sit still!
Agriculture began 10,000 years ago when people swapped hunting for keeping herds of sheep and cattle
50k
4,000 years ago the first cities appeared. People began to specialise
industrial revolution
CONSERVATION WORK “I met all these new people; we had a real good laugh. We went out, we built a walkway and there was a badger sett. I had no idea the badgers changed their own bedding.”
150 25k
Mechanised production began in the late 1700s, powered by fossil fuel and the factory system. Manual labour was still widespread
100
50 0
digital technology
STEP AEROBICS “Brilliant! I got my heart rate up to 75% of my VO2 Max. I learned how to tone up my pecs. I’ve got all these exercises I can do.”
10
20
30
40
50 mins
Her gym comments were all about her body and herself. After the work party she didn’t talk about herself or her health at all. But she actually did more exercise.
0
Computers have been a part of daily life for 25 years, the internet for 20, smartphones for ten. In terms of our history, that’s nothing
July - November 2016 ROEBUCK 139 33
10 great places to see bats
The more you know about these long-lived, far-flying insect hunters, the more amazing they are. So make time to see them this summer matthew roberts
B
ats are simply amazing. Take the common pipstrelle, Britain’s most widespread bat species. It’s tiny enough to crawl into a matchbox, but strong enough to fly hundreds of kilometres on a summer night, and gobble thousands of midges. Britain is home to 18 species of bat, 17 of which breed here. And now is a great time to see these winged
Dusk: the ideal time to see bats, or even hear them
wonders as they emerge from their daytime roosts and limber up for the hunt. The suggestions below are some of the best, but your Wildlife Trust will have lots more if you ask. Equipment? A bat detector (from £60) is nice if you can afford it. Or a ID chart by the Field Studies Council costs about £3. Now get out and have some batty fun. More at wtru.st/places-bats.
Your bat adventure starts here Details on each of these sites are on your Wildlife Trust’s website. You can find that via wildlifetrusts.org.
1
Gwaith Powdwr, Porthmadog North Wales WT Lesser horseshoe, Daubentons and pipistrelles (among others), best seen at the ‘Settling Pool’, marked no.2 on the leaflet. Where is it? Penrhyndeudraeth, on A487, Gwynedd LL48 6LT.
2
Druridge Pools, Cresswell Northumberland Wildlife Trust A deep lake and wet meadows, great for bird watching and spotting pipistrelles and Daubenton’s. Where is it? 3km north of Cresswell Village, Northumberland.
3
Bystock Pools, Exmouth Devon Wildlife Trust Hugely popular heathland, grassland and lake with seven species of bat, including brown long-eared and Daubenton’s. Where is it? 4 miles north of Exmouth, EX8 5EB.
4
Glenarm, Larne Ulster Wildlife Grassland and semi-natural woodland: a beautiful reserve with all of N. Ireland’s eight bat species. Where is it? B97 Ballymena Road Glenarm, Co Antrim BT44 0BD.
5
8
6
9
Browne’s Folly, Bath Avon Wildlife Trust Has great views and 13 of the UK’s 17 species, including greater horseshoe and the UK’s second ever recorded Geoffroy’s bat. Where is it? Above the village of Bathford, Avon.
7
Boilton Wood, Preston Lancashire WT The main path is a highway for bats as well as walkers. See soprano and common pipistrelle, noctule and Daubenton’s. Where is it? Boilton Wood Local Nature Reserve, Preston PR2 6HD.
10
Bat Punt Safari, Cambridge Beds, Cambs & N’hants WT A punt-propelled safari on the river Cam with bat detectors and expert guides every Friday evening until 23 September, or Saturday 23 July, 30 July, 6 August, 13 August, 20 August and 27 August. Tours depart just before dusk. Visit scudamores.com for timings and tickets. 2
4
Bats are most common in the south and west
7 1
10
6 5 3
34 ROEBUCK 139 July - November 2016
Hanningfield Reservoir, Essex WT From April to October 400-500 Soprano pipistrelle bats gather in the roof of the visitor centre, in a maternity roost. Special events in July and August let you see them emerging – a real spectacle. Where is it? Hanningfield Reservoir visitor centre, Hawkswood Rd, Downham, Billericay CM11 1WT.
Bailey Einon, Llandrindod Wells, Radnorshire WT Ancient woodland along the river Ithon. Watch from the bridge or boardwalk to see Daubenton’s bats feeding over the water. Where is it? 1 mile east of Llandrindod Wells, Powys LD1 5PD.
8
Falls of Clyde Reserve, South Lanarkshire, Scottish WT 16th century ruined castle is a perfect roost for pipistrelle and Daubenton’s. Natterer’s and whiskered have also been seen. Where is it? New Lanark, South Lanarkshire, ML11 9DB.
9
kim taylor / nature picture library
UK News
Learn to help bats
Bats are und er th of food and h reat from lack development abitat, and new . Ou shows how ev r new action pack e gardens and ryone can make green spaces more bat friendly. S wildaboutga ee rdens. org.uk.
A Natterer’s bat having a drink in a garden pond in Surrey. It’s just over two inches long, and weighs five to nine grammes
July - November 2016 ROEBUCK 139 35
Northumberland Wildlife Trust Ltd: Extract from Strategic Report The information below, including the Review of Achievements and Performance, Financial Review and Statement of Future Plans, is extracted from the Trust’s Strategic Report, prepared according to the requirements of the Companies Act 2006. The full Annual Report and Accounts for the year ended 31 March 2016, including the full text of the Directors’ Strategic Report, is available on request or can be downloaded from the Trust’s website. Achievements and Performance The table below sets out the key priority targets as set out in last year’s Annual Report and describes how the Trust has performed against each one. Key Green highlighting indicates activity complete or almost complete Amber highlighting indicates activity well on the way to completion Blue highlighting indicates activity has yet to be progressed
Activity
Performance
Dynamic Druridge Living Landscape Complete the write-up & dissemination of findings from Rescued from the Sea.
Text substantially complete and being copy-edited; final grant claim submitted.
Deliver phase 1 of improvements to reserves and substantially complete the new Hauxley Wildlife Discovery Centre.
The Centre is well advanced despite a long spell of wet weather; site improvements include new paths and a circular walking route almost complete.
Develop a project plan for Phase 2, to encompass wider environmental, access and engagement activity across the Living Landscape.
Pressure to deliver against Phase 1, together with the need to space out HLF bids, has meant this has not progressed very far but will be ready for submission in December 2016.
Co-ordinate conservation responses to the Highthorn development proposal to minimise impact and secure gains if it goes forward.
A carefully considered, co-ordinated response was submitted to the planners and the Trust has maintained a dialogue with the developers.
Red Squirrel Conservation Continue to deliver RSNE at current capacity, depending on funding bid success.
The project has largely sustained levels of grey control despite some funding challenges and red squirrels are maintaining their range.
Play our part in the national roll-out of the new Red Squirrels United programme, thereby enhancing red squirrel conservation in the North of England.
A significant team effort resulted in a successful bid for EU LIFE funding and a final decision is awaited shortly for national HLF match funding with strong hope of success.
Kielder Living Landscape Complete phase 1 of Kielderhead Wildwood project including initial plantings and master plan; submit HLF bid for the next stage.
Initial planting and planning is complete; HLF bid has been held back to avoid clashing with other bids but will be submitted in August 2016.
In partnership, scope out and develop to bid stage a nature tourism project at Kielder centred on Bakethin, ospreys and other key sites.
Scoping is largely complete and the bid will be submitted in June 2016. Although a partnership bid, the Trust has undertaken a lead role as well as most of the work.
Take forward the water vole re-introduction project in the upper Tyne and at Kielder, in partnership with others.
Stage 1 funding was secured in January and the final bid submitted in March. The project should start in July 2016.
City to Coast, new Living Landscape Work in partnership to set up a new project linking people and communities to our sites in the urban fringe.
An initial bid to Reaching Communities failed due to lack of clarity about beneficiaries; this will be re-scoped in autumn 2016.
Investigate feasibility of re-introducing green winged orchid to key sites in North Tyneside.
This project will be progressed in 2016/17 as part of a new site development at Mare’s Close and related Living Landscape.
Design and deliver a new Living Waterways project with EA and other partners.
Funding was secured to employ 2 officers delivering a range of habitat improvement and engagement work across North Tyneside and Newcastle.
Deliver and develop people & wildlife engagement Take on and manage the Northumberlandia visitor centre.
The centre opened in spring 2015; it made a direct loss of £17K in its first year but it is hoped that a break-even position can be achieved in 2016. Funding for site development has been secured to help improve what the site has to offer.
Plan and deliver a new integrated events, awareness and membership programme.
A varied programme of events has been running for a year; attendance numbers have been mixed but overall feedback very positive.
Expand volunteering involvement on key projects and sites.
Significant expansion of volunteer input has been achieved, although largely based around Hauxley and the new centre.
Plan and seek funding for people engagement at the Sill
Dialogue has been maintained with relevant partners but no other progress to date. A joint bid will be developed in 2016/17.
Deliver existing level of education activities with schools and other groups, and seek resources to expand delivery.
The same number of activities was delivered although there was contact with fewer children. Funding for two new, small, projects was secured, one of which is working with a new community in the West end of Newcastle.
36 ROEBUCK 139 July - November 2016
My Wild Life and Nature Matters Continue and step up roll-out of My Wild Life campaign and monitor feedback.
Reasonable numbers of virtual users are involved in My Wild Life and an off-shoot, 30 Days Wild, will be expanded in summer 2016.
Continue to promote Last Red Squirrel fundraising and linked initiatives to increase donations and membership.
Donations to the squirrel appeal have continued slowly but a similar hedgehog themed mailing met with little success. The wider climate for charity fundraising is extremely tough and likely to remain so through 2016, meaning that appeals currently have limited efficacy.
Deliver Our Wildlife, a major people engagement event and linked AGM.
Over 200 people attended this event in September, engaging with a wide range of wildlife events, and feedback was extremely positive.
Develop new in-house recruitment linked to key sites and events programme.
Despite a lot of advertising, suitable people to undertake this role have been hard to find. In addition, the current charity fundraising climate makes any membership recruitment very challenging. Efforts to recruit are continuing.
Business Improvement Improve financial management by reviewing & updating systems.
After significant research, the decision was taken not to change finance systems but to invest resource in making better use of the current package; this is planned for 2016. Substantial improvements were made to the financial scrutiny and level of detail in the budget process.
Implement pensions auto-enrolment and promote to staff.
Auto-enrolment was implemented on time and majority of staff are opted into the scheme.
Capitalise on increased in-house capacity to improve IT systems and remote connectivity.
A rolling programme of PC upgrades is underway and external connectivity has much improved with a new BT line.
Achievement and Performance Summary The table above shows positive progress against the key priority targets for 2015/16. Half the targets are fully achieved and most of the remainder are underway. Whilst these priority targets represent the key issues which the Trust chose to address in 2015/16, there has been a huge amount of other activity on things like managing the Trust’s estate, delivering a range of small-scale projects and providing vital support services to the organisation. At a higher level, the creation of a Development Manager role has paid dividends with Living Landscapes projects moving forward at a faster pace and new funds being generated. Significant work has been done to develop systems, notably making progress with a new Health & Safety system and improving how the management team operates. The Trust’s subsidiary company, EcoNorth, has thrived and grown; it now employs 10 staff and is making a considerable contribution to the consolidated performance. Financial Review Review of the financial position at the end of the reporting period The Trust’s financial position improved compared to the prior year, as set out in the table below. Heading
2015/16
2014/15
Total turnover
£2,729,962
£2,469,314
Total expenditure
£2,335,330
£2,325,109
Unrestricted outturn
£470,723
£166,831
Restricted outturn
(£76,091)
(£22,626)
FTE staff numbers Total net assets
53
47
£4,963,290
£4,568,658
The Trust’s total income increased by £260,648 compared with the previous year; this figure is made up of a £76,440 reduction in restricted income and an increase of £337,088 in unrestricted income. Significant factors in this include increased legacy receipts and trading income, the latter mainly due to the growth of the Trust’s trading subsidiary where sales, excluding group sales, increased from £301,604 to £471,465. Legacy income rose from £167,567 to £303,910. Set against this positive performance is a reduction of £69,472 in grant income, mainly due to a large grant funding source for the squirrel project coming to an end. Donation income reduced by £52,988 to £397,199 but the prior year figure was artificially inflated by a one-off wayleave donation of £50,000, meaning that the underlying trend for donation income remained broadly unchanged. The Trust’s total expenditure was £2,335,330 of which £1,765,777 was spent on its charitable activities. Of the remaining £569,553, £414,162 was subsidiary trading costs (excluding group transactions), £65,014 was expenditure on generating donations and legacies and £66,745 was spent on support costs for trading activities. Fundraising efforts generated total donation and legacy income of £2,041,454. The unrestricted outturn, a key measure of financial health and sustainability, was positive at the year-end with a healthy surplus of £470,723. This was achieved largely through growth in legacy and trading income but the outturn is also flattered by a transfer of capital expenditure of £298,646 to the balance sheet, reflecting the major building project at Hauxley. Looking forward to 2016/17, the Trust’s budget is tighter than in recent years. Income is harder to secure, with so many charities competing for the same resources. Cash management will be a significant issue in 2016/17 with some expenditure against accumulated restricted funds continuing but also due to the anticipated timing of large receipts. Trustees and managers recognise that greater effort needs to be put into developing projects and grant bids, and a new monthly process has been set up to ensure that this happens. The Trust holds a restricted fund totaling £124,273 which represents a legacy bequest for the purchase and maintenance of a botanical nature reserve. At this time it is not known when this fund will be expended. Financial Reserves The Trust has a Financial Reserves Policy which is reviewed annually at Council. It sets out the Trust’s aim to achieve sufficient unrestricted cash reserves to cover non-project running costs for a specified number of months. Until last year, this figure was deemed to be 6 months. In 2013/14, the Trust reached the 6 months’ target for the first time; this was achieved by delivering 3 consistent years of unrestricted surplus outturns
July - November 2016 ROEBUCK 139 37
and was a significant break-through in putting the Trust on a more sustainable footing. The Trustees decided to increase the target on the basis that the Trust had grown substantially since the 6 month target was set, making the potential impact of any income failure more significant. The Trust’s current aim, therefore, is to achieve sufficient unrestricted cash reserves to provide the equivalent of 9 months’ non-project running costs, which are currently estimated at £596,732 (£463,490 last year). This figure shows an increase on the trend of recent years which is due mainly to a change in the relative apportionment of costs between direct and support, and a modest increase in support salaries. The Trustees recognise that it is difficult to build up unrestricted reserves and that achievement of the goal will be largely opportunistic through the receipt of legacies and other unplanned unrestricted income. The Trustees also recognise that deficits erode unrestricted reserves and the Trust aims to achieve at least an unrestricted break-even position each year. The 2015/16 accounts show an unrestricted surplus of £470,723 (£166,831 in the prior year). Total funds held amount to £4,963,290, of which £4,568,669 are unrestricted. There are no designated funds and there are no projects or activities which require the disposal of tangible fixed assets. In these accounts the Trust has taken advantage of a one-off transitional feature of moving to the new SORP and is now showing its freehold land holdings in the balance sheet at their value at 1 April 2014, the date of transition to the new SORP. This one-off revaluation has significantly increased the Trust’s net assets. At March 2016 the liquid unrestricted reserves figure was £545,346, an increase of £119,844 on the previous year’s figure of £425,502. This represents excellent progress in building up the Trust’s unrestricted reserves but because the target figure has also increased, the Trust has not yet met the current target of 9 months’ non-project running costs. The figure includes cash held by EcoNorth, the Trust’s trading subsidiary. Future plans From 2005 the direction of the Trust has been strategically guided by a ten year Business Development Plan (BDP) which set out to transform the organisation into a stronger, bigger and more sustainable entity which could both adapt as a business and help nature adapt to the challenges of major changes such as climate change and development pressure, as well as engaging more people in its conservation mission. This plan has largely been successful and Trustees are now, through the Chief Executive and management team, introducing a new Strategic Plan and 5 year Business Plan which builds on the last decade’s achievements and refocuses our approach going forward. The new plans recognise there is still work to do to ensure future resilience of the Trust itself, though progress has been made. They also respond to the recent changes in the external factors in our operating environment and to the additional pressures on the state of nature. The new plan proposes a more concentrated, higher impact, performance managed approach, focused in key areas, as a result. Future priorities for NWT The Strategic Plan identifies four 25-year goals, as follows:
In order to deliver against these aims, we will focus on the following:
1. More people locally will demonstrably understand that nature matters, value nature and be involved with NWT. 2. There will be a measurable net gain or stasis in key species and habitats (as defined in our Conservation Vision document) which are managed for nature conservation. 3. All identified Living Seas and Living Landscapes programmes will have been delivered or be in active delivery and performing well against set milestone targets. 4. NWT will be a more sustainable conservation business achieving against its mission, and will demonstrate the impact and efficacy of its approach against long term objectives.
• Focusing 80% of our efforts and delivery in the 3 priority Living Landscapes of Kielder, Druridge and City to Coast. • Leading on key species protection and enhancement, especially red squirrel, water vole, golden plover and white clawed crayfish and, as part of Living Seas, porpoise and white beaked dolphin. • Developing gateway site presence, leading and managing facilities at Northumberlandia and Hauxley and delivering in partnership at Kielder and The Sill centre (Hadrian’s Wall) • Increasing our people engagement on gateway sites and elsewhere to encourage more access to nature and promote understanding that nature matters • Investing in our infrastructure, such as visitor centres, accommodation and resources
The Business Plan for 2016 to 2021 encapsulates long-term aims into 3 Business Aims, as follows: 1. To increase the number of people who are aware and engaged in NWT and who understand that nature matters. 2. To deliver Living Landscapes and secure Living Seas by effecting a measurable net gain in key species and habitats in project areas and on NWT reserves. 3. To increase NWT’s organisational sustainability and effectiveness and be able to demonstrate this and its impact.
Our Business Plan sets out Key Performance Targets against which our performance and our cumulative outcomes and impact will be evaluated and our annual Action Plan details the work programmes which deliver against these targets.
Pen Portraits for Directors standing for Election John Barber
Angus Lunn
Nigel Porter
For nearly 40 years I have tried to keep a balance between the considerable wildlife interest on Brackenside Farm and the need to produce food and a sustainable balance sheet. I try to apply this experience to the Wildlife Trust though I am constantly humbled by the knowledge and drive of the Trust’s employees. However I would feel it a privilege to continue to serve as a trustee.
Angus Lunn has been involved with the Trust from its origin. He is a Vice-president and a former Vice-chairman. He was awarded the 2009 Cadbury Medal by The Wildlife Trusts for services to nature conservation. He is the author of ‘Northumberland’ in the New Naturalist series.
I have a professional background as a trained social worker, finishing my career as Deputy Director of Social Services in County Durham and finally as Chief Executive of Sedgefield Primary Care Trust, a part of the NHS which is now defunct.
38 ROEBUCK 139 July - November 2016
He was for 10 years Chairman of the Council for National Parks, was Head of Adult Education at the University of Newcastle upon Tyne, serves on the North Pennines AONB Partnership and manages a small farm in the North Pennines under an Environmentally Sensitive Area agreement.
I am currently studying part time for a PhD in Greek archaeology at Newcastle University and have very much enjoyed being part of the Steering Group for the Rescued from the Sea project at Hauxley. Apart from a general interest in local wildlife I have an interest in organisational management.
Consolidated Statement of Financial Activities for the Year Ended 31 March 2016 Restricted Funds 2016
Unrestricted Funds 2016
Total Funds 2016
Total Funds 2015
£
£
£
£
Donations and legacies Other trading activities Investments Charitable Activities Other income
1,098,226 29,870 227 90,127 -
943,228 483,885 2,666 79,236 2,452
2,041,454 513,755 2,893 169,408 2,452
2,042,872 314,360 1,788 93,574 16,720
TOTAL INCOME
1,218,495
1,511,467
2,729,962
2,469,314
Raising funds Charitable activities
18,666 1,160,311
550,887 605,466
569,553 1,765,777
417,719 1,907,390
TOTAL EXPENDITURE
1,178,977
1,156,353
2,335,330
2,325,109
NET INCOME BEFORE TRANSFERS Transfers between Funds
39,518 (115,609)
355,114 115,609
394,632 -
114,205 -
NET INCOME / (EXPENDITURE)
(76,091)
470,723
394,632
114,205
NET MOVEMENT IN FUNDS
(76,091)
470,723
394,632
114,205
Total funds at 1 April 2015
470,712
4,097,946
4,568,658
4,424,453
TOTAL FUNDS AT 31 MARCH 2016
394,621
4,568,669
4,963,290
4,568,658
INCOME FROM:
EXPENDITURE ON:
RECONCILIATION OF FUNDS:
Consolidated Balance Sheet at 31 March 2016 2016 £
2015 £
£
£
FIXED ASSETS 4,023,320
Tangible assets
3,672,937
CURRENT ASSETS Stocks Debtors Cash at bank and in hand
500 772,010 401,557
500 559,011 570,281
1,174,067
1,129,792
(234,097)
(234,071)
CREDITORS: Amounts falling due within one year NET CURRENT ASSETS NET ASSETS
939,970
895,721
4,963,290
4,568,658
394,621
470,712
CHARITY FUNDS Restricted funds Unrestricted funds: Unrestricted income funds Revaluation reserve Total unrestricted funds TOTAL FUNDS
1,737,060 2,831,609
1,266,337 2,831,609 4,568,669
4,097,946
4,963,290
4,568,658
The financial statements were approved by the Trustees on 28 June 2016 and signed on their behalf by Sandra King and Rachel Bell.
July - November 2016 ROEBUCK 139 39
Going to the ends of the earth to say thank you to players. In 2013 Conrad Dickinson, polar explorer, hoisted the flag of the People’s Postcode Lottery at the South Pole in recognition of the support the Trust has received from players. Fast forward to 2016, and the same flag has now returned from another expedition with Conrad, this time following a 1300km trek through Norway, Sweden and the Arctic Circle with Conrad’s wife Hilary and fellow Northumberland Wildlife Trust trustees Nigel Porter and Ian Jackson.
Pictured above: Nigel Porter, NWT Trustee and Conrad Dickinson, NWT Patron Photo: Dave Pearson
Half way up Mount Kebnekaise, Sweden’s highest mountain, Conrad and Nigel stopped to mark the occasion with a photo as a thank you to players of People’s Postcode Lottery who, to date have raised £919,940, supporting the conservation work of the Trust.
By playing you support hundreds of good causes. Find out more at www.postcodelottery.co.uk
People’s Postcode Lottery manages multiple society lotteries promoted by different charities including Postcode Green Trust, a charity registered in Scotland (SC042544) and regulated by the Gambling Commission under licences 000-030268-R-311787-007 and 000-030268-N-311788-006. For details on each week’s society lottery visit: www.postcodelottery.co.uk/society. Players must be 16 years or over. Only available to play with postcodes in England, Scotland and Wales. Not available in NI. Conditions apply. See: www.postcodelottery.co.uk £10 for 10 draws paid monthly in advance, a minimum of 30% goes directly to charities. For a full list of prizes visit www.postcodelottery.co.uk/prizes Maximum ticket prize is 10% of draw proceeds up to £400,000. Postcode Lottery Ltd is regulated by the Gambling Commission under licences 000-000829-N-102511-010 and 000-000829-R-102513-009. Registered office: Postcode Lottery Ltd, Titchfield House, 69/85 Tabernacle Street, London, EC2A 4RR. Company reg. no. 04862732. VAT reg. no 848 3165 07.