oebuck R
The Wildlife Trust Magazine for Newcastle, North Tyneside and Northumberland
Issue 143 November 2017 - March 2018
Hauxley
Record first three months
Unusual Suspects
The hidden species on our reserves
Going Underground
Get up close with the region’s small mammals plus news from around the UK
Flexigraze Celebrates a decade
Water voles
Kielder water vole release update
EcoNorth Supporting biodiversity
Contents Triumphant return for The HandleBards
graham farmer
Local News 4
Hauxley - a record start
5
Wild at Kielder, save the date
6
Going wild at ‘Our Wildlife’
7
New Bakethin hide
8
Member benefits just for you
9
Supporting biodiversity
10
Corporates Mott MacDonald supports Trust
11
Verdant Leisure competition winner
11
8
Funding
A new hide at Bakethin
Swift Ecology keeps seeing red
12
The Giving Tree ‘planted’ at Hauxley
13
Reserves & Volunteers Coast Care - volunteers sign-up
14
Hidden gems on our reserves
15
Conservation Hen harriers dance again
16
Another great year for ospreys
17 18-19
Flexigraze - celebrating 10 years
20
Marine update
21
14
The Giving Tree
A rare visitor james common
Our region’s small mammals
13
UK News Living Seas - vision launched Kielder welcomes more water voles Rare black bees back in Essex
22-23 24 25
Soil - the stuff of life
26-29
Birds a plenty
30-31
An act for nature
32-33
Brew with a view - top 10 spots for tea 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 Chairmen: Ian Armstrong & Graham Gill Honorary Secretary: Nigel Porter Honorary Treasurer: Rachel Bell
18-19
Small mammals
32-33
An act for nature
Chief Executive: Mike Pratt Director of Living Landscapes: Nick Mason Head of Druridge Bay Living Landscape and Land Management: Duncan Hutt 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
Short break winner annette duff Amwell reserve/matthew roberts
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
richard clark
chrissi allport
11
Onwards and upwards In the short time since the last Roebuck, the Trust’s new Wildlife Discovery Centre at Hauxley is up and running and being widely acknowledged as a great place to visit to watch wildlife or simply to have a cup of tea. Likewise, our improvements at Northumberlandia have helped attract awards as well as introduce the informal enjoyment of nature to a wider cross section of people. The Trust has also been busy putting a number of funding bids together, including a major one to develop our exciting partnership vision for Kielderhead Wildwood. We are also developing new management approaches to our biggest nature reserve at Whitelee which will also benefit from the new Revitalising Redesdale Project which is starting soon. Staff and volunteers are working hard to maintain our nature reserves around the region and deliver education about our sea and land based wildlife - from city parks to the wilder parts of the north east coastline. In other words, as ever, as a relatively small charity, together with our partners, we are doing our best for wildlife. This effort is ceaseless and we can never let up. The job of landscape-scale conservation, connecting wildlife networks and engaging people with wildlife, is not getting any easier but it is important now more than ever. Even in wild Northumberland, wildlife remains threatened and we need to keep focussed to ensure inappropriate development does not take over valuable wild habitat and species, that the quality of our wild places remains into the future and that nobody takes nature for granted and values the many things the natural world does for us. Direct engagement with more people at Hauxley and Northumberlandia is helping us connect with people now and into the future; we hope also to have an input at The Sill on Hadrian’s Wall and in Kielder - all the key places that aim to link people to the nature of Northumberland. It is gratifying to see just how many
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
people are signing up as members at Hauxley now the reserve and new centre are open and how many new volunteers are joining us and helping us do every aspect of our work, so I’d like to say a massive thank you for all their support. Without people’s generosity and passion we cannot deliver all we need to and improve the state of nature. There are some battles that cannot be won locally. That is where being part of a wider federation of Wildlife Trusts really helps. The Royal Society of Wildlife Trusts and the 47 UK Trusts all join together to campaign and lobby for positive change where we see things are not right for wildlife. Currently we are nationally engaged in making sure post-Brexit laws and funding to protect nature are better than before, that the environment is counted in and we see a proper plan for wildlife into the future. We are also, as The Wildlife Trusts, mindful of certain species under increasing pressure and, where possible, we collectively lend our voice and take action. As the national badger cull rolls out further, and tens of thousands are being killed, we continue to oppose the cull on scientific terms and express concern about the impact of this degree of impact on a protected species. Similarly, we want to see the hen harrier and other raptors thrive in a wellmanaged upland landscape and deplore their continuing persecution. Whatever we are doing, in terms of wider engagement, our own Trust’s priorities and work on the ground, we must never lose sight of the specific state of health of these, and other indicator species, for these are barometers of our attitudes towards wildlife and how well nature is doing at all levels.
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: Common Tern © Tim Mason All other photos © NWT unless otherwise stated
Roebuck is printed on
Local News
As You Bike It their riotous production of the popular Shakespearean comedy, and all under the watchful eye of The Lady of the North herself. For the past two years, the Trust has welcomed the HandleBards, who began as a group of friends with cheap bikes and an old trailer in 2013, to perform in front of the iconic Northumberland land sculpture. So it goes without saying staff are hoping for another visit this time next year.
Trustees were pleased to be able to hold this year’s AGM in the Hauxley Wildlife Discovery Centre and to welcome some new visitors to the site. In her opening remarks, Chairperson Sandra King, acknowledged the realisation of a vision for Hauxley which was originally conceived by the Trust’s Founder, Tony Tynan, back in 1986 when the opencast site was purchased. With this in mind, it was particularly fitting to hold the event in the Tynan Room. The business of the meeting included adoption of the Annual Report and Accounts and election of four Directors - Rachel Bell, Graham Gill, Tom Lloyd and Elaine Rigg. In addition, a Special Resolution was passed to correct three minor anomalies in the Trust’s Articles of Association.
lynette friend
A cycling theatre group took to the stage at Northumberlandia in August for an outdoor performance of a Shakespeare play. The HandleBards, which consists of several four-strong troupes of cycling actors who carry their sets, props and costumes on their bikes, went down a storm at the site with their rendition of As You Like It. This year it was the turn of the girls’ troupe to park up and perform
Annual General Meeting
Saturday 16th & Sunday 17th December 10:30am to 3:00pm Northumberlandia, Blagdon Lane, Cramlington NE23 8AU Meet Santa in his grotto and get a present if you’ve been good! Christmas themed trail and hot chocolate included. Please wrap up warm and wear waterproofs if the weather is wet. Please allow 1 - 1.5 hours for the visit. Booking slots with Santa will be 10 minutes, max 4 children per slot. All children under 18 must be accompanied by an adult.
To book visit: nwt.org.uk/santa £8 per child
4 ROEBUCK 143 November 2017 - March 2018
Hauxley: “best nature reserve ever”
simon greener
Our new Wildlife Discovery Centre at Hauxley has had a record breaking first three months since throwing open its doors to the public on 23 June. Funded by National Lottery players and a grant from the Heritage Lottery Fund, it was opened by television presenter and wildlife cameraman Simon King OBE, and has been visited by 28,000 people from as far away as Australia. The new centre enables more people, whatever their age and ability, to be able to enjoy wildlife. Almost half of the circular path around the reserve has been upgraded so that people who are in wheelchairs, or not so steady on their feet, or pushing prams can easily watch wildlife. With comments on the Trip Advisor
simon greener
website ranging from “best nature reserve ever”, “stunning and relaxing” and “paradise found” to “brilliant new visitor attraction” and “wonderful place that will only get better”, we are delighted the new Centre has proved so popular with wildlife lovers of all ages. But it’s not just humans who are enjoying the reserve; the total number of different birds spotted since the site reopened was 94 in June, 97 in July, 108 in August and 104 in September. Visitors have had great views of some of our migrating waders and waterfowl including ruff and blacktailed godwits. Visitors even got a wonderful view of a marsh harrier hunting around the water’s edge from the café.
richard clark
From January 2018, the Trust will be hosting a brand new programme of adult training sessions at Hauxley Wildlife Discovery Centre. Courses include introductions to winter and spring birds, birdsong, seaweeds and wildflowers amongst many others. Visit for more details. To kick things off, the Trust joined forces with Northumberland Astronomical Society (NASTRO) in October and hosted two, very
well received, ‘Beginner’s Guide to Astronomy’ evenings. Each session included a half hour presentation on astronomical activity in the Northumberland night sky, followed by a look at the stars through the observatory’s research grade telescope. They sessions were made possible by National Lottery players via a grant from the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF).
With meadow habitats cut late, there was an extended feeding and breeding period for invertebrates, particularly butterflies which have suffered as a result of poor weather in the last few years, and with a swimming red squirrel nicknamed ‘Thorpedo’ spotted in the lake in August, a peregrine falcon flying over the lake in September, the magnificent building and reserve are a jewel in the crown of our reserves along the Northumberland coast.
nastro
Adult Training Courses 2018
Richard Maddison
November 2017 - March 2018 ROEBUCK 143 5
Local News peter ernst
New report links volunteering in nature with better mental health The Wildlife Trusts have published a new report which examines the effects of volunteering in nature on people’s mental health. The study, ‘The Health and Wellbeing Impacts of Volunteering with The Wildlife Trusts’ assessed changes in 139 participants’ attitudes, behaviour and mental wellbeing over the course of 12 weeks during which time they took part in nature conservation and volunteering activities. Most of the participants were attending projects because of a health or social need (they may have been suffering with a mental health problem or were cut off from other people resulting in loneliness and inactivity). The report is available at: wildlifetrusts.org/ living-landscape/nature-health-and-wildwellbeing. Once downloaded, the appendix on page 31 describes the projects. We are always keen to receive enquiries from people interested in becoming a volunteer. For more information visit: nwt.org.uk/volunteer.
Volunteers carrying out a grassland management task The study which was carried out by the University of Essex found:
■ 95% of participants who were identified as having poor levels of mental health at the start, reported an improvement in 6 weeks, which increased further over 12 weeks.
■ The mental wellness of more than
two-thirds (69%) of all participants had improved after just 6 weeks.
■ Improvements were greatest for
people new to volunteering with The Wildlife Trusts and those who had poor levels of mental health at the start.
■ Participants also reported significantly enhanced feelings of positivity, increased general health and pro-environmental behaviour, higher levels of physical activity and more contact with greenspace. wild at kielder
Save the date Planning is already well underway for the 2018 Wild at Kielder Festival! Building on the success of the first festival this year, the 2018 event will be held on Sunday 6 and Monday 7 May (Bank Holiday Monday). The majority of today’s most famous wildlife experts and naturalists spent their childhoods rummaging around in hedges, heathlands and plodging in rivers and streams, learning about the environment and the wonderful creatures that depend on it. The Wild at Kielder Festival
6 ROEBUCK 143 November 2017 - March 2018
will offer visitors the opportunity to experience the wilder side of Kielder. Activities and events open up a world of exploration and excitement that will keep children of all ages and adults enthralled and involved in nature, not just for the weekend, but hopefully for the rest of their lives. The 2018 festival will include many activities ranging from wild food foraging, star gazing events at Kielder Observatory, wildlife cruises, fieldwork and ecology learning, workshops on how to survive the wild to family fun
interactive walks with alpacas and the chance to get up close and personal with the wildlife in the hides dotted across Kielder Water and Forest Park. But don’t just take our word for it. Save the date, pop it in your new 2018 calendar and find out for yourself all the fun and passion that an outdoor lifestyle brings. Keep an eye on our website nwt.org.uk/wildatkielder and sign up to our e-newsletter to stay up to date with our activity calendar.
Supported by players of
We all went wild at
Our Wildlife Hundreds of people braved the wet weather on Saturday 16 and Sunday 17 September and joined Trust staff and volunteers at the third Our Wildlife outdoor festival The two day event, held this year at our new Wildlife Discovery Centre at Hauxley, Druridge Bay, enabled people to do things which they may not have done before. With a programme of activities including butterfly and moth identification, getting up close to a number of small mammals, guided wildlife spotting walks, dissecting owl pellets to see what they had been eating for breakfast and finding out more about the archaeology discovered at Low Hauxley in recent years, there was something for everyone. The event was sponsored by players of People’s Postcode Lottery.
Special thanks to Dave Gray’s Puffin Cruises, Amble Raffle prize Alnwick Gardens 2 entry tickets - raffle Co-op, Amble £10 of tombola/raffle prizes ASDA, Gosforth Chocolates - for tombola/raffle
Photos: Simon Greener
November 2017 - March 2018 ROEBUCK 143 7
Local News Neil Denham
Bakethin hide: a place to visit in 2018 University of Newcastle School of Architecture (MA) students have designed and built a fabulous, new, 21st century wildlife hide on the shores of Kielder’s Bakethin Nature Reserve It has been funded by National Lottery players though a Heritage Lottery grant as part of the Living Wild at Kielder project. Over the last two years, nine students have worked closely with Kielder Water & Forest Park Development Trust, through its Art & Architecture programme and alongside Northumberland Wildlife Trust and Northumbrian Water to create the brief for the project. The students then developed several designs from which the
project partners selected their preferred option. Students were supported by staff from partner organisations and Northumberland Wildlife Trust volunteers. The wildlife hide at Bakethin comprises two spacious, hexagonal pods: the ‘Lake Pod’ which faces the water, and the ‘Forest Pod’ which looks to the water and also back into the forest. The new structure replaces an old bird watching hide that had occupied the site for the past 20 years. Both of the pods are fully accessible and wheelchair users can enjoy unlimited close-up views thanks to carefully designed spaces under window ledges. Bakethin Hide is designed to be
Graham Farmer
Neil Denham
8 ROEBUCK 143 November 2017 - March 2018
a wildlife attraction for everybody from dedicated birdwatchers to family groups, so add it to your places to visit list for 2018. Past projects have shown that providing opportunities for students to develop their design and publicfacing skills, by working on live build projects with real clients, offers a significant and valuable addition to their studies that the university recognises and strongly supports. Following the success of previous projects within this programme of work, students are now applying to the Newcastle University March course specifically because of the opportunity to work on a live project design and build.
Thanks members, you deserve a little extra! Northumberland Wildlife Trust members provide the essential regular support that drives change and makes a difference in creating a healthier, more diverse environment for the benefit of wildlife and people. So you deserve to feel extra special.
What’s new for members? At Hauxley
■ A member’s only hide ■ Extended opening hours ■ An exclusive invite to the new NWT group based at the
Wildlife Discovery Centre where you meet on the second Wednesday every month for talks, walks, films and social events
Additional Options
■ Invitations to member only events ■ ‘Early bird’ offers on selected events and courses
Members: “Creating a better place to live, for wildlife and people.” And of course, don’t forget the other ways you are recognised as members:
■ Free access to 60 nature reserves in our area, as well
access to nearly 2400 Wildlife Trust reserves nationally (a small list of exceptions apply)
■ This magazine, ‘Roebuck’, three time a year is packed with local and national news and views
■ Monthly e-newsletters give you regular updates on how
your support is creating a better place to live, for people and wildlife
■ Information on lots of local and NWT wildlife activities in ‘What’s On’, three times a year
■ Discounts for supporters, for example a 15% discount at
Cotswold Outdoors and a discounted will writing service from a team of local solicitors!
Not a member? Join the force for nature today and make a difference!
nwt.org.uk/membership photo: simon greener
Supporting Biodiversity: from the Lakes to Longford There are very few places in the UK which can boast such a rich and varied assortment of protected species as Whinfell Forest, Cumbria, with a red squirrel population, an ever-growing clan of badgers, a bold pair of otters, ponds bursting with great crested newts and roosts teaming with brown long-eared bats. The site is home to Center Parc’s most northerly 400 acre Forest Holiday Village at Whinfell Forest and supports a unique assemblage of habitats including deciduous and plantation woodland, heathland, wetland and bog which support some rare and interesting flora. The rare creeping lady’s tresses is most at home in the woodlands, despite being otherwise restricted to the ancient Caledonian forests. This perennial orchid boasts evergreen leaves and adds splashes of white to an otherwise carpet of green. Meanwhile, the elusive bog bilberry is almost plentiful in the wetter heath habitats, distinguished from its common counterpart by rounded blueygreen leaves. For the past six years EcoNorth have provided ecological support and advice to the Conservation Ranger team based at Whinfell Forest, a relationship which has developed through our role within the Association for Wildlife Trust Consultancies; across the UK, AWTC ecologists support Center Parcs and their teams in promoting biodiversity. Each year, the rangers are busy undertaking species and habitat surveys. With this data, EcoNorth provide an annual report which assesses the health of species and habitats on site. Our recommendations are used to inform habitat management on site for the following year. In addition to annual monitoring and survey work, we have also provided a number of training days for the rangers at Whinfell Forest, from bat handling and botanical identification skills through to breeding bird surveys and bat call analysis. Throughout the past six years EcoNorth has developed a strong relationship with the rangers at Center Parcs and the wider team; 10 ROEBUCK 143 November 2017 - March 2018
it has become a great platform for knowledge sharing and our trips to the site are always eventful. Extending the remit of working with the Center Parcs group, EcoÉireann, EcoNorth’s sister business in Ireland, has had the privilege of working with a pioneering new venture for Center Parcs in the Midlands of Ireland, in County Longford. EcoÉireann has been involved with the project from the first day on site. Originally a Coillte owned woodland, dominated by conifer trees which were grown for harvesting, the area is being transformed into the first Center Parcs village in Ireland. EcoÉireann’s role is to ensure that the wildlife and ecology is preserved throughout the clearance and construction phases and with a view to establishing ecological enhancements through carefully planned management and habitat improvements and creation. Maeve Riley, Lead Ecologist at EocÉireann, visits the site weekly and is lucky enough to work on a landscape that is a strong hold for both pine martens and red squirrels. There are populations of fallow deer that spring up throughout the site and Maeve suspects they are sneaking peeks at the development once the end of the day draws in, based on the trail of prints
around works zones found the next day! The local badgers are also keeping active and Maeve is sure they are just as curious about activities once the workers go home. EcoÉireann has carried out badger and bat surveys, in addition to checking trees prior to felling for active red squirrel, pine marten and breeding bird activity. Other species of interest include the brook lamprey, one of three lamprey protected under the Habitats Directive, and EcoÉireann have been liaising with Inland Fisheries Ireland to undertake protection and enhancement work to site waterways. Looking ahead EcoÉireann baseline ecological surveys will commence early 2018 and continue right through to Summer 2019 to verify the ecology prior to the Village opening in summer of 2019. These surveys will inform the management of the destination in perpetuity ensuring that the wildlife is sustained and enhanced for the enjoyment of visitors to Center Parcs, and for the benefit of the biodiversity of the wider area. Maria Thompson Assistant Ecologist, EcoNorth Maeve Riley Ecologist, EcoÉireann
Brown long-eared bat Photo: Josh Havlin
Corporates chrissi allport
Congratulations to Chrissi Allport for winning the Trust’s National Marine Week Photography competition on Facebook with her photo of a guillemot from the Farne Islands.
Mott MacDonald team supports Trust The Trust has received a £60 donation from the Newcastle office of Mott MacDonald Ltd. Each month staff at the Quayside office choose a charity to support, and in September, they chose us. Mott MacDonald is an engineering, management and development consultancy involved in solving some of the world’s most urgent social, environmental and economic challenges, helping governments and businesses plan, deliver and sustain their strategic goals responding to humanitarian and natural emergencies and improving people’s lives. The company’s skills encompass planning, studies and design, project finance, technical advisory services, project and programme management, management consultancy and beyond.
The Trust partnered with corporate member, Verdant Leisure who has kindly offered a fantastic prize of a self-catering short break in one of their caravans or lodges at one of their six parks across Scotland and the North East.
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 elizabeth.lovatt@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
Mears Ltd mearsgroup.co.uk
Harlow Printing Ltd harlowprinting.co.uk
Nestlé Confectionery Ltd nestle.co.uk
Karpet Mills karpetmills.co.uk
Northumbrian Water Ltd nwl.co.uk Tarmac tarmac.com
Blyth Harbour Commission portofblyth.co.uk
Percy Wood Leisure Ltd percywood.co.uk
North East Chamber of Commerce ne-cc.com
Geoffrey Lurie Solicitors geoffreylurie.com
Poltross Enterprises poltross.com
Potts Printers Ltd potts.co.uk
Gustharts gusthart.com
Sykes Cottages sykescottages.co.uk
Riverside Leisure riverside-leisure.co.uk
Howick Hall Gardens howickhallgardens.org
Verdant Leisure verdantleisure.co.uk/riverside
The Banks Group hjbanks.com The Green Energy Advice Bureau www.greenpoweradvice.co.uk Thermofisher Scientific thermofisher.com
Wardell Armstrong wardell-armstrong.com
November 2017 - March 2018 ROEBUCK 143 11
Funding Tim Mason
Ecologists keeping the region red Red Squirrels Northern England (RSNE) has received yet another cash boost towards its red squirrel conservation work from Worcester based ecological consultants, Swift Ecology. The donation of £300 is the latest of many which the company has made over the years, and for which, the RSNE team is very grateful Based in Abberley, Worcestershire, Lisa Kerslake, Swift Managing Director has a connection with the north east and the Trust, having held the position of Conservation Manager from 1995 - 2000. Although a part of the UK where there aren’t any red squirrels, the team has a strong desire to help conserve England’s remaining population of this iconic and charming species for future generations, rather than consign them to text books and the Beatrix Potter series. This latest donation will contribute towards RSNE’s ongoing conservation work programme in northern England, where staff and volunteers are working tirelessly to ensure reds continue to thrive. With a combined total of almost 100 years of experience, Swift Ecology consultants share their nationally recognised ecological expertise with a wide range of clients including developers, local authorities, non-profit organisations and householders. Highly experienced in habitat survey and management, the team offers a unique level of specialist advice among its wide range of services and holds relevant licences to work with key protected species including bats, dormouse, great crested newt and barn owl.
During our 10 year partnership, Northumberland Wildlife Trust has received £16,097 from Vine House Farm What our 10 year partnership means to me “Vine House Farm is a great supporter of Northumberland Wildlife Trust and the wildlife in our area. With the quality and good value wild bird food and other produce on offer, they are natural partners for us, and together we feed not only birds, but everyone’s interest in local nature.” Mike Pratt Chief Executive Northumberland Wildlife Trust
12 ROEBUCK 143 November 2017 - March 2018
Image credit: Richard Clark
#10together
The Giving Tree A unique way to show you love wildlife Just thinking about being outdoors, the smell of the sea, the joy of glimpsing a red squirrel, hearing the chatter of sparrows, the feeling of satisfaction after a walk, sharing it with someone you love... We all like to remember special moments, special places and of course special people. Why not celebrate that feeling and protect something you love? We have set up an elegantly sculptured ‘Giving Tree’ at the Hauxley Wildlife Discovery Centre to support nature conservation. We hope that anyone with a love of nature will want to commemorate a special person, event or moment with a beautiful leaf, inscribed with an individual message. Your leaf will be pinned to the tree and the more leaves the tree has, the more lovely it becomes. There is a minimum donation of £100 for a ‘bronze’ leaf, £250 for a ‘silver’ leaf and £500 for a ‘gold’ leaf. The first leaves were bought by Edna Stanners and her children, Jeffrey and Helen, in memory of her husband Leslie who loved Hauxley, so they are very happy that the money raised will go towards the reserve and new centre.
Be part of the force of nature and leave your message on the Giving Tree. For full details about the Giving Tree call (01665) 568 324 or visit: nwt.org.uk/givingtree.
richard clark
Residents of Roundstone Close in Newcastle raised £150 for the Trust in June as part of ‘The Big Lunch’ - the one day each year when the UK’s streets come together to meet, greet, share and laugh. Organised by Pamela Roberts and her family, over 100 residents, their families and friends enjoyed an afternoon of games, tombolas and stalls raising £300 which was divided between two charities.
Fiona Dryden (left) Northumberland Wildlife Trust Communications Officer and Pamela Roberts, Roundstone Close Big Lunch organiser
Running for wildlife Many thanks to the 20 runners who took part in this year’s Great North Run on our behalf - as always, your support is much appreciated. Anybody wishing to take part in the race next year on our behalf can register their interest with Laura Jobling at the Trust on: (0191) 284 6884 or email at: laura.jobling@ northwt.org.uk. This year’s runners: Paul Amond Ann Birchall Claire Brack Dorota Cieslikiewicz Andrew Cosham Michelle Gibson Tania Gibson
Sue Hudson James Jobling Emma Johnstone Katherine Lister Steven Major Melissa Mak Elaine More
Trish Chadwick
Party, party, party!
Martin Smith after completing the Great North Run
Mike Pratt Mathew Preston Martin Smith Russell Tait Andrew Thirlwell Patrick Walsh
November 2017 - March 2018 ROEBUCK 143 13
Reserves & Volunteers
Coast Care: from strength to strength
The Coast Care team: Tim Mason, Laura Shearer and Anna Chouler
Tim Morton Coast Care Project Coordinator Annette Duff
Rare species visit ‘The Lady’ Northumberlandia, aka The Lady of the North, is proving to be quite a draw for species on The International Union for Conservation of Nature’s (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species. During 2017, ten species of birds on the red list have been spotted on the Cramlington site including: tree sparrows, lapwings, linnets, sky larks, curlew, grey partridge, scaup, song thrush and red wings. So, imagine the delight of Trust staff and other visitors when a juvenile cuckoo, also on the red list, touched down in August, taking the total to ten. Luckily, Annette Duff and her husband, visiting the site from their home in Scotland, were able to capture the moment and share the image with Northumberland Wildlife Trust and volunteers via its social media sites. Made of 1.5 million tonnes of rock, clay and soil, Northumberlandia is 100 feet high and a quarter of a mile long, built by the Banks Group on land donated by Blagdon Estates. Northumberland Wildlife Trust is the managing agent, working on behalf of The Land Trust.
14 ROEBUCK 143 November 2017 - March 2018
left to right: Tim Morton, Mayor of Berwick Gregah Roughead, Cllr Lesley Stephenson and Berwick residents Charles and Jane Borthwick anna chouler
Site Wardens and Wildlife Surveyors. As well as enabling new volunteers, Coast Care will be supporting existing groups and individuals throughout the area, and helping them to link up together for greater impact. The Coast Care beach cleans were a real success, and were a great way to launch the project’s volunteering activities. New volunteers from all over the region, and even as far away as Durham and Derbyshire joined in to collect nearly 100 bags of rubbish from beaches in Berwick, Beadnell, Bamburgh and Alnmouth. Coming up before the end of the year will be a series of beach cleans and surveys, clearing invasive species at Beadnell, guided tours and walks led by volunteers, a fixed point photography project and the much anticipated Coast Care Christmas party. Coast Care is always looking for new volunteers, you can find out more and register on our website coast-care.co.uk.
anna chouler
Northumberland Wildlife Trust, together with the Northumberland Coast Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty and the Seahouses Development Trust, is a partner in Coast Care, a new project supported thanks to money raised from National Lottery players through a grant from the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF). Coast Care is aimed squarely at volunteering, and will train, support and resource volunteers to play a part in the conservation and management of an area stretching along the coast from Berwick to Amble and inland to the A1. Volunteers will be able to take part in a range of activities including practical conservation, photography, surveying and recording; and a dedicated Young Rangers project will help young people achieve John Muir accreditation and learn new skills. The word has been spreading quickly about Coast Care. The project team of Tim, Laura and Anna welcomed 35 interested people to two drop-in days in September; 70 volunteers to a weekend of beach cleans; and more than 50 recruits to training sessions for
Juvenile Cuckoo
Brown plume moth at East Crindledykes
False oxslip at Tony’s Patch
Pill woodlouse at Annstead Dunes
Grain heads moss
Wood ants at Holystone
Alder tongue at Hauxley
Unusual suspects One frequently asked question by visitors to reserves is: “Is there anything interesting about?” The question is difficult to answer as the simple response is that there is always something interesting to see or watch in nature; but that seems a bit facetious. On a related vein, I’ve just turned around from watching a treecreeper scuttling up a trunk on the hunt for food while listening to a cacophony of bird song as a great spotted woodpecker flies into the nearby tree, to be then challenged by a visitor questioning the site’s value to the Trust with a “There’s no wildlife, I don’t know why you’re involved here” comment. All the sites we manage contain something of interest in the natural world, sometimes the obvious rare bird, but more often than not it is something more obscure, or something common doing something unusual. At one time a red squirrel sighting would have been common place in Northumberland, sadly now it’s more unusual, but our swimming squirrel at Hauxley was an even more interesting sighting than normal. More mundane, but fascinating to watch, is a cormorant battling with an eel or a black-backed gull coming into attack a teal, brutal but
all part of nature. Most people have preconceptions about the things they are looking for on our reserves so they often miss other unusual wildlife. If you are looking at birds or meadow flowers it’s likely that the weird alder tongue will be passed by. This fungal pathogen causes weird growths on the catkins and young cones of alder and these can be found on many of the alders at Hauxley. A visitor to East Crindledykes Quarry is likely to be looking at the wild flowers of the limestone such as the oddly named burnet saxifrage that is neither a burnet nor a saxifrage. While on this search, a flash of a common blue butterfly might catch the attention but the tiny brown plume moth with its oddly spiky legs might be missed. So next time you visit Annstead Dunes in summer you’ll probably spot the narrow-bordered five-spot burnet moths but look out too for the pill woodlice, like tiny armadillos that can curl up at the sight of danger into an almost perfect sphere. Or at Tony’s Patch in spring, the bluebells might catch the attention but under the hazel coppices you might be lucky to spot toothwort, a pale, ghostly plant with no green chlorophyll because it is a parasite on the tree above. Or out
photos: Duncan hutt
on one of the mire sites in the autumn, the round red berries of cranberry might be visible but perhaps in amongst them you might observe the weirdness that is a slime mould, single celled organisms that somehow aggregate together during reproduction. Interest can also come about in other ways, such as hybrid plants like the impressively large flower heads of a cross between northern marsh and common spotted orchids or the false oxslip, a cross between cowslip and primrose. Or it can simply come from observing an ants nest on a warm spring morning or the amazing sight of a huge flock of starlings pulsating and swooping over the reed beds at East Chevington before going down to roost for the night. There’s always something interesting on all the sites we manage, it may not be obvious or rare but it might provide a new insight into behaviour or it might spark a new interest in an obscure part of our natural world. Duncan Hutt Head of Druridge Bay Living Landscape and Land Management Northumberland Wildlife Trust
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Conservation
10 hen harriers dance in the Northumbrian sky again In August, the Northumberland Hen Harrier Protection Partnership announced that five pairs of hen harriers nested in Northumberland and fledged ten young. After another very poor season for hen harriers elsewhere in England, with no successful breeding attempts, the Northumberland population once again bucked the trend. In 2015, eight young from two nests successfully fledged and last year (2016), six young from two nests fledged. This year, three of the five nests were ultimately successful and produced the ten young. Spring 2017 saw an increase in activity with even more birds performing their spectacular courtship displays known as ‘sky dancing’ and the five pairs eventually nesting, four of them once
again on land managed by the Forestry Commission. A dedicated team of raptor conservation volunteers, together with specialists from the partnership, worked together to watch over all of the nests. Despite some atrocious weather, the ten young birds were checked and ringed and will now be monitored throughout the year using satellite technology in the hope that they stay safe. The Partnership is also delighted to learn that a young hen harrier named Finn that fledged in Northumberland in 2016, was successfully raising her own chick in South West Scotland this summer. Finn was fitted with a satellite tracker before leaving her nest in Northumberland last year and has been closely monitored ever since. Finn was
named after teenage conservationist and blogger, Findlay Wilde, who together with energy company, Ecotricity, sponsored Finn’s tag. Hen harriers are still facing an uphill battle to re-establish themselves in the uplands of England, however with the positive support of all the partners including key landowners, the birds fledged. The success of the hen harriers fledging in Northumberland has been supported by a partnership between Forestry Commission, RSPB, Natural England, Northumberland National Park Authority, Northumberland Wildlife Trust, The Ministry of Defence, Northumbria Police and a dedicated group of raptor experts.
What great news for Northumberland and testament to the partnership between local conservationists and Northumbria Police who ensure the right conditions exist for them to thrive. The fact that these are the only breeding successes in England this year underlines the pressures they are under and that persecution remains a real threat to their future success. Constructive partnership as we have seen locally offers the key to their longer term success everywhere in our moorland landscapes. Mike Pratt Chief Executive, Northumberland Wildlife Trust
Following the successful release of over 300 water voles into Kielder Forest in June after a 30year absence, the Kielder Water Vole Partnership has released an additional 255 voles into two further sites in the vast 650 square kilometre area as part of Restoring Ratty, a partnership project delivered by this Trust, Forestry Commission and Tyne Rivers Trust This water voles released were bred from a population captured in the North Pennines during September 2016 which then went on to spend the winter at the Derek Gow Consultancy in Devon. The voles released in June have, so far, travelled downstream to a Kielder campsite and across Deadwater Fell to take up residence in the stream at the bottom of a resident’s garden wonderful news for Kielder residents who are very excited about their return.
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In addition to releasing the water voles, the Restoring Ratty team has been working with pupils at Kielder First School making clay for mink rafts and installing a raft in their school pond which they check fortnightly. The team is planning to help restore their school pond with head teacher Fay Hartland who is very supportive of the project. The project is supported thanks to money raised from National Lottery players through a grant of £421,000 from the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF).
lyle calmont
The voles are back in town!
Katy barke
Amble and Ayle just after being ringed
Another successful season for ospreys The return of the ospreys to Kielder Water & Forest Park is a fantastic conservation success story and a great example of partnership working. 2017 was the ninth year ospreys have nested at Kielder following the first successful nesting attempt by a pair in 2009. Since then, the osprey population has grown to four nesting pairs, with several other individuals seen frequenting the area during the season. This year has seen investment in Kielder Osprey Watch through the Living Wild at Kielder project which is funded by National Lottery Players via a grant from the Heritage Lottery Fund. It has enabled the project to buy new equipment, including new scopes and binoculars and also employ its first ever dedicated member of staff, a Kielder Osprey Assistant - Katy Smart.
This year saw a landmark achievement for the Kielder ospreys, with the 50th chick fledging since the ospreys recolonised. In 2017, all the chicks were given Northumbrian place or river names beginning with ‘A’, such as Aln, Amble and Alwinton. In 2018, the chicks will have names beginning with ‘B’ and so on. Two of this year’s chicks, Aln and Archer, have been satellite tagged and are currently making their first migration. You can keep up to date with the Kielder ospreys over the winter months by visiting the blog at kielderospreys.wordpress.com. The Kielder ospreys are contributing to the further expansion of the population in the United Kingdom, with chicks hatched at Kielder in previous years seen at several locations this year, including the Lake District, Balgavies
Loch, Geltsdale and Derwent Reservoir, which is great news. The Trust has run Osprey Watch at Kielder Waterside for a number of years and is very lucky to have so many dedicated volunteers who love to share their knowledge of all things osprey (and other wildlife) with the many visitors who come from all over the world. We would like to say a huge thank you to the team and to Katy Smart, who managed to share the story of these wonderful birds with over 7,000 visitors this year. If you would like to support Osprey Watch, you can join Friends of Kielder Ospreys. To find out more, visit our website at nwt.org. uk/ospreys or if you would like to be part of the 2018 osprey team, email Katy Barke (Kielder Living Landscape Manager) at katy. barke@northwt.org.uk for further details.
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Conservation
Going underground in Northumberland Many people extol the virtues of Britain’s plump and elusive water voles and more still are enthused by red squirrels; yet for all, despite the ample virtues of Mr Ratty and Squirrel Nutkin they are far from alone in inhabiting our wild spaces. With them is a wealth of less appreciated small mammals - the mice, voles and shrews that scurry, burrow and snuffle through the vegetation of Northumberland - each and all worthy of our time and attention. There are many ways to get up close and personal with the region’s small mammals. Among these, longworth trapping is perhaps the most complicated and time consuming as the process involves the live capture and release of rodents and shrews in a specially designed humane trap, consisting of a detachable access tunnel and nest box. The longworth trapping process is quite complicated owing to the need to ensure humaneness, and if shrews are involved, requires a specialist licence. For this reason, it is not recommended for beginners and should only be undertaken under supervision, or with extensive training from an ecological professional. Still, if you wish to get involved, The Mammal Society and other such organisations often offer the opportunity to learn more and thereby enable people to get closer to small mammals. For those looking to simply record and observe small mammals however, the best alternative to trapping involves
PHotos: James common
Pygmy shrew at Stobswood
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Wood mouse
the use of a remote camera. For me, this method can be as successful and rewarding as the former, plus it comes with the added advantage of causing very little or no disturbance to the mammals. All you need is a trail cam (even the cheapest model will suffice), some bait, and a quiet spot at which to trap. While mammal enthusiasts each have their own way of doing things, I personally, prefer the use of a wooden tunnel to provide shelter for animals with a basic premise of providing a supply of food such as grain for mice and voles, mealworms or other invertebrates for shrews, and then just waiting. The results of this method can be remarkable, and it is always a joy to look back through footage to see which visitors have paid your trap a visit. But what small mammals can you expect to find while exploring Northumberland? The answer is quite a few. We are lucky in the variety of fine, furry critters patrolling our woodlands and other wild areas. Wood mice are likely to be the most common creature you happen across, easily identified by their large eyes and ears, long tail and kangaroo-like back legs which lend power to their amazing acrobatic leaps. They are also warm brown in colour, contrasting with the duller colours of the less often encountered house mouse. Wood mice are a common visitor to feeding stations, even outside of woodland areas, but can be spotted
by eye in the field. Look out for piles of seeds stashed in tree crevices, under logs or even in abandoned birds’ nests. They are also occasional visitors to households and, as I found out last summer, are partial to the odd ginger snap. Next you have the voles: more difficult to discern, but easily told apart from mice due to their smaller eyes, ears and tails. In Northumberland, the two vole species most commonly encountered are the bank vole and field vole, though choice of habitat does not necessarily aid in the identification process. As a general rule of thumb, the bank vole has a distinctive russet-red shine to the fur on the upper half of the body and a tail that is about half to a third of the body’s total length. Field voles, on the other hand, are a blonde-brown colour and have a very short tail which is often little more than a stump. Both species are common in the county and will readily visit baiting stations, particularly if food is involved. Perhaps the best sign of the presence of voles is the high-pitched squeaking often heard from deep within cover, as the miniature (yet feisty) animals squabble over territory. Conspicuous runs through areas of rough grassland are also a handy sign of vole activity. Finally, we have the shrews: a seldom seen bunch that never fail to delight on the rare occasion they are encountered. The two species you are most likely to spot in the region, the common and
Water shrew
Field vole
pygmy shrew, are notoriously hard to tell apart, unless seen together. Although, generally speaking, common shrews tend to appear three shaded, boasting dark brown fur on top, lighter brown down the sides and pale on the bottom, contrasting with the stark brown top and white underparts on a pygmy shrew, which also tend to have a hairier tale - though this is hard to judge without extensive experience of shrews. Incredibly, lucky mammal watchers may be lucky to encounter the third species to be found in our region, the water shrew. An unmistakable black shrew, sporting an impressive pair of webbed feet used for diving, and arguably, the pièce de résistance of the creatures inhabiting our undergrowth. These animals are seldom seen, but are best looked for near water where they hunt, often by night, in search of prey. Interestingly, water shrews have a stiff
fringe of hair beneath their tail, which they use as a rudder when swimming and they can dive to depths of over 70cm. They really are fabulous little beasts and, like many shrews, have the distinct honour of being one of only a select few venomous mammals to be found in the world. Northumberland’s small mammals are an incredibly interesting bunch, rivalling even the badgers and hedgehogs that so many of us know and love. They are well worth a moment of our time and, unlike other mammals which require considerable effort to observe, can often be found with ease locally - within our own hedgerows, gardens and, occasionally, homes.
If inspired to get out there and observe rodents and shrews, by whichever method, please be sure to submit your sightings to the relevant bodies, such as ERIC (Environmental Records Information Centre) ericnortheast.org.uk/wildlife to improve understanding of these enigmatic little creatures and The Mammal Society’s free Mammal Tracker app is a great place to start. James Common Northumbrian Nature Writer & Conservationist Twitter: @CommonByNature Blog: commonbynature.co.uk November 2017 - March 2018 ROEBUCK 143 19
Conservation
F lexigraze
10 years of conservation grazing
A first for Holywell In November 2010, Swaledale and Cheviot sheep grazed for the first time at the Trust’s Holywell Pond reserve thanks to improved fencing, installed by the Trust’s estates team and the Holywell volunteers who checked on the sheep on a daily basis.
Ponies at Prestwick Harry and Bertie, two Exmoor ponies from the Moorland Mousie Trust (The same stables as Foray and Koala, two other ponies who have grazed Druridge Pools over the years). They were the first two ponies to start grazing on the wetland pasture at Prestwick Carr in May 2011. They proved incredibly helpful in helping to control the rushes.
flexigraze
A woolly first
Flexigraze, the regional conservation grazing project, celebrated its 10th anniversary at the end of July. Conservation grazing is using grazing animals to manage grassland and heathland for the benefit of the wildlife that requires these types of habitat to survive. Formed in 2007 by Morpeth farmer Stephen Comber, and with a board of six directors, Flexigraze Community Interest Company (CIC) is a non-profit making organisation which helps managers to achieve specialist conservation grazing on agricultural land and conservation sites. It can tailor grazing solutions on a siteby-site basis and undertakes this type of work for a variety of clients from wildlife charities including ourselves and local authorities, through to private companies. The project started in 2007 with 20 Swaledales but now has a flock of 196 including: Swaledales, Shetlands, Hebrideans, Cheviots, Soay and Manx Loaghtan, most of which were bought locally. It also uses cattle in particular highlands and galloways, Exmoor ponies from the Moorland Mousie Trust and even goats to provide a mix of grazing options for land managers. The Flexigraze flocks and herds graze on at least 22 Trust reserves, or reserves it manages, each year including: Holywell Pond, Annstead Dunes, Hauxley, East Chevington, Druridge Pools, Linton Lane, South Close Field, Fontburn, Creswell Pond, Whittle Dene, Keepershield Quarry and Prestwick Carr. Flexigraze played a key role in the Trust’s Save our Magnificent Meadows project, and in 2015, joined forces with the Exmoor Pony Centre to graze a herd of Exmoor ponies on the wildlife charity’s Williamston reserve, which lies 1km south of the village of Slaggyford. It was the first time ponies have grazed on the reserve which is one of the best ‘calaminarian’ grasslands in the area and home to a number of rare lichens. Meadows require long-term sustainable grazing; Exmoor ponies are very hardy creatures that are happy grazing in most environments, with the pressure from their hooves churning up the ground making it easier for new seeds to generate.
La mb joints available Spring 2018 Why not try some of our delicious shearling lamb? They will be available from April, 2018. For more information contact Stephen Comber at flexigraze@northwt.org.uk or call 07590 426 243. Keep in touch: www.flexigraze.org.uk
F lexigra z e
In 2016, the project produced balls of wool, spun from the fleeces of 40 of its Hebridean, Manx Loaghtan, Shetland and Swaledale sheep which had grazed on a number of the Trust’s Save our Magnificent Meadows project reserves. What made the knitting yarn even more desirable was that it was totally natural and undyed - with the dark brown colour being due to the strong mixture of the Hebridean (black) and Shetland (brown) fleeces. You can still purchase the wool from NWT’s online shop, nwt.org.uk/shop.
Big surprise on the Bay In February 2009, there was a big Flexigraze surprise at Druridge Bay. Twelve cattle had been grazing at Druridge Pools since late summer, so imagine the surprise of Stephen Comber when a small newborn calf scampered after his mother out of the rushes at the Pools and trotted up to greet him. The arrival was most unexpected as the majority of calves are born during March and April, not the end of January. It was obvious that Snowball’s mother had been consorting with a bull rather early but the mystery deepend as there wasn’t a highland bull around for miles, although an early maturing calf is the prime suspect at the moment!
Each half la mb has:
• 2 leg joints
• 2 shoulder joints • 3 chump chops • 12 loin chops
High Quality Shearling Lamb from Conservation Grazing
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• 1lb of mince
Marine Conservation Zones: where have we got to? We’ve been talking about Marine Conservation Zones (MCZs) for a long time now; we had the first sites designated in 2013, so why are we still talking about them? Under the Marine and Coastal Access Act (2009) the government set out to establish a network of Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) and the new MCZs were to play a key part in protecting new areas of our seas. The Wildlife Trusts were instrumental in calling for designation of key areas and worked to help produce a list of 127 sites to be protected. So far there has been good progress towards creating this network to protect our seas, with 50 MCZs designated in English waters to date. For our area we have seen two inshore MCZs designated – Aln Estuary and Coquet to St Mary’s – and there have been four offshore sites designated – Farnes East, North East of Farnes Deep, Swallow Sands and Fulmar.
While our area has been fortunate, the rest of the North Sea hasn’t seen as many MCZs and this can have impacts for our sites. The concept behind the network of MPAs means that we create protected areas of seabed habitat to benefit wildlife which are representative of the geographic area but crucially we need connectivity between sites. Just as we look to create wildlife corridors on land we need enough sites within our seas to provide ecological links giving fragmented habitats time to recover. In 2018 we expect to see the announcement of the third and final round of MCZs designation and will be calling for support to ensure key sites in the North Sea are protected, ultimately further helping our own MCZs. Aurélie Bohan Living Seas Officer, Northumberland Wildlife Trust
Marine Protected Areas can only work if they are:
2. Close enough
3. Representative
1. Big enough
4. Numerous enough
5. Actively protected
A ‘blue belt’ of protected areas for wildlife is being set up in UK seas. These areas must meet the criteria set out here if they are to work for wildlife and people. You can help: wildlifetrust.org/mczfriends
For the third year in a row Newcastle University asked NWT to deliver a summer school about marine science at the Dove Marine Laboratory in Cullercoats. The week-long summer school is open to anyone aged between 11 and 14, focuses on local habitats, species and key marine conservation issues, and is designed to be as active and hands on as possible. Typical days can be spent on the rocky shore designing and carrying out research projects, learning about cetaceans and potential threats or getting hands on with local fish species as well as getting a trip on the University’s Research Vessel the Princess Royal – always the highlight! The week is hectic and busy but great fun and is always enjoyed by the pupils, many who return each year. Thanks to staff from Newcastle University and Northumberland Inshore Fisheries and Conservation Authority for their support delivering this year’s summer school.
Aurelie bohan
Developing the next marine biologists
UK News
Trusts launch vision for Living Seas Report says the Government has a unique chance to lead the world in marine conservation A new report by The Wildlife Trusts outlines how a radical approach to marine planning could bring our seas back to their former abundance. The Way Back to Living Seas demonstrates that a joined-up network of Marine Protected Areas will safeguard marine wildlife and help the livelihoods of the many people who depend on the sea. It suggests dividing coastal waters into five regional seas and then managing everything that happens in them – from recreation to fisheries to aggregate extraction – in a way that balances the needs of wildlife and
people. This does not happen at the moment. Joan Edwards, Director of Living Seas at The Wildlife Trusts, gave a copy of the report to Environment Secretary Michael Gove when she met him in October. “We believe that a healthy, wildlife-
A healthy sea is vital for future generations
Our key ask
rich marine environment is valuable in its own right and fundamentally important for human health, wellbeing and prosperity,” she said afterwards. “If the Government takes the lead on this, within the next 25 years our seas will be more sustainable and well on their way to recovering their historic levels. This will benefit the wildlife that inhabits our seas and the prosperity and well-being of local communities and the UK that depends on them.”
The Government should put ‘Regional Sea’ marine planning and an ecologically-coherent network of protected areas at the heart of its plan
Restores nature Involves people Inspires and connects people with the sea
Minimises harm Ends pollution, destructive fishing and unsustainable marine development
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The report shows how all sea users can get along
Recognises the value of nature to our economy and commits to restoring it
Tracks progress Establishes ‘Good Environmental Status’ in all seas
‘Regional Sea’ marine planning Plans long-term Looks at the whole ecosystem and the life it supports when planning for the future
2117
Stays sustainable Sets limits for all activities at sea, including fishing, underwater noise, offshore wind and extraction
alex mustard
Common seal, Isle of Coll
“Dear Theresa, Please will you be a friend of the sea?” It’s a fair question – especially coming from the next generation. This summer, 1500 junior members sent friendship bracelets to Theresa May asking her to be a friend of the sea. Some of them handed the 100-metre-long petition in to Downing Street in August, with a message to the Prime Minister to complete the network of Marine Protected Areas around the UK.
Time to plan far ahead
Late new st UK-w s i wild and issude lifetr es org/ usts. : new s
In turbulent times wildlife can bring great solace. World politics spins around us at an unprecedented pace, but even in winter there is joy and beauty to be found in nature. It may take more determination to get out of the house as the days draw in, but there will certainly be a Wildlife Trust nature reserve very close to you and perhaps a Wildlife Trust café with welcoming people and a fabulous view. For some people it is very hard to get to see wildlife, but we believe that no-one should be deprived of that opportunity. We have projects up and down the UK helping to break down the barriers to people’s contact with the natural world. Your support is helping us do this, and also means we can stand up for wildlife so that it can thrive in town and country and at sea. And recently we have had some great successes across the Wildlife Trust movement: saving Lodge Hill’s nightingales from housing development in Kent; bringing beavers back to Scotland, Kent and the West Country; and ensuring more kids than ever have a chance to take part in forest schools. Everything we do is much easier to achieve if we have the certainty of strong legal protection for our most precious wildlife sites and tight rules about pollution. As the UK leaves the European Union, we need to make sure we retain high levels of protection and set the right direction for farming and fisheries. It is a big ask, and even then it won’t be enough. We will need new ambition if the country is going to look and feel and sound as we would all love it to in 25 years’ time. We will need a new Act of Parliament that provides the framework for restoring our damaged ecosystems, bringing wildlife into our towns and cities, and allowing an abundance of wildlife to return to our seas. Please support our campaign for a new Environment Act.
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.
Jedae, Joshua and Jenayde about to knock at No. 10
Editor Rupert Paul Layout editor Dan Hilliard Communications officer Catherine Boggild Manager Lucy McRobert @wildlifetrusts
wildlifetrusts
November 2017 - March 2018 ROEBUCK 143 23
UK News
Gwent Wildlife Trust opposes six-lane motorway over internationally important wetland Gwent Wildlife Trust (GWT) has given its final evidence to the Public Inquiry into a new motorway being built over a precious ancient wetland. The Trust hopes it can halt Welsh Government plans for a six-lane motorway across 15 miles of the Gwent Levels, which contain a wealth of rare wildlife, eight Sites of
Special Scientific Interest, a Special Area of Conservation and a National Nature Reserve. All would be destroyed or badly affected. “The proposal is a direct attack on nature, biodiversity and protected landscape and fails every test of sustainability,” said transport expert Prof. John Whitelegg of Liverpool John Moores University.
“The Gwent Levels is Wales’ very own Amazon rainforest and should be protected now and for future generations,” said GWT Chief Executive Ian Rappel. The enquiry is expected to run until the end of the year before it produces a verdict. Welsh Minister Ken Skates will decide the fate of the Levels in 2018.
save the Gwent Levels!
paign: Join our cam life. ild tw gwen org
One of the reens, or ditches, that crisscross the Levels
Second wave of water voles for Kielder
Lyle McCalmot
Project officer Graham Holyoak with a soon-to-be released water vole
24 ROEBUCK 143 November 2017 - March 2018
Following the successful introduction of more than 300 water voles in June, the Kielder Water Vole Partnership has released another 255 animals into the Kielder Water and Forest Park area of Northumberland. Voles were lost from the area 30 years ago, and the reintroduction, using animals from the Pennines, aims eventually to restore them to the west of the county. The partnership includes Northumberland Wildlife Trust, Forestry Commission and Tyne Rivers Trust, with a £421,000 grant from the Heritage Lottery Fund.
Neil aldridge
Gwent Levels in mortal danger
bev lewis
The inspiration for the new beer was unavailable for comment
Spirited support for Wildlife Trusts
Comedian and nature lover Bill Bailey caused a stir when he walked into the Avalon Marshes nature centre – and told them they had won the National Lottery Awards’ Best Environment Project. The Somerset Wildlife Trust nature reserve beat off competition from 1,300 entries in the annual public vote. The reward for the staff and volunteers was a £5,000 prize, a
Warwickshire Wildlife Trust’s annual beer festival in September premiered Malthouse Dormouse, a light, fruity ale from Leamington Spa brewery. It was inspired by the re-introduction of dormice this year in a Trust woodland. Money raised will support the Trust’s work. Not to be outdone, Herts and Middlesex Trust receive £2 for every bottle sold of Puddingstone Distillery’s special edition Campfire Gin. The gin uses flowers from the invasive Himalayan balsam, removed from the neighbouring reserve.
trophy and an appearance on BBC1. The reserve is one of the finest remaining lowland wetlands in Britain. “I’m from Somerset, so preserving the local landscape is important to me,” said Bill. “The project does an incredible job of keeping this historic wetland in tip-top shape.”
Staff and volunteers celebrate two nice surprises
to eat. “The support of these restaurants and fish sellers promotes demand for sustainablycaught Cornish fish, making the future more secure for fish stocks and our inshore fishermen,” says the Trust’s Matt Slater.
Rare black bees back in Essex
toby roxburgh/2020vision
Abberton’s black honey bee HQ. The Trust hopes they will colonise the area
Cornwall’s Good Seafood Guide needs to catch on everywhere
Essex Wildlife Trust is working to bring back the black honey bee. Once a native species, the bee was almost completely wiped out 100 years ago. Now a colony is back and buzzing at the Trust’s Abberton Reservoir reserve. Apis mellifera mellifera is one of around 28 sub-species of the western honey bee. The species flies in cooler weather than the non-native bees often imported to help pollination, so can be better at finding food. November 2017 - March 2018 ROEBUCK 143 25
chris gomersall/2020vision
Cornwall chooses good seafood More than 70 Cornish businesses, including the Eden Project and Jamie Oliver’s restaurant, have joined Cornwall Wildlife Trust’s Good Seafood Guide. cornwallgoodseafoodguide.org. uk shows people what’s currently in season and most sustainable
Somerset WT
Avalon Marshes wins public vote
erica olsen/flpa. worm: david chapman
UK News
Caroline Corsie is Agronomist and Farm Manager at Worcestershire Wildlife Trust
The stuff of life Unsustainable farming practices are pushing our soils to the edge. Agronomist Caroline Corsie explains why we need to save this precious resource.
26 ROEBUCK 143 November 2017 - March 2018
It may not look like much, but soil is one of the most important substances on earth. The quality of soil underpins society – how we grow food, how water is stored and moved through the landscape, and how carbon is locked up. It’s the foundation of life on earth and we all depend on healthy soils to survive. Civilisations have risen and fallen because of the quality of their soils, so we need to show our mud a little respect! That’s something that’s been missing in recent decades. And something The
Wildlife Trusts are trying to change. Increased carbon emissions, increased flood risk and reduced water quality are having an impact on homes and businesses, not to mention the thousands of species of plants and
Some arable land could fail within a generation
animals in the UK that rely on rich, healthy soils. Soil is made from lots of ingredients blended together in a complex recipe. Minerals come from bedrock beneath the surface breaking down, creating soils from below. Organic matter from plants and animals decays on the planet’s surface, feeding soils from above. About half of soil is made up of air. The space this creates provides paths for water, roots and crucial habitats for wildlife. Pull up a handful of soil, and you’ll notice it feels cool and wet. Most soil creatures need this liquid to live in and
Earthworms are soil engineers
What farmers can do now Farmland soil is crying out for some care Wildlife Trusts work with thousands of farmers each year. The best farmers work hard to look after their soils, working with our microscopic allies, bacteria and fungi. Good soil management on arable farms really helps to increase soil organic matter and reduce soil compaction and erosion. This includes:
■ Planting ‘catch-cover’ crops to keep the soil covered up
■ Replacing artificial fertilisers with natural organic matter (poo!)
■ Ploughing less often or stopping tillage altogether
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UK News move through, and so thrive in this dark, damp environment. And there are a lot of them: at least a quarter of the Earth’s biodiversity can be found in the soil. These life forms – from fungi to earthworms – form intricate networks beneath our feet, and so play their part in keeping soils healthy. Interplays between organisms form a complex
web which fertilises our crops and plants. But across the UK, and indeed the world, the quality of our soils is declining. Healthy soils are fundamental to our society, and estimates put the cost of soil degradation in the UK as
Wildflower field margins reduce soil loss, and create habitat and nectar sources
high as £1.4 billion per year. Some of our most productive arable land is at risk of becoming unprofitable within a generation due to the loss of soil organic carbon. Modern agricultural systems are exhausting our lowland soils, stripping
Our top three ways to help soil in your garden and beyond. More at wildlifetrusts.org/soil
1. Start composting
Lilla, aged five, discovers a slow worm in the garden compost heap
2. Go peat free Buying compost for your flower beds or containers? Make sure to buy peat-free, and let your garden centre know why it’s important.
3. Lose the chemicals Avoid slug pellets, pesticides and other chemicals. Instead, encourage natural predators and ensure your garden has lots of variety when it comes to plants and grasses. 28 ROEBUCK 143 November 2017 - March 2018
rupert paul
Down and dirty – what you can do
Buy or build two or more bins, so you can fill one while the other ‘cooks’. Kitchen and garden waste, brown cardboard – it all breaks down in the end, reducing landfill and creating habitat for insects, amphibians and reptiles, too!
zoe stevens
These intricate networks are what keep soils healthy
them of their organic matter and natural nutrients. Some farmers are totally reliant on fertilisers to grow crops, along with high levels of pesticides. Nutrients aren’t being fed back into soils, and this (alongside regular tillage) is damaging soil structure. This in turn can’t support bacteria, fungi and invertebrates – the powerhouse supporting other wildlife up the food chain. In the uplands, soils are suffering from compaction. When livestock numbers are too high, or pressures from feet and traffic too continual, soils become hard. The ground can’t absorb rainfall, so water pours off the hillsides. As well as causing flooding downstream, the runoff gets into water supplies, literally muddying the waters and taking with it vital nutrients needed to keep the soil healthy. Our soils are also releasing their carbon stores. Peatlands are one of our most important and endangered habitats, covering 12% of the UK. Not only do they support unique wildlife, but the formation of peat by sphagnum mosses captures and stores carbon, removing greenhouse gases from the atmosphere. In the last 10,000 years, UK peatlands have locked up around 5.5 billion tonnes of carbon. And yet, 80% of our peatlands are in a poor condition because they’ve been drained of water or damaged by extraction over several centuries. We have a huge job to undertake in restoring our soils, for people and wildlife. Luckily, there’s plenty we can all do to reverse this downward trend.
We can have healthy soil once more The era of soil loss has to end. Here are three projects that show another way
A 150-acre (60 ha) arable farm managed by Worcestershire Wildlife Trust, Lower Smite is restoring soil health as a first step to helping all its farmland wildlife recover. The plan is to double soil organic matter on all the arable land, and re-establish a mix of crops and livestock. Half the land is organic, grazed by the neighbour’s sheep and horses. Some non-organic land grows winter wheat and spring barley for a neighbour’s dairy. There are no insecticides or slug pellets. At least 10% of all fields are managed for wildlife with flower-rich mixes, woodland, grass margins and plants for wild pollinators.
Like many upland areas, Pumlumon holds vast reserves of peat and this land could absorb and store huge amounts of carbon. Unfortunately, in the 1950s/60s, much of it was drained and degraded in an unsuccessful attempt to improve grazing. Montgomeryshire Wildlife Trust has undertaken a monumental project to restore the landscape. The project area holds 347 square miles of key habitats including blanket bog. On one holding alone they have blocked 6.8 miles of ditches, restored 260 acres (105ha) of peat bog and safeguarded 82,500 tonnes of carbon. As the bogs become wet again, mosses start to grow, absorbing carbon and locking it away as new peat. At the same time, existing peat is protected from further erosion.
wendy carter
Pumlumon Project, Montgomeryshire
Spreading dung on pasture as part of Cornwall’s Pass the Poo project
Pass the Poo Project, Cornwall Cornwall Wildlife Trust is pioneering a way to protect soil to benefit farmers, wildlife and the wider environment. For many centuries, mixed farms produced dung from livestock and ploughed it back into their cropping soils. Today, many farmers focus on either crops or livestock, with crop farmers tending to buy artificial fertiliser to spread on the soil. This leaves the soil without enough organic matter, so it’s poor at holding onto nutrients and water, and prone to washing away. Livestock farms produce more dung that they need, which takes up valuable space and risks polluting streams and rivers. To solve this, farm advisers at Cornwall Wildlife Trust are helping share dung across the county, moving it to where it is most needed and improving soil for crops. Farmers are already reporting an increasing crop yield!
montgomeryshire WT
Spreading compost on fields builds up soil fertility and stores carbon
jan dinsdale
Lower Smite Farm, Worcestershire
Blocking the drainage ditches allows the mosses to regrow
A quarter h rt of life on easilience
shutterstock/dan hilliard
and re Soil fertility cades or even de r ve o of builds up ugh billions ro th , ia n mille als, im n between a interactions ngi. The three plants and fu attempt to re schemes he process at th t o o b re
November 2017 - March 2018 ROEBUCK 143 29
UK News
danny green/2020vision
Sorrel Lyall is a young birder, naturalist, wildlife artist and writer
As the days get shorter and cooler, look to the skies at dusk and you might come across a strange, dark cloud of small chattering birds, swirling rapidly before a sky of pinks and oranges. These are common starlings, flocking together in a behaviour called murmurating – a hypnotic display of aerial acrobatics. Just before dusk in the autumn and winter, small flocks of starlings from the surrounding area come together, forming a growing cloud that can become almost opaque as the birds turn through the air. But why do these charming birds
that we know so well from our gardens display this intriguing behaviour? There are thought to be a few reasons. Firstly, safety. By constantly changing direction in a tight flock, starlings can evade aerial hunters. Predators such as sparrowhawks are confused by the
Predators struggle to single out one bird
“Some flocks contain
The UK’s annual starling air show starts in November, boosted by migrant birds from colder parts
30 ROEBUCK 143 November 2017 - March 2018
Starlings at sunset in Caerlaverock, Scotland. There are plenty more sites like this around the UK
rapid movements, and so struggle to single out an individual bird and pursue it. Secondly, to share information, perhaps about good nearby food sources that individuals have found on their daily forages. The third reason is warmth. After wheeling through the sky in a stunning aerial performance, the flock pours down into a reedbed or woodland to roost for the night as one large group. By forming a cluster the starlings can share body heat as the air temperature drops. Starlings also roost in more urban
settings, on buildings and structures – anywhere sheltered, without an immediate threat from predators. Some of the best-known places to see this amazing natural spectacle are the Somerset Levels, Brighton Pier and Gretna Green, but there are other sites across the UK too, including many Wildlife Trust nature reserves. The largest murmurations in Britain can contain over a million birds and displays can last over an hour. This really is the ultimate reason to brave the cold this winter. Find your nearest murmuration and prepare to be wowed.
a million birds�
of Europe. Look out for a display near you this winter
Find a s like this neight ar you
Discover m agical murmuratio n s, w onderful wader flock s and huge gaggles of geese th is winter wit h your Wildlif e Trust: visit wildlifetrust s.org/ megaflocks
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UK News
An act for nature
Amwell reserve/matthew roberts
The Wildlife Trusts are calling for an Environment Act: an ambitious piece of framework legislation that would give our wildlife a unique opportunity to recover
Imagine taking a train journey through the countryside in 25 years’ time. From the window, you see red kites gliding across beautiful farmland and woods. Bees are buzzing in the vibrant field margins and thriving hedgerows. You whizz past a vast wetland teeming with egrets, herons and, although you don’t see them, water voles. There are no stories about flooding in the news – the recent heavy rainfall has been locked into the landscape, caught upstream. Last week, when you went to the seaside on holiday, the beach was pristine: no plastic bottles, rockpools full of life. Seabirds were fishing just offshore. The fish’n’chip shop was doing a roaring trade selling local catch – since the seas have been recovering, both people and wildlife have benefited. Whales, dolphins, vast shoals 32 ROEBUCK 143 November 2017 - March 2018
Everything we value derives from nature of tuna – they’re a regular occurrence now. When you arrive in the bustling city, the air you breathe is just as clean as it is in the countryside. Above the urban hubbub, blackbirds, robins and dunnocks are singing loudly. You stroll over a river: earlier this morning, an otter swam beneath this bridge, a fat brown trout in its mouth. In a park across the street, schoolchildren are having a lesson in the shade of the trees. They look happy and focused.
This doesn’t have to be a dream. We have a chance to act now, together, and give wildlife a real chance to recover. If we’re ambitious enough, we really could be the first generation to leave the environment in a better state than we inherited it. A wildlife-rich world is important for its own sake, but we also know it is the foundation of our society and economy. Ultimately everything we eat and drink; the air we breathe; our fuel, clothes and shelter derives from the natural world. So does everything we value: our health, wellbeing and possessions. Yet, we have taken it for granted; mined the natural world mercilessly. Isn’t it time for us to enter a new era in our relationship with nature? Acts of Parliament are an expression of what a nation values. Acts have ushered in healthcare and education for
Stephanie Hilborne OBE is Chief Executive of The Wildlife Trusts Could there be a lot more nature in our lives by 2040?
What would it look like? An Environment Act to: ■ Set ambitious, measurable, long term aims for nature’s recovery ■ Establish the key environmental principles that should guide decisions at every level including the principle of access to nature
Restore nature
What you can do
If you think there should be more nature in all our lives, write to your MP andlet them know: all the details are on wildlifetrusts.org/ environmentact
all, and made us safer in the workplace. The 1949 National Parks and Access to the Countryside Act and its successors have protected some vital rich wildlife sites. But we know this is not enough, and soon we won’t have the safety net of the EU courts either. The UK and each country within it needs visionary legislation that explicitly aims for nature’s recovery on land and at sea. Only Governments can ensure there is a long-term framework that puts nature back into our landscapes, townscapes and society. We all deserve a world-class environment: clean air, clear water, a stable climate, healthy seas and thriving wildlife in the places we love. So do future generations. If we all make enough noise, and explain this is what we want, it can happen.
■ Make sure vital wildlife sites are protected on land and at sea ■ Set plans for expanding and joining up habitats ■ Map out where new habitats should be established So that there is: ■ A greater diversity and abundance of wildlife everywhere ■ More wildlife-rich woods, meadows & wetlands ■ More thriving seagrass beds and reefs at sea
Set limits ■ Control emissions and discharges of pollutants ■ Minimise use of natural resources like water and sand ■ Restore the health of our soils in hills and floodplains So that: ■ Air and water is clean and our soils high quality ■ Future generations can grow food ■ Heavy rainfall causes less flooding
Achieved with ■ Highly effective regulators ■ Serious investment from both private and public sectors ■ Financial incentives for environmental benefits ■ Evidence-based, tailored advice and guidance
Checked by ■ Airtight accountability and transparency ■ Regular monitoring of progress towards targets ■ Appropriate penalties ■ Access to environmental justice through the courts
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UK News
Brew with a Richard Osbourne. Inset: chippy wood
Check out ten brilliant Wildlife Trust visitor centres where you can drink tea, eat cake and enjoy wildlife all at the same time
The view from Cley Marshes visitor centre – one of Norfolk Wildlife Trust’s finest achievements
There is nothing like a bracing walk in the wild winter, with frostbitten landscapes, huge flocks of birds and fallen, frozen leaves crunching under your feet. But after all that adventure, you’ll need to warm up. Here are ten outstanding nature reserve cafes where you can treat yourself to a well-earned cuppa, luxurious hot chocolate or a cheeky slice of homemade cake. Not only that, but you can carry on watching the wildlife while you’re tucking in. 34 ROEBUCK 143 November 2017 - March 2018
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Lancashire Wildlife Trust Reedbed Restaurant, Brockholes Plenty of restaurants offer lakeside views, but few can claim to float on one! Step aboard Brockholes’ floating village and enjoy a homemade breakfast, lunch or afternoon tea with stunning panoramic views. Map ref: SD 588 306, PR5 0AG
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Lincolnshire Wildlife Trust Gibraltar Point Visitor Centre Grab a drink and immerse yourself in the wildness of the Lincolnshire coast,
with expansive windows and a rooftop viewing deck offering panoramic views across the dunes and out to sea. Map ref: TF 556 580, PE24 4SU
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London Wildlife Trust The Coal House, Woodberry Wetlands Nestled on the shore of a reservoir, this lovingly restored nineteenth century building is the perfect place to escape the bustle of the city for a delicious breakfast, brunch or lunch. Map ref: TQ 325 875, N16 5HQ
view
Share your experiences
Tweet us a photo of your favourite wild ca fé or cake using @wildlifetrusts #LoveWildlife
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Scottish Wildlife Trust Montrose Basin Visitor Centre Sip a Fairtrade tea or coffee and marvel at the spectacle of thousands of pinkfooted geese wintering on the Scottish coast, all from the comfort of the visitor centre. Map ref: NO 700 564, DD10 9TA
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The WT of South & West Wales Glasshouse Café, The Welsh Wildlife Centre Offering amazing views of Teifi Marshes Nature Reserve, Glasshouse Café boasts a home-made menu as diverse as the wildlife you can spot from the windows, including the mouth-watering Pembrokeshire Pie. Map ref: SN 188 450, SA43 2TB
9 The cafe adds calories, the marsh removes them
Warwickshire Wildlife Trust Badgers Tea Room, Brandon Marsh Nature Centre From the famous full breakfast to a range of teas, coffees and cakes, there’s plenty to snack on as you admire the birds visiting the feeders outside. Map ref: SP 386 761, CV3 3GW
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Essex Wildlife Trust Skylark Tearoom, Abberton Reservoir Visitor Centre This thriving tearoom is the perfect place to warm up with a homemade soup and enjoy the best birdwatching that winter has to offer, including close views of hunting barn owls. Map ref: TL 962 177, CO2 0EU
There are more than 100 Wildlife Trust visitor centres. Find them at wildlifetrusts.org/ visitorcentres 7
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Northumberland Wildlife Trust The Lookout Café, Hauxley Wildlife Discovery Centre This new eco-friendly building includes a café with incredible lake views and Druridge Bay beyond. Enjoy a coffee and freshly-baked scone as you gaze out over the beautiful Northumberland coast. Map ref: NU 285 023, NE65 0JR
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Norfolk Wildlife Trust Cley Marshes With panoramic views across Cley Marshes, the eco-friendly visitor centre
is the perfect place to enjoy a scone, a coffee and flocks of brent geese, too. Map ref: TG 054 440, NR25 7SA
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Nottinghamshire WT Idle Valley Rural Learning Centre Watch ducks dabble on the lake as you tuck into a delicious homemade cake. Try a classic with a spin, like chocolate and courgette cake, or their signature Idle Fat Rascal. Map ref: SK 689 829, DN22 8RQ
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my lucky dip — MY WILD LIFE —
Emma and Alistair, Seaton Sluice, Northumberland
Emma and Alistair love wild swimming in the North Sea. They feel so lucky that Northumberland has miles of amazing coastline and stunning, clean beaches that they can explore together - often without anyone else around. With such fantastic wild spaces like this just on their doorsteps, they can share fun times together enjoying an exhilarating dip in the North Sea to escape from the stresses of everyday life. Wild places offer us the chance to connect with our loved ones. nwt.org.uk #TheSeaAndMe