Northumberland Wildlife Trust - Roebuck 144 by Northumberland Wildlife Trust

oebuck R

The Wildlife Trust Magazine for Newcastle, North Tyneside and Northumberland

Issue 144 March - July 2018

Woodland Wonders

Project update and appeal launch

Hauxley

The success continues

Young Rangers

Ready for Coast Care action plus news from around the UK

Restoring Ratty Crowdfunder underway

Wild at Kielder Back again, bigger and better

Marine Plastic Not so fantastic

Contents HandleBards peddling back

Neil denham

Local News 4

Make homes for people and wildlife

Young Rangers off to a flying start

Woolly Wonders

Wild at Kielder

More play at Northumberlandia

Hauxley - alive and kicking

Funding Donate to save Ratty

Woodland Wonders

Corporates

Wild at Kielder 12

Cotswold Outdoors - 15% discount

holidaycottages.co.uk

New corporate member

Reserves & Volunteers Bog off! Restoration completed

Partnership work

Volunteers - we need you!

Conservation 16-17

From corpse to copse

18-19

New Year, new Wildwood

Revitalising Redesdale

Partnership work Aurelie Bohan

Marine plastics - the big issue

New corporate member

UK News Farming rethink called for

22-23

Essex barn owls

Prince Harry at Brockholes

Spotlight on Isabel Hardman

26-29

Break down garden barriers

30-31

The importance of sand dunes

32-33

Top places to see red squirrels

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

16-17 Marine plastic

34-35

Where to see red squirrels

Chief Executive: Mike Pratt Head Living Landscape and Conservation: Duncan Hutt Head of Business Management: Jane Speak Head of Marketing and Fundraising: Sheila Sharp EcoNorth Managing Director: Vicki Mordue

Find us on: NorthumberlandWT @NorthWildlife NorthWildlife

Chief Executive’s Comments

richard clark

tom marshall

Wildlife and people win lotteries!

Crowdfunder for Ratty dan chapman

people’s postcode lottery

Mark Hamblin/2020VISION

Not all charity gala events are the same, some you may have read about lately are frankly embarrassing and do not do anybody any favours, but, by contrast, the annual People’s Postcode Lottery gala in Edinburgh was both life affirming and inspiring. I have been attending this event on behalf of Northumberland Wildlife Trust for the past 9 years, since People’s Postcode Lottery first came to the North East and started funding charities. We were the pioneer Wildlife Trust that first went into partnership with the charity lottery and became a regular recipient of funding. The first grant was for a few thousand pounds to graze ponies at Bakethin at Kielder, but from then on we have received funding of up to £200,000 each year which has amounted to in excess of £1.2m over the last decade, an amount which has transformed what we have been able to do for wildlife and people, and supported us in the hardest times when other funding was not so easily available. For people, wildlife generally, for this Trust and the Wildlife Trusts generally, support from players of People’s Postcode Lottery funding has been, and still is, a real winner. Over £2.8m will be paid this year to Wildlife Trusts in a new deal that also continues to this Trust’s benefit. It is an amazing success story, a social lottery that really makes a difference. I also chair

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

Emma Thompson speaking at People’s Postcode Lottery

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

their small grants funds and have seen the massive impact its funding has on children, cancer patients and many more good causes - it truly is wonderful to be involved in helping fund other parts of the charity sector as well as being a recipient of its funding. The gala was amazing (as usual) and very celebratory with actor Emma Thompson talking movingly about the impact of climate change she had witnessed in the Arctic, the terrible human suffering brought about by human trafficking and poverty. Each time, I leave feeling how much the environment and people are linked. I would like to take the opportunity here to also emphasise how important support from the National Lottery players is to us via grants from the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF). Over the years they have funded many of our projects: Hauxley Wildlife Discovery Centre, Revitalizing Redesdale, Rescued from the Sea, Restoring Ratty, Kielderhead Wildwood and Red Squirrels Utd to name but a few, to the tune of millions of pounds and the support is ongoing. Without this funding and partnership support this Trust would not be able to make the impact on the natural environment and communities that it does and we hope to continue benefitting from its support in the future. We work with a great local HLF team of advisors who are passionate in their support for our cause and that makes our job so worthwhile. So please play either the People’s Postcode Lottery and/or the National Lottery because by playing wildlife and people win every time and we all really need this support in challenging and changing times. Moreover, I hope you win too!

Mike Pratt Chief Executive Northumberland Wildlife Trust

Northumberland Wildlife Trust is a member of the largest voluntary organisation 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: © Guy Edwardes/2020VISION All other photos © NWT unless otherwise stated

Roebuck is printed on

Local News tim mason

New Trustees wanted Grotto Donations If you would like to join our team of Trustees, we would love to hear from you! Whatever your background, if you think you have skills and experience which could benefit the Trust then please contact Paula Turner, HR Officer, on 0191 284 6884 or via email at paula. turner@northwt.org.uk for further information. For 2018/19, the Trust is particularly seeking prospective Trustees with skills in business and conservation. Applications must be made during May and we would welcome approaches from suitable candidates. There is a formal application and skills analysis process and a limited of vacancies.

Thanks to the donations received for our ‘Santa’s Grotto’ from Sainsburys, Cramlington (8 boxes of mince pies), Laverock Hall Farm (3 straw bales) and Northumberland County Council (Woodchip).

Good Luck James! Keep your fingers crossed for Trust blogger and Roebuck contributor James Common who has been voted into the finals of the 2018 UK Blog Awards, but will have to wait until April to find out if he has won. You can read his fascinating article on wildlife in graveyards on pages 18 and 19.

Otterly Amazing This otterly amazing photo of one of the residents of our Hauxley reserve was taken by Trust volunteer Tim Mason. It seems that even the snow and icy weather in February wasn’t going to stop it from taking a morning dip.

Early Birds Catch a Bargain Great news! For the third year running, the world’s first cycling theatre company, The HandleBards, will be heading back to Northumberlandia on Tuesday 14 August to woo the region’s lovers of the Bard of Avon. This year it is the boys turn to park up and perform their riotous production of Twelfth Night. Save the date, make a note of the time: gates open at 5:00pm, with the performance running from 6:30pm - 9:30pm, including the interval. So pack your deckchair and vino and enjoy a great evening of entertainment in a wonderful outdoor atmosphere - all under the watchful eye of one of the North East’s most famous landmarks. Tickets are now on sale for the event and to celebrate the return of such talented actors, a limited number of ‘Early Bird’ tickets are available at the special price of £12 per person (instead of £15) so be quick because once they’ve gone, they’ve gone. Visit nwt.org.uk/handlebards to book. This is a fundraising event on behalf of Northumberland Wildlife Trust.

4 ROEBUCK 144 March - July 2018

rswt

Trust backs call to put nature at the heart of planning New guidelines published at the start of the year show how new housing developments can be built in a way that provides people with greener, inspirational homes that help to reverse decades of wildlife and habitat decline. ‘Homes for people and wildlife - how to build housing in a nature-friendly way’ has been published at a time when the Government recently committed to building a further 300,000 homes a year until 2022. This means that about 36 square miles will be given over to new housing developments annually - that is an area larger than Brighton & Hove every year. This figure is based on an average density of 32 residential addresses per hectare as per Department for Communities and Local Government’s ‘Land Use Change Statistics in England: 2015-16’. Northumberland Wildlife Trust, together with the other 45 UK Wildlife Trusts believes that the natural environment must be put at the heart of planning in order to give the government a chance of meeting its commitment to be the first generation to leave the environment in a better state than we found it, and to build new homes and communities that people enjoy living in. A huge challenge lies ahead thousands of new houses are to be built, yet we need to restore the natural world, hence all the Wildlife Trusts joining to call on the government and

local authorities to build beautiful, nature-friendly communities in the right places. Over the past century, the UK has lost natural habitats on an unprecedented scale. Yet nature has its own innate value - it makes us happy and we depend on the things that it gives us. The new guidelines show that it is possible to have both, so people can enjoy birdsong, reap the benefits of gardens, which soak up floodwater, and plants that bees and other pollinators need to survive. With good design, the costs of doing this are a tiny proportion of the overall cost of a housing development, but represent a big investment for the future. The Wildlife Trusts are calling for the current focus on numbers of new homes to be replaced by a visionary approach to where and how we build. Developers should avoid destroying wildlife sites and locate new houses in places where it can help to restore the landscape and aid natural recovery. We believe it is possible to create nature-friendly housing by planting wildlife-rich community green spaces, walkways, gardens, verges, roofs, wetlands and other natural features with these wildlife gains also improving people’s health and quality of life. The Wildlife Trusts’ blueprint for new nature-friendly homes highlights the myriad of social, environmental and economic benefits of this approach and

are as follows: • Benefits for wildlife - better protection for wildlife sites, more space for wildlife, improved connectivity and buildings that are more wildlife-friendly. • Benefits for residents - daily contact with nature, improved health, protection against climate extremes, safer transport routes, good sense of community. • Benefits for the economy and wider society - cost-effective environmental protection, employment, space to grow local food, healthier and happier communities putting less pressure on health and social services. • Benefits for developers - satisfied customers, market value, enhanced brand, improved recruitment, improved environmental ranking. Each year Northumberland Wildlife Trust works tirelessly to influence local authority planners and responds to dozens of planning applications to benefit wildlife and people alike. Nationally, it works in partnership with developers to influence the landscape design in and around new developments. ‘Homes for people and wildlife - how to build housing in a nature-friendly way’ and case studies can be found here wildlifetrusts.org/housing.

March - July 2018 ROEBUCK 144 5

Local News anna chouler

Young Rangers off to a flying start

anna chouler

The Coast Care Young Rangers got off to a flying start with a great turnout for the taster session at the end of January. After a brief introduction, the group rushed into the woods to begin learning bushcraft skills with the team from Northern Outdoors which included learning about basic survival - how to make a shelter and a fire for warmth, find water and hunt for food. Within minutes the team started to construct a shelter, large enough for everyone to fit in, made from materials found on the forest floor; they created a sloped roof and soft bedding, with branches making up the shelter walls. It was no easy feat, and they quickly created something even Bear Grylls would be proud of! Next on the running order was making a fire. As a group they discovered the pros and cons of using different objects to create a spark, and, after several attempts, a fire was made using flint, a piece of steel and dried grass. The Coast Care Young Rangers group is part of the Coast Care project, which is supported thanks to money raised from National Lottery players through a grant from the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF). It is run by Northumberland Coast AONB Partnership, Northumberland Wildlife Trust and Seahouses Development Trust. At a local level, the Young Rangers have also received a generous donation from Jeff and Jill Sutheran, owners of the multi award winning St Cuthbert’s House B & B on Main Street, Seahouses. The group was created to engage teenagers with the management of the Northumberland coast and is an opportunity to develop new outdoor skills and meet like-minded people. It is free to young people aged 13-19 living between Berwick and Amble and meets every other Saturday. Further details and application forms are available on the Coast Care website coast-care.co.uk/youngrangers.

anna chouler

fiona dryden

Laura Shearer Coast Care Project Assistant

Woolly Wonders The Trust now has balls of grey wool from the Flexigraze Community Interest Company’s flock of Hebridean and Shetland sheep and brown wool from its Manx loaghtans that grazed on a number of trust reserves including Hauxley and East Chevington. Paula Turner, Trust HR & Payroll Officer was the first to test out the latest batch when she knitted a new jumper the start of the year.

6 ROEBUCK 144 March - July 2018

The double knit is priced at £5 per 50g ball and available from: • NWT headquarters, St Nicholas Park, Jubilee Road, Gosforth, Newcastle, Tyne and Wear • Hauxley Wildlife Discovery Centre, Hauxley Lane, Low Hauxley, Northumberland • Fine Fettle Fibres, 45 Maine Street, Felton, Morpeth, Northumberland

Sunday 6th & Monday 7th May 2018 Join us to get ‘Wild at Kielder’ over the Bank Holiday weekend this May. Staff at Northumberland Wildlife Trust together with the team at Kielder Water & Forest Park Development Trust and partners including the Forestry Commission, Northumbrian Water and Calvert Trust Kielder have spent the past six months planning the next Wild at Kielder Festival, which this year promises to be bigger and better than the last. For two days there will be a full range of wildlife themed activities and events suitable for the whole family - some are free so just turn up whilst others need to be booked to avoid disappointment. We are sure there will be plenty to keep young and old entertained whilst discovering the fun and passion that an outdoor lifestyle brings.

Activities will include: • Forest wildlife safaris • Food foraging • Den building for families • Fire by friction • Wildlife and osprey motorboat cruises • Know your trees and plants • Red squirrel science • Wildwood and water voles talk and tour • Ratty ramble • Pond dipping • Habitat home building • Gruffalo spotting • Osprey watch • Alpaca walks • Dark skies exploration • Highway Rat trail

Photo: neil denham

To find out more about all of the activities that will be taking place, visit nwt.org.uk/wildatkielder for details and to book your places!

Local News

More play at Northumberlandia Matt Fitch

Northumberlandia staff and volunteers had the first go on some new natural play features at Northumberlandia - a 35-metre long woodland log and step balance course. Suitable for children of walking age, there are 28 separate linked features to enjoy from the site’s woodland trail. The trail was largely constructed from timber from the site and took 13 person days to complete. The site follows requests raised in the Northumberland visitor questionnaire last summer for a family friendly play area, which we feel will enhance the overall visitor experience on the site. We hope this is the first of a range of features, which will encourage people to make a return visit. Made of 1.5 million tonnes of rock, clay and soil, Northumberlandia nicknamed ‘The lady of the North’ 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. In 2017, Northumberlandia attracted over 90,000 visitors.

Two year old Ben Fitch testing the new play area

A festival of wildlife themed activities for all the family!

Our Wildlife 16 & 17 September, 10am - 5pm

FREE ENTRY

Northumberlandia, NE23 8AU

SAVE THE DATE!

photos: Simon greener

8 ROEBUCK 144 March - July 2018

lewis thomson

Keeping it local duncan hutt

Pheasant and stoat

Hauxley: wild and alive Much has been said over the past year or more about our new facilities at Hauxley; much less has been said about the wildlife on site. Our volunteer bird recorders recorded the birds seen on or from the site on 255 days of 2017 and at the same time recorded mammals and, seasonally, butterflies. Hauxley is probably best regarded for its birds and indeed, we got between 33 and 74 species recorded on each of these surveys. However, Hauxley is also a great site for a wide range of other wildlife. Many people comment on our colourful range of wild flowers which include some important species such as kidney vetch, restharrow, bloody crane’s-bill and the late flowering devil’s-bit scabious. Also amongst the mix are northern marsh and common spotted orchids and the striking spikes of viper’s-bugloss. Common teasels are indeed common around the site and amongst them are huge cut-leaved teasel; a discovery of 2017 were some unusual hybrids between the two. Amongst our 17 species of butterfly visitors are those whose caterpillars feed on grass such as speckled wood, large skipper and ringlet. Common blues make use of the abundant bird’s-foot trefoil while red admirals, peacock and small tortoiseshell use nettles. The autumn of 2017 saw a huge influx of red admirals to Hauxley although we were by no means alone in this. The first butterfly was a peacock on 28 February and our last were on 11 November with a red admiral and 2 peacocks. 2017 was disappointing for meadow browns and ringlets with far fewer recorded than in recent years. Amongst the butterflies were a few day flying moths, most striking of which are probably the burnet moths. Our small ponds are home to amphibians such as smooth and greatcrested newts as well as frogs and toads. The ponds also provide the home to dragonfly and damselfly larvae and there are good numbers of the adults of common blue damselflies and common darters in the summer and early autumn, the last being a common darter on 9 October. The larger southern hawkers also patrol our paths on the hunt for food taking smaller insects including damselflies on occasion. As well as birds, Hauxley is relatively well known for its red squirrels which are spotted most days on site and included the sighting of one swimming across the main lake. A more common swimming creature is the otter which have been seen less frequently during 2017 than a couple of years earlier but are still here as shown by the footprints on the frozen lake in December. Our resident stoats also put on fascinating displays at times as they challenge rabbits, pheasants and a range of other creatures on site. The youngsters often put on crazy shows of tree climbing when they reach the right age. We have plenty of other wildlife on site too; you can come and learn about some of them such as moths, hoverflies, bats and newts as part of our training programme and site events.

The Trust is now calling on its next door neighbour, Hauxley Farm Dairy, to supply the milk to The Lookout Café; and with virtually no transport miles, fresh milk straight from the 130 British Friesians which have grazed in the adjoining Hauxley fields, plus returnable glass bottles so no plastic waste, you cannot get greener than that. With The Lookout Café serving ice cream from Morwick Farm in Morpeth and cakes from The Pottergate Centre in Alnwick, not to mention the actual building being constructed from locally grown and traditional building materials, we are honouring our promise to ensure the building is as Northumbrian as possible.

Learning Workshops The Trust is running a selection of adult learning workshops based at the Hauxley Wildlife Discovery Centre, led by an experienced professional who is an expert in their field. Upcoming Workshops: April • Introduction to great crested newts and other amphibians • Introduction to birdsong - Dawn chorus walk • Secrets of the wild (photography) May • Introduction to bats • Secrets of the wild (photography) June • Introduction to wildflowers • Introduction to seaweeds • Secrets of the wild (photography) July • Introduction to moths • Introduction to wildflowers • Secrets of the wild (photography) • Willow basket weaving For more workshops, info and booking go to, nwt.org.uk/hauxley-training.

March - July 2018 ROEBUCK 144 9

Funding

Donate to save Ratty!

pledge

Thank you from the team

Become a Friend of Ratty

Name on plaque in a hide

Feed the voles & tour

Release a vole into Kielder

£10

£25

£50

£75

£150

andrew mason

Supporters kept on giving The Trust received £649 from its supporters via the online fundraising site, Give as you Live. For the first two weeks in January, we were the featured charity of the service, which allows users to shop at over 4,200 top stores and raise free funds for charity. The store pays Give as 10 ROEBUCK 144 March - July 2018

you Live a percentage of the shopper’s total purchase price in commission and of this, 50% is passed on to charities. The site, which is completely free to join and use, is a great way to raise money for hundreds of charities around the world. Go to: giveasyoulive.com/ join/northwildlifetrust.

tom marshall

The Restoring Ratty team is hoping to raise £5,000 to help it with the next release of water voles back into Kielder Forest this summer (2018). Known to many people as the charming character ‘Ratty’ from ‘The Wind in the Willows’, the water vole is Britain’s fastest declining wild mammal and has disappeared from many parts of the country where it was once so common. Although the Restoring Ratty project is largely funded by money raised by National Lottery players through a grant from the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF), the team still needs to source additional funding to help with its 2018 water vole releases. In 2017, teams were able to successfully release over 500 water voles into suitable areas of Kielder Forest. Your contributions will enable our dedicated staff and volunteers to place approximately 500 voles into over 100 release pens in the remote parts of Kielder. We are aiming to carry out two releases in 2018, in June and August. Once the pens are in place, they must be visited daily to ensure the voles are well fed and healthy whilst they get used to their new surroundings, before being released after several days. We have created a Crowdfunding page that is live from now until Friday 13 April in the hope that you can help us to restore Ratty to his rightful place in Kielder Forest by visiting crowdfunder.co.uk/restoringratty and choosing the amount you would like to donate? Along with the gift you receive for each level of financial support you are able to provide, you will be entered into a draw to join us for the once in a lifetime opportunity to release your own water vole at Kielder on Saturday 16 June 2018.

Please help improve Northumberland’s precious woodland. Woodland cover in England is currently just 10% and Northumberland is one of the counties with the least remaining native woodland. There are so many reasons to protect and value them: Planting trees increases wildlife value - Trees support a wider range of wildlife. As well as providing food in the form of flowers, fruits and seeds, they provide cover, shelter and nesting sites for animals, insects and birds. Trees help reduce flooding and pollution - On hillsides, trees slow rainwater runoff and hold the soil in place, reducing the risk of flooding. They also prevent water pollution by filtering out pollutants from the rain. Woodlands combat climate change - Industrialisation and burning fossil fuels have contributed to climate change, building up excess carbon dioxide (CO₂) in the atmosphere. Trees offset this by absorbing and storing CO₂ and other pollutant gases, and releasing oxygen. Spiritual wealth and physical health - Woodlands are places of tranquillity, beauty and inspiration. Research shows spending time in woodlands and around trees reduces stress, improves mental health and encourages physical activity. Northumberland Wildlife Trust has secured support from the Community Foundation and Heritage Lottery Fund grants, thanks to money raised by National Lottery Players. But we urgently need additional donations to start work at places such as: Kielderhead - restoring the only native Scots pine woodland in England. East Chevington Nature Reserve - planting 1,000 native broadleaves and introducing conservation grazing. Northumberlandia - improving the woodland value for wildlife and creating more ‘nature moments’ that last a lifetime.

How your donation will make a difference

Please donate today

£25 will plant and protect 5 native trees through the crucial first year.

You can donate in the following ways:

£100 will contribute towards warden training and volunteer expenses. £250 will help create a small woodland glade and fill that space with nature.

Woodland Wonders Appeal

Online by visiting our website nwt.org.uk/ woodlandwonders, using a debit or credit card. By telephone on 0191 284 6884 using a credit or debit card.

photo: Mark Hamblin/2020VISION

Do you love trees?

Corporates

The Trust is delighted to welcome holiday company holidaycottages.co.uk as its latest corporate member. With cottages throughout Northumberland and across the UK, the North Devon based company has been offering memorable holidays for over 25 years. Established by the Morris family in 1989, firstly as ‘Farm & Country Holidays’ before rebranding, holidaycottages. co.uk has been helping people find their perfect cottage in popular holiday destinations - from small romantic cottages to enormous country houses, for over 25 years. The company’s achievements have been recognised through many awards, but it is the continued positive reviews from its guests resulting in gold partner status with

holidaycottages.co.uk

Holiday company supports wildlife

independent provider ‘Feefo’, that makes everything it does seem worthwhile. In this region, its holiday cottages can be found in some of Northumberland’s best-loved destinations, including the coastal towns of Seahouses, Alnmouth and Berwick-uponTweed, as well as the Kielder Water and Forest Park and Northumberland National Park, which are further inland. The company and its 200+ employees are proud to support the Trust and our work protecting the region’s wildlife and landscapes. Understanding the importance of nature to tourism, the team is glad to be playing a role in ensuring Northumberland, and its natural landscapes, remain wonderful places to visit for years to come.

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

Silver

Gold

Albion Outdoors albionoutdoors.co.uk

Howick Hall Gardens howickhallgardens.org

Elanders Ltd elanders.com

Esh Group esh.uk.com

Bell Ingram bellingram.co.uk

Northern Experience Wildlife Tours northernexperiencewildlifetours. co.uk

Harlow Printing Ltd harlowprinting.co.uk

Mears Ltd mearsgroup.co.uk

Karpet Mills karpetmills.co.uk

Nestlé Confectionery Ltd nestle.co.uk Northumbrian Water Ltd nwl.co.uk

Berwick Holiday Park haven.com/parks/ northumberland/berwick

Northumberland County Council northumberland.gov.uk

Blyth Harbour Commission portofblyth.co.uk

Ord House Country Park ordhouse.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

Harrison Leisure UK Ltd percywood.co.uk

Verdant Leisure verdantleisure.co.uk/riverside

holidaycottages.co.uk holidaycottages.co.uk

Wardell Armstrong wardell-armstrong.com

12 ROEBUCK 144 March - July 2018

Tarmac tarmac.com The Banks Group hjbanks.com The Green Energy Advice Bureau www.greenpoweradvice.co.uk Thermofisher Scientific thermofisher.com

15% Discount

For Northumberland Wildlife Trust supporters To claim your discount online quote code: AF-WILDLIFE-M5. To claim in-store present this advert or your membership ID at the checkout.

Find your local stores at

60 - 62 Northumberland Street, NE1 7DF Heighley Gate, Wyevale Garden Centre, NE61 3DA

You can also use your discount with:

T&Cs apply. Not to be used in conjunction with any other offer or discount. Selected lines are exempt. Only 10% discount is available on bikes. Only valid upon production of valid identification in-store or use of discount code online. Offer expires 31.12.18.

Trusted by our partners since 1974

Stores nationwide | cotswoldoutdoor.com

Reserves & Volunteers

Estates Officers and Trust volunteers spent the end of 2017 and beginning of 2018 working to install dams and remove sitka spruce (106 hectares cleared) on Hummel Knowe and The Wou, two of the Border Mires sites, and two of the toughest sites to access. The Border Mires are a collection of 58 peat bogs in and around Kielder Forest. Upon completion, the team moved onto Butterburn Flow (an NWT reserve in Cumbria and the largest Border Mire). A small erosion complex here, caused by historic overgrazing, required restoration work. Coir dams were installed which will slow water movement

and catch peat sediment. Areas of bare peat were then planted with small clumps of sphagnum taken from healthy areas of bog further into the site; these should spread quickly and will help further stabilise the peat. At the end of January, eight staff and volunteers from Cumbria Wildlife Trust joined the Northumberland team at Butterburn for a joint taster day. Old friends met up again and new friendships were formed. Natural England funded the work with donations from an electricity distribution firm. The work started in November 2017 and was completed in early February 2018.

dan chapman

Staff and volunteers from Cumbria Wildlife Trust and Northumberland Widlife Trust

Partnership work kicks off 2018 Partnership work between the Trust and Northumbrian Water (NWL) got off to a great start in 2018 when Dan Chapman, Trust Estates Officer and 7 Trust volunteers joined forces with Northumbrian Water conservation staff at Catcleugh Reservoir to remove rhododendron shrubs, which are invading the siteâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s woodland and shading out native plants and flowers. Formed in 2002, the initial focus of the partnership was on Bakethin Nature Reserve and the Wildlife Garden at Kielder Waterside, but over the years, the 14 ROEBUCK 144 March - July 2018

project has grown. Volunteers from the Trust now regularly work on 6 NWL sites: Bakethin Nature Reserve, Kielder Waterside Wildlife Garden and Hide, Colt Crag, Cartington Spring Fontburn and Whittle Dene Reservoirs and Aqueduct, and occasionally other sites, such as Catcleugh Reservoir which is adjacent to the Trustâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Whitelee reserve. Volunteers carry out a range of practical conservation tasks, from clearing out ponds to cutting flower meadows. Some of the sites are not

Left to right: Stuart Pudney (NWL) with NWL and NWT volunteers Leah Cloonan, Pat McTiernan, Sarah Gilliland, Peter Gowling, Wendy Bennett and Mo Dewar taking part in rhododendron control at Catcleugh Resevoir

accessible to the public so volunteers are among the few people to visit these hidden wildlife havens. The increase in the range of sites and activities reflects the growing value of the partnership. Northumbrian Water also recognises the social benefits of the partnership and greatly values the role of volunteers in managing these sites for the benefit of wildlife.

geoff dobbins

Bog restoration on the Border Mires completed

VOLUNTEERS

northumberland wildlife trust

needs you! Volunteering with us is fun, social and makes a difference. Although we’re a wildlife charity we need help with lots of other roles too:-

Information Assistants Hauxley Wildlfe Discovery Centre Welcoming visitors to the centre and providing help and information.

Visitor Centre Assistants Northumberlandia Helping staff within the centre to welcome visitors and assist in the café.

Café Assistants Hauxley Wildlfe Discovery Centre Helping staff within the café to prepare and serve food and drink. Helping to keep the café clean and tidy.

Marketing Assistants Gosforth Office Assisting the busy Marketing team with a variety of marketing and communications activities.

Community Events Assistant Region-wide Assisting staff at fairs and shows across the county to engage the community with NWT.

Reception Assistants Gosforth Office Helping with reception at Gosforth, dealing with callers, visitors and deliveries.

To find out more or to apply for these and other volunteering roles please visit:

www.nwt.org.uk/volunteer Northumberland W i l d l i f e Tr u s t

Conservation

Plastic is not fantastic! Plastic pollution in our seas is a critically important topic and it was great to see it highlighted and brought to mainstream attention through BBCâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Blue Planet II. Plastic pollution along our coasts has more than doubled in the last 15 years, it is estimated that 8 million individual pieces of marine litter enter the sea every day, with plastics making up the majority1. A report produced by the World Economic Forum2 at the start of 2016 stated that if nothing changed and plastic production and waste continued the ocean would contain one tonne of plastic for every three tones of fish by 2025 and by 2050 plastics would outweigh fish in our oceans. Plastic pollution is a danger to our marine life, research has found 94% of fulmars in the North Sea have been found to have plastic in their stomachs3. Back in 2016 there was a mass 16 ROEBUCK 144 March - July 2018

stranding event of 29 sperm whales in the North Sea, six sperm whales washed up in the UK. Post-mortems of 13 of the animals washed ashore in Germany found large quantities of plastics in their stomachs. The plastic found included nets, pieces of buckets and a plastic car part measuring 70cm. The cause of death was registered as heart failure, but it was noted that these animals would have experienced major health problems as a result of the plastic pollution in their stomachs4. Plastics are known to contain and absorb toxic chemicals, with research on wild animals showing these chemicals are released into the animalsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; tissues. Ingestion of large pieces of plastic is not the only issue; we are seeing many animals along our own coast entangled in plastic wrapping and nets. It is not just large plastic causing the problem, micro plastics (defined

as being less than 5mm long) are also turning up in our fish and shellfish5. Thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s been evidence of plankton, the base of marine food chains, ingesting plastic, with this even being caught on camera6. It is not just our marine life, but our tap water that has now been found to contain plastic fibres7, found in over 80% of samples taken across five continents. European countries including the UK, Germany and France showed some of the lowest levels of those countries tested, but plastic fibres were still present. Plastic is a part of our everyday life, it is in items we would not have thought about five years ago such as tea bags. I can guarantee wherever you are you will be able to see lots of plastic items or items containing plastics. It is entering our waterways and seas, often without us being aware such as through washing

photos: Aurelie Bohan

There are simple steps you take to be less plastic fantastic: 1. Buy a refillable water bottle. 2. Buy a reusable coffee cup. 3. Say no to plastic straws. 4. Switch from plastic cotton buds to ones with paper stems. 5. Join a beach clean, lots are happening in the area, they are fun and sociable too.

our clothes (fleeces can give off up to 1,900 plastic fibres per wash) and washing down the drains in cosmetic products. Plastic has its uses and its place, but we need to look at reducing single use plastic items wherever we can. Although the UK is not among the biggest contributors of plastic pollution to our oceans (10 rivers in Asia and Africa transport approximately 90% of the plastic pollution in our oceans8) we still have a lot we can cut down on. The Marine Conservation Society (MCS) Great British Beach Clean last year saw an increase of 10% of litter along our shores, with 718 pieces of litter on average per 100m of beach in the UK. The 2017 results showed 30% of the litter found were things dropped by the public, mostly food and drink packaging. A further 8% came from sewage related

debris, things that have been flushed down the toilet that should have been binned, wet wipes and cotton buds being two key items placing at seven and eight respectively of the top ten most found items. We might not be the cause of litter entering our environment but helping to reduce plastic use and changing our habits will be beneficial in the long term and reduces the chance we are inadvertently adding to the problem. Greater awareness and a change in attitudes can greatly reduce the amount of plastic waste ending up in our seas. Since the 5p plastic bag charge was introduced, a 40% reduction of plastic bags found on UK coasts was seen (MCS, 2016). We are seeing further commitment and positive steps from the Government, the start of this year saw the ban on the production of cosmetics

containing micro beads, with a sales ban coming in July. The UK Environmental Audit Committee, made up of MPs, has also called for deposited return schemes for plastic bottles, a levy on coffee cups lined with plastic and more accountability placed on producers to be responsible for their packaging. We are seeing many companies committing to changing their packaging to recyclable paper-based alternatives and even research to produce tea bag paper without plastic. Individually these all might be small changes but combined can have a huge impact. Reducing the reliance on single-use plastics will help reduce plastic pollution in our seas.

1. www.lessplastic.co.uk/10-marine-litter-factshow-reduce-plastic-pollution/ 2. World Economic Forum: The New Plastics Economy. (2016) 3. OSPAR Commission: Litter in the Marine Environment - Plastic Particles in Fulmar Stomachs 2011 (2014)

4. Whale and Dolphin Conservation; RESULTS OF SPERM WHALE STRANDINGS IN GERMANY RELEASED (23 March 2016) 5. The Guardian: From sea to plate: how plastic got into our fish. (14 February 2017) 6. BBC: Video captures moment plastic enters food chain. (11 March 2017)

7. INVISIBLES The plastic inside us. Chris Tyree & Dan Morrison 8. Export of Plastic Debris by Rivers into the Sea. Christian Schmidt, Tobias Krauth, and Stephan Wagner. Environmental Science & Technology 2017 51 (21), 12246-12253

Aurelie Bohan Living Seas Officer Northumberland Wildlife Trust

March - July 2018 ROEBUCK 144 17

Conservation

From Corpse to Copse Burial grounds are found throughout the UK, in almost every community and they range from large, Victorian city cemeteries and hastily constructed war memorials, to small medieval churchyards, spanning different cultures, religions and centuries. With around 20,000 such places in the UK, they collectively cover the area of a small National Park: idyllic yet often ignored areas making a quiet, yet substantial, contribution to the UK’s biodiversity and standing as makeshift nature reserves, of sorts, where wildlife can thrive largely due to the absence of human interference and damaging management practices. There are hundreds of these improvised nature reserves scattered across the North East, often in the very heart of our towns and cities. Overlooked, these green ‘islands’ represent, in many cases, some of the last remaining wild areas in our urban realm - protected for centuries due to the importance we place upon them as sites of grieving, mourning and remembrance. Indeed, when one begins to view such spaces as wildlife havens, and look past their solemn purpose, it is difficult not to get excited. Not only are they widespread, they have full public access and are often located well within walking distance of home, making them the ideal place to engross yourself in nature, without the need to travel. Cemetries are often very old, and truth be told, they have changed very little since their establishment. Protected from the ravages of development, from over grazing and the use of pesticides and human ill will, it is this lack of interference that makes them so interesting for the naturalist, boasting a tremendous array of botanicals, fungi and, of course, animals... from waxcaps to wasps, stoats to siskins. No species better represents the nature of our wild cemeteries than the yew - a familiar tree of such places capable of living up to 3500 years and long associated with churchyards and burial grounds. Where there is a cemetery, there are usually yew trees. These bottle-green relics planted, it is thought, so that farm animals would avoid grazing in cemeteries and disturbing graves, yew trees are incredibly toxic and long associated with the afterlife. Cemetries in this region provide some of the best opportunities to enjoy yews at all times of the year. The plant life of burial grounds is not restricted solely to aged trees. The lack of management of these places has established them as some of the best places to enjoy a range of grassland species, from radiant ox-eye daisies to common poppy. Indeed, ferns and liverworts often thrive here too, while over 300 species of lichen have been recorded across churchyard sites in lowland Britain - painting older gravestones a kaleidoscopic mix of colour, from inky-blue to apricot orange and verdant, leafy green. The value of our burial grounds extends far beyond the realm of botany, and the tranquillity of churchyards often leads their colonisation by a vast range of creatures. I am sure many will be familiar with the saying “Bats in the belfry” and while bats do 18 ROEBUCK 144 March - July 2018

indeed thrive on religious sites, badgers, roe deer and stoats - species not often associated with the urban environment, also call burial grounds their home. An encounter with a roaming deer at dusk in St. Andrew’s Cemetery in West Jesmond during my time at university, really helped reinforce the value of such sites for nature, and those who rely on it. Our cemeteries add great value to the urban ecosystem, and Newcastle is no exception. Jesmond cemetery, with its intriguing mix of old trees and open spaces, is particularly interesting and is recognised by its custodians as a fully-fledged nature conservation area. The site is particularly significant for its population of holly blue butterflies: a jewel of an insect that feeds predominantly, as its name suggests, on holly, but also ivy - both of which are abundant on this site. Easily spotted by springtime, this species emerges well before other butterflies and tends to fly high around bushes and trees, often right above the heads of would-be observers. The cemetery, on the outskirts of the city centre, is one of the only reliable spots to catch a glimpse in the entire region, although, it is not the only species to be seen in the area. My own ventures have yielded encounters with everything from migrant painted ladies to bouncy, energetic, small coppers. Religious sites in Newcastle are full of surprises with the ornamental vegetation planted for our own enjoyment providing a safe haven for birds. From waxwings in winter, to warblers in spring and ring-necked parakeets all year round. Here, a lack of intervention means that even in a busy city, rabbits graze carefree on wildflower rich grasslands, bumblebees buzz between an eclectic mix of blooms and foxes rest-up in thickets, undisturbed by the occasional human visitor. If you peer hard enough, and ignore the city backdrop, it is indeed possible to imagine yourself somewhere other than cemeteries on the urban fringe, the diverse range of habitats evoking scenes of a time long since passed when wildlife reigned supreme. They are truly well worth a visit by anybody seeking pleasant greenery in the never-ending sea of grey which, so often these days, forms our cityscape. So, should you find yourself with some spare time this year, why not consider offering your time to enhance the value of your local cemetery, churchyard or burial ground, many of which have teams of active volunteers, working to maintain their sites for nature and who, I am sure, would appreciate a helping hand. While for those looking to record nature, why not consider a spot of citizen science and help everybody discover and appreciate the vast array of life thriving on their own local sites. James Common Northumbrian Nature Writer & Conservationist

Twitter: @CommonByNature Blog: commonbynature.co.uk

james common

Waxwing Slow worm

Terry Whittaker/2020VISION

March - July 2018 ROEBUCK 144 19

james common

Ox-eye daisy

Conservation

New Year, new ‘Wildwood’ project for Kielder

heinz traut

The Trust, in partnership with the Forestry Commission, had a wonderful start to 2018 with news that it had received a National Lottery grant of £354,000 from the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) to help deliver an exciting project to restore one of the wildest landscapes in England. Thanks to money raised by National Lottery players, the ‘Kielderhead Wildwood’ project’s vision is to establish low density, native upland woodland, as in ancient pine forests, on 100 hectares of open land along Scaup Burn at Kielderhead. As one of the remotest places in England, it is the ideal location for establishing this ambitious restoration project. Much of our upland woodland has been lost due to land-use change over millennia. Pollen analysis show that thousands of years ago a diverse woodland was supported in the area with alder, birch, elm and willow, as well as Scots pine, of which a few ancient remnant trees are believed to have

survived. The vision of Kielderhead Wildwood is to bring all this back, restoring natural processes and rebuilding a diverse and healthy ecosystem that will help with carbon storage and water quality. By using local seed stock and innovative propagation techniques, the wildlife charity and Forestry Commission hope to give nature a helping hand, which will increase biodiversity and build a resilient ecosystem. This will favour declining, red-list upland bird species such as dunnock, mistle thrush, song thrush, tree pipit, woodcock and black grouse. In the long-term, more native trees will be planted, bringing a more natural feel to the forest and encouraging the movement and spread of native wildlife. Much of the restoration work, such as tree planting, will be carried out by volunteers and engaging and training them will be vital for the delivery of the project. An exciting ecological monitoring programme involving local

people and volunteers will also be part of the activities. This will enable the identification of the true richness of the area and its potential for future enhancement. Engaging and informing the wider public about the uniqueness and value of the natural heritage being restored here will also be key to the project. This will be achieved through various engagement activities, such as school’s loan boxes, travelling exhibitions, selfguided walks, blogs and regular social media updates. Volunteer today! A number of tree planting days are scheduled to take place between March and May 2018. If you are interested in volunteering, visit nwt.org.uk/volunteer or contact Lou Chapman, Northumberland Wildlife Trust Volunteer Coordinator at louise.chapman@northwt.org.uk. For more information about the project, contact Heinz Traut at heinz.traut@ northwt.org.uk.

Kielderhead

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J hartstone

Revitalising Redesdale: a five year programme begins Revitalising Redesdale is a Landscape Partnership covering the Rede Valley. It is a partnership of 16 organisations including local groups in the valley. The partnership has received a grant of £1.7 million from the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) to undertake a range of projects ranging from peatland restoration to conservation of buildings such as the Ridsdale Ironworks. The three main partners are Natural England, Northumberland National Park and Northumberland Wildlife Trust. In addition, Environment Agency, Forestry Commission, Defence Infrastructure Organisation (MOD), Tyne Rivers Trust, The Battlefields Trust, The Redesdale Society, Otterburn Parish Council, Rochester with Byrness, Corsenside and Elsdon Parish Councils are involved with elements of the work. Thanks to money raised by players of the National Lottery, Revitalising Redesdale will deliver a five-year programme of 12 interlinking projects which will seek the restoration of historic monuments, conservation and enhancement of wildlife habitats and the opportunity for local people to get involved in archaeological and practical

conservation projects. This summer work will begin on the conservation of the iconic Ridsdale Engine House that was once part of a 19th century ironworks, which supplied the iron, used to build the Tyne Bridge. A similar project is also planned for High Rochester, which will see major repairs to the Roman Fort and new interpretation. Other projects include £670,000 of improvements across the River Rede and its tributaries to improve water quality to support the nationally important population of fresh water mussel and undertake habitat improvements and measure to address diffuse pollution. The first stage of this will begin in the early part of the year. The Battlefields Trust will be leading a pioneering community research project to recreate the medieval landscape at Otterburn to more accurately identify the site of the 1388 moonlit battle between Harry ‘Hotspur’ and the Earl of Douglas. There are also plans for a significant investment in the valley’s rights of way network, including the restoration of the historic Smoutel Ford and new interpretation, signage and artwork

planned including new star cairns and exciting new structures on the Forest Drive to encourage visitors to explore the area. The HLF funding will support the employment of a small team that will help deliver this diverse and ambitious programme with three of the partners: Natural England, Northumberland National Park and Northumberland Wildlife Trust jointly hosting the posts. Northumberland Wildlife Trust will be leading a number of the projects including work on Whitelee Moor Nature Reserve to improve the access to the site and restore some of the erosion gullying in areas of blanket bog.

March - July 2018 ROEBUCK 144 21

UK News

Wildlife Trusts call for a farming rethink New report proposes a better way to spend public money on agriculture after the UK leaves the EU

matthew roberts

Leaving the EU is a rare chance to reverse the fortunes of the wildlife, soil, water and habitats which postwar agricultural policy has depleted. That’s the message in a new report by The Wildlife Trusts on the future of farming and land management in England. What Next for Farming? suggests that once the UK leaves the EU’s Common Agricultural Policy, payments to farmers should be linked to a wide range of benefits, for people and wildlife. “At the moment, farmers can sell the food they grow through the market. But they can’t sell a whole range of benefits or services that society needs,” says Ellie Brodie, Senior Policy Manager at The Wildlife Trusts. “Our report proposes three public funds. The money would be allocated through local environment plans designed to achieve nature’s recovery. These plans would be allocated through local nature recovery plans – identifying environmental needs using local data and consultation

with local people. Linking farmers together and targeting investment where it is most needed will restore habitats and join them up.” The report suggests the current UK agriculture budget of £3bn could fund the new system. We currently spend £144bn on health, £87bn on education and £37bn on defence. A study of the River Aire catchment shows how this idea could work. A Yorkshire Wildlife Trust report concludes that for a similar cost to today’s system, public benefits

Restoring peat uplands would be more profitable than degrading them

would massively increase. For the first time, all good quality habitat in the area would be well managed and expanded. £14m would be invested in natural flood management over 10 years. ■ More on wildlifetrusts.org/farming

Westminster seems to agree! Environment Secretary Michael Gove has also announced that the Government intends to change the current approach to farm payments. Whilst we welcome the proposals, one big risk remains. Vast areas of farmland currently receive ‘basic payments’, which require positive management of wildlife habitats, such as hedgerows. When these payments end, new regulations will be required to replace them.

don sutherland

For a similar cost to today’s system, public benefits would massively increase

22 ROEBUCK 144 March - July 2018

Eight things farmers should be paid to provide bigger and better 1 More, natural habitats

Using ecological mapping to co-ordinate farmers’ land management

2 Thriving wildlife

Pioneering farmers have shown that you can farm profitably and restore wildlife

3 Abundant pollinators

These insects are a vital link in our food chain. Joint action can bring them back

4 Healthy soils

Farmers should be paid for conserving and improving soil

5 Clean water

Reducing fertiliser pollution and run-off will clean rivers and lower water bills

air and climate 6 Clean change mitigation

Restoring dried-out peatlands locks up atmospheric carbon

Risk 7 Flood Management

Changing livestock and land use on hills slows down water runoff, reducing floods

8 Healthy people

Better access to the countryside means better physical and mental health

Our biggest challenge yet

Late news st UK-wid e a wildl nd issues ifetru : org/n sts. ews

Your membership of your Wildlife Trust is making great things happen near you for wildlife and people. Thank you. Together, The Wildlife Trusts have a voice influencing each of the four elected parliaments in the UK. Our input is informed by our work in real places, with real people, real local authorities, farmers and businesses. We have a deep and broad understanding of what helps wildlife on land and at sea, and of the immense benefits for people and communities of being closer to nature. We’ve been on the case for over 100 years. From 1912, we sought to stop the draining of the East Anglian Fens. We were pivotal in securing the 1949 Act that brought in statutory conservation. We were a central voice when the 1981 and 2000 Acts were passed, tightening protection for key wildlife sites. Subsequently, we led the charge for Marine Acts to protect our seas. Now we face our biggest challenge: securing state backing for nature’s recovery. Protected wildlife sites are vital, but a healthier fabric is required if wildlife is to become abundant again. In the last issue, we called for an Environment Act. Now there may be political movement towards it. In her first speech about the environment, the Prime Minister reflected our ambition for nature’s recovery. Maybe Government is beginning to see how much wildlife means to society. The speech recognised nature’s vital role in our mental health, and the scourge of plastic pollution. There were fantastic words and ambitions that raise the spirits. But in the end, actions speak louder than words. The fact that we depend on the natural world remains too far from the centre of government policy. There needs to be legislation to ensure real and lasting change. Unless governments show more leadership, wildlife will continue to decline and with it our health, as even more people become isolated from nature.

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. The report shows how we can meet the needs of both nature and farming

Editor Rupert Paul Layout editor Dan Hilliard Communications Manager Lucy McRobert @wildlifetrusts

wildlifetrusts

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UK News

Essex barn owls bounce back

The owls declined due to loss of hunting habitat and nest sites

Sustained effort by volunteers and landowners proves to be the right formula for success

andy rouse/2020vision scottish wildlife trust

Idyllic: the beaver release site at Knapdale

24 ROEBUCK 144 March - July 2018

“We are thrilled with the numbers of barn owl chicks that have been ringed,” said Emma Ormond, Living Landscapes Co-ordinator. “Thank you to all the volunteers, landowners and businesses who make the project such a success. With their help we are starting to provide vital information that will help beloved barn owls on a national scale.”

Project facts Chicks ringed

Russell Savory

Barn owls in Essex are returning to many of their former haunts, thanks to a multi-partner project led by Essex Wildlife Trust. Now in its fifth year, the Essex Barn Owl Project is run by two Trust staff, 50 volunteers and 160 landowners. The volunteers advise landowners, build nest boxes, and monitor their use. The landowners provide suitable hunting and breeding sites. Businesses and corporate sponsors have also generously donated materials. The project launched to help reverse the dramatic decline of barn owls across the country. Five years on, more than 260 nest boxes have been installed and 164 chicks have been ringed. Boxes have also been successfully occupied by the likes of tawny owls, stock doves and mallard ducks.

2017

2016

2015

Adults ringed 2017

2016

2015

Boxes occupied 2017

(from 183 boxes inspected) 2016

(from 126 boxes inspected) A box at Stow Maries Aerodrome, southeast of Chelmsford

2015

(from 72 boxes inspected)

UK beavers are getting established After the Scottish Government’s 2016 announcement that European beavers would be a protected species, three new animals have been added to the original group released in Knapdale Forest, Argyll. The aim is to improve the population’s genetic diversity. Other Wildlife Trust beaver projects in Kent, Scotland, Devon and Wales are also gaining support.

alderney WT

Prince Harry visits Brockholes Herring gulls can live to be 27 or more

Long-range secrets of Alderney’s gulls

Paul Heyes

HRH Prince Harry has been to Lancashire Wildlife Trust’s flagship nature reserve to support a project encouraging young people to get into the wild. He visited Viking Wood

Harry sees nature as a valuable aid to good mental health

Spiders endorse Living Landscape A survey in the Cheshire Wildlife Trust’s Delamere Living Landscape has revealed two rare spiders: the Sitticus floricola jumping spider (found at two sites) and the money spider Glyphesis cottonae (four sites). Both species live on wet moss.

The raw material is, unfortunately, widely available

An example of marine litter art

ulster wildlife

Children across Northern Ireland are turning washed-up plastic into art. The resulting competition, organised by Ulster Wildlife and the Northern Ireland Science Festival, is raising awareness of the growing menace of marine plastic, and its impact on sea life. Primary and secondary school pupils collected the rubbish from their local beach. The winning pieces were displayed at Bangor Carnegie Library in February, and at events around the coast. In June they’ll be at the Trust’s Living Seas Art Exhibition in Downpatrick.

Come into my parlour: Sitticus floricola

kodiak high school

NI’s marine litter contest

at Brockholes to meet staff and participants taking part in deadhedging, bushcraft and mindfulness. “Prince Harry is on a mission for mental health issues to be de-stigimatised,” said Lancashire Wildlife Trust CEO Anne Selby. “The the biggest prize is to normalise this sort of approach so it becomes part of the system nationally.” The project, MyPlace, is pioneering nature as a holistic therapy, building on research that contact with nature improves mental and physical health. The dynamic partnership between Lancashire Wildlife Trust and the Lancashire Care NHS Foundation Trust is funded by the European Social Fund and National Lottery.

alex hyde/naturepl.com

lancs WT

The Prince chats with marshmallow roasters

Long-term research by Alderney Wildlife Trust has revealed the extraordinary lives of gulls. A lesser black-backed gull ringed as a chick was spotted in Castellon, Spain and later in Switzerland. And a herring gull ringed in 1991 is still alive at 27.

March - July 2018 ROEBUCK 144 25

UK News

‘‘Nature makes Isabel Hardman is familiar on our screens and airwaves as one of the UK’s top political journalists.

leanne bolger

As a political journalist on radio and TV, and assistant editor of The Spectator, Isabel Hardman knows how to survive in the shark pool. What sets her apart from most other hard-nosed hacks is a passion for wildflowers, and being completely open about suffering from depression. Recently she made two Radio 4 programmes about nature’s ability to improve mental health. Lucy McRobert from The Wildlife Trusts met Isabel on Walney Island in Cumbria, to talk about nature, health and her love of botany.

Lucy McRobert is Communications Manager for The Wildlife Trusts, championing Random Acts of Wildness for all! 26 ROEBUCK 144 March - July 2018

Where did your love for wildflowers come from? As a kid I learnt the different garden plants. It was only this year that I got really into botany. I was on sick leave. I have post-traumatic stress disorder, and the symptoms are depression and anxiety, and lots of flashbacks. Focusing on nature makes you attend to the now, rather than what has happened or might happen. It helps take me away from the flashbacks, as well as the depression and the anxiety. It doesn’t solve it, but it makes it a bit better.

How exactly does that work? When I was very sick, I started to go for lots of walks and write down and photograph every wildflower that I found. I didn’t know as many as I

I didn’t even know a fly orchid existed! The next day I found one

it a bit better’’

She also uses her love of nature to recover from mental illness. Lucy McRobert finds out more thought, so I started to learn more. It wasn’t a cure, but I just felt a little bit better about the world. Then someone posted a picture of a fly orchid and I didn’t even know they existed! The next day I went to the reserve and found it, and the greater butterfly orchid, and twayblade, and all these beautiful flowers. I was still really sick and I had lots of bad thoughts as I was walking around, but it was much better than spending my day lying in bed. It became a way of treating myself. If you’re trying to find a fly

orchid, which is so tiny, you can’t focus on the mad stuff, because you’re having to keep looking the whole time. How have you found the online nature social networks? The natural history network online is so good. The amount of abuse you get as a woman working in politics is awful. I’m quite a thick-skinned person, but the cumulative affect does wear you down. When I sign in to my nature Twitter

account, there’s people sharing pictures of mushrooms I’ve never seen before. Last year, I tweeted asking if anyone had any tips for spotting wildflowers in a bit of Sussex, and my inbox was flooded with messages from lovely botany people who I’d never even met before. You started #wildflowerhour on Twitter on Sunday nights. Why? I noticed on Sunday evenings that people shared photos of the different wildflowers they had seen, so I decided to try and focus it in an hour. I wanted

Isabel near home at Walney Island, Cumbria

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UK News everyone to join in and just make the internet lovely. When I got ill, I wasn’t really involved in it. I came back a year later and it was trending every Sunday night! I thought, ‘How has this happened?’ It was set up on a whim! People say it makes their Sunday lovely, or it’s helped them with their mental health problems. It’s encouraged them to explore nature reserves that they’ve never been to before. Lots of people are nervous about joining in, but there is so much enthusiasm that they feel really welcome really quickly. You do a 15-minute nature fix every day. How do you find the time? It’s about saying ‘no’ to stuff and prioritising my 15 minutes in nature. I’d love to do everything I get offered, but I’d rather be mentally well and those 15 minutes outside are just more important. Even in Westminster, there’s always a

Isabel has loved the outdoors her whole life. “I like mud, and being close to trees.”

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There’s a plant that’s evolved to make bees have sex with it! random member of the daisy family flowering somewhere, like sow thistle in a pavement crack. How have your friends reacted to your wildflower obsession? I really struggle with people who don’t have hobbies. I don’t understand how you can make your life that intentionally boring! There’s so much to learn about. Who doesn’t think it’s interesting that there’s a plant that’s evolved to make bees have sex with it? Most of my friends

are never going to climb around looking for a dune helleborine, but they can see how much it means to me. It’s a really satisfying pursuit, and you’re surrounded by beauty the whole time. Why are some people not so enthusiastic about nature? I think the biggest problem is that we’re really disconnected from it. Some people think you have to go 30 miles in a car to see nature, but we don’t even notice nature at our feet. Once in Glasgow, I was in a car park and I noticed a scrubby patch of land with birch trees, and I could see some shapes that looked like broad-leaved helleborines. So I crept into the undergrowth – getting some pretty weird looks – and there were hundreds of these beautiful plants growing under people’s noses. People think that when they’ve finished school that’s it for learning, that

Get your daily dose of nature Climbing Haystacks above Buttermere, Lake District, October 2017

Do something wild every day in June, and feel better

With a lipstick palm at the Andromeda Botanic Gardens in Barbados, Feb 2017

Examining a marsh thistle at the Pen Ponds, Richmond Park, June 2017

People seem to be scared of letting their kids roam around

download an app and make things a bit more complicated for ourselves. I think this is a millennial thing, too – we think we have to have things that are organised and personalised for us, rather than going out and discovering things for ourselves. People aren’t very good at being bored! When I was young, my mum would send me into the garden. I’d think, ‘What should I do now?’ and it’s that gap between asking the question and no one answering that your imagination starts, and you actually have your childhood.

curiosity isn’t something to cultivate. There’s a fear of curiosity and a fear of nature; people seem to be scared of going outdoors and letting their kids roam around. There’s such a tiny perimeter for children where they can play on their own. But you can’t be scared of a child falling over in a wood. It’s just a grazed knee. People say, ‘Don’t climb a tree’. I spent my childhood climbing trees! Yeah, I fell out of a few of them. But I also learned not to climb right out onto the twigs. Why do you think we’re becoming disconnected? We chase things that we think will make us happy, rather than the things we know will make us happy. When someone’s old and looks back, they think of family; but the things we get het-up about on a daily basis are nothing like that. It’s the same for nature. I think we all know that when we go outside in nature we feel better. But now we just

How do you think nature and mental health are connected? Loving nature and being involved in nature gives people a way of talking about mental health, in a way that they might not have been able to before. People have wanted to share their stories with me online about their own mental health problems. It was someone online who gave me the idea for a 15-minute nature fix. It helps to build something we’ve lost, too – community. We’re all so lonely nowadays. That shared passion for nature helps you to find your kindred spirits, and that’s where real friendships happen. Share your photos of wild plants every Sunday at 8pm using #wildflowerhour

This June, we’re asking you to make room for nature by taking part in 30 Days Wild. Now in its fourth year, our month-long campaign attracts thousands of people, all of them doing something wild every day for 30 days. Whether you decide to walk barefoot in the park, feed the birds or make elderflower cordial, there is now evidence that these Random Acts of Wildness can boost your wellbeing. A study by the University of Derby found that 30 Days Wild participants felt happier, healthier and more connected to nature – and that continued to improve even after the campaign ended. Sign up on our website, and we’ll send you a free pack to help you go wild throughout June, including ideas and ways to get involved with friends, neighbours and on social media.

What are you waiting for? Sign up, find out how to take part and get your FREE pack on wildlifetrusts. org/30DaysWild

March - July 2018 ROEBUCK 144 29

UK News

Join the linear Where there are people, there are lines: fences, walls, lawns, hedges. To wildlife, these lines can

paul harris/202vision

We love lines, yet we have come to let them govern us. Think about our landscapes and you cannot escape the impact of the lines we have built. Hedges, ditches, dykes, walls, canals, railways, roads and power lines all mark out the space we share with wildlife. Some of the lines are wildlife corridors and habitats of the highest order. Others destroy and fragment. When I started researching my latest book, Linescapes, I was sure it would

Hugh Warwick is an ecologist, author and hedgehog lover. His latest book is Linescapes.

Our gardens can fit into a living landscape be simple. There would be an easy segregation of lines into good and bad. But very quickly it became apparent that there were hedges that were living up to

none of their potential and roads along which wildlife flourished. For example, in Lincolnshire, a volunteer search for wildflowers led to the designation of 159 new Local Wildlife Sites on verges along 155 miles of road.Â To fix our fragmented land requires a massive change at the highest levels; we need to address environmental, agricultural and transport policy to connect our landscapes for wildlife.Â Taking an active, landscape-scale

Birds Use trees as stepping stones

Hedgehogs Use gaps in fences to forage

bees Move from flower to flower

How many lines could your garden have connecting it to other green places? 30 ROEBUCK 143 November 2017 - March 2018

revolution

be barriers or highways. It just depends how you look at them, says Hugh Warwick approach to conservation and working with partners across the board can bring about huge changes: we can truly have living landscapes once again. And we can take action ourselves. Look to the patches you can influence; for many of us that is our gardens. The best way to fit them into a living landscape is by making connections, at different levels. The most obvious is to supply nectar rich plants to attract insects – which in turn feed birds, bats

and amphibians. Remember the lines that link need not be straightforward, they can be pearls along a necklace. Make sure you have spaces wild enough in your garden to let insects thrive. Of course, there is far more out there than just things that fly, and we need to make provision for them as well. And that is where a little engineering can be very useful – a hole in the fence, just 13cm square, to let the terrestrial beasts join the fun. This is the essence of the

Hedgehog Street campaign. It’s hugely important, as a foraging hedgehog can cover more than a mile per night. Making lines work for us and for wildlife is a great way to start redressing some of the damage we have inadvertently caused. Why not begin with your garden or workplace, looking at how you can open up highways or create stop-off points for your local plants and animals? And if you can get your neighbours involved, better still.

Frogs will travel several hundred yards if your pond smells good

How you can help

Plug your garden into the linescape We tend to think our gardens stop at the fence, but wildlife doesn’t.

Log piles Encourage invertebrates to colonise in the damp, dark corners

Ponds Attract highly mobile dragonflies and draw in frogs, newts and toads to spawn

Hedgehog holes Give our prickly friends the right to roam through your garden

Messy corners Long grasses and wildflowers give insects a home, attracting bats

Window boxes Even if you don’t have a garden, a vibrant window box is a great wildlife habitat

November 2017 - March 2018 ROEBUCK 143 31

UK News

david chapman

The dune system at Lancashire’s Formby Point

Scenery. Habitat. Flood defence. There’s more to sand dunes than you might think. Kate Owen of Lancashire Wildlife Trust takes us for a gallop through their main virtues

With their swaying marram grass and golden sand, dunes may not look like the most diverse of habitats. But they teem with life, lots of it found nowhere else: internationally rare flowers such as Isle of Man cabbage, natterjack toads and wall brown butterflies. Part of the reason sand dunes contain so much life is their range of unique habitats. The mobile dunes are dominated by marram grass but there is also plenty of bare sand. This gives solitary bees a place to dig burrows, and butterflies and moths a chance to bask. It is an ideal place for rare sand lizards to lay their eggs. As you move inland, dunes become less mobile and marram grass loses its grip. In the spring and summer hundreds of bright wildflowers appear, attracting some of the UK’s rarest moths and butterflies. The larvae of some feed 32 ROEBUCK 144 March - July 2018

exclusively on dune plants. Migratory birds also use patches of scrub for a quick rest. If you hear a noise like two stones being rubbed together, it’s probably a stonechat, one of many birds that breed in the dunes. Between the dunes are the slacks, a wetland habitat, where the sand has been eroded down to the water table. Frogs, natterjack toads and newts lay their eggs in the shallow pools. Damploving plants dominate the flora. If the progression of the dunes inland isn’t halted by human development, the

They protect homes from the power of storms

system culminates in heath or woodland. Dunes have a vital role to play in coastal defence. When pounded by stormy waves they release sand, taking the power out of the water and protecting homes and towns behind. The dunes can then naturally repair themselves. This protection comes without a hefty price tag, unlike expensive man-made coastal defences with limited lifespans. The UK’s 56,000ha of coastal sand dunes have been identified as a priority for conservation. They face big challenges, including human development, erosion, non-native species and rising sea levels. The best way to manage dunes against these threats varies. In some places, they need stabilising and time to rebuild; in others, they need to become more movable and resilient.

34 dune sites to be restored The W

Dune dwellers david chapman

ildlife T in a huge pro rusts are lead partners je dunes across ct to restore 34 sand E ngland an 2023, thank s to a £4.1m d Wales by grant from th Heritage Lo e ttery Fund. W helped by N atural Engla e will be nd, N Resources W ales, The Na atural tional Trust and Pla ntlife.

Natterjack toad ‘Boom and bust’ breeding makes them vulnerable to habitat loss

Feeds on the decaying roots of marram grass

david chapman

Brittle caps

david chapman

Kate Owen is Community Engagement Officer for Fylde Sand Dunes Project, Lancs WT

Sea holly Metre-long roots make it superbly adapted for growing in loose sand

Lancashire Wildlife Trust is a partner on the Fylde Sand Dunes Project, funded by the Environment Agency. Over 80% of the dunes have been lost here. Using windtrap fencing, marram plug plants and recycled Christmas trees we have increased the width of the dunes by

A parasite with no chlorophyll of its own, it steals from the roots of other plants to survive in dunes

amy lewis

up to 30m in five years. We’re lucky that the coastline is still accumulating here, allowing us to work with natural processes to expand the dunes. We must conserve this unique habitat, not just to protect its amazing wildlife, but ourselves as well. Climate change is raising sea levels and leading to bigger, more frequent storms, so these natural coastal defences are a vital asset. Next time you’re at the seaside, have another look at the dunes – a shifting, mysterious habitat we would do well to look after.

lancs wt

■ Find out more about dunes on wildlifetrusts.org/sanddunes Stonechat Old Christmas trees collect wind-blown sand, regrowing a dune naturally

geoff simpson

Yellow broomrape

Perches atop bushes, with a call like stones being knocked together

March - July 2018 ROEBUCK 144 33

UK News

Top places to see

Red squirrels

Mark hamblin/2020vision

One of our most endearing creatures, red squirrels are now extremely rare, but you can still enjoy watching them in parts of the UK

There is something so special about seeing your first red squirrel, nimbly darting through the treetops, or nibbling seeds off pine cones before tossing aside the core like an apple. These rare and beautiful mammals can only be found in small pockets of the UK, but here are our top recommendations for where to spot them across England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland. Our top tip: watch the forecast first. Much like us, red squirrels donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t like wet and windy days, so pick a day when the sun is shining. 34 ROEBUCK 144 March - July 2018

Brownsea Island Dorset Wildlife Trust Start your adventure with a 20-minute boat trip from Poole to Brownsea Island, where the feeders at The Villa Wildlife Centre are often visited by red squirrels. Map ref: SZ 028 878

Bouldner Forest Hants and Isle of Wight WT The pine trees of this former naval training base are now home to red squirrels. Explore the coastal footpath from the Boulder viewpoint, scanning the treetops.

Where is it? Bouldnor Forest Centre, Yarmouth, Isle of Wight PO41 0AB Map ref: SZ 366 898

Treborth Botanic Garden Bangor University Red squirrels have been seen here since 1976. Search for them in the native woodland and orchards, or visit the special collections in the six glasshouses. Where is it? Treborth Botanic Garden, Bangor University, Gwynedd LL57 2RQ Map ref: SH 555711

Share your experiences

Tweet us your be st red squirrel photos fro m your day out @wildlifetrusts #LoveWildlife

Kielder Castle Forest Park Forestry Commission Mammal-watch in comfort from the squirrel hide just off the Dukeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Trail. The castle has a squirrel exhibition, too. Where is it? Kielder Castle Forest Park Centre, Kielder, Hexham NE48 1ER Map ref: NY 632 934

Stenhouse Wood Scottish Wildlife Trust Spot red squirrels all year round in this secluded ancient woodland. Tear your eyes away from the trees for a beautiful view across the glen. Where is it? Shinnel Glen, Tynron, North Dumfriesshire DG3 4LD Map ref: NX 797 931

Spey Bay Scottish Wildlife Trust A 2.5 mile circular walk winds through a mosaic of coastline, grassland and woodland, where red squirrels can be seen in the trees. Where is it? Elgin, Moray IV32 7NW Map ref: NJ 325 657

Straidkilly Ulster Wildlife A wonderfully peaceful reserve with stunning views of the Antrim coast. Explore the woodland walk for the best chance of seeing a red squirrel. Where is it? Straidkilly Road, Carnlough, Antrim BT44 0LQ Map ref: NW 457 721

A Scottish red squirrel drinks at a woodland pool. They really are this cute

Freshfield Dune Heath Lancashire Wildlife Trust The largest lowland heath in the county! In addition to red squirrels, keep a look out for common lizards. Where is it? Freshfield Dune Heath, Formby, Merseyside L37 7BB. Map ref: SD 298 081

Smardale Gill Cumbria Wildlife Trust Keep an eye out for squirrels as you stroll along 3.7 miles of disused railway, with a viaduct giving superb views of the rolling countryside.

Where is it? Smardale Gill NNR, Kirkby Stephen CA17 4HG Map ref: NY 727 070

Hauxley Wildlife Discovery Centre, Nâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;umberland WT You can see the red squirrels at Hauxley as soon as you pull into the car park. One intrepid squirrel was recently seen swimming across the lake! Where is it? Druridge Bay, Low Hauxley, Northumberland, NE65 0JR Map ref: NU 285 023

Funded by Heritage Lottery Fund and EU LIFE14, we lead a partnership to conserve red squirrel strongholds around the UK: redsquirrels united.org.uk

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March - July 2018 ROEBUCK 144 35

By playing you support hundreds of good causes. Find out more at www.postcodelottery.co.uk

Photo: D Hoyle

Support from players of People’s Postcode Lottery enables Northumberland Wildlife Trust’s volunteers to maintain some of the most wonderful landscapes in the UK, including its snow covered Whitelee reserve in January.

People’s Postcode Lottery manages multiple society lotteries promoted by different charities. For details on each week’s society lottery visit: www.postcodelottery.co.uk/good-causes/draw-calendar. Players must be 16 years or over. Only available to play with postcodes in England, Scotland and Wales. Not available in NI. Conditions apply. See: www.postcodelottery.co.uk £10 for 10 draws paid monthly in advance, a minimum of 32% goes directly to charities. For a full list of prizes visit www.postcodelottery.co.uk/prizes Maximum ticket prize is 10% of draw proceeds up to £400,000. Postcode Lottery Ltd is regulated by the Gambling Commission under licences 000-000829-N-102511 and 000-000829-R-102513. Registered office: Postcode Lottery Ltd, Titchfield House, 69/85 Tabernacle Street, London, EC2A 4RR. Company reg. no. 04862732. VAT reg. no. 848 3165 07.