18 minute read
GOING WILD IN RUTLAND
GETTING BACK to NATURE
Just before Covid hit, the Leicestershire & Rutland Wildlife Trust welcomed its new CEO Tim Graham to his new role. Needless to say, the previous year hasn’t exactly been run of the mill, but Tim is confident that with the Trust’s latest projects and with its 35 reserves and 3,084 acres of green spaces, there’s plenty of opportunity for local residents to get back out and enjoy the natural world...
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Words: Rob Davis.
WHAT’S THE EXPRESSION? You don’t know what you’ve got, ‘til it’s gone. That certainly appears to have been the case in the last year, with lockdown introducing an unprecedented curtailing of personal freedoms.
Suddenly, faced with the reality of not being able to venture out, to socialise or to stray far from home, many felt a sense of isolation and a sense of claustrophobia. Many, too, realised that they took for granted and missed the natural world.
Covid presented a set of really unusual circumstances for our Wildlife Trustmanaged reserves and green spaces. And the effects of the past year – both positive and negative – are reverberating around the country’s 46 Trusts.
“We’ve found that people are keen to once again enjoy going out and about,” says Tim Graham, CEO of the Leicestershire and Rutland Wildlife Trust.
“We sensed that people were starting to really miss the small pockets of green spaces that they’d almost come to take for granted.”
“Online engagement with the Trust’s activities increased a great deal and there seems to be a newly refreshed sense of appreciation and understanding for the role that green spaces play in our lives.” Tim was born and raised in the market town of Ormskirk in West Lancashire, and after completing his PhD in Ecology at the University of Sheffield, he began a 15-year long career working for the UK’s Wildlife Trusts, spending three years as CEO of the Manx Wildlife Trust on the Isle of Man before coming to work for the Leicestershire & Rutland Wildlife Trust in November 2019.
Needless to say it was not the year he was expecting as he undertook his new position, but Tim is positive both for our local trust and for conservation more generally.
“Conservation, alongside climate change, is finally getting the recognition it deserves. It’s no longer seen as the preserve of ‘eco-warriors,’ but rather it’s a subject that’s now mainstream, and it’s really able to motivate people to change their habits to suit the planet.”
“People used to watch documentaries by naturalists like David Attenborough and just enjoy the spectacle, but now they’re watching each series with this real sense of context, that these are the environments all around the world which need protecting and preserving.”
“Figures like Greta Thunberg have also shown how motivated people can be when lobbying for change. So it all feels rather different now, like there’s a greater sense of motivation, with all to play for.” “Wildlife Trusts in the UK can keep people in touch with their local countryside and the habitats and species specific to their area.” “We can show the importance and the benefits of conservation and we can provide education, but we also help to maintain those habitats and reserves for future generations to enjoy.” “We have a purpose, too, in terms of the professional knowledge we have in motivated conservation – knowing when and how to intervene responsibly in the preservation of a habitat or a species.” “As far as is ideal, nature can – and sometimes should – self-manage, so knowing how much intervention is needed is part of our work. In an ideal world we give a nudge to the natural conservation processes and help direct nature towards its own positive outcomes.”
“Trying not to over-manage an area is one part of the work that remains important to the Wildlife Trusts, but there are other considerations too.”
“Footfall is a real conundrum in the long term because visitors are an essential way to make conservation visible to the public.” “They must see the work we do and understand its importance, but visitors to a site inevitably have an impact, so managing that presents unique challenges.” >>
>> “The more people visit a site, the more the impact is felt, both in terms of inadvertent problems – like the wearing down of footpaths – to advertent antisocial behaviours such as littering, flytipping, barbecues and dog fouling.” “The sites that we manage must be made available to the public but at the same time, we have to ensure that visitors take responsibility for their presence at each site.” “Our fear was that a lack of visitors to our sites, joining the trust, renewing their memberships or purchasing coffee and cake in visitors’ centres, or tighter household budgets, might lead to a significant drop in memberships.” “That didn’t happen, for which we’re grateful and relieved. We’ve around 16,000 members who are absolutely vital to ensure we can continue our work.”
“Our annual costs are around £2m a year, and that’s to maintain our existing sites and projects, before we think about any ambitions that we have to develop sites and embark on new projects.” “We’re also dependent on and grateful to our 700 volunteers who work with our 38 members of staff to maintain our 35 nature reserves and 3,048 acres.” “Their work is of huge importance and enables us to continue to find ways to provide education and engagement opportunities.”
“In Leicester, our volunteers enable us to take the ‘forest school’ experience into the classroom, for example.” “We’ve been inspired by the way our audiences have engaged with us online during the pandemic, and so in June we’re joining with the other Wildlife Trusts to encourage the public to take part in 30 Days Wild. The project asks people to enjoy one nature challenge or experience or to perform a ‘random act of kindness’ towards nature every day.” “Turn off the radio to listen to birdsong; take a second to appreciate the rain; pick up three pieces of litter; it could be anything, but just doing something to be in harmony with the natural world will encourage people to make time for nature. We first ran the project in 2020 and half a million people got involved.”
30 Days Wild: Random Acts of Wildness...
n 30 Days Wild is The Wildlife Trusts’ annual nature challenge where the nation is asked to do one ‘wild’ thing a day every day throughout summer. “Your daily Random Acts of Wildness can be anything you like - litter-picking, birdwatching, puddle-splashing, you name it!” says Tim. “To help you on your way, The Wildlife Trusts will also provide you with a FREE postal or digital pack of goodies to inspire your wild month - including an activity passport and a wallchart to track your progress.” “Alongside all of these benefits, taking part in 30 Days Wild is scientifically proven to make you feel happier, healthier, and more connected to nature.” “One part of our mission for 2030 is to get one in four people across the region taking action for nature.”
For more information see www.lrwt.org.uk/30dayswild “We’re hoping that even more people will engage with the project this year and feel the benefit.”
“Lockdown has shown that nature can play a real part in improving mental health, and so we’re also hosting a series of Wild Wellbeing Walks. These will take be facilitated in the calming surroundings of Rutland Water, so we’re encouraging employers to invest in their teams’ mental wellbeing.” “Being outside increases our activity levels and improves our physical health. It also boosts our social and psychological wellbeing by reducing stress and anxiety, increasing positivity and self-esteem.” As a Wildlife Trust we can connect people to their local environment. It’s good for physical health, mental health and it’s a way that we can encourage people to engage with conservation not just at an international or national level but right here in Leicestershire and Rutland.”
“My son Arlo is three and a half, and with Kate my partner and our dog, together we’ve enjoyed discovering over the past year, more than ever, that our local area has lots of places to explore and enjoy, from Rutland Water to Charnwood Forest. The positivity this provides and the difference it makes –finding solace in nature – is rewarding and inspiring. As a Trust, we want to share that with everyone.” n
Yarrow (Achillea millefolium), pink flowerhead in a wildflower meadow, at Rutland Water.
JOIN THE TRUST AND HELP TO LOOK AFTER THE COUNTY...
By becoming a member of Leicestershire and Rutland Wildlife Trust, you will help look after local wildlife and the amazing wild places in our area. “You’ll support us in our work to inspire people about nature, including working with local schools and communities.” “We care for nature reserves and deliver conservation and education work across the counties of Leicestershire and Rutland.” “Everybody's experience with wildlife is personal, and joining Leicestershire and Rutland Wildlife Trust can help you to discover more about nature in your local area.” “You’ll be helping us safeguard Leicestershire and Rutland’s wildlife and ensure that the next generation learns the importance of the natural world.” “Membership provides a nature reserves guide, exclusive access to member events, a Wild Leicestershire and Rutland Magazine three times a year, and best of all, the knowledge that you are helping to safeguard the best wild places and help wildlife recover in our two counties.”
n For any queries regarding membership, of if you’d like to renew or update your contact details, please get in touch with the membership team at membership@lrwt.org.uk or call 07831 284.304
YOUR WILDLIFE TRUST IN NUMBERS
16,000 Members
The Leicester and Rutland Wildlife Trust is supported by over 16,000 members.
1,000 Hectares
The trust looks after 35 different nature reserves which combined cover over 1,000 hectares.
19 Sites
Included in the areas that the Trust looks after are 19 Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) and two national nature reserves. Rutland Water is a Special Protection Area and a Ramsar site too.
46 Trusts
The Leicestershire and Rutland Wildlife Trust is one of 46 trusts around the UK. Collectively the Wildlife Trusts have over 800,000 members and 2,300 nature reserves.
7,000,000
UK-wide, there are over seven million annual visitors to our Wildlife Trust owned nature reserves each year. In total, 40,000 volunteers and 2,000 members of staff keep the reserves operating and open to visitors.
124,000,000
Rutland Water’s total volume of water is 124,000,000 cubic metres. The surface area of the water is 10.86km2 . The site is set within 3,100 acres and its perimeter is 23 miles.
1100AD
It was back in 1100AD that Henry I created the Forest of Rutland, creating Leighfield Forest, which is a roughly triangular landscape of woodland stretching between Tilton-on-the-Hill, Oakham and Eyebrook Reservoir. The land covers 594 hectares of land and comprises 23 ancient woodlands. Charles I removed the protected status of the land in 1630 and it was subsequently sold off. Today though, there are five reserves within Leighfield, including Great Merrible Wood, Launde Big Wood, Launde Park Wood, Prior’s Coppice and Tilton Railway Cutting. n Marbled White Butterfly.
Fallow Deer. Ketton Quarry.
1. Digging up wildlife in our local quarries...
Limestone is the area’s buried treasure, but what’s left behind after it’s quarried?
QUARRY OPERATIONS are common in our area, as we’re at the most easterly point of a thick band of oolitic limestone that runs from Stamford right across to the Cotswolds. These days quarrying is typically given permission on the condition that after work is complete, the redundant sites are given back to nature. What’s left behind, then, after sites have completed their commercial lives are dramatic landscapes that the natural word reclaims very quickly. Ketton Quarry spans more than 27 acres and is actually still a working quarry, but parts of the site have been retired which has allowed grassland, scrub and woodland to begin to reclaim the site. The summer months are best to appreciate the site, which rewards visitors with the marbled white, dingy skipper and grizzled skipper, plus moths and even glow-worms. Flowers on show include the bee orchid, cowslips and yellow wort. Some of the quarry’s rock faces are kept clear of vegetation in order to allow geological study. Located near Empingham, the 1.3 hectare Bloody Oaks Quarry has over 120 species of flowering plant including chalk milkwort. Many butterfly species, lizards and the odd fallow deer are also frequently seen on the little reserve. A more northerly quarry, Stonesby Quarry, just off the A607, covers four hectares, is home to orchids, scabious, cowslips and knapweed. It’s on the site that the harvest mouse was rediscovered in 1964 and since then, a small colony of glow-worms has also been recorded. Each of the three quarries in the area have also been awarded SSSI (Site of Special Scientific Interest) status. There are just 4,000 similar sites in the UK and SSSIs account for 7% of England’s total land. n
2. Woodland Habitats
Leighfield Forest: Rich in ancient woodlands
THE LEIGHFIELD FOREST LIVING LANDSCAPE is a triangular area between Tilton-OnThe-Hill, Oakham & Eyebrook, comprising 23 ancient woodlands of just under 600 hectares in total. 16 of these woodlands are SSSIs, and the area was once part of the Forest of Rutland, created by Henry I around 1100AD. In Rutland, Prior’s Coppice is a 29 hectare site near the village of Brooke. Launde Woods covers 99 hectares and Great Merrible Woods, adjacent to Great Easton 4km south west of Uppingham covers over 12 hectares. The sites are ideal for those hoping to see spring bluebells, oak, ash, aspen and field maple trees as well as pipistrelle and brown long-eared bats at dusk. Towards the end of summer, fragrant agrimony grows in the central glades of the woodlands, whilst Prior’s Coppice in particular is thought to be home to 71 bird different species. n
Pipistrelle Bat. Fox in urban garden.
3. Towns & Cities
Urban areas are teeming with wild animals
WILDLIFE is sometimes considered the preserve of the countryside, but in fact, our towns and urban enclaves are also rich in native species, most notably the red fox, which is a joy or a pest depending on your outlook... and whether you value the sanctity of your wheelie bin. Foxes will happily rummage through your rubbish and will often venture into gardens to pilfer windfall fruit from your fruit trees. Tawny owls can often be spotted where there are tall mature trees, and are shorter than barn owls, darker in colour and more abundant. Finally, look out for hedgehogs, which will happily feed on leftover wet dog or cat food. It’s important not to leave bread and milk out for hedgehogs, as it can cause severe diarrhoea! n
4. Meadows in Rutland
Grassland habitats remain precious habitats
TRAGICALLY, Britain has lost over 97% of its wildflower meadows, rendering the remaining areas truly precious habitats. Merry’s Meadows near Greetham bequeathed the 12 hectare area, which comprises Long Field, Cow Pasture Close and Donkey Paddocks, to the Wildlife Trust. Elsewhere the five hectare Cribb’s Meadow site near Sewstern comprises grassland, two ponds and a disused railway line, creating a diverse landscape. In the ponds, both common and great crested newts have been found. Butterflies, which feed on the herbs, include small skipper, small heath, small copper and common blue. Incidentally, Cribb’s Meadow’s name derives from Cribb’s Lodge, and commemorates the last bare-fist prize fight in England at Thistleton Gap, two fields to the south on 28th September 1811, between Tom Cribb and Tom Molyneux. Seconds out! n 21
Ospreys.
Rutland Water. Red-necked Grebe.
5. The unique natural world of Rutland Water
One of the most obvious sites for wildlife in the area, but the reservoir’s ecology is truly unique
IT’S TEMPTING to omit Rutland Water in a list of wildlife habitats on the basis of it being too obvious, but this 500 hectare site isn’t just well-known, it’s truly unique. The site consists of eight lagoons each designed to provide a habitat for a particular species. There are also 30 wildlife hides split between Egleton and Manton. Originally named Empingham Reservoir after a local village, Rutland Water lies near Oakham. It was completed in 1978 and covers 3,100 acres. At its maximum, it is thirty-four metres deep and 1,200 metres long. It remains one of the largest manmade bodies of water in Europe, and is also home to the Rutland Osprey project which was established in 2001. Rutland remains one of just three places in the UK that ospreys can be observed as the birds hatch and fledge their young. The summer months provide birds from turtledoves to cuckoos and nightingales, and in July, the young ospreys will begin to make an appearance. July is when the wader passage starts to hot up. Birds that have bred in the short Arctic summers will be heading back south, and mid-to-late summer is the perfect time to see big flocks of godwits, green sandpipers, and even spoonbills dropping in. Little stints, Temminck’s stints, curlew, wood sandpipers and more might be seen when migration begins. In the autumn months, out on the wetlands, the waders will still be gathering and the first of the winter wildfowl will arrive. The deeper areas of the reservoir might see the first divers, like great northern diver, and red-necked grebes. Ducks will begin to filter in ones and twos, before forming great rafts in the winter. n
With thanks to Jamie Perry and the team at the Leicestershire and Rutland Wildlife Trust, for more information call 0116 2629968 or see www.lrwt.org.uk.
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n To book your free initial call with one of our Financial Planners, please contact us on 01572 898060 or email hello@efficientportfolio.co.uk
Charlie Reading created Efficient Portfolio to offer entirely independent financial advice and helping people clarify and realise their dreams and goals through financial planning. Call 01572 898060, see www.efficientportfolio.co.uk
or visit Portfolian House, 30 Melton Road, Oakham, Rutland, LE15 6AY
