Download Nottinghamshire Wildlife Magazine Winter 2013

Nottinghamshire
Wildlife
The Magazine of Nottinghamshire Wildlife Trust
Winter 2013
News
Don't cull, say Trusts
Shoals of public
support for marine
protection
SPECIES NEWS
Water voles
disappearing
EMEC Ecology working to restore
key species
RESERVES
Big 50 update
Skylarks Appeal
goes from strength
to strength...
LIVING LANDSCAPES
A long old job
Working with
partners to restore
key waterways
1963-2013
YEARS OF
PROTECTING
WILDLIFE
Protecting Wildlife for the Future
News UK UPDATE
© Tom Marshall
A vaccination underway. Trusts believe a cull
will only make the spread of bTB worse
The Wildlife Trusts’ Joan Edwards (right) with
representatives from other charities
Don’t cull, say Trusts Shoals of public
support for marine
protection
While the first pilot badger culls have been carried out
in Somerset and Gloucestershire, The Wildlife Trusts
continue to vaccinate badgers on their nature reserves
and, with farmers, on surrounding land.
The cull, claimed to be the best way to reduce TB in cattle
(bTB), is opposed by wildlife organisations, scientists
and the public. More than 300,000 people supported
a government e-petition against culling. Although
sympathetic with farmers, The Wildlife Trusts are firmly
against the cull and will not allow culling on our land.
More than 350,000 people have called for the
designation of a network of Marine Conservation
Zones (or MCZs) around the UK. The Wildlife Trusts
and other environmental charities presented the
pledges to Downing Street in June.
Two years ago Gloucestershire Wildlife Trust began to
vaccinate badgers in high bTB risk areas to demonstrate
its practicality. There are now 13 Trusts either vaccinating
badgers or raising funds to do so. Some are vaccinating
in the zone between high and low risk areas – the ‘firewall’
approach.
The Wildlife Trusts remain concerned that the
Government has failed to commit to the designation
of a complete network of MCZs in English seas. An
extensive regional consultation in 2010-12 involving
a million people recommended 127 sites be set up.
So far the Government is only considering 31.
We will continue to press for greater emphasis on badger
vaccination. But the long-term goal is development of a
cattle vaccine alongside other measures to reduce bTB
such as improved farm biosecurity, restrictions on livestock
movements and breeding genetic resistance in cattle.
The Government must now make a statement on
its next steps. It’s hoped the pledges will provide
a mandate for swift and effective action. For more
information please visit wildlifetrusts.org/mcz
Latest news, and donate to vaccination projects:
wildlifetrusts.org/badgers-and-bovineTB
Around the Wildlife Trusts
Leicestershire & Rutland
London
Montgomeryshire
Norfolk
The British Birdwatching
Fair, jointly organised
by the Trust with RSPB,
celebrated its 25th year
in August. Thousands
of wildlife enthusiasts
attend the event at
Rutland Water every year.
wtru.st/25thBirdfair
Green energy company
Ecotricity is donating up
to £60 to the Trust for
each customer switching
their energy supply.
This raises funds for
conservation and helps
develop green energy.
wtru.st/EcotricityDonate
The Dyfi Osprey Project
has received £1000
from BT’s Give As You
Earn fund. The cheque
was presented by a
BT employee who was
inspired by the ospreys
while battling breast
cancer. wtru.st/BTOspreys
Volunteers from a local
brewery have built an
artificial otter holt at
Hickling Broad reserve.
Now it has received its
first otter visitor. The Trust
hopes breeding activity
may be filmed there in the
future. wtru.st/HicklingHolt
1
Nottinghamshire Wildlife
Notes from the Chief Executive
© Andy Wickham
John Everitt, Chief Executive
For many of us, feeding the ducks
is one of those first close up
experiences with nature. For
generations, families have enjoyed
the simple pleasure of contact with
wildlife and the thrill of identifying
different species or marvelling at
swirling flocks of birds. However
behind these experiences are
some amazing stories of intrepid
migration, bizarre behaviour and the
conservation of our internationally
important wintering grounds for a
whole range of species. Our new
nature reserve extension at Skylarks
in Rushcliffe is a good example of
this, providing another wonderful
haven in the county for overwintering
wildfowl. With some 200 bird species
having been recorded on the site,
it demonstrates the importance of
the Trent corridor and its wetland
habitats.
The clock is ticking on our Skylarks
Appeal to purchase the site outright,
with a deadline of October 2014 for
us to raise the £200,000 required.
We are extremely grateful to everyone
who has contributed so far, which has
reached the £20,000 figure in record
time. We have also now secured
£100,000 from the Environment
Agency and are looking to further
grants to raise some £40,000. This still
leaves us with a £30,000 appeal target
before the site can be safeguarded.
On the back of this we will shortly
be launching our ‘Ay up mi duck’
campaign to help raise the remaining
funds. So look out for a range of duckrelated activities and products in the
coming weeks and encourage friends
and family to support our appeal.
Whether it’s wigeon, smew, goldeneye
or tufted duck, we want to be able
to create a reserve where people
can experience the annual arrivals
and departures of some of our most
popular wildfowl.
In this issue of Nottinghamshire
Wildlife we also showcase a
whole host of new work including
research on the ecology of nightjar,
reintroduction of harvest mice,
recording at Attenborough Nature
Reserve, and outdoor learning with
schools. It is proving to be a busy and
exciting 50th anniversary year, and
the Wildlife Trust continues to break
new ground with this work. The 50th
celebrations have also provided a
good opportunity to get the views of
members and partners and I have
been really pleased with the positive
response. In particular, thank you
to everyone who joined us for the
recent AGM and Members’ Day at
Center Parcs to help contribute to the
future thinking and direction for the
organisation. As we said at the AGM,
we are still gathering stories and
memories of our nature reserves as
part of the histories project and with
the extension to Skylarks we hope
to be adding a new chapter to that
history in the near future.
Content
Highlights
3
5
7
9
11
13
17
Species news by John Ellis
EMEC Ecology - working
to restore key species
Water voles
disappearing
Reserves - Make
hay when...
Skylarks Appeal goes
from strength to strength
Living Landscapes A long old job
Inspiring People Natural Childhood
Contributions
Editorial enquiries and contributions to:
Erin McDaid
Copy deadline: Monday 20th January 2014
Nottinghamshire Wildlife Trust,
The Old Ragged School,
Brook Street, Nottingham NG1 1EA
Tel: 0115 958 8242
Fax: 0115 924 3175
Email: [email protected]
www.nottinghamshirewildlife.org
Front Cover
Drake Mallards - © Darin Smith
Species News
is compiled by John Ellis and species
records and information should be sent
to him at the address above.
The views expressed in this publication
are not necessarily those of the Wildlife
Trust or its Council.
Scotland
Staffordshire
Sussex
Five newly born beaver
kits have been seen at
Dubh Loch, one of the
Scottish Beaver Trial sites
in Knapdale. Introduced
in 2009, the beavers have
bred successfully every
year of the trial so far.
wtru.st/BeaverKits
Volunteers have created
a new wildflower
meadow the traditional
way in the Churnet
Valley. Locally sourced
hay spread by hand
ripened on site,
dropping seeds naturally
to create new meadows.
Wild About Worthing
is a new project made
possible thanks to an HLF
grant. Residents will be
offered wildlife activities
including a Forest School
programme and wildlife
gardening competition.
wtru.st/WildWorthing
Published by
Nottinghamshire Wildlife Trust
Editor, Erin McDaid
A Company Limited by Guarantee
Registered in England No. 748865
Reg. Charity No. 224168R
President
Sir Andrew Buchanan
Designed & Produced by
Optima Graphic Design Consultants Limited
www.optimadesign.co.uk
Winter 2013
2
SPECIEs
© Rod Baker
Species
news
By John Ellis
As usual this news will be a bit dated
when you read it so why not join our
members who take the email news
updates and get more up-to-date news?
Email [email protected] and
let us know you want to receive this
fact-packed e-newsletter.
White-winged black tern
Birds
Mammals
A good period for birds with many migrants passing through the county.
Attenborough turned up trumps in September with a white-winged black tern
which stayed for several days in company with a black tern. The Idle Valley
was not to be outdone with a black tern, osprey and three pectoral sandpipers.
Netherfield Lagoons sported a spotted crake on 6th September. Plenty of
waders around with spotted redshank and ruff being notable amongst the
usual migrants, including green sandpiper and greenshank.
I have had few reports sent to me
during this period but I do still
need the records, which will be
passed on to the County Recorder,
Michael Walker.
Invertebrates
Trees
What started out as a bad year for
our butterflies turned better with
the fine weather in September.
Peacocks and small and large
whites were seen in impressive
numbers and there was a good
appearance of small tortoiseshell
and speckled wood. Second brood
holly blues put in an appearance and
common blues were noticed at a
number of sites. Migrants included
clouded yellow and painted lady in
small numbers but I only heard of
one humming bird hawk moth.
Tree diseases are still taking
their toll nationally with whole
woodlands having to be cleared
including SSSI sites. Please report
any trees you think are diseased,
especially on our reserves.
Contact Charles Langtree on
[email protected].
Crane flies (daddy long legs)
seemed to have a good year with
the end of September and early
October being noticeable for their
emergence in numbers.
3
Nottinghamshire Wildlife
Another threat has appeared in
Southern England with colonies
of the oak processionary moth
which are a major threat to oak
trees; the decision by the Forestry
Commission to spray these moth
populations is an unfortunate
one as it will kill all other
invertebrates.
© John Black
Cranefly
Big news is the finding of
Nathusius’ pipistrelle bats in a bat
box at Attenborough. This is the
first time this species has been
found roosting in Nottinghamshire.
Nathusius’ pipistrelle is a rarely
recorded migrant bat which
is increasingly being found at
wetland sites throughout England.
Most of the records are from the
spring and autumn when they are
migrating, but since 2006 they have
been recorded on bat detectors
most years in the summer months
at Attenborough, which suggested
that there may be a small breeding
population nearby. We had a male
and a female in the box, making
the find really exciting as very few
mating roosts have been found
in England. From late summer
and throughout the autumn male
Nathusius’ sing to attract females
to their mating roosts, and there is
increasing evidence of a breeding
population nearby.
Nathusius pipistrelle
Nature notes
Feed the Birds
this winter
January
Apart from throwing out the odd slice of bread onto the
lawn, here are a few suggestions for foods which will
really help our feathered friends this winter…
Peanuts
Useful for a range of species including tits but make
sure you buy nuts which are aflatoxin-free.
Mixed seed
Sunflower seed
Sunflower hearts are more expensive but when you
buy whole seed you are paying for husks which end
up uneaten, so they can be a false economy.
Nyjer/Niger seed
A special feeder is needed for this fine seed, which is
a favourite of goldfinches, but they can also be tempted
with sunflower hearts.
Mealworms
Dunnocks, robins and other insectivores love these.
Old apples
Good for all thrushes and blackbirds.
Available in a variety of shapes and mixes suitable for
all manner of species, but remove the net bags before
offering them to the birds. Feeders are available cheaply.
Sultanas
A good high-energy food loved by blackbirds, but other
species will eat them as well.
Water
Most importantly, put out fresh water on a daily basis.
A plea - When you visit wetlands, please do not feed the
ducks and swans with bread. Its not good for them and it
can cause pollution and attract rats. Our wildfowl do not
generally need feeding except in really harsh weather
when their food supply is cut off by ice.
February
Don’t let the short days
stop you getting out and
about as you never know
what is going to turn up.
Even invertebrates may
appear if we get a run of
several mild days. I had
my first bumblebee of
2012 in February.
Winter wildfowl can be exciting especially if there has
been bad weather on the near continent and you could
be lucky enough to find a rare grebe, a smew or even a
diver. There should be plenty of the regular species such
as mallard, teal, wigeon, pochard and tufted duck. Look
out for the splendid drakes of goosander, smew and
goldeneye. The odd rarity can also turn up in amongst
flocks. Nottinghamshire has recorded several rare
species in the past, including redhead, bufflehead and
lesser scaup.
March
Many of the wildfowl will
be dispersing to their
breeding grounds, but look
out for birds displaying
ready for their breeding
season. Goldeneye and
great-crested grebe
both put on spectacular
displays. Towards the month's end the first migrants
arrive, so you may see wheatear and sand martin. With
our climate being so unpredictable a visit to a woodland
reserve may turn up some early spring flowers
including wood anemone and over-wintering butterflies
may put in an appearance if we get a mild spell, so
please report your first peacock or brimstone or indeed
any other early species.
Winter 2013
4
© John Black
Fat balls
Over-wintering ducks will be arriving from the continent
making this an excellent month for some duckwatching. Apart from the Idle Valley and Attenborough,
why not visit Blott’s Pit, the area we are trying to buy to
extend the Skylarks Nature Reserve?
© Mike Vickers
When choosing a seed mix, don’t buy very cheap mixes
as they can contain all manner of 'filler' seeds which the
birds will not eat and are a complete waste of money.
Use a reputable supplier such as Walter Harrisons
(available at Attenborough and Idle Valley as well as
other retailers) or CJ Wild Bird Foods. Remember that
birds such as chaffinches feed on the ground so choose
a suitable place to scatter some seed.
Even during short days
there is still time to get to
grips with winter wildfowl
or to visit a local woodland
or Wildlife Trust reserve
to check out flocks of
small birds. Farmland
areas are also great for
watching winter wildlife, especially if the land has not
yet been planted or ploughed. Even large ploughed
fields can turn up flocks of lapwing and perhaps golden
plover. There is always the chance of finding flocks of
finches and buntings while raptors are a possibility - a
short-eared owl maybe, a merlin, or even a hen harrier
or rough-legged buzzard. In the south of the county the
area between and East Leake is good whilst centrally,
around Eakring is a good area to explore, and don’t
forget the Idle Washlands in the north.
© Mike Vickers
© Margaret Holland
Apples are a great favourite of the song thrush
What to look out for
SPECIES
EMEC Ecology - working to restore key species
EMEC Ecology, a subsidiary of
Nottinghamshire Wildlife Trust,
is involved in a wide variety of
commercial ecological consultancy
projects across the UK. The EMEC
team specialise in protected species
work and can be called upon to
conduct species surveys anywhere
in the UK, but in recent months they
have been involved in two exciting
projects a little closer to home.
Here Sean Gallagher, EMEC’s
Consultancy Manager, reflects on
efforts to boost the local populations
of harvest mice and Ecologist
Richard Anderton provides an
update on a vital nightjar monitoring
project in Sherwood Forest.
© Chris Dutton
Harvest mouse
release project
Between June and September this year, on farmland near
Cropwell Bishop, a harvest mouse release project has
been underway in an effort to establish a population on a
grassland site with young plantation trees and scrub.
5
Nottinghamshire Wildlife
The young mice are generally around
six weeks old when released and
are at the semi-independent stage
when the parent mice are becoming
less tolerant of their presence. This
is apparent from the increased
squeaking and chasing taking place
within the nursery cage. When
released into the semi-wild state the
young mice begin exploring their new
habitat straight away and it becomes
noticeable over the next few days that
they become less tame and much
more alert to sound and movement
– which is what is required to give
them a sporting chance of avoiding
predation once they are in the wild.
Obviously some of the released
mice will fall victim to predation
by kestrels, owls, stoats, weasels,
crows and a host of other natural
First taste of freedom
© Chris Dutton
EMEC Ecology had carried out
investigative surveys for harvest
mouse signs on the land earlier in
the year, searching for nests and
other evidence, but found nothing.
Having established that no existing
population was present and that
the habitat was suitable for harvest
mice, permission to undertake the
‘reintroduction’ was obtained from
the landowner in conjunction with
Janice Bradley, the Wildlife Trust’s
Head of Policy & Planning. The young
mice introduced onto the land were
the product of a captive-breeding
programme managed in part by
Nottinghamshire Wildlife Trust’s
Conservation Officer, Andy Lowe.
Alex Walls, the Trust’s Membership
Development Officer, also contributed
to the programme. The breeding mice
have been in captivity for a number of
years. Interestingly, given sufficient
food, harvest mice do not need
much encouragement to breed and
a steady succession of young mice
(approximately 100) have been ‘softreleased’ at the site. The process
involves leaving their cage within
a meshed enclosure in which
there is plenty of food and water.
The mice have access to this since
their cage door is left slightly ajar.
After a week in this semi-wild state,
a gap is left in the enclosure and the
mice are then free to colonise the
grassland outside.
© Chris Dutton
The strip of land is in between arable
fields and has been left as a seminatural area by farmer Russell
Price. It has boundary hedges (one
section newly and expertly laid last
winter by Russell’s farm staff) and
a variety of young native trees on a
thick grassy sward. At one end is a
large pond and hedgerows radiate
out along arable field boundaries
to provide connectivity with more
distant habitats.
A captive bred mouse just prior to release
predators (even blackbirds have been
recorded eating baby harvest mice!).
Small mammal populations are kept
in check by predators and without
this their numbers would become
astronomical. Hard winters and lack
of food will also take their toll, but it
is hoped that a release programme
over three successive seasons will
be enough to establish a sustainable
population, with all its natural checks
and balances, able to exist on the site
into the foreseeable future.
We will only be able to measure
the success or otherwise of the
reintroduction by a programme
of monitoring. To this end, Esther
Kettel, a student from the University
of Nottingham, will begin a research
project using a variety of methods
(e.g. nest-searching, live-trapping,
setting of hair-tubes) as part of a
wider survey to record harvest mice
in South Nottinghamshire, including
at the recently acquired Skylarks
Nature Reserve. We wish the harvest
mice (and Esther) every success.
Sean Gallagher
EMEC’s Consultancy Manager
SPECIES
© Andy Lowe
Nightjar study
Nightjar (Caprimulugus europaeus) is a summer visitor to
the UK and is a crepuscular (twilight) species which breeds
on heathland and in woodland clearings. Nightjars forage
over a variety of habitats and feed on insects caught in
pursuit flight or during short flights from a perch.
The nightjar was once more
widespread and numerous but
has been declining in numbers
due to a loss of breeding habitat.
Nottinghamshire still has
strongholds of nightjar populations
making them nationally significant.
This summer, EMEC Ecology was
commissioned to carry out a nightjar
study in Clipstone Forest near
Rainworth. The aims of the study
were to determine the population
status and the foraging and
commuting behaviour of nightjar in
the area. The survey included nest
searching and telemetry using a
new GPS data logger and VHF radio
tracking tag and was carried out in
partnership with Birklands Ringing
Group and the British Trust for
Ornithology.
The nightjar population in Clipstone
Forest was found to be similar to
previous years, but an increase
in males ‘churring’ on outlying
sites was noted. This is due to
management of these sites by the
Forestry Commission, aiming to
maintain open areas and allow
natural succession. Additionally,
areas of restocked plantation are
now secured by rabbit fencing,
which creates undisturbed areas
for nesting.
A female adult nightjar
surrounding a territory and the local
food abundance; however behaviour
did vary depending on breeding
status and over the season. For
example, movements of unpaired
males were more dependent on the
number of neighbouring territories
and the distance of these from their
own as they invested much of their
time and energy in attracting a
female. Paired males were found to
forage much closer to the nest once
they had dependent young.
Nightjar chicks
The breeding success of nightjar
within the survey area this summer
was slightly below the average
for previous years and below the
national trend, with 52.8% of eggs
producing fledged young. The main
cause of nest failure was predation,
primarily at the egg stage.
The distance of foraging flights was
ultimately related to the habitat
A nightjar with a GPS data logger fitted
Richard Anderton
EMEC Ecology
50th anniversary news
1963-2013
Reserve Histories Project
BBC Summer of Wildlife
A key element of our 50th Anniversary Celebrations is our
Reserve Histories Project. We are compiling a definitive
history of each of our reserves and we want your input
to help ensure we capture all the key information about
our sites and also capture people’s individual stories of
passion for or involvement with individual nature reserves.
The latest version of the Histories documents can be found
on the 50th Anniversary section of the Campaigns section
of our website. If you would like to comment on or add to
the documents you can do so using the special form on the
website. We would also be delighted to receive copies of
old photographs you may have of our reserves.
Our 50th Anniversary year
coincided with the BBC’s Summer
of Wildlife campaign and as
a result we teamed up with
BBC Radio Nottingham, East
Midlands Today and the Urban
Jungle team to produce a range of features and interviews
showcasing our work and the county’s amazing wildlife.
Radio Nottingham broadcast a special 50 hour wildlife
watching initiative to coincide with our Big 50 event, East
Midlands Today produced three special features about us
for their evening news programme and a number of our
reserves and projects - including our peregrine project
with Nottingham Trent University - were featured in the
East Midlands version of Urban Jungle.
To view the histories document go to:
www.nottinghamshirewildlife.org/campaigns/details/
50-years-of-protecting-wildlife-in-nottinghamshire
YEARS OF
PROTECTING
WILDLIFE
Winter 2013
6
News UK UPDATE
Habitat loss, mink predation and extreme weather
have produced a dramatic drop in just five years
L
UK-w atest
id
and i e news
wildl ssues:
ife
org/n trusts.
ews
New maps produced by the National UK Water Vole
Database and Mapping Project show that the mammal’s
range may have shrunk by 22% between 2007-2011 when
compared with the previous recording period (2004-2008).
The maps identify areas of England – especially the
south west, south east and parts of the north west –
where the species is vulnerable to further decline and
extinctions. The reasons for the continuing losses are
long-term habitat loss, mink predation and extreme
weather such as 2012’s spring drought.
There are still strongholds in areas with more extensive
wetlands, or where the non-native American mink is
absent or at low levels. However, some of these have
reduced in size since the first mapping period. Wildlife
Trusts are also succeeding in restoring water vole
populations through targeted conservation efforts
in some areas, but this work needs to be sustained
and extended to stop the wider decline.
In part, the new data reflects a reduced survey effort due to
a reduction in available funding. But there is clear evidence
from some areas that water voles are disappearing fast.
“This latest information is a real cause for concern,”
said Paul Wilkinson, The Wildlife Trusts’ Head of Living
Landscape. “Not enough is being done to secure this
charismatic species’ future. We must protect the remaining
strongholds and renew efforts to save this species, through
targeted conservation and sustained monitoring. We need to
create and maintain large-scale, good quality habitat, good
for voles and other wildlife. We must also control mink, and
conduct reintroduction schemes. A lack of funding for these
crucial projects is a real threat to their success.”
The Wildlife Trusts and the Environment Agency are
calling for a national water vole monitoring programme
to be established. Annually recording populations in key
areas would show how this vulnerable mammal is faring
over time.
Read what The Wildlife Trusts are doing and submit
sightings: wildlifetrusts.org/watervole
Water voles local update
Here in Nottinghamshire, water vole populations
continue to suffer due to loss of habitat and
pressure from mink. However, they do have
strongholds along smaller rivers such as the River
Leen in Nottingham and along both the River Idle
and River Ryton in North Notts.
Around the Wildlife Trusts
Avon
BBOWT
Cheshire
Dorset
Endangered white clawed
crayfish have been moved
to a new safe haven in
Dorset. It is part of the
South West Crayfish
Project, led by Avon Wildlife
Trust, with Buglife and the
Environment Agency.
wtru.st/AvonCrayfish
Thousands of people
raised £270,000 to save
Meadow Farm, 28ha of
irreplaceable wildflower
meadows on the River
Ray, where true fox sedge
survives in the medieval
ridge and furrow fields.
wtru.st/MeadowFarm
The Trust is restoring
Delamere’s lost
mosslands thanks to
a £250,000 grant from
WREN. This rare habitat
is home to specialist
plants and animals such
as the white-faced darter.
wtru.st/DelamereBogs
Record numbers of rare
silver-studded blue butterflies
have appeared at Upton Heath
reserve. The species only
lives on heathland, limestone
grassland and dunes. Dark
green fritillaries also did very
well. wtru.st/RareSilvers
7
Nottinghamshire Wildlife
© Elloitt Neep
Water voles disappearing
UK UPDATE NEWS
Critical areas
for water voles
New marine species records
had been no previous records off the
Somerset coast.
The Wildlife Trusts’ annual National
Marine Week celebrations in August
turned up some interesting species
records this year.
Cornwall Wildlife Trust reported
sightings of large numbers of sunfish
Mola mola off the Cornish coast
throughout the summer.
6
© Richard Morton
A Kent Wildlife Trust survey
uncovered an extensive bed of sand
mason worms Lanice conchilega
in Kingsdown. These small brittle
worms are commonly encountered
by divers but rarely seen in such
numbers in the shallows.
Over in Porlock Weir, a Somerset
Wildlife Trust rock-pooling group
came across a stranded European
common squid Alloteuthis subulata,
a deep-water species for which there
5 6
A 150 stone sunfish, one of our
more impressive summer visitors
4
6
Road proposal threatens Gwent Levels
2
3
1
1 South East
Despite records across the south
east of England, there are no
viable long-term populations.
2 River Ock and Ginge Brook
BBOWT’s Water Vole Recovery
Project has focused on survey
and mink trapping for many years,
allowing water vole populations to
expand in some areas.
Gwent Wildlife Trust has expressed
disappointment as the Welsh
Government push forward with
proposals to build a new 15-mile
stretch of dual carriageway through
the Gwent Levels.
The Trust has been campaigning
against proposals for a new M4 relief
road in the area for more than a
decade. This latest proposal is one
of many to be considered in recent
5 Lancashire Wetlands
Farm ditch systems are amongst
important strongholds for the
species in the north west.
6 Uplands
Headstreams in the Peak District
and Pennines, Snowdonia and
the Cairngorms are important
strongholds.
The Trust is promoting alternative
options which it believes are less
damaging to the environment
and also cheaper. Details on
savethelevels.org.uk
Impact of proposed M4 extension on protected wildlife sites
Llanwern
Newport
M4
Bishton
River Ebbw
Magor
Proposed route of M4 extension
Undy
M4
Duffryn
3 Devon and Cornwall
Water voles are now extinct in the
south west due to predation by
American mink.
4 Lincolnshire Coastal
Grazing Marsh
A complex system of drainage
ditches makes this farming
landscape surprisingly good
habitat for water voles.
years and comes as a blow to efforts
to protect this nationally important
area, home to iconic wetland wildlife
including water vole, otter and more
than 140 notable invertebrate species.
River
Usk
(SAC)
Gwent Levels SSSI
Redwick
Nash
Whitson
Goldcliff
Gwent Levels SSSI
Marshfield
Newport Wetlands NNR
St Brides Wentlooge
Severn Estuary
(SAC, SPA & RAMSAR)
Peterstone
Wentlooge
Key
Site of Special Scientific
Interest (SSSI)
National Nature Reserve (NNR)
Gwent Wildlife Trust Reserves
Local Wildlife Sites
Proposed route of M4 extension
Jargon buster
SAC - Special Area for
Conservation
SPA - Special Protection Area
RAMSAR - international wetland
designation.
Contains Ordnance Survey data © Crown
copyright and database right (2013). CCW
designations data: © Crown copyright.
All rights reserved.
Map shows terrestrial designation
areas only.
Winter 2013
8
RESERVES
© Geoff Curtis
Make hay when...?
Charles Langtree
Head of Estate
Management &
Development
Buttercup meadow
What a summer! The species records show what a good year it has been, but these hide the fact
that it has been another slightly odd year. Can you remember back in April and May we were
wondering when spring would get here? Well as I write this in October, we are wondering when
summer is going to finish!
We manage grassland for a number
of species - plants, insects, small
mammals, fungi, and I’m sure, a few
more. Each group adds complexity to
the discussion about when or whether
to mow, about grazing pressures,
timings, and so on. Summer is the time
to make hay; a traditional technique
which keeps a lot of meadows in good
botanical condition by allowing seeds to
develop and be left on site, and removes
the growth keeping the area in a fairly
stable condition. There is always a bit
of discussion about the best time to
make hay, and it is reasonable to accept
that later is better as more plants can
flower and seed, and the butterflies and
other insects have more opportunity to
feed, lay eggs and develop to pupae. By
contrast, mowing later in the season
means fewer nutrients are removed
from the site, and flower-rich meadows
are necessarily low nutrient habitats. In
addition, these sites have developed and
persisted because they are important
to people, so managing them in a way
which is productive is important in
retaining them in the longer term. It
is vital that they retain this value if we
are to create living landscapes in which
species can move through from one
patch to another. Good quality, flowerrich hay is valued by horse owners and
for other pets and then you need to add
to the mix the amount of work involved;
it can’t all be done in September!
Finally there is the old saying: Make hay
when the sun shines!
In the last issue of Nottinghamshire
Wildlife we highlighted the Duke’s Wood
Artist’s Project. This ambitious project,
organised and delivered by Ordinary
Culture, was the first time we had
hosted such an initiative on one of our
nature reserves and we are pleased to
say that the programme of events which
began over the August Bank Holiday
and ran throughout September proved
very popular.
9
Nottinghamshire Wildlife
Well over 700 people from all ages
and backgrounds visited the wood
over the course of the 24 open days
of the exhibition and the project
organisers were taken aback by
the overwhelmingly positive
response from the public.
The great news is that despite the
weather ups and downs, this year has
been great for our grasslands – and, as
always, we have made sure that with
careful management, our grasslands
continue to be special places for wildlife
to flourish.
Dozens attended the opening
day of the event in August
© Ordina
Art proves to be a big draw at Duke’s Wood
Looking closely at many of the
meadows we manage, you will notice
that much of the grass has gone but
that a strip has been left down one or
more edges. Over the coming years
this strip will move around the site
so that no area becomes rank and is
lost to scrub and a good proportion is
left through the summer and into the
winter for nectar and shelter for insects
and small mammals.
© Jack Perks
Big 50 update
INSPIRING PEOPLE
As a celebration of Nottinghamshire Wildlife Trust’s 50th
anniversary, a special three day wildlife survey - the ‘Big 50’ took place between 9th and 11th August 2013.
BBC East Midlands Today presenter Dominic
Heale filming a feature about the event
Visitors enjoying one of the many guided walks during the event
This ‘Bioblitz’ event was held at our
Attenborough Nature Reserve –
birthplace of the Nottinghamshire
Wildlife Trust and a Site of Special
Scientific Interest (SSSI). During the
weekend, wildlife experts from around
the county and beyond descended on
the reserve to undertake an exhausting
50 hours of wildlife surveying, watching
and recording.
the first day!), created a real ‘buzz’
about the Reserve and the sightings
soon rolled in. After the 50 hours were
up, no less than 748 species had been
recorded - including an incredible
variety of insects, plants, mammals
and birds. As for the 50 new species, we
didn’t just achieve our target; we almost
doubled it with 99 new species being
added to the Reserve’s lists!
A total of 20 wildlife workshops were
run over the three days, giving visitors
to Attenborough the chance to try
their hand at pond dipping, identifying
insects, using a bat detector and much
more during a series of expert-led
walks and talks. Our goal throughout
the event was to find 50 new species
that had never previously been recorded
on the site.
Some 30 new moth species were
discovered along with 10 new slugs and
snails, 10 new spiders, six new species
of fish, and many other plants and
invertebrates. Small mammal trapping
in the Delta enabled us to confirm the
presence of two mammal species that
we had always suspected were here but
had never actually been seen – the tiny
bank vole and water shrew.
The sheer volume of surveying activity,
coupled with the rate at which new
species were being discovered (26 within
Possibly the most interesting find of
the Big 50 was a rare fungus found
on Corbett’s Meadow –
Paecilomyces tenuipes. This obscure
species is carnivorous, arising from the
larvae or pupae of moths in the soil.
There have only been seven previous
records of this species in the UK, all
from Norfolk between 1942 and 1987.
The information gathered from the Big
50 weekend is incredibly important to us
as it helps us to plan management on
the reserve, especially taking the new
species into account. However, of equal
importance is the number of people
who took part! When you add up all the
recorders, those who helped by leading
walks and giving talks, and the team
of volunteers who were checking the
mammal traps three times a day, there
were well over 100 staff and volunteers
involved. Add this to the 350 visitors who
attended a walk or a talk, and you really
start to get an idea of just how big it got!
Thank you to everyone who helped make
this celebration event so successful.
Get out and explore!
Our new iPhone app puts more than 2000 nature reserves
across the UK at your fingertips
■■ Discover our protected moors, woods, meadows, rivers and grasslands
■■ Browse upcoming events
■■ Learn about 800+ species
■■ Find your local Wildlife Trust easily
■■ More details on wildlifetrusts.org/app
F
down ree to
load
on th
iTune
e
wildl s store or
ifetru
org/a sts.
pp
Winter 2013
10
RESERVES
Skylarks Appeal goes from strength to strength but
we still need your help to turn ambition into reality
One of the key factors in the success of Nottinghamshire
Wildlife Trust over the past fifty years has been the backing
and support of our members, partner organisations and the
general public.
In our 50th year we are aiming to
purchase land adjacent to our Skylarks
Nature Reserve at Holme Pierrepont to
create a first class wetland site within
easy reach of people living in and
around Nottingham.
In order to be able to purchase the
land we need to raise in the region
of £200,000.
In addition to raising funds for the
purchase we also need to raise
significant funding so that we can
carry out access improvements to the
existing Skylarks reserve and turn the
new land into a nature reserve. This
will include the creation of new habitat
areas such as new reed beds, shallows
and islands.
To help fund this work, and to help
us access major grant funding we
are seeking to raise £50,000 in cash
donations and we have already raised
over £20,000 of this - a wonderful total
in such a short space of time. However,
we must raise the remainder of the
cash if we are to be able to purchase
the site and prevent it from going back
on to the open market.
Partnership support
We have also had official backing from
a range of organisations including
Nottinghamshire Biodiversity Action
Group, Nottinghamshire Bat Group,
Nottinghamshire Birdwatchers,
Butterfly Conservation ( East Midlands
Branch), Holme Pierrepont and
Gamston Parish Council, Radcliffeon-Trent Parish Council and Holme
Pierrepont Running Club.
Ambition edges closer
to becoming a reality
The backing of the Environment
Agency has given a tremendous
boost to everyone involved in efforts
to extend Skylarks and we now feel
that the prospect of making the
project happen is much closer
to becoming a reality.
Of course we still have a long way to
go to raise the remaining £30,000 in
cash donations required to help secure
the purchase - but with your help we
believe we can make it.
The land we are trying to buy, called
Blott’s Pit, is already designated as
a Local Wildlife Site for its botanical
interest but it also supports a wealth
of other wildlife. Recent bird surveys
have recorded a variety of warblers
including Cetti’s warbler, willow
warbler, garden warbler, whitethroat
and lesser whitethroat, whilst seven
bat species have been recorded,
including Nathusius’ pipistrelle,
brown long-eared and Daubenton’s.
A great diversity of butterflies, moths,
dragonflies, damselflies, beetles and
other invertebrates have also been
recorded. The site is also an important
over-wintering site for duck and
wildfowl, including species such as
teal and wigeon, and forms a vital part
of the complex of lakes and ponds in
the Holme Pierrepont area.
For more information, please visit www.skylarksappeal.co.uk
11 Nottinghamshire Wildlife
With your help we can secure the
future of the site’s wildlife and
create a wonderful wildlife haven
on the doorstep of hundreds of
thousands of people.
Speaking about the Appeal, Wildlife
Trust Chief Executive John Everitt said:
“The purchase and transformation
of this land into a first class nature
reserve is one of our most ambitious
projects to date. In our 50th
Anniversary year it’s great to have the
opportunity to save this land for future
generations and the funding support
from the Environment Agency is a
major boost. Their support moves us a
step closer to being able to secure the
future of this wonderful wildlife area
but we need more support to make
our dream a reality. We are delighted
that so many individuals, groups and
organisations are supportive of our
plans and the public’s response to our
Skylarks Appeal has been tremendous.
However, to be able to purchase the
land we must raise at least another
£30,000 in cash donations.”
There are a number of ways
you can help - by making a donation
to the Appeal, by organising a
fundraising event, or even by
purchasing one of our brand new
Appeal T-shirts (see page 22). For
further information about the appeal
visit www.skylarksappeal.co.uk
A view of Blott's Pit - part of the
land we are trying to purchase
© The Wildlife Trusts
To help with our grant applications
and to demonstrate that we have wide
support for our plans for the area we
have been collecting signatures from
local residents keen to support us and
so far we have gathered almost 1000
signature - an amazing demonstration
of local support.
We also have the backing of the
Environment Agency which has
committed significant funds to the
project as part of their off-site habitat
mitigation for the Nottingham Left
Bank Flood Alleviation Scheme at
Attenborough. As a result the Agency
have confirmed support of £104,000
towards the acquisition of the land
and a further £194,000 towards
habitat enhancements, access
improvements, new viewing
screens and interpretation.
INSPIRING PEOPLE
Role of volunteers put
centre stage as we
highlight success of
‘Lost Woodland’ Appeal
© Peter Gill
© The Wildlife Trusts
L-R John McMeeking, John Clark,
Geoff Nickolds & John Everitt
50th anniversary news
Wollaton summer event
In September we were
able to announce the
success of our ‘Lost Woodland’ Appeal
thanks to the support of local members and
volunteers. The Appeal was established to
raise funds for us to purchase land adjacent
to Treswell Wood in order to undertake an
exciting woodland regeneration project.
Thanks to fundraising by members, including our Retford
Local Members’ Group, and public donations we raised
more than £15,000. This helped us secure grants of more
than £65,000 from the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) and
over £33,000 from Biffaward.
A celebration event was held at Treswell on September
5th with special guests including the Chairman of
Nottinghamshire County Council, Bassetlaw District
Councillors including Cllr Ian Campbell as well as HLF
and Biffaward.
The event provided a fitting opportunity to celebrate the
40th Anniversary of our purchase of the wood in 1973. We
also celebrated the efforts of the volunteer bird ringers
who have built up a unique record of the reserve’s
wildlife over the past four decades. As part of the overall
project to re-generate woodland on the adjacent land,
we have been able purchase new equipment and books
for the ringing group - officially known as the Treswell
Wood Integrated Population Monitoring Group - or TWIG
for short. The new equipment was presented to group
members by our Chief Executive John Everitt and Geoff
Nickolds of the HLF.
The events, activities and
celebrations linked to our
50th Anniversary in recent
months have helped us
celebrate the value of our
volunteers, highlight the
wonderful wildlife on our
nature reserves and raise
the profile of our work
with the public.
1963-2013
YEARS OF
PROTECTING
WILDLIFE
Special events
Over the summer we held a number of special Anniversary
events including our amazing ‘Big 50’ (more on page 10), a
fantastic family wildlife extravaganza at Wollaton Hall and
an Urban Safari starting from our office in Nottingham - the
latter two organised by our Wildlife in the City team. We
have also had the honour of an official Royal Visit, with the
Duke of Kent attending a special event at Attenborough
to mark our 50th year and to celebrate the success of our
education work across the county.
Personal Stories
During the course of the year we want to gather a range
of personal stories from members and volunteers about
why they joined the Wildlife Trust and reflections on
their favourite reserves. The first of these, including a
contribution from our Vice President Paddy Tipping, can
be watched /listened to via the campaigns section of the
website detailed above. If you would be willing to share
your memories in an interview during our Anniversary
Year please contact Erin McDaid on 0115 958 8242 or
email [email protected]
Have you made a pledge yet?
Around 250 people have already made a pledge to
do something extra for Nottinghamshire’s Wildlife
this year. If you’ve not yet made a pledge - pick up
one or our pledge leaves or download a copy from
our website.
Winter 2013
12
Living Landscapes
A long
old job
Rob Stoneman
Chief Executive
of Yorkshire
Wildlife Trust
Erosion
This entire gully
was once a narrow
drainage ditch. All its
peat has blown or
washed away.
© Matthew Roberts
repaired
The overhanging
edge is gone, to
be replaced with a
smooth slope. New
vegetation will
stabilise it.
diggers
They’re special
low ground pressure
versions, designed
to tread lightly on
delicate peat.
From the 1950s to the 1980s Yorkshire’s peat uplands were
drained for farming. It turned out to be a disaster. Fixing the
damage is Yorkshire Wildlife Trust’s toughest challenge yet.
Diggers smooth the exposed sides of
eroding gullies at High West Moor above
Nidderdale. The restoration work across
Yorkshire will last for years
Haze pollution in Singapore hasn’t got
much to do with the North Yorkshire
Moors, you might think. After all, the
noxious fumes which shrouded the
South Asian city-state last June were
caused by the deliberate burning
of tropical peatlands in Borneo and
Sumatra to create oil palm plantations.
of deep-peat blanket bog in Yorkshire,
40,000ha (about 150 square miles)
needs restoring. There were 3,100 miles
of drains, 1,500 miles of eroding gully
and at least 400ha of eroding bare peat.
Taking on the task of restoring so much
land was going to be one of the largest,
most expensive projects The Wildlife
Trusts had ever undertaken.
But the unfolding ecological and
economic catastrophe in South East
Asia – driven by short-sighted biofuel
subsidies in the US and Europe – is part
of a problem that affects the UK too.
Largely as a result of palm oil demand,
Indonesia is one of the world’s leading
carbon emitters. The draining and
burning of South East Asian peat forests
contributes eight per cent of the world’s
carbon emissions as damaged bogs
release their once-safely stored carbon
to the atmosphere.
This is why peatland restoration,
through re-wetting, is a critical part of
the world campaign to stop catastrophic
climate change. Re-wetting has two
effects: first, it keeps the remaining
stored carbon in the land; second, it
re-starts the natural process of taking
carbon out of the atmosphere and laying
it down as peat. Achim Steiner, Head of
the UN Environment Programme, calls
peatland restoration, 'a low-hanging
fruit, and the most cost-effective of
options for mitigating climate change'.
So the world’s peatlands could help
reduce the amount of carbon in the
atmosphere. But past and present
13 Nottinghamshire Wildlife
damage all over the world means that,
for now, those peatlands emit more
carbon than they absorb.
International conservation organisations
are urging World Governments to
do more. In the UK, the IUCN-UK’s
peatland programme aims to restore
all UK peatlands as an exemplar to
the global community. That pressure
is having an effect. All four UK country
environment ministers have signed a
joint declaration to restore our British
and Northern Irish peatlands.
But it’s one thing talking a good talk,
quite another to take action on the
ground – which is, of course, where
The Wildlife Trusts come into their
own, spearheading peatland restoration
across the UK. In Yorkshire this work
started in 2008 with a legacy from Mrs
Joyce Mountain allowing Yorkshire
Wildlife Trust (YWT) to work with the
Yorkshire Dales National Park to map
out the issues and propose solutions.
The scale of damage was huge. Much of
the county’s upland peat was damaged
by massive drainage works during
the 1950s to 1980s, funded through
agricultural subsidies. Over time,
some of the drainage ditches (known as
grips) have eroded into huge gullies, or
allowed fires to burn deep, leaving vast
scars with miles of bare peat eroding
into the rivers or being blown off the
hillsides.
Our scoping project discovered damage
on an immense scale. Of the 65,000ha
Yet the funds were there, through
Natural England’s agri-environment
Higher Level Scheme. But with their
staff stretched, and peatland restoration
a rather technical discipline, they
needed a crack team of dedicated
conservation advisors who could work
with land managers to survey upland
peatlands, assess the damage in fine
detail, and set out plans and, ultimately,
contracts for restoration.
And so the Yorkshire Peat Partnership
was set up, with YWT employing staff
and managing contracts for a broad
range of partners: the National Parks,
Nidderdale AONB, Yorkshire Water,
the Moorland Association, the National
Farmers Union, the Dales Rivers Trust,
the National Trust, Natural England
and the Environment Agency.
This team set about surveying the
upland peatlands of Yorkshire using
geographic information system (GIS)
technology, deploying aerial photograph
digitisation of grips, gullies, hagging and
bare peat. Sites identified for restoration
were then ‘ground truthed’ by workers
walking hundreds of miles across the
Yorkshire peatland
restoration
3,073
miles of drains
digitally mapped
17
habitat
Restored peat
uplands support
scarce birds, reptiles,
invertebrates
and specialist
plants.
restoration sites
23,932
hectares of land surveyed
689
miles of drains blocked
577
miles of gullies reprofiled
50
carbon
store
A healthy peat
bog will keep on
absorbing CO2 for
thousands of
years.
pool
Sphagnum
mosses are already
here. When their old
growth dies it will
fall to the bottom to
make new peat.
dam
There’s little sign
a digger was here,
damming the ditch at
regular intervals
to create peaty
pools.
hectares of bare peat
re-vegetated
1,053
A grip dammed in 2011. Once the diggers
have gone, nature can slowly carry on where it
left off half a century ago
hectares of peatland restored
How to restore a peatland
Dam the grips. Dig out a lump of peat, place it in
the grip (aka drain) and carefully re-cover with
its original vegetation. Behind the dam, the grip
fills with water. Within a few years, Sphagnum
mosses colonise the trapped water. Eventually
they begin to form new peat.
Re-profile the gullies. Most are too big to dam.
Instead, turn the overhanging sides (dotted in
black in the diagram) into smooth slopes,
covering bare surfaces with vegetation. This
stops the gully from eroding any further. Hags
(eroding stools of peat) get a similar treatment,
to become smooth mounds.
Re-vegetate bare peat. The trickiest task. We
harvest Sphagnum-rich heather brash from less
damaged peatlands and spread it across the
bare peat. The brash reduces wind erosion and
desiccation while the heather seeds and
Sphagnum fragments establish.
moors with digital mappers to record
vegetation, depth and width of grips
and gullies, peat depth, slope, and so
on. This information was used to set
out the right restoration techniques for
each site. Finally, these huge datasets
allowed restoration plans to be drawn
up to allow contractors to start work.
and cooperation will allow us to
restore 435ha, says: “Working with
organisations to deliver restoration can
be a challenge. But with cooperation,
communication and, often, compromise,
the best outcome can be achieved.
That’s best for Yorkshire’s peatlands,
and also for those who derive their
livelihood from the moorland areas.
And that benefits the local economy.”
Damaged peatlands give off brown
water full of organic matter, which
turns into a carcinogen once chlorine
is added. Currently, Yorkshire Water
has to remove this matter chemically at
great cost to water users – us, in other
words. It makes more sense to treat
the problem at source, which is why
Yorkshire Water is already spending
millions on restoring peatlands across
the county.
By April 2013, the now multi-million
pound project had restored nearly
a quarter of Yorkshire’s damaged
peatlands – an area of around 38 square
miles. It is estimated that this work
has prevented 29,500 tonnes of CO2
from reaching the atmosphere – the
equivalent amount of carbon produced
annually by 62,000 UK households.
Partnership with landowners has been
critical. Richard Johnson, a landowner
in the Yorkshire Dales whose advice
Of course a restored peatland is richer
in wildlife than a degraded one. Birds,
reptiles, insects and plants will all
benefit. But returning Yorkshire’s
peatlands to their previous Sphagnumdominated state is not just about
conservation, or even just tackling
climate change. It also reduces the cost
of producing drinking water. Seventy
per cent of the county’s drinking
water comes from peaty landscapes.
More than this, returning pristine
blanket bog to the uplands of Britain
restores some of our country’s essential
wildness, and sets an example to the
global community.
It could even improve the quality of
life in Singapore, and save us all from
catastrophic climate change.
Winter 2013
14
Living Landscapes
Working with partners to
restore key waterways
Twelve months ago we highlighted a range of
projects where Nottinghamshire Wildlife Trust was
working partners to help improve the wildlife value
of rivers and streams across the county thanks to
funding from the Environment Agency through the
Water Framework Directive. Here Gaynor Jones
Jenkins and Mark Speck from our Conservation
Policy & Planning Team provide updates on two key
projects at opposite ends of the county.
Fairham Brook restoration
project update
Gaynor
Jones-Jenkins
Southern
Conservation
Officer
Over the past twelve months we have
been carrying out small scale tests and
modelling exercises to see what would
happen to water flows in various scenarios,
such as increased marginal planting, This
information has helped us determine the
best way to enhance the brook, as it flows
between Bunny and Clifton.
Later this winter, we’ll start putting our plans into
practice. We will be working with landowners over
the next few months to identify suitable locations for
enhancements. We then hope to install features that
will create a more natural diversity of flow rates to
suit a wider range of wildlife, and to establish new
areas of habitat alongside the main channel which
will remain unaffected by regular maintenance.
This will benefit wildlife such as water voles, otters,
reed buntings and sedge warblers as well as
providing better in-channel features for fish.
Next year our activities will focus on the upper
reaches of Fairham Brook.
15 Nottinghamshire Wildlife
River Idle restoration
project update
Mark Speck
Northern
Conservation
Officer
Historically the River Idle has been
significantly modified, resulting in a uniform
channel and steady water flow, but a lack
of features suitable for spawning fish,
invertebrates, and plant growth. Significant
potential therefore exists for habitat
restoration and the improvement of
water quality necessary to meet Water
Framework Directive (WFD) objectives.
The Directive became UK law in 2003 and
provides a framework to deliver a better
water environment, more focused on ecology.
Funding from the Environment Agency (EA) through
the WFD is helping us deliver high quality habitat
creation along the Idle Valley between Retford and West
Stockwith. A River Idle Management Partnership has
been established to develop an overarching vision for
the area and progress towards achieving this is now
underway, with physical improvements being made to
the river channel.
A good example of this work can be seen at our Idle
Valley Nature Reserve where we have installed a living
willow barrier; a technique known as ‘spiling’, to prevent
further erosion of a section of riverbank. This will protect
the bank from wave action and encourage vegetation to
establish. Bank erosion is, however, a natural process
in a river, so we have removed willow stumps from the
opposite bank to allow erosion to continue.
We have consent from the EA to create a connection
between the River Idle and a body of water within the
nature reserve. The reed-fringed edge to the water will
provide shelter for fish when the river is in spate and offer
spawning opportunities. Our long-term aspiration is to
create connections between many of the water bodies,
and a new outflow into the River Idle at the northern
end of the reserve to allow the watery areas within the
reserve to function more akin to a natural floodplain.
We are also working with Severn Trent Water at Lound
Sewage Treatment Works to develop ways to limit the
impact of phosphate and phosphorus pollution on the
river. Phosphates are present in sewage effluent and
consultants URS Scott Wilson have been researching
the potential of a range of inert waste materials to
capture these phosphates before water from the
treatment works is returned to the river. The next
stage of the project is to establish field trials to see
which materials perform best. The most successful
will then be used as a base for a reedbed which will
further reduce the levels of polluting nutrients.
INSPIRING PEOPLE
County’s Green Guardians
announced at gala event
2
1
3
(1) All our shortlisted candidates plus our supporters with Wildlife Trust Chief Executive John Everitt. (2) Bev Fulwood and Karen Hepworth of
Extended Services for Retford Oaks & the Elizabethan Family of Schools with Ian Southcott of CEMEX UK. (3) Linda Foy (left) and Cassie Harrop of
St John's C of E Primary with Steve Lee of EDF Energy.
On November 14th we
announced the winners of
our annual Green Guardians
Environmental Awards. The
announcements were made
at a special Gala event at
the Albert Hall Conference
Centre and Awards were
made in seven categories
- with winners in six of the
categories chosen by chosen
by world famous botanist
Professor David Bellamy.
Awards were made to individuals,
schools, community organisations
and businesses and with over 50
entries across the categories,
judging proved very difficult.
Applications and nominations were
received from right across the county
and around 100 guests gathered
at the Albert Hall to celebrate the
diverse range of environmental
programmes and initiatives that
exist throughout Nottinghamshire.
In 2013 the Awards have been
supported by the following
organisations: The University of
Nottingham, Nottingham Trent
University, EDF Energy, Nottingham
City Council, Chinook Sciences and
Novozymes Biopharma, CEMEX UK
and EMEC Ecology.
Winners included Gavin Wagstaff
of Ollerton Village, who has used
ponies and pigs to graze scrubland
in Sherwood Forest, helping to
transform it to vital heathland for
the benefit of native species. Other
winners included Nottingham
Ecohome, the Mayborn Group and the
Pleasley Vale Residents Association.
Speaking about Green Guardians,
Wildlife Trust Chief Executive John
Everitt said: “Since their launch
in 2000, the Green Guardians
Awards have grown into something
special - with our partners we’ve
been able to invest around £70,000
in prize money and we’ve judged
around 500 applications. Over the
past 13 years the range and quality
of the applications has grown but
what’s really exciting is that new
environmental projects are still
starting up right across the county demonstrating just how much people
care about our shared environment. ”
Winners in six of the award
categories will receive £1000 in
cash towards their environmental
activities. The Environmental
Business of the Year winner receives
a tailor made package of support to
help them become even ‘greener’.
Mr Everitt continued: “On behalf
of Nottinghamshire Wildlife Trust
I would like to congratulate all the
winners but our congratulations
also go to everyone who applied
or who was nominated, as they
are all working hard to protect
our county’s environment. We’d
also like to thank our supporters
and our local judging panel.”
A full list of winners, and all
the shortlisted candidates is
now available on our website:
www.nottinghamshirewildlife.org/
green-guardians
Green Guardians Awards
are sponsored by:
Winter 2013
16
INSPIRING PEOPLE
© Tim Sexton
Natural childhood
In the last issue of Nottinghamshire Wildlife we featured the launch of the Natural
Childhood campaign. The Wildlife Trusts are part of the Wild Network partnership of
organisations that are championing the cause of reconnecting children and young people
with nature and the outdoors.
This movement will gain further
resonance through the release of
a feature length documentary film
called Project Wild Thing. This is an
account of a journey around the UK
by one dad who is concerned that his
young children spend most of their
time indoors in front of screens. On
his travels he talks to academics,
parents, branding experts and, of
course, children about what the
natural environment means to them.
Our mission at Nottinghamshire
Wildlife Trust is to enable every
schoolchild in the county to
have access to outdoor learning
experiences. Our extensive learning
programmes offer schools a range
of opportunities for learning outside
the classroom, including curriculumlinked sessions at our nature reserves
and centres as well as on their own
sites. Through projects such as the
Trent Vale partnership, and more
recently, thanks to grants made
by EDF Energy, we have been able
to offer schools advice on creating
outdoor learning spaces within their
grounds. We can also provide training
© James Greed
Karen Bennett
Head of People
& Wildlife
17 Nottinghamshire Wildlife
Child with magnifying glass
50th
Anniversary
Memories
Children exploring the willow walk at our Idle Valley Nature Reserve
sessions for teachers to help them
develop real-life, practical, or
hands-on activities they can use
within their own school grounds.
One school we have been working
with is North Clifton Primary
School. Last year our Northern
Education Officers, Rick Berry and
Kevin Widdowson, helped them
build a pond and do some willow
work. The pupils were fully involved
in this project and a particular
highlight was the Key Stage Two
pupils organising a shuttle run with
buckets of water to fill the pond!
Since then a very successful Wildlife
Watch group has been established,
assisted by Rick, and this now
meets every month. Up to 13 pupils
stay after school to take part in
wildlife sessions, often with a guest
speaker. One recent memorable
session was a visit by some real
live owls! Chris Wilson, the Head
Teacher, is firmly committed to
learning outside the classroom
and believes it is central to all
learning as you can’t ask children
to imagine or describe something
if they have no experience of it.
He says: "Since working with
Nottinghamshire Wildlife Trust our
children have created habitats for
wildlife in numerous forms. They
have learned about waste and what
is biodegradable or not. They have
made their own string, using nettle
fibres, and toasted marshmallows
over a fire. We have incorporated
maths into learning outside the
classroom by making clinometers
and using angles to calculate the
height of a tree and also used
calculations to work out the age of
a tree. One parent came up to me
and said her child was 'buzzing'
after the wildlife club this week.
What better start could they have
for further learning?"
Looking at bluebells
“I wasn’t allowed to go that far from
home when I was about 8 or 9 years
old as I had to cross the railway lineso I did; it’s bit like seeing a door ajar,
you want to see what’s on the other
side! I would cross the road to the
park and then cross the railway and
spend ages wandering around both
Strawberry Hill and Rainworth Heath.
I left the area about 20 years ago.
When I came back five years ago
I joined the Trust soon after. The
railway line that ‘stopped’ me going
to Rainworth Heath and Strawberry
Hill has now gone and Rainworth
Heath is now grazed by the Trust’s
sheep to manage the heathland.
They wouldn’t have dared put
sheep on the heath when I was kid.
I have worked as a conservation
volunteer for nearly 4 years. It always
amazes me how volunteers turn out
in all weathers. We have done some
interesting tasks over years including
building a boardwalk at Meden
Trail Nature Reserve and a dipping
platform at Besthorpe.
I went on a horse logging course at
Treswell: in a week we were taken
from people who had not put harness
on a horse, to being able to direct
the horse pulling out ash trees on
our own. It was great to have a go
at an old skill that is dying out - the
horses were better than us, and could
probably have done it on their own!”
Ian O’brien
Volunteer Reserve Warden,
Rainworth Heath.
© Tom Marshall
Winter 2013
18
INSPIRING PEOPLE
A forest full of fun
The Wildlife Trusts are giving children the space and
encouragement to discover the world they live in.
Helen Walsh went to visit a Forest School in Sussex.
Looking round the circle, Katie asks,
“So, what do you want to do today?”
A chorus erupts from the children:
“Den building!” “Fire making!” “Mud!”.
It’s the final Forest School session of
the term at Southwater Infant Academy
in West Sussex, and it’s learning with
a difference. Developed from the
Scandinavian model of learning through
play outdoors, the Forest School
programme gets children outside and
exploring nature in their own way and
at their own pace. From fire lighting to
cooking, woodwork to bushcraft, they
learn about the natural world in a safe
environment. And by visiting the same
space for up to ten weeks, they can build
relationships with the environment,
the leaders and their classmates.
Growing imaginations
“It takes time for the children to get the
idea that they can say what they want
and lead the activities themselves,”
says Katie Riley, Sussex Wildlife Trust’s
Forest School Officer. She’s running the
morning alongside volunteer Bilal and
freelance Forest School Leader Rachel
Thomas. “Children can make their own
decisions here. We facilitate rather
than lead the session.”
It might look chaotic at first, but it’s not.
Group size is limited to 15, the leaders
are qualified and the children clearly
understand the boundaries they have.
The fire circle cannot be entered when
the fire is alight, particular activities
happen in specific areas, and leaders
help out with using tools. Yet these
restrictions don’t appear as ‘rules’;
they’re simply the norm.
The children ask for help when
they need it, but busy themselves in
imaginative play the rest of the time.
From a shallow hole one group invents
a mud café. Flinging mud at each other
(and anyone who happens to get too
close) they happily discuss what they
are making: “My pizza is going to have
a mud worm on top,” says Harry. “I’m
making a mud person,” explains Bryony.
Hannah simply says, “I love mud!”
19 Nottinghamshire Wildlife
Mo
work re on our
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and y ith child
ren
oung
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ifetr people:
usts
.o
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Taking a step back
Observation is key to the success
of a Forest School. The leaders are
trained to watch the children closely,
appreciate different learning styles and
personalities, and provide the right
support for the individuals they care for.
This is a little at odds with how adults
often treat children. It’s in our nature to
want to teach them what we know. But it
can be stifling for a child to consistently
hear what they can and can’t do. It’s
certainly not easy letting the child be
free to learn, as Bilal, a parent himself,
admits: “One of the hardest things is
trying not to do it all myself. It took
some self-training, but it’s wonderful to
see the children develop.”
Besides imagination, sessions also
encourage teamwork and decisionmaking. The children help each other tie
branches together to make den walls.
“It’s better than being in lessons,” says
Nicholas. They are also in tune with the
environment. “I’m using silver birch to
make the fire as it’s good for starting it
up,” explains Tom.
Impossible to fail
Extensive research shows that Forest
School sessions increase confidence,
self-esteem, language skills, and social
and emotional development.
“It’s impossible to ‘fail’ at a Forest
School,” Katie explains. “There’s
just space and encouragement to
discover the world. There’s no set
place to be at the end of the six
weeks, but it’s astonishing what
happens. It brings out confidence,
increases skills and learning, and
produces a comfortableness with
the natural world.”
Many modern children are spending
their youth indoors in front of screens.
Not only are they not getting the
exercise and fresh air they need;
they are becoming more and more
disconnected from the natural
world. That’s why the Forest School
programme is part of a wider strategy
in The Wildlife Trusts: to foster a love
and appreciation of the environment
in the people who will grow up to be
its guardians.
The fire circle is the hub of the session
– a place for planning fun, and talking
about it afterwards
You have to concentrate to make sparks
with a fire striker
UK UPDATE
© All Helen Walsh
Den building: a perfect chance to
develop teamwork and decision-making
Local update
Here in Nottinghamshire, the Wildlife
Trust offers a range of woodland
based activities as part of our formal
education work and our family
focused events programme.
Learning to use a bow saw without troubling
the first aid kit
Our Education Team delivers sessions
featuring a range of skills such as
fire-lighting and den-building for
local schools at Gamston Wood as
part of partnership with EDF Energy.
We also deliver sessions for families
at both Attenborough and Idle Valley
Nature Reserves where we can also
offer them as part of themed birthday
parties for children.
For further details contact a
member of our Education Team
on 0115 958 8242 or email
[email protected]
Woodland workshops help develop
a range of useful skills
Winter 2013
20
News
Corporate round up
Our corporate supporters
The past few months have seen a huge amount of activity with
our Wildlife Guardians, particularly in helping us move towards
our fundraising target for our Skylarks Appeal. We have seen
many employees from various organisations raising money and
making donations and our thanks goes to everyone.
■■ Autofil Worldwide Ltd
Castle Rock Brewery recently gave us a hand to generate donations at the
Nottingham Beer Festival and, in addition to brewing another range of extremely
well-received Natural Selection beers, they organised a vote from the public on
their favourite Wildlife Trust beers from the last ten years. The chosen beers will
form a special celebration range for 2014.
Our Skylarks Appeal is one of our
most ambitious projects for a number
of years and we would like to thank
Optima creative agency who have been
helping us design the next stage of the
appeal and providing ideas on how we
can improve our online fundraising. We
would also like to thank Nottinghambased sign manufacturer Caliba for
the production of our Appeal sign and
totaliser at the Skylarks reserve.
Maber is one of our long-standing
supporters and we would like to thank
this Nottingham-based architectural
practice for funding the production of
our latest publication - Biodiversity and
Urban Design: An Architect’s Guide.
This new booklet, authored by Paul
Hicking, is designed to help architects,
developers and planners consider the
opportunities for designing biodiversity
features into developments at an early
stage. The guide was launched at the
Speedo International, Maber-designed
offices at NG2 in Nottingham, and is
available to download from our website:
www.nottinghamshirewildlife.org/
urbandesign.
■■ Browne Jacobson LLP
■■ Broxtowe Borough Council
■■ BT Customer Service Centre,
Nottingham
■■ Caliba
■■ Capital One
■■ Castle Rock Brewery
■■ Center Parcs
■■ Chinook Sciences Ltd
■■ Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire
Chamber of Commerce
■■ DFPTV
■■ E.ON UK
■■ EDF Energy
■■ George & Co Press Ltd
■■ Hanson Aggregates Ltd
■■ HSBC Bank plc
■■ LaFarge Aggregates Ltd
Caliba and our Skylarks Appeal sign
■■ LaFarge Tarmac
■■ Langwith Lodge Residential Home
■■ L’Oreal Luxe (UK) Ltd
■■ Make Hay Ethical E-Media
■■ Mary’s Kitchen
■■ Mayborn Group
■■ North Midland Construction plc
Staff from EDF Energy along with their
mascot Zingy at Idle Valley Nature Reserve
Wildlife Guardian employees have also been out and about helping us to do
valuable work on our reserves, including representatives from Novozymes
at Kings Meadow, Siemens Metering Services at Harrisons Plantation, EDF
Energy at Idle Valley, and Mayborn who supported the development of the
restored and extended wildlife garden at Portland Park.
■■ Nottingham City Council
■■ Nottingham Trent University
■■ Novozymes Biopharma UK Ltd
■■ Optima Graphic Design
Consultants Ltd
■■ Ransomwood Estates Ltd
■■ Respect Green Burial Park
■■ RWE npower
■■ Siemens Metering Services
■■ Speedo International Ltd
■■ Tarmac Midland
■■ The Sherwood Hideaway
■■ Trent Valley Internal
Drainage Board
■■ Walter Harrison & Sons
■■ XMA Ltd
Sean Kelly of Walter Harrison & Sons
presenting a cheque for nearly £15,000
to Wildlife Trust Chairman Valerie Holt
© Phullar Studio
21 Nottinghamshire Wildlife
■■ Bildurn Properties Limited
■■ CEMEX UK
We would like to give a warm welcome
to Harworth Estates as our latest
Wildlife Guardian. Our Conservation Team are advising Harworth Estates on
the restoration of their land at the former Rufford Colliery site at Rainworth
which will provide extremely valuable heathland habitat to link with our
reserves at Rainworth Heath and Strawberry Hill Heath. In addition, Harworth’s
support will help us extend our current Historic Heathlands Education project
until next autumn.
We would also like to thank Walter
Harrison and Sons for their recent
donation. Through members of the
public purchasing specialist bird food
products, Walter Harrison and Sons
provide valuable financial support to
the Trust. Products are available to buy
at our Attenborough and Idle Valley
Nature Centres as well as at stores
around the county.
■■ 3663
NEWS
Discover a great range
of Wildlife Trust gift
ideas...online!
The Nottinghamshire Wildlife Trust online
shop is complete. You can view a range of gifts,
nature products, cards and calendars and
then order online, with delivery in the United
Kingdom included in the price.
One of our most popular products is our special
‘Discovery Packs’ - unique to Nottinghamshire
Wildlife Trust. There are two for you to choose from:
Minibeasts Discovery Pack
Brings together a range of useful items
- a pooter for collecting ‘min-beasts’, a
magnifier and an ‘I-Spy Creepy Crawlies’
Identification Guide.
£12.98
■■ Piccolo IV 8x21 Compact Binoculars
■■ FSC Guide to the ‘Top 50’ Garden Birds
■■ FSC Guide to Wetland Birds
YEARS OF
PROTECTING
WILDLIFE
By pledging a lifetime’s support for the Wildlife Trust
at only £250 for Individual Life Membership or £325
for Joint Life Membership you will be helping us plan
better for the future and enabling us to protect wildlife
on your doorstep for years to come. By becoming a Life
Member, your support will help us to plan for the future.
Since we launched our half price Life Membership
offer to celebrate our 50th Anniversary, five couples
and six individuals have become Life Members, so far
generating an additional £3,125 of income. This brings
the total number of Life Members to 30, and it would be
excellent if we could increase that figure to 50 during
our Anniversary year.
£26.98
Asked why he and his
wife took up the offer,
Ian Johnston, one of
our Trustees, said:
Ian Johnston
“Given the fantastic
work Nottinghamshire
Wildlife Trust does
for wildlife we would
have continued our
membership annually
for many years to
come. However, Life
Membership means
that Nottinghamshire
Wildlife Trust gets the cash now, when it’s needed,
so this offer was too good to miss.”
© Andy Wickham
■■ Checklist of the Birds of Attenborough Nature Reserve
Find the shop at www.
nottinghamshirewildlife.org/shop
1963-2013
Like all Members we are keen that Life Members
have opportunities to take an active role in our work,
should they so wish, and we are currently developing a
programme of engagement activities, the first of which
will be an afternoon tea event some time during the
spring or summer, as a special thank you to all our
Life Members, old and new.
Birdwatching Discovery Pack
■■ Notebook and Pencil (to record
your sightings)
50% off Life
membership
for our 50th
anniversary!
Taking up the half price Life Membership offer is easy.
You can: ring the Membership Team on 0115 958 8242.
Join online: www.nottinghamshirewildlife.org/
membership
‘Ay up mi duck’
Help support our Skylarks Appeal by
purchasing one of our exclusive new
T-Shirts.
The shirts are available in a range of popular
colours and sizes via our Webshop and
directly from Attenborough Nature Centre.
To help boost our Skylarks Appeal and to
raise awareness about the site’s value for
ducks and other wildlife we’ve commissioned
an exclusive T-shirt design that also includes
that traditional Nottinghamshire welcome ‘Ay up mi duck’
The design has been produced by
Optima Graphic Design Consultants Ltd,
who also produce Nottinghamshire Wildlife
magazine, and we hope to launch more
designs in the New Year.
Winter 2013
22
The miracle of ecotherapy
Paul Farmer reflects on the mental health charity Mind’s partnership with The Wildlife Trusts
You might not think that Mind and
The Wildlife Trusts have much in
common, but by working together
we’ve discovered that we have.
Over the past four years, Mind’s
Ecominds scheme, with help from
the Big Lottery Fund, has supported
14 Wildlife Trust projects that have
introduced hundreds of people
with mental health problems to
ecotherapy. The projects range
from nature conservation schemes
to community gardens. They’ve
helped people reap the benefits of
the natural environment, make
new friends, feel part of their
communities again, and learn
new skills to get back into work.
A wonderful example of the difference
this can make to someone is Wayne,
who has attended Nottinghamshire
Wildlife Trust’s Idle Valley
conservation project. Wayne is
an ex-serviceman who has been
managing post-traumatic stress
and depression since leaving active
service 14 years ago. He joined the
Notts Idle Valley group in November
2010 following a hospital admission,
and immediately showed an interest
in woodworking and conservation.
After a year Wayne’s Community
Psychiatric Nurse reduced her visits
from every week to every two weeks,
and then every month. His medication
was also reduced, and finally, after a
year and a half, he was discharged by
his nurse.
For most of us, the benefits of
getting outdoors and doing some
exercise are obvious. However, few
people think of ecotherapy activities
such as gardening or walking as valid
treatments for diagnosed mental
health problems.
In truth, ecotherapy could be offered
on its own as a treatment for shortterm conditions such as depression
or mild anxiety. With medication
or talking treatments it can also
help longer-term conditions such
as bipolar disorder. Recently, we
surveyed a group of GPs and more
than half of them said they see
ecotherapy as a valid treatment for
anxiety and depression. Sadly only
11% felt that they could prescribe it
for a condition such as schizophrenia,
even though the Ecominds scheme
has made a difference to people with
such mental health problems. We
clearly need to hear more stories like
Wayne’s, and see more evidence of
the impact of ecotherapy.
We published our Feel Better Outside,
Feel Better Inside report in October.
Developed by the University of
Essex, the report provides academic
research to show the impact of
ecotherapy projects on psychological
health and wellbeing. For example,
we found that 63 per cent of people
with mental health problems felt
more positive about their lives by
the time they left an Ecominds
project. In another survey, 76 per
cent experienced improvements in
overall mood after a single Ecominds
session, with 48 per cent feeling less
depressed.
We have also found that ecotherapy
helps people to gain the confidence,
skills and qualifications to get back
into work. Two in five people who
attended an Ecominds project
were helped back into employment,
training, education or another
voluntary position.
Last year more than 50 million
antidepressant prescriptions were
written out, at a cost to the NHS
of £211 million. Currently one in
five people are waiting up to a year
to access talking treatments. As
more traditional treatments such
as antidepressants don’t work for
everyone, and access to talking
treatments is patchy across the UK,
it is so important that people are
given a wider choice of treatment.
That’s why we want to celebrate
The Wildlife Trusts’ fantastic
achievements. They have helped
more people with mental health
problems to access ecotherapy
– a holistic treatment that is
cost-effective and tailored to an
individual’s needs. We hope to
continue working with them to spread
the message about mental health.
Read the report and find your
nearest Wildlife Trust ecotherapy
project at mind.org.uk/ecominds
For a good dose of restorative
nature: wildlifetrusts.org/reserves
Paul Farmer
Chief Executive,
Mind
The Old Ragged School, Brook Street, Nottingham NG1 1EA
Tel: 0115 958 8242 Fax: 0115 924 3175 www.nottinghamshirewildlife.org
FSC LOGO