oebuck R
The Wildlife Trust Magazine for Newcastle, North Tyneside and Northumberland
Issue 142 July - November 2017
Hauxley
Wildlife Discovery Centre now open
Photo Competition The winners are announced!
Restoring Ratty
The reintroduction has begun plus news from around the UK
For Peat’s Sake Vital bogs under threat
Kielder Ospreys Your chance to support them
Winged Beauties The beauty of moths exposed
Contents Take a seat thanks to charity lottery
4
Everyone went ‘Wild at Kielder’
4
Red squirrel project goes national
5
Challenging times ahead
6
Our Wildlife 2017 Photo competition amazes the judges
wild at kielder 2017
Local News
7 8-9
Annual Report Project updates
10
Financial summary
11
4
Corporates
Going ‘Wild at Kielder’ 12
Short break offer from Verdant Leisure
13
green energy advice bureau
Energy consultancy joins Trust
Hauxley From the ashes The grand opening with Simon King
14-15 16
Conservation Ratty - the great release begins Conservation round-up
17 17
Peat bog restoration
18-19
The beauty of moths
20-21
12
Landmark project continues to inspire Under the scope
Hauxley Nature Rese John Millard
UK News Vulnerable sites under pressure
14-16
New corporate member
22-23 24 25
Building for wildlife
26-29
A nightingale sang
30-31
Bee a friendly gardener
32-33
Top 10 hills - look out for Weetslade
34-35
Patrons: Conrad Dickinson, Bill Oddie & Chris Packham President: Chris Mullin Vice Presidents: Charles Baker-Cresswell & Angus Lunn Vice President & Founder: Tony Tynan Chairperson: Sandra King Vice Chairman: Ian Armstrong & Graham Gill Honorary Secretary: Nigel Porter Honorary Treasurer: Rachel Bell
17
Water vole release
30-31
To hear a nightingale
Chief Executive: Mike Pratt Director of Living Landscapes: Nick Mason Head of Druridge Bay Living Landscape and Land Management: Duncan Hutt Kielder Living Landscape Manager: Katy Cook Head of Business Management: Jane Speak Head of Marketing & Fundraising: Sheila Sharp EcoNorth Managing Director: Vicki Mordue
Find us on: NorthumberlandWT @NorthWildlife NorthWildlife
Chief Executive’s Comments
Photography competition simon greener photography
erve david tipling/2020vision
Northumberland Wildlife Trust Ltd Garden House, St Nicholas Park, Gosforth, Newcastle upon Tyne. NE3 3XT Tel: (0191) 284 6884 Fax: (0191) 284 6794 Web: nwt.org.uk
fiona dryden
Susana Sanroman
8-9
A warming perspective This edition of Roebuck is focussing on some of the uncertainties and changes we need to be aware of, as the Trust begins its preparations for improving the state of nature in the future. Change is happening all around us, so you might even say, as an organisation, we are constantly adapting to our dynamic habitat, with issues such as funding, how charities are regarded at large and how society engages with nature being in a current state of flux. The whole issue of the world beyond Brexit - the pros and cons of what this might mean for nature and where the new government will put nature and the environment on its agenda will ensure the Trust remains very busy well into the future. In this issue there are two pages (18 & 19) on climate change, written by Theo and Bugge, our two assistant conservation officers who have a passionate interest in the subject which divides many people, but it is something which I have had direct experience of recently. It is so hard to interpret, and even to believe sometimes, that global warming is happening and is affecting the natural world. As I write this on a cold, damp summer day, it feels far from summer, and as we all joke, a bit of ‘warming-up’ would be much appreciated, but, joking aside, we all need to take a long view. I witnessed at first hand, on a recent trip to Greenland, where, amongst its extreme cold and icy wastes and stunning polar beauty, I heard from local people how the sea ice is getting thinner, less extensive and thawing earlier each year; how glaciers are in sharp retreat, an occurrence which is starting to impact on long-held traditional lifestyles, particularly the Inuit’s hunting, making life at the edge of our planet even more difficult, endangering ultimately people as well as polar bears, which are always associated with global warming. I met a scientist studying biodiversity trends since the end of the Ice Age
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
and she described seeing a disturbing pattern that looked like the normal expected changes you would see over geological time but super ‘speededup’ in terms of temperature and micro species, in just the last 200 years, since industrial development began. Like Brexit, global warming is happening, as are other changes in politics and our economy, all of which present challenges for the Trust. How we react and how we adapt to, and head the worst case scenarios off at the pass, is the key to ensuring wildlife has a chance and the Trust continues to make a positive difference long into the future. We are busy building new partnerships for nature and working hard to join-up and extend wildlife networks to engage with people and ensure nature is valued in the future. With this in mind, for the third year running, this Trust has been involved in the national My Wild Life campaign, and I am delighted that our effort this year has been supported by players of People’s Postcode Lottery. Turn to the back page of this issue and see for yourself a young person, a rarity these days according to our patron Chris Packham, extolling the value of the great outdoors. And finally, I am delighted to announce our Wildlife Discovery Centre on our Hauxley reserve is now open. A massive thank you to all our volunteers who built the Centre and to our funders who believed we could achieve this. It is such an important step for the Trust and gives a clear message that no matter what we face out there, we will act as nature’s voice and help it to adapt as far as possible to pressures; local, national even global, and as ever, I thank you for your support.
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: Simon King at Hauxley © Simon Greener All other photos © NWT unless otherwise stated
Roebuck is printed on
Local News The Dobbins family enjoying the new bench at Tony’s Patch
A place to rest, thanks to charity lottery players
geoff dobbins
Visitors to two of our reserves in south Northumberland now have somewhere to rest and watch wildlife from, courtesy of the players of Peoples Postcode Lottery. Thanks to their support, we have been able to install a number of benches on our Tony’s Patch and Juliet’s Wood reserves and all in time for summer. A team of volunteers was able to make the bench from a number of non-native conifers which had been taken down on the site as part of a habitat improvement plan and replaced with a variety of native broad leafed trees including oak and hazel. The same team made an oak bench out of a tree which was blown down earlier this year on our Juliet’s Wood reserve. Situated 1km north of Slaley Village, the site is a haven for a variety of birds including barn, tawny and little owls, wood warbler, pied flycatcher and tree creeper. Badger, roe deer, stoat and weasel are also regular visitors to the site.
We all went wild at Kielder Wild at kielder 2017
Become a Friend of Kielder Ospreys! For a minimum donation of £20 per year you can help to protect these amazing and iconic creatures for future generations. Friends received an osprey certificate, fact sheet, specially designed enamel pin badge, postcards, re-usable osprey motif shopping bag and e-news 3 times per year. Visit our website nwt.org.uk/ospreys for more info and to support the ospreys today!
4 ROEBUCK 142 July - November 2017
Even the Gruffalo came out to play
Partners at Kielder Water & Forest Park are delighted with the success of the first Wild at Kielder Festival which took place in May. In total, over 1500 people took part in 30 wildlife related activities across 8 sites at Kielder and proved to be such a success that plans are already taking shape for next year’s festival which promises to be bigger and better - so start visiting nwt.org.uk/wildatkielder or the Wild at Kielder Facebook event page, for regular updates. The Wild at Kielder Festival is part of the Living Wild at Kielder project, which has been made possible by National Lottery players and a grant from the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF). It is delivered by Kielder Water & Forest Park Development Trust, Northumberland Wildlife Trust, Northumbrian Water, Forestry Commission and the Environment Agency, with support from Newcastle University and Northumberland National Park Authority.
gala podgornik
Programme Manager Dr Cathleen Thomas addressing the delegates in Belfast
Red squirrel conservation goes national Knowledge Fair in Belfast over two days in March 2017. Almost 100 people attended from across the UK and Europe, including project staff, volunteers, conservation practitioners and other people interested in red squirrel conservation. Assembled delegates heard more about the progress of the RSU project, an update on the conservation measures being implemented in Northern Ireland from Conor McKinney, Living Landscapes Manager at Ulster Wildlife Trust and Mariella Marzano, Senior Researcher at Forest Research presented the results of their survey on public attitudes towards red squirrel conservation, which suggest there are still a lot of people who are unclear about threats to red squirrels. Aileen Mill, Senior Lecturer at Newcastle University highlighted the importance of survey data to help maximise the impact of conservation work. There are a number of subsidised places for volunteers at next year’s fair, so if you’d like to attend, it will be held on 11 and 12 of June in Bangor, North Wales. High on the agenda will be the chance to learn more about the amazing efforts of Red Squirrels Trust Wales in eradicating grey squirrels from Anglesey,
allowing red squirrels to flourish and their ongoing work to bring red squirrels back to Gwynedd. Reds are already starting to be spotted in Bangor for the first time in many years which is wonderful news! You may have also seen red squirrels being mentioned on the national news at the start of March, as the story broke that RSU was looking for volunteers to help protect our UK’s reds. RSU Programme Manager, Dr Cathleen Thomas was in the BBC Breakfast studio to discuss why our reds needed help and how people could get involved. Cathleen’s appearance was followed by a media frenzy, and she went on to appear on all the national and local BBC radio stations, with the story appearing in the national print press including The Guardian, The Times, and internationally in The Washington Post and the popular French magazine ‘Speak Science’. This wonderful coverage led to hundreds of new volunteers signing up to help with the project. It is fantastic to see red squirrel conservation reaching a national audience. Our conservation teams are currently analysing their survey results from across the UK, including those conducted by RSNE, so watch this space to find out how our reds are doing this year! BBC Breakfast
Red Squirrels United (RSU) is the first national UK project linking together organisations and volunteers carrying out conservation of our native red squirrels. It is led by The Wildlife Trusts, in partnership with Newcastle University, Northumberland Wildlife Trust, Forest Research, Lancashire Wildlife Trust, Red Squirrels Trust Wales, Ulster Wildlife and The Wildlife Trust of South & West Wales, and funded by EU LIFE14 and Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF). Red squirrels were once widespread across the UK, but there are now thought to be less than 140,000 left in the wild. In this region, the RSU project is being delivered by Red Squirrels Northern England (RSNE) which is part of Northumberland Wildlife Trust, with RSU project work focusing on preventing grey squirrel incursions into Kielder, Kidland and Uswayford Forests through the efforts of rangers and local communities. RSNE staff and volunteers are carrying out quarterly monitoring of these woodlands, and encouragingly, the number of grey squirrels being found is going down. One third of the sites in this area were found to have red squirrels this spring (2017). The team is always looking for more help with their monitoring and surveying work, so please do get in touch with Heinz Traut, Northumberland Wildlife Trust’s Red Squirrel & Woodland Officer at heinz.traut@northwt.org.uk if you’d like to volunteer. As well as making great progress in Northumberland, the RSU project facilitates collaboration between people carrying out red squirrel conservation in different areas across the UK, to share knowledge and experience. A fantastic opportunity for knowledge sharing took place at the RSU Annual
Programme Manager Dr Cathleen Thomas appearing on BBC Breakfast
July - November 2017 ROEBUCK 142 5
Local News
Charity challenges ahead
TWT
The trustees and chair of our Trust have a double role in ensuring good governance of Northumberland Wildlife Trust whilst at the same time keeping an eye on, and feeding in to, discussions happening nationally through our movement, in unison with all Wildlife Trusts, on a wide range of issues that affect conservation and the environment. Our chair, Sandra King attended Chaircon 2017, the national conference for UK Wildlife Trust chairs at the end of May, where the most notable item on the agenda was the need to work closely with and hold to account the new government on ensuring environmental protection and environmentally friendly farming throughout the UK ends up at least as strong if not better than at present. Tony Juniper, President of The Wildlife Trusts urged chairs to be bold and ambitious saying: “The Wildlife Trust movement can play an important influencing role post Brexit. We need to aim high and say, We need a better outcome for wildlife and nature, not just the same - let’s lift it up and let’s do better’. Tony and other speakers pointed out that The Wildlife Trust movement is in a good position to lead the narrative as it has a strong social and economic case, not just a moral case, which it didn’t have before, with each Wildlife Trust being able to talk about specific local nature projects, supported by good technical data. We have the opportunity to build a strong ‘head of steam’ on environmental regulation, providing each Trust
Sandra King, Northumberland Wildlife Trust Chair and Tony Juniper, President of The Wildlife Trusts 6 ROEBUCK 142 July - November 2017
can mobilise public support in its area. Other speakers went into more detail on post-Brexit farming and environmental protection. As Sandra emphasised at the conference, when trusts, such as ours were formed in the 1970s or earlier, conserving nature was getting higher on the agenda and there was still an obvious connection between people and the natural environment - most people spent time with nature, children climbed trees and were more ‘wild’, people could easily name garden birds and wild flowers. But now, as society has become more complex, key conservation messages are increasingly side-lined, such as the link between nature and people’s mental health, wellbeing and obesity, and the need for green spaces in urban areas close to people. These messages have to be constantly reiterated to gain understanding, support and action from people as conservation and the environment are still not seen as a priority, and so, our job of linking people to nature is getting harder. From the challenges and opportunities of Brexit and a society increasingly disconnected from nature, the chairs spent time working on how to strengthen their governance, including increasing the diversity of trustees on Wildlife Trust Boards, and also looking at shaping the new national strategy for the movement. Also of note at the conference was the increasing difficulty of getting funds to conserve nature. Sandra has been chair for almost two years and during this short time, it has become increasingly difficult for us to fundraise. Firstly, the uncertainty in the economic climate has reduced the number of funding sources. More significantly, the appointment of a new government Fundraising Regulator to audit the financial practices of charities, largely precipitated by the liquidation of the Keeping Kids Company in 2016, is introducing new onerous and restrictive procedures to control the poor operators, but is actually reducing the fundraising capacity of well-run charities too. Such national scrutiny has increased the legal accountably of both Sandra as chair and all our trustees. That said, all is not lost and our Trust and the Wildlife Trust movement collectively are still doing well in achieving goals, despite these difficulties. Sandra left the conference inspired and enthused; yes there are massive challenges for wildlife and the environment, but there are solutions, and the Wildlife Trust movement has a strong role to play in both demonstrating and delivering solutions. For, as she says, we now have a new government and Sandra, along with her fellow 46 Wildlife Trust chairs, aims to influence ministers to put wildlife back on the national political agenda for the next parliamentary term and push for stronger protection and resources for the environment which affects all our lives. Let’s not forget Brexit will shape the future of the UK for many years to come and that includes how we continue to protect species and habitats and help nature adapt under ever increasing pressures of climate change and development, and how we need to recognise its importance to society as a whole. People such as Sandra, who govern our movement, will be trying their best to make sure government does not forget our cause.
Our Wildlife
Hauxley Wildlife Discovery Centre, NE65 0JR 16 & 17 September, 10am - 5pm
Image © Matthew Roberts
Image © Allan Potts
A festival of wildlife themed activities for all the family. Come and see the new Wildlife Discovery Centre, one of the best wildlife-watching spots in the North East! Wildlife spotting | Guided walks | Owl pellet dissection | Animal footprint plaster cast | Expert photography tips | Treasure hunt | Wildlife tracks & signs | Tombola & raffle Plus more to be announced! For more information visit: nwt.org.uk/ourwildlife
Northumberland Wildlife Trust Ltd, Garden House, St Nicholas Park, Gosforth, Newcastle upon Tyne NE3 3XT Tel: (0191) 284 6884
Email: mail@northwt.org.uk
Regisitered in England & Wales
Registered Company No. 717813
Web: www.nwt.org.uk Registered Charity No. 221819
Image © Richard Clark
FREE ENTRY Optional activities individually priced
PARK & RIDE
Every 20 minutes from Church Street, Amble NE65 0DY
FOOD & DRINK Available from the new Lookout Café
Five in a row
Sleeping Orange Tips Elizabeth Doley
Following the success of the previous four North East Wildlife Photography Competitions, Northumberland, Durham and Tees Valley Wildlife Trusts joined forces for a fifth year with the Natural History Society of Northumbria, Alan Hewitt Photography and the Great North Museum: Hancock to host the 2017 competition. The competition attracted 1636 entries (the largest number ever) with entries being received up to the last minute. Broadcaster, writer and tour leader David Lindo, aka ‘The Urban Birder’ made a much welcomed return to the region as the guest speaker at the winners’ awards ceremony held at Great North Museum: Hancock. David is no stranger to the photography competition, having supported it previously. Nestlé Fawdon was the main sponsor again, and for the first time, London Camera Exchange, which has a branch in Gosforth, Newcastle, donated a £250 voucher.
Male Stonechat Kyra Leigh Sudlow (age 14)
Mobile nature
Young person’s
Susana Sanroman
David Lindo, aka ‘The Urban Birder’
Little Gull and Huntcliffe Philippa Maddison
in Wildlife ape c s d n la the
Migrant Hawker Dragonfly Marcus Kidd
Overall Nature winner up close
Angel of the North Mark Bowen
Canada Gosling Matthew Smith
Wildlife in action
Organisers & Supporters:
People’s Wildlife choice portrait
Prizes donated by: Westcountry
W ldl fe Photography www.wcwpc.co.uk
HA
NC OC K
Centre
Good Food, Good Life Northumberland, Durham & Tees valley
FARNE ISLANDS BOAT TOURS
Annual Performanc “An environment rich in wildlife which contributes to the health and wellbeing of society” The Trust’s core mission is to conserve wildlife, promote nature conservation and to engage people in its work. 2016/17 was the first full year of the Trust’s new Business Plan which aims to deliver the mission by focussing the majority of its activity on three Living Landscapes – Kielder, Druridge Bay and City to Coast.
Re-introducing Water Voles
Protecting Red Squirrels
• Voles captured from neighbouring counties.
• Maintained red squirrel strongholds in Kielder, Uswayford & Kidland Forests.
• Vole breeding programme begun.
• Regularly surveyed and shared knowledge & techniques.
• Significant volunteer and community engagement.
• Encouraged volunteers and local groups to monitor & report sightings.
Living Wild • New hide and interpretaion at Bakethin. • ‘Osprey Watch’ and ‘Wild at Kielder’ engagement programme. tom marshall
david baird
Creating Living Seas
Building a Wildlife-watching Hub
• 3 new Marine Conservation Zones designated, total 6 in the North East.
• Discovery Centre at Hauxley, building work (mainly volunteers) near completion.
• Created awareness and public involvement: 2.9 t litter collected; 50 events = 3,863 people.
• Projected positive economic impact on the area, creating 3.9 jobs and boosting visitors and overnight stays.
• Ran summer school (with Newcastle University) for 14-16s.
• Paths upgraded (access for all), natural play area added (connecting children with nature), wetland habitat created.
Coast Care • New volunteer project secured with AONB. aurelie bohan
elaine more
Art and Nature at Northumberlandia
Urban Nature & Wellbeing • 9 wellbeing events run in west Newcastle or 1,969 people connecting with nature.
• Added woodland trails, feeders, a wildlife garden and interpretation to bring a new dimension to this landform sculpture park.
• 24 volunteers helped organise and run the events, supporting local communities with health & wellbeing.
• 89,000 visitors, new family events eg, ‘Shakespeare in the park’ and ‘Santa’s Grotto’.
• New vision developed for Hodgkin Park with partner, HealthWORKS.
• Maintained/upgraded pathways to improve access for all.
• Worked to secure a new reserve at Mare’s Close, Seghill
Saving Rare Meadows
General
• 321 volunteers (equivalent to 3.1 FTE) helped with ID, clearing invasives and plug planting.
• 10 year county otter survey updated.
• 10 sites improved, 160 hectares.
• New CRM System in development to assist fundraising.
graham peacock
• Local Wildlife Sites reviewed – 2 new designated.
• 9,598 people engaged in learning, including schools, families and adults on walks, talks, arts and crafts.
• 45 Forest School sessions run.
• Training courses delivered: 40 days for staff and 303 days for volunteers on ID, livestock handling and land management. allan potts
ce Summary 2016/17 In Our Care
60+ 3 1 6 30
Inspiring People
Nature Reserves managed = 3,800 ha
2,485
“Living Landscape” project areas;
120,000
Free for everyone to enjoy
School children engaged with nature
Kielder, Druridge Bay and City to Coast (Newcastle and North Tyneside)
Visitors to reserves
159
Visitor Centre: Northumberlandia
(managed with the Land Trust)
Events, fairs and shows attended = 21,000 contacts
Marine Conservation Zones
121,855
Unique visitors to NWT website
Planning applications reviewed
4,162 &
Including Highthorn, Havannah and Blue House roundabout
Volunteers
Supporters 12,000
54 fte
290
19.7
290
12
31,700
over 27%
Members Volunteers
3,204
Likes/Followers on Facebook and Twitter
Staff
Volunteers
Trustees
Volunteer hours
FTE
of the total ‘workforce’
Income
Expenditure
Total Income (April 2016 - March 2017) - £2,545,287
Total Expenditure (April 2016 - March 2017) - £2,380,199
£2.5m
£2.4m
Trading
£696,283
27%
Charitable activities
Grants
£502,282
20%
Subsidiary trading costs
Legacies
£368,527
15%
Donations
£367,194
Membership Charitable activities Other
£1,680,938
71%
£529,376
22%
Cost of raising funds
£67,552
3%
14%
Trading support costs
£52,318
2%
£352,033
14%
Deferred tax
£33,328
1%
£255,570
10%
Cost of shop sales
£16,687
1%
£3,398
<1%
The Trust’s overall financial position remained healthy although delivery of the Hauxley Wildlife Discovery Centre has stretched the organisation’s resources. The Trust is fortunate not to be reliant on just one source of income but looking ahead, grant funding is getting harder to secure and the impact of Brexit on the Trust is, as yet, unknown. As part of the restructure into new Living Landscape teams, greater effort is now being put into project development and into securing new income for the future. During the year a management level restructure was undertaken to re-direct activity in line with the new Business Plan. Budget constraints also meant that a limited redundancy process had to be undertaken and despite efforts to redeploy into new roles, the Trust was sorry to lose the skills, knowledge and experience of several members of staff.
Corporates
Major energy consultancy stands up for wildlife The Trust is delighted to welcome The Green Energy Advice Bureau as its latest Gold Category corporate member. Based in South Shields, The GEAB is one of the UK’s leading independent commercial energy consultancies, with clients from many sectors including charities/not-for-profit organisations,
education providers, the public sector, SMEs to multi-nationals all benefitting from a full end-to-end service. Its strong team of 20 consultants and market analysts work closely with organisations to evaluate their needs and requirements, helping them develop a full understanding of their energy
usage and expenditure, outlining the best way for them to minimise future utility expenditure and also develop an energy efficiency plan to help cut carbon footprint and reduce energy wastage. For more information on the work of The Green Energy Advice Bureau, visit greenpoweradvice.co.uk/gpa/contact.
green energy advice bureau
Wildlife is facing more challenges than ever before, so it is wonderful to that The Green Energy Advice Bureau is supporting our work and has a real commitment to advising its clients on how to care for, and reduce, their impact on the environment. Mike Pratt Chief Executive, NWT
The Green Energy Advice Bureau team
CORPORATE MEMBERSHIP - We offer 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 Albion Outdoors albionoutdoors.co.uk Bell Ingram bellingram.co.uk Berwick Holiday Park haven.com/parks/ northumberland/berwick
Northern Experience Wildlife Tours northernexperiencewildlifetours. co.uk Northumberland County Council northumberland.gov.uk Ord House Country Park ordhouse.co.uk
Silver
Gold
Elanders Ltd elanders.com
Esh Group esh.uk.com
Harlow Printing Ltd harlowprinting.co.uk
Tarmac tarmac.com
Karpet Mills karpetmills.co.uk
Mears Ltd mearsgroup.co.uk Nestlé Confectionery Ltd nestle.co.uk
Blyth Harbour Commission portofblyth.co.uk
Percy Wood Leisure Ltd percywood.co.uk
North East Chamber of Commerce ne-cc.com
Croft Veterinary Hospital croftvets.co.uk
Poltross Enterprises poltross.com
Potts Printers Ltd potts.co.uk
Geoffrey Lurie Solicitors geoffreylurie.com
Sykes Cottages sykescottages.co.uk
Riverside Leisure riverside-leisure.co.uk
Gustharts gusthart.com
Wardell Armstrong wardell-armstrong.com
Howick Hall Gardens howickhallgardens.org
12 ROEBUCK 142 July - November 2017
Northumbrian Water Ltd nwl.co.uk The Banks Group hjbanks.com The Green Energy Advice Bureau www.greenpoweradvice.co.uk Thermofisher Scientific thermofisher.com
Hauxley
The Hauxley phoenix rises from the ashes England’s 4-1 defeat by Germany in the 2010 World Cup on 27 June is something the Trust will always remember - not for the result, but because, a few hours later, our Hauxley education and visitor hide was destroyed in an arson attack resulting in it being subsequently demolished. The building had been open to visitors all year round and held records of wildlife sightings along the whole of Druridge Bay collected over many The destroyed Hauxley years; vital survey and education and visitor hide research reports were also lost in the blaze. Undaunted by this, the Trust set about building a new visitor centre and transforming the whole reserve into an exceptional place to watch wildlife and, on 23 June, almost seven years to the date, our Hauxley Wildlife Discovery Centre threw open its doors to the public. Made possible by National Lottery players thanks to a grant of £417,000 from the Heritage Lottery Fund, the centre was built by our wonderful army of volunteers and opened by Simon King, former BBC Springwatch presenter, naturalist, broadcaster, and wildlife cameraman. The Trust owes a huge debt to volunteers who played a large part in the construction of the building and all our financial supporters. We now have an amazing building that will allow us to connect people of all ages with nature. Don’t take our word for it, come and share in the wonder of Hauxley.
May 2015 Site preparations
Jun 2015 Gabion filling
jul 2015 First straw bale put in to place
Photos: Simon Greener photography, Alex Lister, Duncan Hutt and Tim Mason
Sep 2015 Straw build well under way
oct 2015 Adding a roof
nov 2015 Preparing site for electrical installation
Jan 2016 Putting in the windows
mar 2016 Internal clay floor
May 2016 Lime rendering begins
oct 2016 Painting the external walls
feb 2017 Decorating the inside
jun 2017 Open for business
July - November 2017 ROEBUCK 142 15
Hauxley Photos: simon greener photography
Throwing open the doors Simon King officially opened the Hauxley Wildlife Discovery Centre on Friday 23 June 2017. The centre is now open! Enjoy the new circular walk and nature trails, the tranquillity of the hides and, of course, a brew with a view in The Lookout CafĂŠ.
Jim hangs up his hat Hauxley warden Jim Martin, who is known for his suede bushmanâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s hat, is retiring from the Trust ahead of a milestone birthday. Jim, who has been part of the Hauxley team for over 20 years, has seen three different centres on the site and many changes on the reserve.
16 ROEBUCK 142 July - November 2017
Conservation
They’re off... Photos: John millard
The largest ever reintroduction of endangered water voles in the UK is underway.
The water vole release team. Center, Tom Dearnley (Forestry Commission) and Mike Pratt (NWT)
Releasing the first water vole. Mike Pratt and Kelly Hollings (NWT) and Coral Edgcumbe (Derek Gow Consultancy)
Northumberlandia: This fantastic landscape sculpture had 89,500 visitors in the 12 months to March 2017, making it the busiest site we manage. Our partnership working at ‘The Lady of the North’ goes from strength-to-strength and has just been named Educational Site of the Year at the Land Trust Awards 2017 and Northumberland Tourism’s 2017 Best Family Day Out.
The ‘Restoring Ratty’ project will release 700 water voles into Kielder Water & Forest Park in 2017 - a vast area of 650 square kilometres - after a 30-year absence. It will be the largest water vole reintroduction to one place ever undertaken in the UK. The first release of 325 water voles took place on Wednesday 14 June, with a further 350 water voles due to be released in August. This project will reintroduce a much-loved British species - known as ‘Ratty’ in Kenneth Grahame’s children’s classic Wind in the Willows - to a key area which used to have thriving water vole populations up until the 1980s with a view to their eventual spread throughout western reaches of Northumberland. The Forestry Commission, one of our fellow project partners, has done much to improve water vole habitat across Kielder Forest, leaving open areas next to water courses after felling, meaning banksides have more light and allowing a greater range of plants to grow, which is perfect for water voles. After several years of partners working closely together with the local community, the perfect environment has been created for water voles to be reintroduced in Kielder Water & Forest Park. The first release at Kielder Water & Forest Park was of water voles bred from individuals taken from stable populations over the border in Scotland, while the second will be the young from
The future of green spaces in Newcastle City: The Trust contributed to Newcastle City Council’s spring consultation on the future management of green spaces in the city. The results of the consultation, in which we urged the establishment of long-term endowment funding, a focus on nature and community empowerment, are expected during autumn 2017.
voles captured in the North Pennines in late summer 2016. The captured water voles spent the winter at the Derek Gow Consultancy in Devon (specialists in water vole conservancy) where they have been cared for and bred to provide large numbers of young. They were placed in pens at Kielder Water & Forest Park and fed on carrots and sweet apples. Then a baffle (a piece of wood with holes in) was placed in one end of their pens so they could come and go as they pleased. This helps them get used to their new home. The first release marked a historic day for everyone involved and was a good moment to reflect on the fantastic efforts and great work being done by volunteers and the Restoring Ratty partners to bring back this much-loved mammal. The second release of 350 water voles in August will boost the population and increase their genetic diversity. Visit the ‘Restoring Ratty’ page on the Trust’s website nwt.org.uk/ restoringratty and the ‘Restoring Ratty’ Facebook page for updates, photos and a video of the first release. ‘Restoring Ratty’ is a five-year partnership project between Northumberland Wildlife Trust, Forestry Commission England and Tyne Rivers Trust and has all been made possible by National Lottery players through a grant of £421,000 from the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF).
Working with decision makers: The North East England Nature Partnership, in which the Trust is a partner, is running a programme of events throughout 2017 seeking to help regional policy and decision makers understand the importance of nature and encourage investment to maintain and enhance nature-rich landscapes.
Druridge Bay: The public enquiry in to the proposed Highthorn Surface Mine on Druridge Bay opened on Wednesday 31 May. Northumberland Wildlife Trust has maintained its objections to the project with other conservation charities and awaits the planning conclusions of the planning inspectors.
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Conservation
Northumberland Wildlife Trust’s Whitelee Moor Reserve
Blanket bogs: drained of time ‘Blanket bog’ is a unique habitat and is defined as a widespread acidic peat, waterlogged through high rainfall. The importance of blanket bogs is their ability to store carbon and water, with positive impacts on climate change and water security. It is vital we understand why there has been such severe degradation of blanket bogs in the UK and how we, as conservationists, can restore them. This need for an understanding fits in with the work the Trust is doing to restore the peat bog on our Whitelee Moor reserve in North West Northumberland. Burning and draining of blanket bogs has been the main management technique for centuries and unfortunately, it still is. We say “unfortunately” because such methods cause severe damage to the habitat, especially to the main peat forming group of species, sphagnum mosses. The principal reason behind the practice of burning is to encourage grouse populations. The burning causes the regeneration of heather, which in turn provides new shoots, the primary food source for grouse, and creates more dense vegetation for cover/shelter. Although this improves the quality of grouse shooting, it does nothing for the quality of the bogs. Draining has been used with commercial conifer species since 1945 but it was from the 1970s that any environmental concerns were raised regarding its effect on blanket bogs. The waterlogged nature prevents complete decomposition of dead plant material and, over thousands of years, peat accumulates beneath the surface. Blanket bogs therefore retain vast quantities of carbon and are known as ‘carbon sinks’. However, the combined practices of burning and draining have not only dried out, but killed off large expanses of thin living surface layers of peat-forming vegetation. But why is this of such concern to environmentalists? Drying out and killing off exposes the peat store to erosion and oxidation which allows oxygen to penetrate the dead plant material, stimulating decomposition and the release 18 ROEBUCK 142 July - November 2017
of carbon dioxide (CO2) into the atmosphere, thereby contributing to the ever-present threat of climate change. Bare peat is susceptible to heavy rainfall events, because it is easily washed away through surface ‘run-off’ into water courses. At the same time, this process forms gullies which act as growing drainage channels. To make matters worse, vegetation cannot develop on the steep edges of these gullies - a vicious cycle, rapidly accelerating destruction of the habitat and impacting the ecosystem services of blanket bogs: carbon storage, water supply, the landscape and wildlife. Peatlands are the largest accumulated terrestrial carbon store in the UK, thus reflecting their important part in climate change. Loss of this habitat will further contribute CO2 into our atmosphere, especially when we consider peatlands in the UK are losing 3.7 million tonnes of carbon a year according to The International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN). The impacts of increased carbon emissions are, to name but a few, an increase in global temperatures and more frequent, extreme weather events, which is why proper management and restoration of blanket bogs is so important. It will be no easy task, considering more than 80% of UK peatlands lack an active peat-forming surface (IUCN). Healthy and active blanket bogs are of high importance to surrounding water reservoirs, such as Kielder Water and Catcleugh Reservoir, adjacent to Whitelee. If a blanket bog is damaged, it cannot retain its organic matter effectively. This means higher concentrations of organic matter are transported from the bog with run-off water into larger water courses. Water with higher organic matter content will require higher costs to purify, for it to become acceptable as drinking water. But this is just a short-term fix. If greater focus were made on
abi mansley geoff dobbins
restoring blanket bogs, it would be much more cost-effective in the future, be a long-term solution, and would benefit the whole ecosystem. With potentially increased unpredictable weather fluctuations in the future, such as long dry spells because of increased temperatures, it may be necessary to use other water reservoirs such as Catcleugh Reservoir. Therefore it is important to maintain the restoration practices on Whitelee and other blankets bogs in the UK. Restoration of blanket bogs is a long and difficult, but achievable process. Stabilising the bog can be done in several ways, such as sealing off internal peat pipes, blocking drains, re-establishing sphagnum mosses and reducing the steepness of gullies. This is to prevent water loss and decomposition. In order to restore blanket bogs completely, it takes significant time – longer than many people realise. With increased funding, there is the potential for relatively new and experimental practices for blanket bog restoration, but unknown timescales can make it difficult for funders to commit. The European Union is currently funding a number of blanket bog restoration projects across the country (including our Whitelee Moor reserve). Much of our restoration work in the late 90s on the Border Mires was funded through an EU Life fund, clearly this funding source is valuable in the future but we continue to seek out resources for practical restoration in the area. As future conservationists we hope that adequate support will be put in place by the government post-Brexit to replace EU funding, but, along with everything else we’ll have to wait and see. Theodore Nickols & Bugge Vick Assistant Conservation Officers Northumberland Wildlife Trust
NWT volunterrs translocating sphagnum moss
A team of Trust staff and volunteers spent March and April restoring a 35 hectare section of blanket bog on our Whitelee Moor nature reserve in North West Northumberland, including drainage restoration at Carter Pike. Funded by Natural England through a Higher Level Stewardship (HLS) agreement, the restoration process involved the translocation of small pieces of sphagnum moss from ‘donor’ plots on the reserve, which were then planted into bare peat to stabilise the surrounding area. This will prevent carbon loss and allow the land to hold more water which will reduce down-stream flooding and produce better habitat for wading birds such as golden plover, dunlin, curlew and snipe. At the same time, a contractor installed over 300 peat plug dams at Carter Pike, a procedure which involves moving chunks of peat and vegetation to block drainage ditches. Whitelee Moor, a National Nature Reserve, Site of Specific Scientific Interest (SSSI) and a Special Area of Conservation (a European designation) was bought by the Trust in 1999, following a public appeal and assistance from the Heritage Lottery Fund, and was declared a National Nature Reserve by English Nature in 2001.
July - November 2017 ROEBUCK 142 19
Conservation
Fluttering beauties Moths are seldom treated with the starry-eyed admiration awarded to butterflies, and few people, diligent lepidopterists aside, set out deliberately to seek them out. Perhaps this is due to the false depiction of moths as household pests, chewing through sweaters wrongly thought safe within the confines our wardrobes; or perhaps it is because of their perceived lack of visual appeal. Moths are often, and falsely, regarded as dull, brown and rather boring, at least when compared to the glamorous butterflies fluttering lazily amongst the flowers that adorn our gardens. However our moths are, in fact, a rather colourful bunch; while only two species have been known to damage our cherished Christmas jumpers! With around 2,500 species residing in the UK (compared to a mere 59 butterflies), Britain’s moths are a diverse lot, contrasting greatly in size, shape, colour and habit. Some fly during the day and others, at night; and while some of our most eye-catching specimens break cover during darkness, it is the wealth of diurnal (day-flying) species that can be found with relative ease, right here in Northumberland, that interest me most. Many of these, in my opinion, are equally appealing as any red admiral or tortoiseshell. Summer is by far the best time to catch up with some of Northumberland’s most eye-catching moths. Warm temperatures and a glut of leafy greens provide the perfect conditions for many species to flourish. One moth that appears in abundance during June and July is the six-spot burnet - a species easily encountered at many coastal sites and which embodies the very nature of summer, vivid and rich. Their metallic, midnight blue forewings dotted with six blood-red spots, stand in stark contrast to the wider landscape. Seen against the vibrant yellow of birds-foot trefoil, their larval food plant, burnets add a remarkable touch of colour to the county’s coastal reaches during summer, and are equally recognisable at distance, flying clumsily, as if drunk, between the stems of the tall grasses of their chosen habitat. These striking moths are easily encountered on Northumberland Wildlife Trust’s reserves throughout Northumberland, particularly along 20 ROEBUCK 142 July - November 2017
Druridge Bay, but please, remember to count the spots. Other burnet species have been known to inhabit the area, and truly, you never know what you may find. Superficially similar to the aforementioned burnet, another species frequently encountered during summer is the cinnabar, a bold and rather lovely moth boasting a crimson stripe along the outer edge of each black wing. The adult moths, often associated with sand dune habitats, are sure to bring a smile to the face of anyone lucky enough to encounter one. The moth’s garishly coloured larvae are distinctively marked with reoccurring bands of black and bright orange to deter would-be predators. These cinnabar caterpillars make an intriguing sight. Prone to gathering in large numbers around growths of ragwort, writhing balls of caterpillars often consume the unlucky plant entirely before moving en-masse to another. Vibrant infants traverse the dunes in determined groups, leaving only bare stalks in their wake, at least until they pupate in late August. Indeed, in good years, ‘carpets’ of cinnabar caterpillars can be easy to come by as they continue their slow march for food, and are well worth watching wherever ragwort blooms. Northumberland is home to many dayflying moths, all of which boast their own distinct allure. From the humble chimney sweeper and the nectar-loving silver Y, to yellow shells, antler moths and the curious looking angle shades, there really is an awful lot for would-be enthusiasts to seek out. All of these moths are rather common and all can be easily observed with a little effort, in contrast to an altogether scarcer and arguably more appealing species which graces our shores in small numbers each summer, the hummingbird hawk moth. It’s an immigrant to our shores from Southern Europe and Africa, occurring with increasing frequency in recent years, even here in the North. These moths require little introduction, flying, as their name suggests, with the frantic grace of their namesake and even resembling hummingbirds in appearance. The elongated hairs that adorn their bodies give the impression of feathers and a tail, not too dissimilar to their
avian counterpart. Like the larger, tropical birds, the hummingbird hawk moth hovers in front of flowers, using its elongated proboscis to extract nectar from within. This species harbours a particular penchant for buddleia and other common garden flowers. Similar to over-hovering insects, the hawk-moth generates lift by moving its wings in a figure-eight motion which enables the moth to remain in one place as it feeds, an impressive feat for an insect roughly the size of a thimble. More impressive still is the fact that while actual hummingbirds beat their wings around fifty times per second, hawk moths manage an impressive eighty-five wingbeats! The sight of the moth’s transparent wings, working nineteen to the dozen as it feeds in the summer sun, is sure to dispel any prior misconceptions regarding “dull and uninteresting” moths. The select few species mentioned here represent but a few of the weird and wonderful moths one may encounter in the British countryside during summertime. There are, of course many more, each boasting its own unique appeal and each is worth a moment of your time should you find yourself craving colour, intrigue and a touch of oddity this summer! James Common Northumbrian Nature Writer & Conservationist Twitter: @CommonByNature Blog: commonbynature.co.uk
Six-spot burnet moth
Cinnabar caterpillar
Hummingbird hawk moth
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UK News
Critical tests lie ahead for vulnerable sites As pressure increases to build new homes, wildlife sites which previously enjoyed protection are coming under threat
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Threatened Lodge Hill, Kent
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Kent Wildlife Trust is opposing a plan to build thousands of new homes on a site with one of the UK’s largest populations of nightingales. Chattenden Woods and Lodge Hill SSSI is a nationally important area of ancient woodland and rare grassland. Its owner (the Ministry of Defence) and Medway Council want to build a new town on it.
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Stephen Trotter, Director, The Wildlife Trusts England, says: “Lodge Hill is a test of whether the Government is committed to its stated aim of leaving the natural environment in a better state than this generation inherited it. We should be celebrating sites like Lodge Hill, not building on them.” Help at kentwildlifetrust. org.uk/lodge-hill
Skylarks are safe at Rampisham Down. Elsewhere the fight continues
All development should contribute to nature’s recovery
Kent Wildlife Trust
he Wildlife Trusts are working across the UK to protect wild places from an increasing number of potentially harmful developments. Sites of Special Scientific Interest and Local Wildlife Sites are designed to protect the very best of our wildlife. They are the essential basis for nature’s recovery. So whilst we work with developers wherever possible (see pp28-29) we will also campaign against developments that are simply in the wrong place. Protections are never How cannd guaranteed and The Wildlife a Trusts are often the last wildlife nt get e m line of defence for these develop ng? wonderful wild places. alo ces The best solution of wild pla existing t c te ro P ■ s all would be for local new one ■ Create authorities to plan tworks e n re en natu th g n positively for nature’s e tr ■S fe in te wildli recovery. This would be ■ Integra lopments e essential under our proposals new dev for an Environment Act (see wildlifetrusts.org/EnvironmentAct).
Nightingales vs new town: which will win?
Saved! dorset WT
Plan positively for wildlife
Rampisham is safe – but it took a two-year fight
Rampisham Down, Dorset After two years of campaigning by Dorset Wildlife Trust and others, Rampisham Down SSSI in West Dorset will not be developed into a solar power station. The site is a legally protected, nationally
important area of rare acid grassland with skylarks, adders and many species of butterfly. The solar panels will now be sited on a less sensitive area nearby. More at dorsetwildlifetrust. org.uk
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Threatened Smithy Wood, Sheffield
Late new st UK-w s i wild and issude lifetr es org/ usts. : new s
We are enjoying another beautiful English summer. And those of us who took part in 30 Days Wild noticed wildlife every day in June, an experience I recommend to everyone. I realised how beautiful the stalk of a bramble can be, and stopped long enough to listen to a chattering in a nearby tree than turned out to be kingfishers. But loving the natural world makes you vulnerable too. I am sure many of you know only too well the sickening feeling of hearing about an imminent new development, or seeing the bulldozers move in. This is all the more poignant the closer to home it is, the more we love the place and the more memories it holds. The Wildlife Trusts oppose development where it is simply in the wrong place and too damaging to wildlife. Many fantastic sites have been saved by Trusts. Most of us don’t even know about the threats these places once faced. For example, my favourite reserve in Nottinghamshire was destined for landfill in the 1970s. More recently Rampisham Down has been saved by Dorset Wildlife Trust. This edition lays out our vision for housing, which avoids harm to important wildlife sites and creates new wildlife habitats. The best housing developments start with the landscape, building around existing old trees and hedges, and working in sympathy with the nature of the area. Trumpington Meadows (p28) is a good example. Gaydon (p29) is another, where the development went ahead but in a much better form because a Trust worked closely with the local authority and developer. To get on the front foot we need local authorities to plan positivly for nature’s recovery. This would mean new developments of any kind minimise damage to wildlife and maximise benefits. We all want to feel safe in our love of wildlife and the natural world. One way to do this is by building wildlife into every new development.
More than 1,000 people objected to swapping a bluebell wood for a motorway service station
When a proposed motorway service station threatened one of Sheffield’s ancient woodlands, the local Wildlife Trust organised a protest in March outside the city hall. More than 300 people showed their objection to building on the bluebell wood, which is a Local Wildlife Site and part of
Sheffield’s green belt. The City Council also received more than 1,000 online objections, almost all citing the loss of local wildlife as the key concern. The Council was due to make a decision on March 28th but instead delayed it. Keep up with developments at wildsheffield.com
Stephanie Hilborne OBE Chief Executive of The Wildlife Trusts @stephhilborne Wherever you are in the UK, your Wildlife Trust is standing up for wildlife and wild places in your area and bringing people closer to nature. 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 Communications officer Catherine Boggild @wildlifetrusts
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UK News
7,000 join landmark youth project More than 7,000 young people have taken part in the first year of a youth programme managed by The Wildlife Trusts and supported by the Big Lottery Fund. Our Bright Future brings together 31 projects which all connect young people to their environment in different ways. Over the last 12
months young people from different walks of life have learned new skills and gained certifications in practical conservation, leadership, construction and campaigning. In April representatives from all 31 projects met to share experiences and develop a youth vision. This is currently being worked into a
campaign which will launch in the autumn. The aim is to inspire all young people to value their local environment and take action to improve it. ■ More at ourbrightfuture.co.uk or @OBrightFuture
Young volunteers glean cabbages, reducing waste and supporting nearby community kitchens
How Our Bright Future helped three young people to: Grow in confidence Jack, 16, had suffered family loss and was often missing school when he came to Shropshire Wildlife Trust’s Growing Confidence project. There he thrived, learning woodwork, tree planting and scrub clearing. He was particularly proud of the wooden spatulas he made and that he overcame his fear of heights during a tree-climbing exercise. 24 ROEBUCK 142 July - November 2017
Learn new skills Holly was frustrated by “how screwed up our food system is,” so she joined Foodcycle’s From Farm to Fork project. She learned to cook and preserve food, and helped at the project’s soup kitchen. Now she’s applied to study anthropology and archaeology, and is exploring how food production, consumption and waste can be used as a central theme in her studies.
Get back to work Emyr, 20, came to Building Sustainable Communities after a long period out of work. He lacked confidence and even doubted his abilities to use a tape measure. However, he became involved in a sustainable building project and by the end had achieved a practical qualification and secured a job. He is now thrilled to be in work again.
and improved community buildings and recreational facilities. “We now want to see the fund boosted, to support more projects that help wildlife and improve people’s lives,” said Stephanie Hilborne, CEO of The Wildlife Trusts. ■ Has your local area benefited from the Landfill Communities Fund? Share your story on social media using #TheLCF
kent wildlife trust
The 20 year-old Landfill Communities Fund has been saved from the axe. The fund was threatened by Government proposals but the actions of representatives from across The Wildlife Trusts has led to a U-turn. The Fund has supported 3,500 environmental projects, many of them with The Wildlife Trusts. People living near landfill sites have enjoyed better access to their local wildlife,
Eden Meadows in Kent benefited from the LCF
paul hobson
The study assesses survival factors in natterjacks and other amphibians
the Trust at their Red Rocks Nature Reserve in Merseyside, where the natterjack population was reintroduced. “From this research, we will be able to better direct our conservation work,” said Martin Varley, Director of Conservation at the Trust.
Hickling Broad appeal reaches £1 million Norfolk Wildlife Trust has raised £1m in six months to expand Hickling Broad by 655 acres. The reserve is one of the UK’s richest wetlands, and home to swallowtail butterflies, marsh harriers, common cranes and bitterns. With a further £1m loan from the Garfield Weston Foundation the purchase can go ahead – but fundraising continues. “We are very moved by how much people appreciate the value of Hickling Broad,” said CEO Brendan Joyce. norfolkwildlifetrust.org.uk
Cumbria and Lancs grow their own ecologists
Georgie, Amy, Hayden, Becky and Jade explore the wildlife of Morecambe Bay
If you can’t find marine ecologists with practical skills, train them. For six years Cumbria Wildlife Trust and The Wildlife Trust for Lancashire, Manchester and North Merseyside have done exactly that. With funding from HLF they’ve seen 24 marine and coastal trainees learn species ID, ecological surveying, practical conservation and getting their message across. All now work in the environment sector, and eight are at Wildlife Trusts around the country. More info at irishsea.org/marine-and-coastalheritage-traineeships July - November 2017 ROEBUCK 142 25
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Gene study avoids inbred toads Cheshire Wildlife Trust and the University of Chester are researching the genetics of natterjack toads. The rare amphibians exist in isolated populations and are at risk of extinction due to their lack of genetic variability. Research students will help
This way for more common cranes
elizabeth dack
Wildlife Trusts save vital nature fund
UK News Wildlife areas on school grounds
Wild play areas for young people
A new way to build
Existing trees, water and meadows integrated
illustration: Nik pollard
New developments donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t have to squeeze out wildlife. In fact, they can enhance it â&#x20AC;&#x201C; and benefit people at the same time.
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he Wildlife Trusts are calling on developers, local authorities and Government to embrace a new, more holistic way of building: one that avoids damage to protected sites, and works with the natural surroundings to create gains for nature, and better health and well-being for residents.
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Wildlife permeable barriers between gardens and public green spaces
Rachel Hackett is Living Landscape Development Manager at The Wildlife Trusts @RachelTassell
Green spaces joined up in large connected blocks
Sustainable urban drainage for biodiversity and flood relief
Integrated bat and swift boxes
Wildlife-friendly planting and landscape design
Green roofs and walls to provide habitat, and regulate pollution and rainfall
July - November 2017 ROEBUCK 142 27
UK News The next decade is likely to see hundreds of thousands of new homes built. In the past, housing developments have mostly destroyed habitats rather than created them. But done in the right way, on the right site, they can lead to a net gain for wildlife – and offer their incoming residents a healthier, happier place to live. And that’s because good housing and a healthy natural world are intrinsically linked. The Wildlife Trusts have pioneered the integration of wildlife into new developments for many decades (see box below). Using our expertise and relationships with developers we
The Wildlife Trusts have pioneered this idea for the past decade have ensured that existing meadows, wetlands, hedgerows, trees and woods are retained. We also aim for wildliferich gardens, verges, amenity green space, cycle paths and walkways. The result is natural corridors weaving
ent Existing developm
Trumpington Meadows: Beds, Cambs, Northants WT
keith heppel
CHALLENGE: 1,200 new homes. RESPONSE: Habitats created and managed with the local Wildlife Trust. The developer consulted widely about creating a new country park. They chose the local Wildlife Trust to advise on green infrastructure and to manage the land in future. Play areas, open ditches
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and tree avenues weave through the development and the 58ha park is both a space for people and a ‘nature reserve’. Creation of 40ha of species-rich meadows, hedgerows, woodlands and floodplain meadows began before the first houses were built. Wetland features keep runoff to the River Cam at pre-development levels. Natural Estates: appreciated by 7,000 inner city residents
Natural Estates: London WT CHALLENGE: Little wildlife in many estates. RESPONSE: Encourage residents to improve their area. This was a partnership between London Wildlife Trust, Groundwork London and social landlords. More than 7,000 people from nine different London housing estates took part. “It helped create havens for wildlife and attractive outside areas for people to enjoy, and built a sense of pride and wellbeing in the local environment,” said the Trust’s Gareth Morgan. More at neighbourhoodsgreen.org.uk/casestudies/natural-estates
The developer at Trumpington Meadows understood the value of high quality green space
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It created attractive outside areas for people to enjoy
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Some we did earlier...
through the development and reaching out beyond. These features add what is known as natural resilience: they reduce surface water flooding and improve air quality, for example. We also work with social landlords and residents to create natural places that encourage wildlife and benefit people. The best new houses are energy and water efficient; have built-in roosting and nesting features; and provide easy access to safe, attractive green space for exercise, play and social interaction. And they deliver the priceless treasure of wildlife on your doorstep. The Wildlife Trusts believe that all
new housing developments could and should be places where people and wildlife flourish with: ■ Access to wildlife whether in a town or country ■ High quality natural green space ■ A genuine, measurable net overall gain for wildlife ■ Connectivity to the wider ecological network. With the urgent need to build so many new homes, the Government now has a perfect opportunity to reset the approach to housing. We believe it should refocus to help wildlife, and to create healthy, cohesive and thriving
communities, where residents can connect with nature and each other. All the necessary knowledge, evidence and expertise to do this already exists, and so our vision is simple: it should become normal for all housing developments – whether new or established – to contribute to nature’s recovery. ■ More at wildlifetrusts.org/housing
My Wild City: Avon WT
Priest Hill: Surrey WT
Challenge: Bristol is the UK’s fastest-growing city. Response: To transform it into a place where wildlife can thrive. Avon Wildlife Trust’s My Wild City idea aims to get whole streets joining up wildlife-friendly gardens, and communities and businesses transforming their local green spaces. One starter project offered a wildlife garden makeover for 30 houses in Stanley Park. It is now a wildlife corridor between two neighbouring green spaces. All the My Wild City actions, projects and groups are recorded on an interactive map. See it on avonwildlifetrust.org.uk
Then: abandoned playing fields and some developed land. Now: 15 new homes alongside a new nature reserve. Surrey Wildlife Trust worked with the developer and Borough Council to restore the 34ha reserve site, which helps reconnect a green corridor into
“We like living here” “We have attractive, varied open spaces with no need to get in the car. The area feels safe and the kids can play within walking distance of our home.” Rachel Mortimer, wild development resident at Cambourne, Cambs
London. The Trust is recreating speciesrich chalk grassland, wetlands and hedgerows, and many existing paths have been retained. Small blue, whiteletter and brown hairstreak butterflies are increasing, as are common lizard, skylark and linnet. alan oakley, surrey WT
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avon WT
ent Existing developm The new housing estate seen from the fast-developing nature reserve
Why can’t all front gardens...
...look like this?
Challenge: A planned 3,000 home development. Response: To make it a net gain for wildlife. Warwickshire Wildlife Trust has worked to shape this complex development since it was proposed as part of the local plan in 2013. Final planning permission is pending but as part of the development a Local Wildlife Site will become a nature reserve with long term management. There will also be semi-natural buffers to protect nearby ancient woodlands; seminatural habitat links to the nature reserve; and green infrastructure throughout the development.
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Wildlife on this site should increase after the houses are built
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Warwickshire Wildlife Trust
Gaydon: WarwickshireWT
david tipling/2020vision
UK News
My first nighti
Melissa Harrison spent three years trying to hear the elusive nightingale. Finally, with Essex Wild
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here’s one!’ says Charlie, almost as soon as we get out of the car. He looks at me, smiling, one finger aloft. I freeze and listen: surely it can’t be as easy as that? But if one was singing distantly it’s stopped now, and after a moment I zip up my coat, shoulder my binoculars and put on my gloves. We’re at Fingringhoe Wick, near Colchester, on a cold spring evening. Essex Wildlife Trust’s Charlie Oliver has promised me nightingales – my first ever – and while I’m looking forward to hearing them, of course, it’s a complicated feeling. I caught a packed train here from central London after a long day at work and now I’m worried that the sound won’t live up to the hype I’ve been absorbing about them all my life.
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We’re not half way when we hear them We begin to walk up the track. The hawthorn is coming into bloom and the wood to our right is a froth of spring green; the sky is clearing to apricot, the sun low and golden. Three years ago I realised I’d never heard a nightingale, and wanted to put it right. Bookham Common, in Surrey, reportedly had several; it was also somewhere I knew well. But it was too late for me to hear them that year. The following spring I had another go. The
common was loud with song thrushes, blackbirds, robins, blackcaps and warblers, but I didn’t hear anything that sounded like the nightingales I’d listened to online. I went twice more and still drew a blank. The brief window passed, for the males fall silent as soon as they have attracted a mate. Last year I tried again; numbers had reportedly fallen to a single singing male at Bookham, but I couldn’t find him. I tried nearby Capel, a private reserve whose numbers were up, and tried to persuade myself I’d heard a ‘jugjug-jug’ in the distance, but I couldn’t be sure. At one time, the song of a nightingale was so familiar to people in the southeast as to be ubiquitous. Now, as we continue along the broad track, I wonder
Nothing will prepare your ears for the sound coming out of that beak
The morning symphony in your garden amy lewis
Visit wildlifetrusts.org/birdsong to hear our dawn chorus playlist
Blackbird
andy rouse
Blackbirds have the sweetest voice. Mellow and tuneful, they open the dawn chorus while it’s still dark.
whether in 100 years people will go on pilgrimages to hear blackbirds or robins. I hope not. We’re not half way to the visitor centre when we begin to hear them: first one, then another, away among the trees. Even at a distance the sound is easy to distinguish from other birdsong, with an uncanny quality that no recording can capture. “The best notes of other birds... come distinctly from the point where the bird utters them, and seem to reach and terminate at the listener’s ear,” wrote Sir Edward Grey in 1927. “But the supreme notes of the nightingale envelop and surround us: so that we lose perception of the point whence they proceed: it is as if we were included and embraced in pervading sound.” Our faces are joy-struck, lit from within
by the birds’ liquid, ventriloquial recital. When we move on, I follow reluctantly; surely we should stay and hear more? But I needn’t worry: this beautiful site yields more, even closer and clearer, for there are around 30 males here and more yet to arrive. At last, in a thicket by the mudflats of the wide River Colne, we find one only a few feet away, spilling out vivid, liquid phrases completely unconcerned by us. As dusk fell, female birds were doubtless listening, assessing the parenting potential of competing males. But to me, the song’s meaning was more ineffable: loaded with myth and legend, and a bittersweet reminder of a wildliferich world we must not let slip away.
richard steel
Chiffchaff Chiffchaffs join in a bit later, as the sun rises. They simply repeat their name, two notes going up and down, welcoming in the morning. amy lewis
dlife Trust’s help, she struck gold
Brian David Stevens
ingale
Melissa Harrison is a wildlife writer and author of ‘Rain: Four Walks in English Weather’. @M_Z_Harrison
Wren Next comes a metallic, frenetic, highpitched trilling and zipping. This little brown bird uses his huge voice to proclaim his territory.
Song thrush Loud and boisterous, the repeating tunes of the song thrush carry over the rest. They get faster and faster until they’re barely pausing.
July - November 2017 ROEBUCK 142 31
UK News
Bee a friendly gardener Habitat loss and pesticides are hitting wild bees hard. But whether youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve got a window box, a patio or a whole garden, a few simple actions can make a difference
Plant nectar and pollen-rich flowers
Monty Don is a gardening author and speaker, and presenter of BBC Gardenerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s World @TheMontyDon
I
t has been estimated that 80 per cent of the western diet depends on pollination by bees. So their steady decline is a cause for real alarm. But British gardeners can actively nurture and conserve the wild bee population. Gardens are always a rich source of food for wild bees and with a little care can be made even better for them without any trouble or loss of pleasure to the gardener. You do not need rare or tricky plants. In fact the opposite is true. Bees need pollen and the smaller flowers of 32 ROEBUCK 142 July - November 2017
Provide a water source
unhybridised species are likely to be a much richer source than huge show blooms on plants that are the result of elaborate breeding. Any flower that is open and simple, such as members of
You do not need tricky plants. In fact the opposite
the daisy family, or any that are set like a lollipop on a stick, such as scabious, and all members of the thistle family, are ideal for attracting honey bees, which have rather short tongues so need easy access. Bumble bees have longer tongues so are better adapted for plants that have more of a funnel shape, such as foxgloves. Bees love any flowering trees, so an apple or a pear is a huge bonus. All legumes such as peas, beans, clover and sweet peas, as well as dandelions, blackberries, asters, ivy, and willow, are
Create potential nest sites
Encourage natural predators
Have long as well as short grass
as attractive to a foraging honey bee as your carefully cultivated borders. A garden without bees not only reduces its fertility but also diminishes its beauty. You can keep bees as I do, or simply provide a source of food for them. But one thing is certain: we cannot do without them. So as gardeners we should do everything we can to welcome them as an integral part of a beautiful garden.
Bees don’t just need nectar and pollen. Nest sites and water are just as important
Download your free Wild Bee action pack To make it easy for everyone to help wild bees, we’ve produced a short e-booklet. In it you’ll learn how our many different types of bees live, why they are threatened – and what you can do to help them flourish. For example, you can revive a tired bee with sugar solution. Find the booklet on wildaboutgardensweek.org.uk, our long-running collaboration with the RHS.
July - November 2017 ROEBUCK 142 33
UK News
Top 10 hills for a w
emma bradshaw
Summer is here, so pack the rucksack and head out the door with friends and family for a hilltop fe
N
othing signals summer more than eating outside, and nothing tastes as good as a hard-earned picnic. So we’ve selected ten hills which will reward a climb with a great view while you eat, drink and enjoy the sunshine. All our suggestions are on Wildlife Trust nature reserves, and come with plenty of wildlife. You’ll be surprised by the variety of plants and animals you encounter. Why not count the species of butterfly or bee, or see how many birds you can identify by their song? The Wildlife Trusts care for thousands 34 ROEBUCK 142 July - November 2017
of special places across the UK. Please do your bit to look after these ones on your visit; stick to the paths, respect wildlife, never pick wild flowers and leave nothing behind afterwards.
A great view while you enjoy your lunch
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St Catherine’s Hill Hants and Isle of Wight WT A fantastic spot to enjoy 25 species of butterfly, rare orchids, ancient monuments and spectacular views over Winchester and the surrounding countryside. Postcode: SO23 9PA
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Red Hill Lincolnshire Wildlife Trust A precious fragment of ancient ‘sheep walk’ downland, with a huge diversity of wild flowers. Postcode: LN11 9UE
wild picnic
east in one of our nature reserves
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Weetslade Country Park Northumberland WT A hilltop just outside Newcastle, with a drill head sculpture representing the area’s mining past. On a clear day you can see the North Sea and the Cheviot Hills. Postcode: NE23 7PS
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Allt Rhongyr Brecknock WT A perfect spot, with views that take in the source of the River Tawe and the Black Mountains. You’ll also see a big variety of birds and butterflies. Map reference: SN 852 156
8 Share your experiences Share your picture perfect picnics with us on social media @wildlifetrusts #LoveWildlife
St Martha’s Hill Surrey WT You can see eight counties from the ancient church yard at the top on a clear day, as well as a variety of reptiles, birds and mammals. Be prepared for a steep climb. Postcode: GU4 8PZ
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Straidkilly Ulster Wildlife Enjoy panoramic views across the Irish Sea to Scotland, perhaps spotting harbour porpoises. In the sunny glades, look out for the wood white butterfly – only found in Northern Ireland. Postcode: BT44 0LQ
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The Hollies Shropshire WT Here are 500 of Europe’s oldest holly trees. Feel free to picnic under any one. An unbelievably peaceful spot with magnificent views. Postcode: SY5 0NS
Planning a wild picnic this summer? Visit wildlifetrusts. org/wildpicnics
Gloucestershire Wildlife Trust’s Swift’s Hill: well worth a bracing stroll
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Roundton Hill Montgomeryshire WT A National Nature Reserve, and a great place to enjoy a summer picnic, if you can make it! The views from this 1,200ft hill are spectacular – it’s the site of an Iron Age fort. Postcode: SY15 6EL
4
Swift’s Hill Gloucestershire WT Laurie Lee’s ‘Cider with Rosie’ mentions this local landmark with its distinctive double bump. The limestone grassland has more than 130 species of wild flower,
including 13 species of orchid. Map reference: SO 877 067
5
Eycott Hill Cumbria WT Enjoy the wild flowers in a newly created Coronation Meadow, or venture on, through fascinating wetlands, to the summit of Eycott Hill, where you’ll find spectacular views of the northern Lake District fells. Postcode: CA11 0XD
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July - November 2017 ROEBUCK 142 35
my revision
â&#x20AC;&#x201D; MY WILD LIFE â&#x20AC;&#x201D; Georgina, 16, Gosforth
Wild places help people to relax in the most stressful of times. Discover your wild life with Northumberland Wildlife Trust www.nwt.org.uk
photo: cain scrimgeour
At the age of 16, Georgina Moroney is studying for 11 GCSEs at Gosforth Academy. She finds that there is nothing better than taking a break outdoors from her revision, clearing her head, helping her to concentrate and providing a well-earned break. Much better than going on her mobile phone or the internet, the fresh air, birdsong and sunshine help to recharge her brain and prepare her for the challenge ahead.