Roebuck 135 March - July 2015

The Wildlife Trust Magazine for Newcastle, North Tyneside and Northumberland

Otterly AmazingMajor legacy to fund

otter survey

NorthumberlandiaFacelift for the ‘Lady of the North’

Kielderhead BeaverA 14th century discovery

to get your teeth into

My Wild LifeNew nature campaign launched

A Royal VisitPrince Harry joins our Red Army

Dynamic DruridgeDream set to become a realityplus news from around the UK

RoebuckIssue 135 March - July 2015

Patrons: Conrad Dickinson, Bill Oddie, Chris Packham &James JoiceyPresident: Chris MullinVice Presidents: Charles Baker-Cresswell, Angus LunnVice President & Founder: Tony TynanChairman: Caroline StewartVice Chairman: Ian ArmstrongHonorary Secretary: Nigel PorterHonorary Treasurer: Sue Loney

Chief Executive: Mike PrattHead of Marketing & Fundraising: Sheila SharpHead of Conservation: Steve LoweHead of Land Management: Duncan HuttHead of Business Management: Jane SpeakEcoNorth: Vicki Sixsmith, Managing DirectorRed Squirrels Northern England: Nick Mason, Project Manager

Find us on:

/northumberlandwt

@NorthWildlife

6-7The Last Red Squirrel

12Adopt an Easter bunny

18-19Marine Conservation Zones

20-21Magnificent Meadows

Local News

Conservation

UK News

Contents

BEaVERS PaST Beavers at Kielderhead

MCZs Why and how you can help

MagNiFiCENT MEadoWS Project update

dyNaMiC dRuRidgE Plans for the Bay

NoRTHuMBERLaNdia New role for the Trust

1618-1920-2122-24

25

ENViRoNMENT What to ask your MP

NaTioNaL RouNd-uP Form meadow to loch

oCEaN giaNTS Safe havens for travellers

WHaT NaTuRE doES FoR uS Part of our lives

youNg daRWiN The next generation

RaiLWayS Unusual wildlife corridors

26-2728-2930-3132-3536-3738-39

CorporatesMy WiLd LiFE NWT launches new campaign

daNiEL’S dESigN’S Reds get drawn in

CoRPoRaTE MEMBERSHiP Update

101111

Reserves & VolunteersWoodLaNd MakE-oVER Rowlington Dene

RouNd-uP Updates around the region

1414-15

FundingadoPT aN aNiMaL Adopt a bunny for Easter

oTTERLy MagiC Legacy funds otter project

1213

11Fabulous designs

PLaSTiC-FREE NWT staff take the pledge

PHoTogRaHPy CoRNER Entries and top tips

THE LaST REd SquiRREL How you can help

PPL BooST An extra £25,000

a RoyaL ViSiT Prince Harry visits NWT

44-56-789

DANIEL WEATHERITT

DANIEL WEATHERITT

PETER TINSLEy

Northumberland Wildlife Trust LtdGarden HouseSt Nicholas ParkGosforthNewcastle upon TyneNE3 3XTTel: (0191) 284 6884Fax: (0191) 284 6794Web: www.nwt.org.uk

Registered Charity No. 221819Registered Company No. 717813Registered in England & WalesVAT No. 556 103264Roebuck Editor: Fiona DrydenRoebuck designer: Richard ClarkThank you to all contributors.LaRgE TExT VERSioN aVaiLaBLE

Northumberland Wildlife Trust is a member of the largest voluntary organisiation in the UK concerned with all aspects of wildlife protection - The Wildlife Trusts. The views expressed are not necessarily those of the Trust or the Editor. Whilst every effort is taken to check accuracy of the information contained herein, no responsibility can be taken for errors or omissions. The contents are Copyright.

Front cover photo: HRH Prince Harry © Jason Friend

All other photos © NWT unless otherwise stated

Find us on:

/northumberlandwt

@NorthWildlife

Making a spectacle of themselves I recently visited our Hauxley reserve to do an interview about our new Wildlife Discovery Centre with BBC Look North and besides the great opportunity to inform everyone about who we are and what we do, I was

totally overwhelmed by the wildlife spectacle on offer that day.

For a mammal and bird focussed observer like me it was absolute bliss! Even before I’d got out of the car I was watching the antics of an ermine stoat running back and forth after rabbits in the meadow area - a truly beautiful little animal. Then, as we prepared for the interview and glanced across the lagoon, we were excited to see three otters swimming along and fishing just a little way off.

As I started talking, skeins of pink footed geese and curlew gave a fabulous aerial display and then, to finish things off, back at our temporary visitor centre, there were two red squirrels sitting

on the feeders watching what was going on and a heron circling overhead with nest building material in its beak. That’s what I call a quality wildlife watching experience.

We can’t expect wildlife to perform every time, but the activity at Hauxley reinforced to me the great potential of this and our other reserves to engage people with wildlife and the importance and value of nature to us all.

Our new Wildlife Discovery Centre at Hauxley, funded by the Heritage Lottery Fund and featured over three pages in this issue, will offer us the wonderful opportunity to engage with wildlife lovers on a huge scale.

Soon after this, I spent an interesting day with members of Prince Harry’s security team from Kensington Palace, carrying out a reconnaissance visit of the area ahead of the Prince’s visit at the end of February which features on page 9 of this issue.

It was incredibly uplifting to see his team taking such an interest in the plight of our iconic animal - we didn’t see any squirrels that day but we did have to stop the car to let a heron cross the road, much to the delight of the London based team who were keen to escape the capital for some bracing Northumberland air. Wildlife is always impressive, full of surprises and never fails to delight.

These are of course isolated examples; I don’t get to leave the office and meetings that often to be honest, but when I do, I am always impressed with what we have to offer in our wilds, how much there is to see.

As a Wildlife Trust, it is our mission to tell people just how fantastic nature is, how it can enhance their daily lives and that it is worth looking after. With the quality of wildlife we have on our doorstep we have a wonderful job and the newly launched My Wild Life campaign which features on page 10 will take this message to new heights.

Mike PrattChief ExecutiveNorthumberland Wildlife Trust

12Adopt an Easter bunny

9Prince Harry visits the Trust

Chief Executive’s Comments

Roebuck is printed on Regency Satin Carbon Balanced paper.

JASON FRIEND

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NWT

Curlew

JACK DOyLE

Still time to show us your photographsThere’s still time to enter the 2015 North East Wildlife Photography Competition.

With Nestlé Fawdon as the main sponsor for the third year running and Simon King Wildlife and Opticron providing a selection of wonderful prizes, it really is worth pricing up your camera and having a go.

There are six competition categories, prizes for each category winner and runner-up, plus an overall winner prize of £250.Entry is free and open to everyone, but photographs must have been taken in the North East.

Closing date: Midnight Sunday 10 May 2015

Award ceremony: Great North Museaum: HancockThursday 9 July 2015

Further details, plus full terms and conditions available at: www.northeastwildlifephoto.co.uk or alternatively contact Steve Ashton on: 01287 636 382

Job VacanciesMembership RecruitersPassionate about wildlife? Then we’d love you to join our recruitment team.

Minimum 14 hours a month, but potential for up to 28 hours or more depending on your availability. Self employed role with minimum daily rate of £50 but OTE £+ from commission on membership sales.

As a membership recruiter, your role will be to act as an ambassador for NWT and inspire new people to join as members, as well as encouraging current members to retain their membership. The choice is yours, whether you would prefer to do door to door membership recruitment in your local area in coordination with the rest of the recruiting team, or attend fairs and shows to engage face to face with members.

This role is ideal for someone looking for a part time job to augment other income, with mainly weekend, evening and school holiday work. We would like someone who is friendly and professional and can engage the public with wildlife. Qualifications are not essential, but experience in working with the public will be an advantage. Full training can be provided. The role is predominantly outdoor based.

For more info or to apply contact, [email protected] or go to www.nwt.org.uk/jobs.

Plastic not so fantastic for Trust trioThree colleagues from the Trust returned to work in January with a new year’s resolution to live plastic-free for a month, in an attempt to demonstrate how reliant society has become on plastics.

Duncan Hutt, Head of Land Management, Naomi Waite, Conservation Officer and Aurelie Bohan, Living Seas Officer used the opportunity to highlight, via their blog goingplasticfree.wordpress.com the problem of plastic pollution and littering, and how plastics have entered the food chain by being ingested by marine life.

Ocean researchers have found microplastic particles smaller than five millimetres in size in nearly every litre of ocean water examined across

the world; because they can resemble plankton, the particles are often ingested by small aquatic life and move up the food chain, accumulating in birds, sea life and humans.

The trio had quite a lot of understanding from

a number of the smaller retailers in the area, but larger shops seem much less willing to comprehend why they should be interested in reducing plastic waste, indicating there is clearly a lot of work to be done.

NCJ MEDiA

Aurelie Bohan, Naomi Waite and Duncan Hutt

PHOTO © ALEx PENN

Local News

4 ROEBUCK 135 March - July 2015

Uniting to help young peopleThe Trust recently joined forces with Children North East, another charity supported by players of People’s Postcode Lottery, to give a group of 8 young people a great day out.

The young people, aged between 12 and 18 from the Tynedale Youth Link Peer Mentoring Project, headed to Kielder Water and Forest Park, a first for many of the young people, for a one-off woodland day

in the beautiful Northumberland surroundings the youngsters, led by our People and Wildlife Officer, Tracy Evans, were pitted against each other in a number of challenges before making pencil holders and pendants from green wood, trying their hands at campfire cooking and making dens from materials found on the floor of the forest.

It’s all about planningit isn’t unusual to be asked, “How long did that take?” by somebody viewing one of my images. The answer is never simple though.

if you want to improve your wildlife photography, there really is no substitute for getting out in the field and learning everything you can about your intended subject. Study one location, or one species, repeatedly, then study it some more.

Take this otter image for example. You could argue that it took just 1/400s - the actual shutter speed while the otter’s attention was held by a border terrier that was nibbling my ear as i lay on the ground!

On the day i captured this image, i was sitting for three hours; quiet, still, and letting the otters get on with whatever they chose to do, waiting for the perfect scenario to unfold. So, there’s an argument for it taking three hours.

The photograph was taken at a site where i’ve been watching otters for seven years. in that time i’ve watched them in varying weather

conditions throughout the seasons and at all times of the day and night, so i can usually predict their behaviour reasonably well, so i think i’ll go with seven years as the answer to this one.

Martin KitchingSenior GuideNorthumberland Experience Wildlife Tourswww.newtltd.co.uk

Supported by players of

Congratulations to Tracy Evans who has become the Chairperson of the North East institute for Outdoor Learning (iOL).Young people and peer mentors

from the Tynedale Youth Link Project

TrAC

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MArTiN KiTCHiNG / W

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March - July 2015 ROEBUCK 135 5

The last red squirrel in the North East?

Help us to save red squirrels from extinctionAs a valued member of Northumberland Wildlife Trust, you will already be aware of our red Squirrels Northern England project and the dedicated work of our staff and volunteers to protect the red squirrel in our region.

You may also have seen the recent ‘Last red Squirrel’ booklet we’ve created featuring wonderful hand drawn illustrations by local wildlife artist Daniel Weatheritt. We wanted to share some of these delightful images with our members in this issue of roebuck, and we hope you’ll agree they are really special. The booklet was designed specifically to raise awareness of our work and to encourage people to become members of Northumberland Wildlife Trust to help conserve red squirrels and other precious wildlife in our region.

The reality is that without action now the red squirrel could be gone from the north east within your lifetime. But it doesn’t have to be the end of the story…

The red squirrel’s future is not secure. Where reds once inhabited much of the UK, today almost all of England’s red squirrels are only be found in the north – and even this last stronghold is threatened.

NONERED SQUIRRELGREY SQUIRRELBOTH

Please donate to our appeal Help us address the current shortfall in funding. We’ve made such great progress but there is much more to do and with the project only part funded, we need your help to continue this important conservation work. visit www.nwt.org.uk/redsquirrel and click on donate to support our work.

Spread the word Please encourage others, such as family and friends, to join Northumberland Wildlife Trust today. Just visit www.northwt.org.uk/redsquirrel and for as little as £4.50 a month you can help make a difference. As a thank you, all new members will receive:• Free access to over 60 wildlife reserves in the North East, including the Wildlife

Discovery Centre at Hauxley, opening summer 2016• Our roebuck magazine three times a year• invitations and updates on events, activities and merchandise• Children’s ‘Wildlife Watch’ materials including a handbook,

magazines, posters, stickers and badges• regular updates on the red squirrel’s progress

Support our squirrel project Join a local red squirrel group or lend a hand with the single largest species survey in the uK. The survey work is crucial to our understanding of red squirrel conservation and involves looking in over 300 sites, so volunteer support is vital.

Remember to use the promotional code RED to receive a cuddly red squirrel soft toy

With your help we can save the red squirrel from extinction and you can be a part of the

conservation story in a number of ways:

Please don’t let this be the end of the story for the red squirrel in the North East…

iMAGES © DANiEL WEATHEriTT

Why not try some of our delicious shearling lamb? They will be available from April, 2015.

For more information contact Stephen Comber at [email protected] call 07590 426 243. Keep in touch: www.flexigraze.org.uk

F lexigraze High Quality Shearling Lamb from Conservation Grazing

Each half lamb has:2 leg joints, 2 shoulder joints3 chump chops, 12 loin chops

& 1lb of mince

Lamb joints available soon

Additional £25,000 is a wonderful surpriseThe Trust is delighted to have received an additional £25,000 in funding from players of People’s Postcode Lottery.

Players of the charity lottery have now awarded an amazing £58.6 million to charities and good causes since the lottery’s launch in 2008. The support from players has made a massive difference to hundreds of communities, not just ourselves, with funding awarded to numerous grass root groups and local projects as well as national and international charities.

The extra funding has allowed us to appoint our first ever, full-time Community and Events Officer, Cathleen Thomas.

With the funding, we are now able to roll out a programme of wildlife-themed events across the North East, which include practical conservation, species identification and surveying, wildlife photography and drawing, and family fun days with arts, crafts and hands on activities. For full details log on at: www.nwt.org.uk/whats-on.

The news was announced at People’s Postcode Lottery’s annual Charity Gala held in Edinburgh on Wednesday 28 January, which was attended by Mike Pratt, Trust Chief Executive.

Over £3 million in additional funding for supported charities was announced at the gala. Dame Kelly Holmes joined 300 guests to celebrate the impact that players of People’s Postcode Lottery have on charities and good causes.

Help shape the future of the Trustif you would like to join our team of Trustees, we would love to hear from you!

Whatever your background, if you think you have skills and experience which could benefit the Trust then please contact Jane Speak, Trust Business Manager on: 0191 284 6884 or via email at [email protected] for further information.

Applications must be made during May; the number of vacancies each year is limited and there is no guarantee that all prospective candidates will be elected.

All candidates for Trusteeship will need to go through a formal skills analysis and application procedure.


Running wildWe’ve pretty much filled all of our spaces now for the next Morrison’s Great North run which takes place on Sunday 13 September 2015. But if you would like to go on our reserve list then contact Christine O’Neil on 0191 284 6884 or email [email protected] for further information. We are asking each runner to aim to raise a minimum £200 in sponsorship. We request a £50 deposit from each runner to secure their place, this then is included as part of the minimum £200 sponsorship.

You don’t have to run to take part and show your support! While you too may love the outdoors and wildlife, we understand that

running a half marathon isn’t necessarily for everyone! You can still be very much part of the team and get behind our runners by making a donation through their fundraising pages (we’ll be setting these up in the coming weeks). And you can join the fun and also give your support by cheering on anyone in a bright green NWT running top on the day.

Community and Events Officer, Cathleen Thomas

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Local News


Harry honours his Royal promise to our radiant reds

It was amazing to share our red neighbours with Conrad and Prince Harry. The red squirrel is an especially important species in

Northumberland, and it was great to be able to talk to the Prince about our conservation efforts within the County.

Will NichollsHaydon Bridge photographer

It’s tremendous that Prince Harry found the time in his busy schedule to visit Northumberland to support what he saw as a very worthwhile

cause. He loves red squirrels and I’m determined to make sure these beautiful animals remain a heritage feature for future generations.

Conrad Dickinson, PatronNorthumberland Wildlife Trust

You may recall the front cover of roebuck magazine exactly this time last year which carried a photograph of HrH Prince Harry and Trust Patron and record breaking polar adventurer explorer, Conrad Dickinson, holding our Northumberland Wildlife Trust flag at the South Pole.

At that time, Conrad was the leader of the British team of injured service men and women taking part in the ‘Walking with the Wounded’ race to the South Pole, across the frozen wastes of Antarctica to the bottom of the world.

The challenge was one of the most high profile expeditions of modern times, as it attempted to raise £2m for the Walking with the Wounded charity and, for this Trust, it was the first time a flag from any of the 47 Wildlife Trusts had fluttered so far south.

During his time in Antarctica, Prince Harry expressed his desire to visit the region to see some red squirrels, and on Wednesday 25 February, Harry was able to realise his wish when he and Conrad visited the home of Will Nicholls, a young photographer and writer from Haydon Bridge, to search for red squirrels from a small photographic hide Will has been using for a number of years.

Harry also had the opportunity to talk to Marion Craig, Will’s mother, who leads the Haydon Bridge red Squirrel Group which works tirelessly to keep the local population of reds safe from the negative impacts of non-native grey squirrels which are now living in the Tyne valley.

in the second part of Prince Harry’s search for the enigmatic animal, he visited Frankham Woods near Fourstones, where rSNE staff work alongside local residents to create space for red squirrels in woodlands recently colonised by grey squirrels.

using new thermal imaging technology coupled with traditional conservation techniques, the team are successfully helping red squirrels return to the wood. This is a typical example of the local partnerships now established across the seven English counties in which red squirrels still live. Over 600 people and groups now work together to safeguard red squirrels on the English mainland.

This spring, the annual rSNE monitoring programme will run for its fourth consecutive year at 300 sites across northern England.

We will await the results with real excitement; red squirrel range appears to be have been stable for the last three years and we hope this positive pattern will continue.

in the meantime, log on at www.rsne.org.uk to view the full gallery of photos.

Trust Patron Conrad Dickinson and Prince Harry try out the thermal imaging camera

Red Squirrel Rangers Kevin Barber (left) and Russell Tait (right) explain their conservation work to Prince Harry

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We believe that all our lives are better if they’re a bit wild. And we know that many people share this love of

nature and feel the benefits every day. The more people who are making nature part of their life, the bigger the difference we can make for wildlife and wild places.

The Wildlife Trusts are launching a new campaign called ‘My Wild Life’ in March 2015 to help spread the message that nature matters. To do this, we’re collecting people’s stories about what nature means to them, connecting these to facts about how nature supports us through life and sharing these with the world.

The Trust has been busy asking our staff, volunteers and supporters to share their own stories on why nature matters to them. The main image here shows our Flexigraze Officer, Stephen Comber, with Jess his trusted canine companion and we’re hoping that stories like this will help spread the word about the variety of work we carry out and the diverse ways in which nature can touch everyday lives.

We’d love you to get involved and help protect and promote our wonderful wildlife and green spaces. From the stunning coastline of Northumberland to the green places in our cities that give people a chance to fall in love with nature - we want to show what nature means to you. Log on at www.mywildlife.org.uk and share your stories from around our region, or simply learn more and be inspired by the stories of others.

Life is better when it’s a bit wild - we can help you make time!In June, we’re planning to participate in a national month-long challenge, 30 Days Wild, organised by the Royal Society for Wildlife Trusts, to spend just 30 minutes a day for 30 days in the wild. We’ll be asking you to register for the challenge and then record and share your month’s wild activities and how they made you feel. We’ll be providing top tips and support in the build-up and throughout.

Plans are well underway and the best way to keep up to date is to check our website, sign up to our monthly e-newsletter or follow our social media accounts in Facebook and Twitter. Watch this space...

— my wiLd Life —

This project is about underlining how nature is important to all of our lives and how it really matters, whoever we

are, wherever we live and whatever we do.Mike Pratt, Chief Executive

Northumberland Wildlife Trust

Esh Groupwww.esh.uk.com

Lafarge Tarmacwww.lafargetarmac.co.uk

Mears Ltdwww.mearsgroup.co.uk

Nestlé Confectionery Ltdwww.nestle.co.uk

Northumbrian Water Ltdwww.nwl.co.uk

The Banks Groupwww.hjbanks.com

Thermofisher Scientificwww.thermofisher.com

Elanders Ltdwww.elanders.com

Harlow Printing Ltdwww.harlowprinting.co.uk

Karpet Millswww.karpetmills.co.uk

Mountgate Caravans Ltdwww.silvercarrscaravanpark.co.uk

North East Chamber of Commerce

www.ne-cc.com

Port of Tynewww.portoftyne.co.uk

Potts Printers Ltdwww.potts.co.uk

Riverside Leisurewww.riverside-leisure.co.uk

A-one +www.aone.uk.com

Albion Outdoorswww.albionoutdoors.co.uk

Bell Ingramwww.bellingram.co.uk

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

Blyth Harbour Commissionwww.portofblyth.co.uk

Colton Excavationswww.coltonplanthire.co.uk

Croft Veterinary Hospitalwww.croftvets.co.uk

Geoffrey Lurie Solicitorswww.geoffreylurie.com

Gusthartswww.gusthart.com

Hexham Steeplechase Co Ltdwww.hexham-racecourse.co.uk

Howick Hall Gardenswww.howickhallgardens.org

NCFEwww.ncfe.org.uk

Northern Experience Wildlife Tours

www.northernexperiencewildlifetours.co.uk

Northumberland County Councilwww.northumberland.gov.uk

Ord House Country Parkwww.ordhouse.co.uk

Percy Wood Leisure Ltdwww.percywood.co.uk

Poltross Enterpriseswww.poltross.com

Sykes Cottageswww.sykescottages.co.uk

Wardell Armstrongwww.wardell-armstrong.com

Whitley Bay Golf Clubwww.whitleybaygolfclub.co.uk

GOLdSiLVeR

Northumberland Wildlife Trust offers three levels of corporate membership which are designed to enhance your Corporate Social Responsibility commitments, provide year-round benefits to your business and support your staff development, PR and marketing strategies. You choose the level that you feel reflects your company’s commitment to the local environment.To find out more about becoming a corporate member contact our Marketing Office on 0191 284 6884 or via email to [email protected]

BRONZe

fabulous designs wOw TrustThe Trust is delighted to have worked with local artist and designer Daniel Weatheritt who created the red squirrel characters for our latest membership recruitment booklet and which feature on pages 6 & 7 of this edition of Roebuck.

Daniel’s love of drawing started at Northburn Primary School, Cramlington’s Wildlife Club in Year 3 and, from then onwards, he never stopped drawing.

Following his degree in graphic design, Daniel went on to run his own creative business and has gone on to design many things from posters, printed books and e-books to subway art installations and even a giant advertising billboard.

Daniel also runs lots of illustration workshops, mainly in primary schools, and on Saturday 25 April, will be running two wildlife illustration workshops for us at Northumberlandia. Go to: www.nwt.org.uk/whats-on for more information.

Following the Trust’s brief which was to draw red squirrels in action whilst bringing out their key characteristics (big eyes, bushy tails, agility and quirkiness), Daniel has managed perfectly to bring to life these iconic British animals.

When creating the booklet, Daniel approached the project much like a story book, with a combination of full page and spot illustrations to break

up and complement the flow of text, with all of his squirrel drawings created using a dip pen,

coloured inks and watercolours. You can see more of his work at www.danielweatheritt.com.

@DanWeatheritt

DANIel WeATheRITT

Corporates


BIOSOC extends it supportNewcastle University Biology Society (BIOSOC) has extended its support for the Trust into the 2014/2015 academic year with a bake sale raising £67.

Cleaners for Causes help out againMany thanks to Cleaners for Causes for cleaning over 100 pairs of very muddy gloves worn by school children when out with our People & Wildlife team during forest school activities free of charge.

Based in Gateshead, Cleaners for Causes is a laundry and dry cleaning business that donates 15% of all that its customers spend to local charity partners, including this Trust, without any administration fees or hidden deductions.

£200 from anniversary celebrationsAs part of its 10th anniversary of payroll giving, Pertemps People Development Group donated £10,000 to local charities throughout the UK, on the proviso that staff joined in with dressing-up days and competitions.

During a week of celebrations, staff were able to select three charities local to them to receive a donation and we were delighted to have been selected. Our conservation work received a £200 cash boost.

Parsons Brinckerhoff staff support TrustWe have received £125 from staff at Newcastle-based Parsons Brinckerhoff, who, since 2011, have been involved in ‘Zero Harm’, a Safety, Health and Environmental initiative scheme (SHE). Proactive reporting of SHE activities has resulted in one of the winning teams donating its prize money to the Trust. Many thanks.

BIOLOGY SOCIETY

Adopt an Easter RabbitThis Easter give an adoption as an unusal gift to family, friends and loved ones or buy one for yourself and help us to make a difference to the wildlife and wild places of Northumberland, North Tyneside and Newcastle.

Adoptions are £20 and each pack contains:

• soft toy rabbit• rabbit factsheet• certificateofadoption• Kenspeckle chocolate bar• rabbit card• NWT car sticker• and a NWT Reserve Guide

Toadoptarabbitortofindoutaboutotherspecies we have for adoption go to:www.nwt.org.uk/adopt-an-animal

cleanerscleanersfor c a u s e sTM

DRY CLEANING

PHOTO © TOM

MARSHAll


FundingFunding

Vera Wainwright lived in Berwick and was a member of the Trust from 1994 to 2009. Following her death in December 2008, we learned that she had left us a substantial legacy with a specific request that the gift was applied to an otter project in Northumberland.

We were very grateful to receive this legacy because, as a wildlife organisation, we have always been at the forefront of otter conservation in the region and indeed the Trust was the forerunner of, and set the blueprint for, otter projects across the country throughout the 1980s and 1990s.

Our county surveys formed a baseline for what we know about otter distribution and how to survey otters both regionally and nationally. However, for some time we have been unable tocarryoutspecificotterconservationworkduelargely to changing priorities and lack of funding.

As a consequence, our local knowledge of the species has declined and the present status of the otter in Northumberland is unclear. The last countywide survey was completed back in 2002.

In the meantime, there is no sign of the challenges declining and animals are still threatenedbyroadtrafficaccidents,unlawfulkilling and contamination. We don’t know whether the population has remained stable or fallen in the past 10 plus years or whether there are any underlying issues that need to be addressed to safeguard the status of this European protected species.

The Vera Wainwright legacy came with the proviso that it had to be used for conservation work for otters, so what better way to comply than to revisit the county survey of 2002 and re-establish our baseline information whilst supplementing it with today’s science?Ottersaregenerallydifficulttoseeand

surveying with normal survey techniques is quite problematic. We intend to ‘blitz’ a large number of sites across the whole county with the aid of volunteer surveyors and collect spraint (otter droppings) from these locations over a short period such as a weekend.

We will repeat the procedure at the same locations at two-week intervals, over a longer period, possibly three months. The principle reasoning behind these multiple visits is to collect DNA at different times, in a similar manner to previous pine marten surveys we have undertaken.

Each sample collected will then have its DNA analysed and recorded for each location. Such analysis will indicate individuals present at each location, with any movement between sites possibly giving an indication of population such as actual numbers and range size. It will also identify specificgeneticmarkersshowingtheoriginofNorthumberland’s otters and whether there are any inherent problems within the population – all vital to the conservation of the species.

The money will also be used to train a team of volunteers and to liaise with landowners regarding survey permissions, as well as

delivering the DNA analysis, report writing and publication of results.

It is hoped this survey will highlight any black spots or breaks in population presence, any anomalies in the population’s health, as well as identifying genetic markers indicating their possible origin and genetic health. It will also update our knowledge enabling us to better comment and protect the population from present and future threats such as infrastructure projects and development.

The project is still in its early days, but we are aiming for it to take place during the course of this summer with a conclusion later this autumn.

We are looking for volunteers to join us on the project from April onwards and would love to hear from anybody who would like to get involved, so please call me for an informal chat on 0191 284 6884. Some experience of mammal tracking would be advantageous, but not essential, as full training will be given.

Finally, all this would not have been possible without one lady’s incredible generosity! Mrs Wainwright, we thank you on behalf of the Trust and all the otters in Northumberland.

Kevin O’HaraConservation OfficerNorthumberland Wildlife Trust

Legacy to fund first otter survey for over a decadeKEVIN O’HARA


St NicholaS Park:The first coppice blocks have been cut in the reserve. This work is the start of a fifteen year coppice cycle which will improve the structure of the woods for wildlife.

PrieStcloSe WoodS:A section of fencing vandalised by local youths has recently been replaced. The conservation team has also been responding to a planning application to develop houses on the adjacent Prudhoe Hospital site.

aNNStead duNeS:Large sections of fence line have been repaired, thereby enabling us to continue improving the flower diversity through winter grazing.

Big WaterS:The roof of the large members hide has been replaced and the roof of the smaller hide repaired and reopened following an incident of vandalism.

holyWell PoNd:Coppicing of willows in the north wood has begun. Repairs to the access track have been undertaken by volunteers. The members hide has been renovated and the nesting island extended using funds from the James Clutterbuck legacy.

eaSt cramliNgtoN PoNd:Trees on the pond edge have been coppiced, and typha, a common type of wetland plant, has been controlled by volunteers.

RESERVES ROUND-UP

Massive thank you to Hanson AggregatesA massive thank you to our Save our Magnificent Meadows (SOMM) project volunteers for braving the snow in January and travelling to Hanson Aggregates Keepershield Quarry in Humshaugh to collect whinstone chippings and dust which the company had kindly donated.

The materials will now allow Naomi Waite and her volunteers to grow whin grassland plug plants such as rockrose, wild thyme and maiden pink at Walltown and Gunnerton.

Busy year planned at Rowlington DeneVolunteers from our Living Waterways Project have been busy thinning out woodland at Rowlington Dene in Ashington.

The woodland will shortly be having a ‘makeover’ with the planting of bulbs and plug plants. In preparation for the planting, the canopy formed by the trees needed to be opened up, thereby allowing daylight through to enable the plants to grow and encourage invertebrates, birds and small mammals to visit the area.

The canopy’s deadwood and snapped branches have also been blocking the nearby waterway, encouraging flooding as well as collecting waste that travels down domestic drain pipes, so it is hoped the thinning will help to reduce the damming problem.

Our volunteers will shortly be digging out the bed of the stream to encourage normal flow back to the watercourse.

Living Waterways is an Environment Agency funded initiative that aims to encourage residents to look after their nearby river and green spaces by managing flood risk, addressing water pollution and enhancing biodiversity.

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eaSt criNdledykeS Quarry:Sections of fence line have been repaired after cattle entered the site from neighbouring land, which saved us the job of cutting the meadow in autumn!

BriarWood BaNkS:Volunteers have removed regenerating invasive species from the restored ancient woodland. Additional bird boxes have also been installed and some of the felled timber processed into a range of useful products.

NeWSham PoNd:Volunteers have removed large amounts of litter from the reserve. Trees have also been coppiced.

South cloSe Field:Hazel trees have been coppiced by volunteers.

Kielder volunteers pitch in

The Trust’s Kielder volunteers have been working hard on damming ditches in a small peat bog by Bakethin Reservoir, which was developed in 1979 as a Special Nature Conservation Area within the larger Kielder Water scheme.

A boat was found to be the most useful means of access to this remote corner of the reserve.

Happy Hebrideans and galloping ponies

Hebridean sheep from the Flexigraze Project have been busy grazing a small meadow area on our Hauxley reserve.

The area is a diverse patch of grassland which has started to lose its richness over recent years, so hopefully the introduction of a conservation grazing programme should help improve the land for the future.

The sheep will be moving around the reserve, taking on further grazing jobs over forthcoming months, but the more tricky areas will have to wait until the spring. Meanwhile, four new Exmoor ponies have been added to the Flexigraze string at Prestwick Carr, on the outskirts of Newcastle, taking the total number of ponies on the site to 10.

The ponies will enable us to increase the grazing pressure on the rush across the whole site, keeping the habitat more open for birds to feed on and hopefully for waders to start nesting there later in the spring.

Dining in styleThe resident red squirrels at our Hauxley reserve are now eating comfortably thanks to support from players of People’s Postcode Lottery.

We now have new squirrel feeders and enough bags of squirrel mix to keep them dining in style for the rest of the year.

Tim Mason, one of our Hauxley volunteers and keen photographer, spent many hours patiently waiting with his camera and has managed to capture some wonderful shots of the radiant redheads which continue to delight visitors to the reserve.

We spend funding from players of People’s Postcode Lottery on projects of all sizes, but it is very often small projects which can bring the most enjoyment to people.


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Woolsington Hall:We have raised objections to Newcastle City Council with regard to a proposed golf course, hotel and associated housing at this site. A significant area of native woodland will be impacted and we usually find that housing in woodland leads to a gradual erosion of tree cover in response to householder concerns, despite assurances to the contrary.

RiveRs:The Environment Agency are holding a public consultation on future management of river catchments and flooding issues, both of which are of significance to wildlife. NWT has been heavily involved in drafting and prioritisation but EA welcome any additional public comments. These documents will also guide priorities and associated funding at areas where improvements of water quality or fisheries, for instance, will be directed.

living WateRWays:Our project has been very busy on a number of local watercourses including: Catch Burn, Morpeth - anti-erosion work, tree and wildflower planting. A celebration event was held on 22 March which was also World Wetlands Day.Rowlington Dene, ashington - work to improve the salt marsh where this meets the River WansbeckBlack Close Dene, ashington - Willow spiling to reduce erosion.

Big sea suRvey:Readers will know we are big fans of this amazing marine survey project in which we have been working with Newcastle University. As we write, Heritage Lottery Fund is considering a successor project called Co Coast, which will roll this out across the UK and will involve loads of new partners. We are all very excited and have our fingers/flippers/pincers crossed!

ConseRvation of tHe futuRe:We will shortly be hosting student placements from Newcastle University (Marine Sciences), Northumbria University and Whitley Bay High School. In addition to our Volunteer Officers, this provides an important way of securing applied work experience. Work includes monitoring of invasive species, interpretation and data management.

B-lines:This initiative is an ambitious programme being led by Buglife, which aims to develop a network of linear pathways through our countryside and towns, along which a series of wildflower-rich habitat stepping stones will be restored and created. In the longer term, the aim is that these stepping stones will help join up the existing wildflower-rich areas to create more continuous lines of habitat.

With support from Natural England and

conservation roUnD-UP

the Kielderhead beaverI think that most of us closely involved with the Trust would like to see beavers return to our local rivers. The Tay, in Scotland, has them, so why not the Tyne, in northern England?

Beaver, of course, was native in Britain and became extinct owing to hunting - for its pelt and for castoreum. This is secreted from scent sacs and is used in perfumery (including to make old car upholstery smell new!) and medicine. But how recently did beavers become extinct? Apparently not so long ago, at least in our part of the world.

In September 2011 three of us, Philip Ashmole (inspiration behind the Carrifran rewilding project in the Scottish Borders), Adrian Manning (local-born ecologist, now at the Australian National University in Canberra) and I, were exploring along the banks of the Scaup Burn, at Kielderhead. Poking out of the eroding bankside, about a metre below the surface of the alluvium, were some sticks, washed down by an ancient flood.

One of them had tooth-marks at its severed end, and had obviously been gnawed. So, what sort of wood was it, what gnawed it, and when?

The wood specimens, first of all went off to Jacqui Huntley, at Durham University, who identified them as birch, then they went to Professor Bryony Coles, a beaver expert at Exeter University, who identified the teeth marks as being those of beaver and then it went to the radiocarbon laboratory at the National University in Canberra (courtesy of Adrian), and the date came back as somewhere in the region of the 14th century AD.

The Forestry Commission (in whose forest it was found) has agreed that the wood can be displayed at the Great North Museum: Hancock

in Newcastle.This date of the teeth marks

is by about 400 years, the most recent physically-dated evidence of beaver survival in Britain, although there are skeletal remains from Jarrow in kitchen waste of roughly the same age, but not necessarily sourced on the Tyne.

There is also documentary evidence of beaver survival through this period, but we now have definite evidence that the beaver was in the Tyne system at least up to late medieval times, and since there is normally more beaver

habitat lower down rivers than in headwaters (such as the Scaup Burn), the river presumably held a substantial population. Furthermore, the beaver here was a sub-adult, indicating breeding in the area.

Quite separately, we have received recent expert opinion that the North Tyne contains adequate beaver habitat. Having the right habitat, and removing the cause(s) of extinction, are accepted prerequisites for species reintroductions, so, perhaps in the not too distant future we will see beavers again in the Tyne river system - natural ecosystem engineers creating wetland habitat for other species, adding distinction to the Kielder forest habitat.

angus lunnvice Presidentnorthumberland Wildlife trust

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working with Northumberland National Park Authority, ERIC (NE) and the Trust, work is underway to identify and map priority networks. It is important that this integrates with, and works alongside other landscape-scale and green infrastructure programmes.

otteRs & RoaDs:There has been a number of road accidents involving otters over recent months. Otters are usually killed or in some cases, so badly

injured that rehabilitation is not feasible. However, a corpse can reveal a lot of scientific information which can be of major importance, such as pesticide residues.

As part of our planning for the otter survey this year, we are therefore aiming to collect road casualties which will go for autopsy to Cardiff University with support from the Environment Agency. Northumberland County Council have also offered help by providing some freezer space.

WateR voles:To date, survey work has not shown any signs of mink within the north Tyne area, bringing the prospect of reintroduction of water voles ever closer. We are therefore preparing a bid for funding together with our partners, Tyne Rivers Trust and Forestry Commission and hope to involve scientists at Aberdeen University with future stages.

noRtH tynesiDe CoRe stRategy:A new consultation draft is due out soon. It will contain large scale housing proposals and the subsequent loss of a great deal of open land across the borough, which is already under threat in the area.

BaCkWoRtH PonD:This Local Wildlife Site (within North Tyneside’s Green Belt) has been severely damaged by

agricultural ‘improvements’ over the winter. NWT raised this with the Local Authority and Natural England and we await remedial action.

WilDlife ReCoRDs:A reminder that it is so easy to submit your wildlife records nowadays and every single one is valuable! If you don’t currently do this, take a look at the ERIC (NE) website and get recording! www.ericnortheast.org.uk

PRuDHoe HosPital:A proposal for over 300 new houses has been submitted for consideration. Much of the site borders our Priestclose Wood reserve and the site also contains semi-natural ancient woodland and some important wax-cap grassland. At the time of writing, we have yet to draft a response.

northumbrian Bird atlasThe Northumbrian Bird Atlas has been a labour of love lead by an enthusiastic army of volunteer birdwatchers, including Steve Lowe, Northumberland Wildlife Trust Head of Conservation. Every nook and cranny of Northumberland, Newcastle and North Tyneside has been scoured, both in summer and winter, in search of birds. The book is the culmination of many thousands of hours of time both in collecting and interpreting data.

Here we have, for the first time in one volume, detailed maps of bird populations and distribution across winter and summer for the recording area of the Northumberland & Tyneside Bird Club (NTBC). The Atlas is a landmark publication and will hopefully be a tool for bird conservation as well as providing insight to the interested birdwatcher and naturalist.

The Atlas, supported by the Heritage Lottery Fund, ERIC (NE) and Northumberland Wildlife Trust, will be available on Thursday 9 April, priced at £25.00 from Trust headquarters in Gosforth and our temporary visitor centre at Hauxley.

It will also be available via our website www.nwt.org.uk/shop priced at £25.00 plus p&p.

celebration eventJoin the NTBC for the book launch which will be held in the Clore Suite at the Great North Museaum: Hancock on the 9th April from 4:00pm - 5:00pm. Ann Cleeves, award-winning crime-writer (known for her ‘vera’ series set in Northumberland), has written the Atlas foreword and will be there to kick off the celebrations, followed by an opportunity for questions, book signings and refreshments. See www.nwt.org.uk/whats-on for further information.

© NTBC

ntBC are also donating a copy of the atlas to every school

and library in the area, so plaease contact them at

www.ntbc.org.uk


Here’s your chance to speak up for our seas!Marine Conservation Zones protect threatened undersea habitats such as eelgrass meadows, rocky reefs and deepwater canyons and the animals that live in and around them!

These important sanctuaries for marine life remain at risk until more areas offering effective protection are established.

Marine Conservation Zones should protect the species and habitats found within them from the most damaging and degrading of activities such as scallop dredging and trawling, whilst allowing sustainable activity to continue.

The long-awaited consultation on the second stage of Marine Conservation Zone designation in English waters was finally launched this year on 30 January. But with only 23 out of a possible 37 sites included, there is a lot of frustration at the lack of ambition shown by the Government. It is seen as a disappointing blow for marine conservation, with some very important areas for marine wildlife having been dropped from the list, especially in the Irish Sea, because of the likely ‘economic cost’.

The consultation is a very short sighted and a missed opportunity to benefit marine biodiversity and UK fisheries. Supporting sustainable fisheries, instead of encouraging overfishing and

habitat destruction, would increase fish landings, generate more income and create more jobs in the sector. Decision-makers need to think of sustainable fisheries as an opportunity for job creation and increasing the value of fisheries rather than an environmental principle that comes at a price to the industry. Marine Conservation Zones are a vital part of this process.

The consultation on MCZs was announced in the same week as the Government’s Natural Capital Committee published a report which shows that investment in nature makes obvious economic sense. It states the Government must develop a comprehensive strategy to secure the recovery of nature in a generation, which must include the designation of a well-managed and ecologically coherent network of Marine Protected Areas.

aurelie BohanLiving Seas Officernorthumberland Wildlife trust

Making the north sea countWhilst overall the long wait has only led to further disappointment, at a local level in the North Sea the situation is looking more promising, with six of the seven potential sites making it into the MCZ consultation and three of these are off the Northumberland coast.

Coquet to st Mary’sStretching along the coast all the way from Whitley Bay to Alnwick, this potential MCZ incorporates both St Mary’s and Coquet islands. The area is made up of spectacular rocky reefs carpeted in anemones, corals, bryozoans and seaweeds which provide slow-moving prickly sea urchins with a feast. These waters are incredibly productive and important for breeding and foraging grey seals, harbour porpoises, white-beaked dolphins and the occasional whale. The area also supports thousands of seabirds, including 90% of the entire UK Roseate tern population, England’s rarest seabird!

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this is where we need your help! The Government wants to hear your views and you could really make a difference. We are asking people to write a short letter about why you think one (or all!) of the sites should be protected and designated as a MCZ.

So, whether it is because you enjoy a walk along the beach, a seafood platter, hunting in rockpools for crabs and starfish, or watching dolphins, all these things rely on us looking after and protecting our seas.

For full details on where to send your letter, as well as a template and example letter, log on at www.nwt.org.uk/living-seas for more information.

Making the north sea countWhilst overall the long wait has only led to further disappointment, at a local level in the North Sea the situation is looking more promising, with six of the seven potential sites making it into the MCZ consultation and three of these are off the Northumberland coast.

farnes eastLocated 11km offshore and reaching between 30 - 100m in depth, Farnes East is also one of the deepest areas of the North Sea. It is one of the few sites within the North Sea to include mud habitats, which are important for langoustine and delicate blonde and red sea pens that elegantly protrude from the seabed. The area also supports a huge abundance of fish, crabs and lobster. Consequently, Farnes East is an exceptionally important area for breeding white-beaked dolphins which migrate to the site in large numbers to feed and breed. The site also supports huge colonies of foraging seabirds, such as guillemots and razorbills.

fulmarLocated a massive 224km offshore and ranging in depth between 50 and 100m, Fulmar is the most northerly proposed MCZ in the English seas. Even though it’s way offshore and few people are likely to ever visit, this site is still very important. In fact, as its name suggests, Fulmar is a highly important area for seabirds, providing foraging grounds for northern fulmars and gannets. camouflaged against the surface of the seafloor, the rare undulate ray is also a regular visitor to this site. The sand and gravel beds of Fulmar provide an ideal home for creatures to bury themselves, like the ocean quahog - a species of clam that can live for over 500 years!

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our meadows are looking magnificentThe Save our magnificent meadows project, the UK’s largest meadows and grasslands project funded by the Heritage Lottery Fund and managed by Plantlife, has been pushing on with great speed since it began in June 2014.

With summer surveys of the higher plants complete, we’ve had training by Andy McLay (expert mycologist) in surveying for waxcap fungi and covered many of the project sites including Williamston, Burnfoot, Wydon and Gunnerton Nick, all of which turned out to be very good for these colourful mushrooms.

A most northerly record for a four banded digger wasp was found during surveys of invertebrates on our calaminarian (heavy metal) grasslands at Wydon Shingles, and soon we’ll be getting out and about surveying the lichen

and moss flora - after we’ve all been trained by plant experts Janet Simkin and Ptyxis Ecology.

All the survey work is feeding into monitoring the work we’ve been doing on the sites, ensuring we stay on the right track.

As many of you may have seen, the Trust was featured on BBc1’s countryfile series and I had the pleasure of being interviewed by presenter Matt Baker on the project, and in particular wild chives, whilst strolling along Hadrian’s Wall; then Matt, ever the countryman, rolled up his sleeves and helped shovel soil turves from the whin, to expose the shallow soils needed for wild chive and other rare species to flourish. This was great coverage for the project and for this wonderful part of the UK. The digging work has been on-going, alongside

a lot of scrub removal on the grasslands where this has become a problem.

So, you may ask, what is going to happen in the rest of 2015, after such a busy start? Well, more of the same! We will be hosting a number of landowner events to enable everyone to learn new techniques and share meadow management knowledge. In June, will be working with our People & Wildlife Team who will be bringing 30 children, aged between 8 and 9 years, from Brunton First School in Gosforth to Barrasford Quarry and 46 pupils, aged between 9 and 10 years, from Mowbray First School to Howick Quarry. No doubt we will be using our fabulous new HLF funded tentipi which we are all very excited about.

One specific date for your diary is saturday

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4 July. On this special day we will be celebrating national Meadows Day and will be hosting a day of events on one of the sites and offering everybody the opportunity to join in with this exciting national activity. We are still in the early stages of planning, but keep checking our website: www.nwt.org.uk/whats-on for details.

All exciting times for wildflower folk!

naomi WaiteConservation Officer and SOMM Project Officernorthumberland Wildlife trust

if you are interested in photography, you may like to

know that the soMM Project is taking part in a national meadow

photography competition. for more information, log on at:

www.magnificentmeadows.org.uk

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PHOTO © JACK DOyAL

The Trust has received a confirmed grant of £417,400 from the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) for our long awaited Dynamic Druridge project.

The Druridge Bay coastline, which stretches the 7 miles from Amble in the north to Lynemouth Bay in the south is treasured for its beautiful beaches and rolling sand dunes and is visited by thousands of walkers every year.

Behind the sweep of beach lies a wonderful legacy of Northumberland’s industrial past. Some sections of the hinterland have already been restored as wetland nature reserves while other landscapes have changed little since Anglo Saxon times. The whole area is renowned for its birdlife and is home to other species such as otters, red squirrels and great crested newts.

Even more people visit our five nature reserves immediately behind the Bay at Hauxley, Cresswell Pond and Foreshore, Druridge Pools, East Chevington and Linton Lane.

Now the £417,400 grant from the Heritage Lottery fund will see us launch our Dynamic Druridge Project in literally a few weeks’ time.

At the forefront of the scheme will be a new Wildlife Discovery Centre at our Hauxley reserve near Amble, replacing the previous centre which was destroyed in an arson attack in 2010.

The new centre, which will act as a gateway to the Bay will be built from the landscape and within the landscape and is set to become one of the greenest buildings in the north-east, using locally grown and traditional building materials. It will enable the wildlife charity to host

an exciting programme of recreational, educational and volunteering activities designed to re-connect people with nature and the wider landscape.

The centre will also tell the story of the constantly changing landscape of the Bay and its hinterland over the centuries, underlined by our Rescued from the Sea project, an archaeological dig at a prehistoric cliff-edge burial site at Low Hauxley in 2013 which was being lost to coastal erosion.

Designed by North Shields based architects, Brightblue Studio, the entire building has been conceived so that it can be largely built, after training, by volunteers with no mainstream building skills.

Wherever possible, local materials will be used. No concrete will be used as it is produced using a high energy process and the foundations of the building will utilise gravel and a geotextile layer. Gabions - wire cages filled with stones - will form one of the walls and also act as plinths for the other walls. These walls will be built using straw bales, fixed with hazel stakes, against which will be pinned a wooden frame coated in lime and clay render which naturally controls levels of moisture and humidity.

Offering fantastic views across the Hauxley reserve’s lake, wall portholes will allow visitors to observe birds using feeding stations at close quarters without disturbance and with a periscope to see what’s happening on the building’s meadow-planted roof, the project is set to be a massive adventure for the Trust so why not join us by following the build’s progress at www.facebook.com/HauxleyNatureReserve.

Lottery boost will be used to create a Dynamic DruridgeTrust dreams set to become a reality

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To find detailed information and directions for these or any other of our reserves, go to www.nwt.org.uk/reserves

Northumberland Wildlife Trust manages 62 natures reserves around the region - there’s bound to be one near you!

Warkworth Coquet Island

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Acklington

High Hauxley

Hauxley - CLOSED

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Broomhill

West Chevington

Widdrington Druridge

Cresswell

LintonEllingtonulgham

Lynemouth

Ashington

Woodhorn

Stobswood

Togston

Hauxley Nature Reserve - CLOSEDHauxley Nature Reserve will be closed to visitors from 7 April.During the building of the new visitor centre, the entire reserve will be classed as a construction site so will be closed to visitors to comply with the guidelines set out by the Health and Safety Executive.

We will not only be working on the new visitor centre but also across the whole reserve installing new footpaths to create the circular walk, creating some new viewing screens and doing some vital maintenance work on the existing hides.

Hauxley Nature Reserve will remain closed until the spring of 2016, but please do visit the other reserves along the Bay.

open daysHauxley will also be open to visitors on the second Sunday of each month so that you can come along and see how we are doing. We will have staff on site to talk about the building and you will be able to access parts of the reserve.

progress updatesYou can follow progress via Facebook at www.facebook.com/HauxleyNatureReserve

other ReservesRemember we have five other reserves on Druridge Bay that will be open as usual. Don’t forget that you can find information on all of our reserves www.nwt.org.uk/reserves

East Chevington

Cresswell Foreshore

Other NWT Reserves OPEN on Druridge Bay

Druridge Pools

Linton Lane

Cresswell Pond

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STEvE SCOFFINHauxleyNatureReserve

Call for VolunteersWe need skilled volunteers to help us create this amazing building:

• plumbers• electricians• Builders

Even if you don’t have any particular skills, you can still get involved!

visit www.nwt.org.uk/volunteer to find out how to get involved or contact [email protected] for more information.

Student FilmingFollowing on from the success of the student media films produced as part of the Rescued from the Sea project, we will again be utilising the skills of the pupils from Hirst Middle School for the Dynamic Druridge project.

We’ve received two videos from the new volunteer student media crew. The first focuses on the main part of the project which is the Hauxley visitor centre but future editions will also look at the wider project. To see the videos go to, www.hirstparkmiddle.org/index.php/dynamic-druridge.

As with Rescued from the Sea, these will be an invaluable tool for getting our key messages out to the wider public and keeping everyone (including our funders) up to date on project progress. We’d like to say thanks to the pupils for taking time to create these.

HauxleyNatureReserve

The first strawIn February, we held a volunteer Open Day at Hauxley, to showcase our new Wildlife Discovery Centre, to be constructed as part of the Dynamic Druridge project.

The Centre is going to be built by staff and volunteers, so this particular event offered people the opportunity to find out what they might be letting themselves in for. Potential volunteers were able to find out more information about the construction process by looking at a 3D model, chatting to project team staff, looking at the construction site and physically being able to construct a mock straw bale wall.

There was an excellent turn-out in the notorious Hauxley sunshine, with many enthusiastic people eager to find out more about the project.

What’s more, they brought a wealth of knowledge with people coming forward with career backgrounds in the construction industry who will be most valuable in helping us to achieve our final goal. So far 48, people have already signed up to get involved, but we would still welcome more people, so if you would like further information on how you can help, please visit the Dynamic Druridge project webpages on www.nwt.org.uk/dynamic-druridge.

Dynamic Druridge Events Tofindoutmoreortobooktheseoranyotherofour events, go to www.nwt.org.uk/whats-on

Newt safaRi£58:00pm - 10:00pm, 20th Aprileast chevingtonJoin NWT staff to look for the elusive newts that live on our East Chevington Reserve. We will be demonstrating bottle trapping and torch surveying techniques.

guide iN tHe HideDonations welcome8:00am - 11:00am, 25th Aprillinton laneJoin NWT’s Head of Conservation, Steve Lowe, in our wildlife hide at Linton Lane to discover the many species of bird that make this nature reserve their home.

iNtRoductioN to iNveRteBRates£3510:00am - 3:00pm, 11th Juneeast chevingtonA one day course on insect identification in partnership with Buglife. The course is designed for anyone who would like to develop skills on invertebrate identification.

pHotogRapHy woRksHop£3510:00am - 4:00pm, 5th JulycresswellJoin Jason Friend, award-winning landscape photographer, on a special 1 day landscape photography tuition course. Any level of experience welcome and any type of camera.

Hauxley ReseRve opeN dayFree10:30am - 3:30pm12th April, 10th May, 14th June, 12th July, 9th Aug, 13th SepHauxleyHauxley Nature Reserve will normally be closed from April 2015 until July 2016.

However, we are running special open days, when the public will be able to access the site to see the progress that has been made. Staff will be on hand to provide information on the works that are being carried out.

Where it is safe to do so, we will endeavour to open footpaths so that there is access to some of the hides to allow birdwatching.

• Joiners• painter and decorators• plasterers

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The Land Trust has agreed a new joint venture with us to run the Northumberlandia grounds and café/visitor centre from Easter 2015. Northumberlandia is a unique piece of public art set in a 46 acre community park near Cramlington, with free public access and 4 miles of

footpaths on and around the landform. The centrepiece is a reclining lady, the world’s largest human landform sculpture. The café will be closed for a short while to refit from 19 March, reopening for Easter. Although Northumberland Wildlife Trust was already

managing agent for the grounds, it is now taking over running the visitor centre and café with a much wider remit to promote the links between art, wildlife and the community.

Mike Pratt, Chief Executive of NWT enthuses: “The Trust is delighted to be getting more involved with such an important local landmark and with views from the Cheviots to the coast visible from the top and wildlife literally hovering over your head, it really is an interesting project to be involved in.

Now we have the chance to get people to experience the nature as well as the art, from the kestrels to the butterflies and adjacent woodlands. We are planning a whole host of exciting activities and events for the coming year to get people out and about and enjoying a great community asset.”

As well as a programme of events listed on our website www.nwt.org.uk/whats-on, research will be undertaken to understand what visitors would like to see at the visitor attraction. volunteers will be essential to helping with running the centre, so anyone interested should visit www.nwt.org.uk/volunteer to view the roles on offer or call Lou Chapman, Northumberland Wildlife Trust volunteer Coordinator on: 0191 284 6884 for an informal chat.

Made of 1.5 million tonnes of rock, clay and soil, Northumberlandia is 100 feet high and a quarter of a mile long. She was designed by world renowned architect and artist, Charles Jencks.

The inspiration came from the distant Cheviot Hills, which are pulled into the foreground by the curves and shapes of the female form, now known as the ‘Lady of the North’.

Facelift for the ‘Lady of the North’

NORTHUMBERLANDIA Northumberlandia

avonPlanning permission has been granted for a new nature reserve in Bristol’s Avon Gorge. Bennett’s Patch and White’s Paddock have had a make-over this winter ready for the launch. wtru.st/newavon

devonAfter spending months working to secure a future for Devon’s beavers, the Trust has been granted a five year licence from Natural England to monitor their impact. wtru.st/beaversback

hampshire & ioWFifteen female white-clawed crayfish from the Itchen have been placed in a captive breeding programme. The eggs will hatch soon. wtru.st/southern chalkstreams

derbyshireA Community Day of Action had a terrific turn out. Buxton school children and residents got stuck in to help enhance wetland habitats and hay meadows. wtru.st/buxton-community

essexThe Trust’s visitor centre in Hornchurch Country Park is under construction. Helping connect people with the park’s heritage, the centre will open late this year. wtru.st/ingrebourne

kentA new 415m roadside nature reserve has been designated in Boxley, Maidstone. It will support pyramidal orchid, grass vetchling, and the striking lizard orchid. wtru.st/roadsidenature

nature should be central to how we do business, educate our children and think about healthcare. so it should be a priority for all parties and prospective mps

If they want your vote...It’s your chance to help put nature on the

political map – to stop and even reverse the continued destruction of our natural

environment. Will you help?In May 2015 the country will vote in the

General Election. This means that would-be MPs from all parties are listening carefully to people. If you agree with us, please ask them to support our two big asks for nature and people. Thank you.

What is the nature and Wellbeing act?A piece of legislation to bring about the recovery of nature in a generation, for the benefit of people and wildlife.

Why is it needed?Because our actions as a society over the past century have undermined nature’s ability to support us – just as our need for that support has increased.

Our environment is now less able to soak up extreme rainfall, absorb carbon, and provide clean water. The health of our soils, pollinators and many fish stocks are in decline. Our neglect of nature reduces our ability to adapt to climate change, the liveability of our cities and the productivity of our countryside.

We are also neglecting the growing research which links access to nature with better mental and physical health. Living near semi-natural green space is an important factor in helping to tackle obesity, diabetes, heart disease and depression. We need to bring nature back – because wildlife and wild places need it, and because we need it too.

What would the act involve?It would place nature at the heart of how decisions are made about health, housing and development, education, economic growth, flood resilience and social cohesion.

Decisions by Government at all levels would place a greater value on nature, using a framework and targets similar to those of the Climate Change Act (which has reduced CO2 emissions).

The Act would protect and create healthy woods, rivers, meadows, parks and wild land around where we work and live, in local, regional and national networks. And it would ensure school children have an understanding and love of nature from an early age.

What will it cost?The National Ecosystem Assessment calculates that the wrong kind of economic growth between now and 2060 would cost the UK £20.7bn cleaning up damages caused to our environment. By contrast, putting nature at the heart of development would save £33bn per year. Well managed natural places provide lasting, multiple benefits to the economy. It’s time to act for nature’s recovery. We can’t afford not to.

Who will it affect?The Act would affect England, but it can still be voted on by MPs from Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. So support from any UK MP is a huge help.

1. yes to a nature and Wellbeing act

around the WIldlIfe trusts

NIALL BENvIE / 2020vISION

all children should be able to mess around in nature as they grow up

uK news


make your vote count

General electIon Issue

lancsTwo Kemp’s Ridley turtles, which normally live in the Gulf of Mexico, washed ashore in Lancs and Cumbria. One survived and should eventually be flown back to the US. wtru.st/lostturtles

londonvolunteers have helped restore the largest wildlife pond in Croydon. It is hoped that great crested newts will return to Bramley Bank reserve as a result. wtru.st/croydonpond

leics & rut96 volunteers and supporters walked, cycled and kayaked 2,000 miles in a day to raise £4,500. The money will pay for a new volunteer training centre at Rutland Water. wtru.st/wildlivesappeal

norfolkA new pond-dipping platform will allow children to explore underwater wildlife at the Trust’s Cley Marshes, thanks to funding and volunteers from HSBC. wtru.st/cleyplatform

nature should be central to how we do business, educate our children and think about healthcare. so it should be a priority for all parties and prospective mps

If they want your vote...

What is an mpa?A recognised area of sea where damaging activities, such as scallop dredging, bottom trawling and inappropriate development are not allowed. Angling, yachting, diving and rockpooling are usually unaffected.

Why are mpas needed?MPAs are important in allowing the UK’s seas and wildlife to recover from the many ongoing pressures including industrial fishing – which has made many species commercially extinct. Other pressures include agricultural and industrial pollution, marine debris such as plastic, noise and inappropriate development.

What public support is there?350,000 people have signed a petition to support an ecologically coherent MPA network. In a recent European survey, 98% of respondents asked for more protection of our marine environment.

how you and your mp can get involved■ Support the Nature and Wellbeing Act■ Sign up to the Marine Charterat wtru.st/marinecharter■ Become a Friend of Marine Conservation Zones at wtru.st/action4ourseas■ More at wildlifetrusts.org/election

2. yes to more marine protected areas (mpas)

It is wonderful when something big and positive happens. Tony Juniper’s new book What Nature Does for Britain (p8) tells uplifting stories of real

progress in our relationship with the natural world.

Alongside the new Natural Capital Committee report it is a powerful call to invest in our ecosystems. Professor Dieter Helm (who led the Committee’s work) is also closely connected with his own Wildlife Trust. He understands the pure joy of wildlife and is a great promoter of our vision of Living Landscapes and Living Seas. He knows you can’t trade in species but that you can invest in ecosystems. He and we want those who measure success financially to stop depleting the nation’s natural capital because it erodes the ability of future generations to earn their living, as well as removing their chance to experience the joy and health benefits nature brings.

Now you can make a difference, because elected politicians really do listen to their mailbags (p27). Please write to your elected representatives or candidates to call for a proper UK network of protected areas at sea. And ask for a Nature & Wellbeing Act for England. You may not benefit from this Act directly if you live outside England but we need progressive policies for nature and people across the UK, as wildlife knows no borders.

stephanie hilborne obeChief Executive of The Wildlife Trusts

allowing nature’s return

Together The Wildlife Trusts have more than 800,000 members. We are the largest voluntary organisation dedicated to conserving all the UK’s habitats and species. Contact us on [email protected] or 01636 677 711. To join your Wildlife Trust, visit www.wildlifetrusts.org/joinus.

natural World, the kiln, Waterside, mather road, newark, notts nG24 1Wt. editor Rupert Paul communications manager Adam Cormack. layout editor Phil Long

twitter @wildlifetrustswww.facebook.com/wildlifetrusts

Latest UK-wide news and issues:wildlifetrusts.org/news

JULIE HATCHER


n’berlandNew feeders and bags of squirrel mix have helped red squirrels survive winter at the Trust’s Hauxley reserve, thanks to players of People’s Postcode Lottery. wtru.st/rockingsquirrels

sheffieldKilnhurst Ings will be transformed into a flood defence area, recreational space and wildlife haven, thanks to Grants from WREN’s Biodiversity Action Fund and the EA. wtru.st/kilnhurstings

shropshireDavid Wright MP played Pooh Sticks on the Mad Brook in Stirchley to celebrate the Trust’s restoration work on the Telford River which has seen the return of frogs and sticklebacks. wtru.st/madbrook

radnorDorcatoma substriata, a beetle with antennae that look like reindeer antlers, has been identified at Cwm Byddog reserve. It is the first record for Radnorshire. rwtwales.org

scotlandA Scots pine at Loch of the Lowes reserve, used by the famous osprey ‘Lady’, was named Scottish Tree of the Year. It has now been entered for European Tree of the Year 2015. wtru.st/treeoftheyear

staffsWork has started to repair eroded footpaths at The Roaches thanks to a €30,000 grant from The European Outdoor Conservation Association. wtru.st/theroaches

A spectacular 216ha upland between Keswick and Penrith will be restored for wildlife and opened to visitors, thanks to a £1.6m Heritage Lottery Fund grant.

Eycott Hill is unusual for its extensive mire system, which supports rare plants and many species of bird. Historic management has, however, removed much of the wildlife from the remainder of the site. The Trust will bring back a mosaic of grasslands, woodland, scrub and heath through practical restoration, natural regeneration and managed grazing. More on wtru.st/eycotthill

rare upland saved in cumbria

■ use #myWildlife

■ share what wildlife means to you on mywildlife.org.uk■ make nature part

of your life – see our top ten

ideas

it’s called my Wild life, it features hundreds of people across the uk – and it’s the Wildlife trusts’ newest campaign. its purpose: to spread the message that nature matters.

We want to hear what nature means to you, so that we can share your stories with the world. visit mywildlife.org.uk and add your voice to those already there. from the wild peat bogs soaking up carbon, to the green places in our cities that give people a chance to fall in love with nature – we want to show what nature means to people.

“nature matters. We are part of it and depend on it for everything including our happiness,” says stephanie hilborne, the Wildlife trusts ceo. “this campaign is about people and wild places that matter to them. We want everyone to experience the natural world”.

tell us why nature matters to you

around the WIldlIfe trusts

TREvOR RAY HARTCU

MBR

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my city break: without leaving london, kathryn can go from skyscrapers to the tranquillity of camley street natural park

eycott hill: beautiful now, even better in the future, thanks to cumbria Wildlife trust

uK news


suffolkExperts from Kew’s Millennium Seed Bank have collected tree seeds from the Trust’s Bradfield Woods reserve as part of a national project to protect the UK’s trees. wtru.st/kewcollection

WorcsFollowing an appeal the Trust has bought Hollybed Farm Meadows. The 16ha SSSI is important for traditional meadow plants including the southern marsh orchid. wtru.st/savedmeadow

WarksFunding from BBC Children in Need helped the Trust to deliver education in three children’s centres in Solihull. The children learned about hedgehogs and hunted minibeasts.

ulsterCarrickfergus and Larne school children are using activities, experiments and games to learn about renewable energy and climate change in workshops delivered by the Trust. wtru.st/energyinnature

tees valleyLocal youth groups and students will be encouraged to help improve the biodiversity and accessibility of public green spaces through the Trust’s new ‘Wild Green Places’ partnership.

yorksThe Trust is delighted to have the first county record for the purse-web spider at Brockadale reserve. It was discovered by invertebrate expert Brian Eversham, CEO of BCN WT. wtru.st/newspiderdiscovery

This wonderful picture of a fireworks anemone was a winner in the British Society of Underwater photographers diver print competition, sponsored by the Wildlife trusts. the nationally rare invertebrate was captured by diver kirsty andrews in loch duich, a scottish sea loch. see all the winners in the Gallery at wildlifetrusts.org/bsoup

last december the seas around skomer Island off Pembrokeshire became Wales’ first marine conservation Zone. the designation gives more protection to skomer’s many marine species, including grey seals and pink sea fans.

skomer: Wales’ first marine reserve

What’s at the bottom of a scottish loch?

The Coronation Meadows initiative, set up in 2013 by Prince Charles to celebrate the Queen’s 60th anniversary, has created 180ha (444 acres) of new wildflower grassland on 40 sites. More will come this year, using local seed from existing meadows. Eventually there will be a new meadow in every county.

Wildflower meadows are the UK’s most threatened wildlife habitat: 97% have been lost since the 1930s, and they are still disappearing through development and neglect. The initiative is a partnership between The Wildlife Trusts, Plantlife, and the Rare Breeds Survival Trust. Thanks to Biffa Award and all our funders.

new meadows from old

12 completed 2013

28 completed 2014

KIRSTY ANDREWS

DAvID CHAPMAN

PLANTLIFE


The whales, dolphins and basking sharks that live around the UK need protection. Living Seas Officer Dr Lissa Batey reports

They may be the mightiest creatures in our seas, but our whales and dolphins – and the basking shark, the world’s second

biggest shark – need safe havens.The Wildlife Trusts believe that protection

is most needed in the hotspots where these charismatic animals gather to feed, breed and socialise. In fact, we are proposing that 17 areas around England and Wales should become reserves for our ocean giants.

After many years of campaigning by us and others, the UK government has finally begun protecting areas at sea so that marine wildlife and habitats can begin to recover from decades of damage, decline and over-exploitation.

It’s long overdue. But these new Marine Conservation Zones (MCZs) only protect habitats and wildlife on the seabed. The The Government is seeking views on designating a second tranche of 23 MCZs, but meanwhile the species which roam huge distances remain at risk from multiple threats. And designated areas to protect them are still a missing link in our goal of an ecologically coherent network of Marine Protected Areas (MPAs).

Ocean giants

They are unprotected in

English waters

Harbour porpoise, 6ft/1.9m Our most numerous cetacean, but hard to spot

Fin whale, 67ft/20m A huge filter-feeder that visits the Celtic Sea and English Channel

Minke whale, 30ft/10m The smallest rorqual. Often seen close to land, or even in estuaries

Basking shark, 26ft/8m Extremely slow to mature and breed, so very vulnerable

Safe havens for our

Alongside the basking shark there are 28 species of whale, dolphin and porpoise regularly found around our coast. However, fisheries bycatch, disturbance from offshore development, and the accumulation of pesticides and other chemicals in body tissue, means that some are in decline. The nutrient-rich places these species need most for feeding, breeding and socialising are completely unprotected in English waters. In Wales, there is only one protected site. We want to change that.

The 17 hotspot sites have been identified using data obtained from the public and gathered by The Wildlife Trusts. There will be other important areas for which data is not yet available. Therefore, what we are proposing here is the first step. More research is needed to ensure all the right areas have the protection they need.

■ Download the full report on these areas at wildlifetrusts.org/oceangiants

CIrCECo

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At up to 13 feet/4m and half a tonne, a Risso’s dolphin is a magnificent sight. But there are much bigger beasts than this in UK waters...

UK News


Ocean giants

WhAT yOu cAn DO

Areas for our ocean

giants

common dolphin, 8ft/2.5m usually offshore in small groups. Super-pods of 100+ are known

Orca, 26ft/8m The biggest of the dolphin family. highly social; groups led by a matriarch

White-beaked dolphin, 10ft/3m Widespread in Northern Europe but little is known about it

Bottlenose dolphin, 13ft/4m Resident groups in Moray Firth, cardigan Bay and SW England

humpback whale, 50ft/16m Most often seen in Western Channel, south of the Lizard, Cornwall

■ Sign Our E-pETiTiOn at wildlifetrusts.org/act4giants. We’ll take your signatures to Government to call for action. ■ This campaign covers Welsh and English seas. For scotland and n. Ireland follow the links at wildlifetrusts.org/oceangiants.■ The species here (plus the white-sided dolphin and pilot whale) are the most regularly sighted. But less common species will be protected too.

prOpOSED SiTES

There are 15 of these hotspots, all of

them used regularly

SEARCH AREAS

There are two areas where more data needs to be

gathered

AnnA BunnEyjAnET BAxTEr

AnnA BunnEyDAn M

urPhy

ColIn M

unro

For simplicity, this map doesn’t show the existing and proposed MCZs for animals that

live on the sea bed. See these on

wildlifetrusts.org/MCZ

waterNature is the ultimate water utility. Healthy upland bogs, grasslands and woodlands release heavy rainfall slowly, reducing floods. They clean the water too, reducing bills.

human healthResearch shows that living near natural areas substantially reduces the risk of many major diseases, improves mental health, reduces crime and promotes social cohesion.

carbonBlanket bogs in Scotland, Wales and northern England lock up atmospheric carbon as peat for thousands of years. Yet many have been damaged or destroyed.

What nature does for Britain

tony Juniperis an environmental campaigner, writer and advisor. He is also a Trustee of Beds, Cambs and Northants WT

During the recent period of economic austerity the measures needed to sustain the health of the natural world have come

under attack. Presented as barriers to growth and competiveness, pro-nature policies have been rolled back and budgets drastically cut. It is a manifestation of how in economic and political circles the idea that nature must be sacrificed as an inevitable price for progress has become deeply ingrained.

Could it be, however, that this narrative of people versus nature is quite wrong? Instead of being hostile to our interests, could investment in the conservation and recovery of the natural world be at the heart of a strategy to promote national health, wealth and security? An increasing body of evidence suggests that this is

indeed the case, and far from being obstructive to Britain’s interests, healthy ecology is essential for achieving a robust and resilient economy.

This is certainly the conclusion I reached during the course of writing What Nature does for Britain. From the peat bogs and woodlands that help to secure our water supply, to the insects and soils that produce most of the food we eat, and from the capture of carbon in saltmarshes to the avoidance of psychological illness through being in wildlife-rich environments, it seems that at almost every turn nature and wildlife are playing vital practical roles.

There is perhaps no more fundamental necessity for our wellbeing than fresh water. While for most of us the closest we get to knowing where it comes from is turning a tap, it

is of course in the end recycled and replenished by nature. Up on Dartmoor, an area that was for centuries regarded as a wasteland, I got an idea of how this works. The thick blanket bogs that clothe the high hills there hold and steadily release clean water that is topped up by frequent heavy rain. Degraded bogs do that work far less effectively, however, and as bogs have been damaged by fire and excessive grazing pressure so the cost of supplying clean water has gone up.

South-West Water decided to do something about this and invested in the restoration of the bogs. Not only does the modest expense of bog recovery improve water security at a lower cost than engineered alternatives, it also helps to reduce flood risk, aids the recovery of wildlife and creates better recreational opportunities.

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32 ROEBUCK 134 November 2014 - March 2015

UK News

most politicians claim we can’t afford to protect nature. tony Juniper’s new book shows how outdated that idea is

oceanCenturies of over-exploitation have cut our seas’ ability to provide food and absorb carbon. Marine Protected Areas could reverse that trend, increase species and expand tourism too.

FooD ProDuctIonFarming contributes about £2bn to Uk plc and about half a million jobs. But loss of organic matter, chemical inputs, compaction and erosion threaten the viability of our heritage.

What nature does for Britain

The same can be said about pioneering work being undertaken by Montgomeryshire Wildlife Trust on the Cambrian Mountains of mid-Wales as part of the Pumlumon Project. Restoration of blanket bogs, the creation of more natural streamsides and changes to farming practices are all helping to slow down the run off in the headwaters of Great Britain’s longest river – the Severn. By improving environmental quality upstream it is hoped that downstream flooding will diminish. This, and other projects

working with similar logic, are increasingly shown to deliver results, and often at a lower cost than expensive engineered defences. As we experience the more extreme weather conditions that accompany climate change, investments in nature will make more and more economic sense.

However, such interventions deliver a lot more than just reducing flood risk. In relation to water supply there is a range of co-benefits that come with this more integrated approach, including for

conservation. For example: the improvement of habitats will hopefully assist in reversing the fortunes of otherwise declining populations of breeding dunlin and golden plover.

Then there is our food. When it comes to temperate produce, some three quarters of what we consume is grown here in the Uk. our soils are key to continuing to do this, and so are the populations of wild pollinators and pest predators that assist with food production. All these elements of our natural environment have been subject to serious damage in recent decades, with huge costs coming as a result.

For example, the estimated annual cost of soil damage to the Uk is between £900 million and £1.4 billion. This includes the effects of soils clogging up rivers and in the process increasing

the idea that nature must be sacrificed for progress has

become deeply ingrainedNovember 2014 - March 2015 ROEBUCK 134 33

flood risk, and of course raises questions about our longer-term ability to produce as much food as we do now. The same thing can be said about the loss of pollinators, which provide crop production services worth an estimated £430 million per year. Then there is the half a million tonnes of food we get annually from the seas around Britain. Improving the health of marine environments would not only secure the future nutrition from that source but increase it, while in the process delivering gains for nature conservation.

Then there is the job of reducing carbon dioxide emissions. Later on this year countries will hopefully agree a new international plan to cut the pollution causing climate change. In addition to energy and transport, a major area of opportunity for doing this is the conservation and restoration of different ecosystems. For the Uk the biggest single store of ecosystem carbon is in our peatlands, including the blanket bogs that sprawl over the uplands of the north and western Uk.

Many of these ecosystems are in a state of progressive degradation, emitting millions of tonnes of carbon dioxide in the process. Caused by (among other things) burning and excessive grazing pressure, it is not only our wildlife that is being lost, but huge economic value as carbon storage capacity is removed. We have also lost carbon storage capability through the loss

of woodlands, dunes and saltmarshes. There is good reason to see multiple benefits in not only conserving what remains, but also in an ambitious programme of restoration.

On top of all this are the health benefits we gain through contact with nature. Many studies confirm a strong link between access to natural areas and wellbeing – and with psychological health in particular. By expanding access to wildlife-rich natural areas we can expect positive impacts for our collective health at the same time as helping to reduce pressure on our strained health services. People enjoying nature and wildlife is, of course, also the basis of a multi-

billion pound tourism industry that employs many people in some of the remotest and most economically stressed parts of the Uk.

That nature is a fundamentally important asset with multiple social and economic values (as well as intrinsic ones) is not in doubt. knowing what we know, it is time to break with history. Instead of seeing a choice between healthy ecology and people’s interests, we should invest in the growth of nature as a major plank of our future health, wealth and security. one way to do this would be via a new Act of Parliament for Nature and Wellbeing. Based on the inspirational aim of ensuring the recovery of nature in a generation, the new legislation would (among other things) lay out plans to rebuild ecological networks, reverse the decline of threatened species and enable more people to have access to natural places.

Such a new law could mark a turning point; the moment at which the relentless and centuries-long decline of nature in our islands is halted and reversed. Considering what nature does for Britain, and will need to continue doing, it would be a moment celebrated with pride by future generations.

Before any of this can happen though, we need to win the argument that looking after nature is not an impediment to our national interest, but is rather an essential prerequisite for it.

■ reaDer oFFerSigned copies of Tony’s book are available at £7.99 inc. p&p. Call 02078 416 300 or email [email protected] and quote ‘WTNATURE’. Valid while stocks last or until 31 July 2015.

what nature Does For brItaInTony’s new book looks at how our environment provides the things we need most – soil, water, food, health, energy – and concludes that our economic system is working against our own best interests. His solution is to work with nature, rather than against it.

It is time to break with history and invest in nature for our health,

wealth and security

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A huge body of research shows that local access to semi-natural areas improves

physical and mental health

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34 ROEBUCK 134 November 2014 - March 2015

Natural statisticsGreener cItIes

sustaInable v unsustaInable In lyme bay

JoIneD-uP thInkInG?

the natIonal Forestbetter environment, bigger economy

bees matter

£45bn

£4bn

£1.8bn

£60m120 50£77bn

Estimated cost to NHS of obesity by 2050 Turnover

Direct employeesCost to NHS of mental illness in 2008worldwide research shows that both problems reduce if people have nearby access to nature

Million litres a year

thatchers cider – a business that depends entirely on pollinating insects

hIDDen beneFIts

Charter boats and diving

Values of marine businesses in lyme bay off Dorset in 2007

£89m £231m £427m

Set-up cost of the Forest, 1991-2010

Benefits to the Forest’s local

economy so far

Estimated return on

investment by 2100

Net saving to taxpayers over 15 years if farm subsidies were linked to measures that improved water quality

Estimated cost of replacing insect pollination in the Uk. Pollinators are declining due to farming pressures

“Soils should be regarded as strategic national assets, not just something people grow their crops in today.”

“Fixing water problems at source really is a win-win. the farmers who manage the land benefit but so does wider society. It helps wildlife and fish stocks to recover and our customers benefit through cheaper water.”

Baroness Sue Miller, Parliamentary Agroecology Group

Dylan Bright, South West Water

Tony Juniper’s new book explains how re-aligning our economy with the restoration of nature would improve physical and mental health, boost business and save taxpayer’s money

£13mSea angling

£1.8m

£3.5mScallop dredging

LOW IMPACT hIGhLY DESTRUCTIVE2,576Tonnes/ha of stored carbon in remaining English fenland

39,000Full-time jobs due to nature-based tourism in Scotland

17bnlitres of water per day taken from Uk ecosystems

93%of people agree that local green space is important

November 2014 - March 2015 ROEBUCK 134 35

“I just want to open people’s eyes”

I’m a very keen birdwatcher and I do wildlife photography and art as well. I go birdwatching with my grandparents all over Britain – Norfolk, Scotland, Lancashire, Devon – lots of different places! I had an amazing encounter here at the Attenborough Reserve a few years ago with bitterns and water rails out on the ice – I’ll never forget that. I really enjoy simple wildlife encounters, even just with common birds and animals.

I try and promote awareness of wildlife at school. I have a display board and I run a club. I also help at Wildlife Watch, working with young children in my area. We go to the woods or a park and show them the wildlife, and help them engage with the natural world.

My aim is just to open people’s

eyes to what is out there. Even in Nottingham, we have peregrines. I’ve seen them from school.

The general decline of many species is very worrying but it’s also that there’s a disconnect between people and nature. The fact that it’s not normal to be a birdwatcher or show an interest in wildlife is a real problem and needs addressing.

I’m hopeful for the future though. There are lots of young people in Britain interested in wildlife and we’re going to get more people interested and preserve the natural world. Wildlife will be very important in my career path. It’s what I love, and the chance to turn a hobby into a career. I’m really looking forward to that.

What does the next generation of conservationists think? Eleanor Church meets three young stars working for The Wildlife Trusts

Volunteer and birdwatcherNottinghamshire Wildlife Trust

Sorrel lyall, 16

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Sorrel at Nottinghamshire Wildlife Trust’s Attenborough Reserve. Visit her

blog on sorrellyallwildlife.weebly.comUK News

“I just want to open people’s eyes”

It took a while for me to realise that this is what I wanted to do. When the role came up at the Naze, it was really fortunate. I grew up here and know it very well. I came here to look for shark’s teeth, to paddle in the sea, to run around, be outside and be free. That had a huge influence on me.

I’m very keen on building a community of people here at the Naze so that they can talk about the natural world, but also build friendships. I believe that it’s all interconnected.

I’m part of the first generation to embrace the idea of climate change wholeheartedly. I think climate change, biodiversity loss, population growth and education are probably the key issues. It’s very easy for a young person who is interested and involved to think that everyone else is too, but that’s not the case. A lot of people don’t even think about these things, and it’s up to us to go out and sell those concepts.

I help look after nine reserves and commons, doing all the practical things like taking volunteers out and looking after the livestock.

I’ve always been an outdoors person. I grew up in a village so there was always somewhere to go and explore – play in the stream, make dens….

I started volunteering for the Wildlife Trust and found it such fun; I was learning something every day. I got a conservation traineeship with BBoWT and found that it was my ideal job. I’ve never looked back since.

I fear that it might be too late to change the species loss that we’re having and that people aren’t taking that seriously enough. But then I hope the work that we do – inspiring kids and educating people – will change that. I think the most important thing you can do is to get kids inspired so that when they are older they will want to do something to save nature and wildlife.

Naze Education RangerEssex Wildlife Trust

Assistant Countryside RangerBerks, Bucks & oxon Wildlife Trust

elaine ingram, 26

Ben eagle, 24

Sorrel at Nottinghamshire Wildlife Trust’s Attenborough Reserve. Visit her

blog on sorrellyallwildlife.weebly.com

Forgotten railwaysOnce the steam and smoke has gone, old railway lines and the land that surrounds them become wonderful corridors for wildlife. They’re not bad for people either. Here are ten of the best

Milford Cutting Ulster Wildlife Trust

A small (0.8ha), secluded reserve with a mix of woodland and steep grassy banks rich in wild flowers. Cattle graze the banks in winter to create conditions for the orchids to flower in early summer. From the boardwalk you can see common twayblade, fragrant and common-spotted orchids and the rare marsh helleborine. The site also has Northern Ireland’s largest colony of the rare native tree, Irish whitebeam.Where is it? 2 miles SW of Armagh. Park in Milford village and walk. Grid H859427

Narborough Railway Line Norfolk Wildlife Trust

Part of the King’s Lynn-Dereham line that was closed in the 1960s, this disused railway embankment is a rare habitat for Norfolk: chalk grassland, with pyramidal and early purple orchids, marsh helleborine and autumn gentian. It is one of the county’s best sites for butterflies, with at least 30 species, including grizzled skipper, grayling and orange tip. With sweeping views, bogs, heather-clad heaths and walks along ancient drove-ways, this nature reserve has an atmosphere of real wildness.Where is it? 2.5 miles S of Narborough on Chalk Lane. Post code PE32 1SR, Grid TF750118

Sydenham Hill Wood London Wildlife Trust

Since taking over in 1982 the Trust has repeatedly defended this wildlife-rich area from development. Bats roost in the tunnel and the wood is a great place to see woodpeckers, rare insects and fungi. With the adjacent Dulwich Wood, the reserve forms the largest remaining tract of the old Great North Wood. There are many Victorian garden relic trees too.Where is it? Crescent Wood Road, Southwark SE26 6LS. Grid TQ344725

Bathekin Reservoir Northumberland Wildlife Trust

The reservoir’s castellated viaduct along the top of Kielder Water is a great place to look out for ospreys and otters. Kielder Water is the largest man-made lake in Northern Europe. Winter visitors include pochard, tufted duck, goldeneye, goosander, mallard and teal. In spring, merlin and hen harrier arrive. The shallow margins also offer valuable spawning grounds for the common frog and smooth newt. Grazing with Exmoor ponies on some of the more important wetland flushes helps to maintain the diversity of species.Where is it? Butteryhaugh Bridge (parking nearby). Grid 631 927.

Halwill Junction Devon Wildlife Trust

An old station which closed in 1966, and was bought by the Trust in 1990. The railway is now a cycle path connecting Halwill Junction to Cookworthy Forest, while the reserve is home to badger, green woodpecker and ragged robin. Abundant voles and mice provide good hunting for barn owls. Visit in spring for carpets of violets or in autumn for mosses and ferns.Where is it? Halwill Junction. Park in the parish hall by the pub. OS Exp 112, Grid SS 443 003

Irthlingborough Lakes and Meadows

Wildlife Trust for Beds, Cambs & NorthantsThe ghost of the old railway runs through what is now a superb reserve of flooded gravel pits, willow scrub and grazing marsh. Its pathway and hedgerows are home to many species of small birds including warblers and tits in the spring and summer, and redwing in the winter. The foundations of Irthlingborough station can be found just beyond the reserve boundary at neighbouring Stanwick Lakes.Where is it? On the edge of Irthlingborough, Northants. Grid SP 953699.

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Ashlawn Cutting Warwickshire Wildlife Trust

A steep-sided cutting on the edge of Rugby, Ashlawn Cutting has more than 20 species of butterfly, including the brown argus and marbled white. The hawthorn scrub supports a large population of birds, and the ponds provide views of dragonflies, amphibians and perhaps a grass snake. There’s also a splendid collection of flowering plants.Where is it? 0.5 miles from the centre. Post code CV22 5JX, Grid SP 516 732.

Dyffryn, Llynfi, Porthcawl Railway The Wildlife Trust of South and West Wales

This reserve’s fascinating history makes a great trail for visitors to discover and enjoy. The railway dates back to 1825, when it transported horse-drawn coal. Steam only arrived in 1861. Today, part of the route goes through Parc Slip reserve, a former mine which is now a mix of wetland, woodland and meadows. It is a superb place for families to discover nature in a safe environment. There are many species of butterflies and birds, and excellent facilities including cycle and wheelchair paths, free parking and a visitor centre.Where is it? Fountain Road, Tondu CF32 0EH Ring 01656 724100 or 01656 726993 weekends.

Before you goRemember to bring decent footwear and some binoculars to spot the birds and insects. For public transport options to the reserves visit the local Trust website via wildlifetrusts.org

Smardale Gill NNR Cumbria Wildlife Trust

This 40ha reserve includes a 3.5-mile section of line which once ran from Tebay to Darlington. Start at the northern end to follow the old line through woodland that’s brimming with plants, trees and birdlife. You can see red squirrels here, and a carpet of bluebells and primroses in spring. The wide, surfaced path is suitable for pushchairs and eventually leads to Smardale Gill Viaduct, where common lizards shelter between the huge slabs of sandstone.Where is it? Near Kirkby Stephen. Park in the Smardale Hall car park. Grid NY 727 070

Potteric Carr Yorkshire Wildlife Trust

Once an even bigger wetland, this 200ha reserve was formed by a century of railway works and coal mining. Today it is a superb site for birds (more than 230 recorded species), dragonflies and butterflies. a recent major extension has resulted in booming bitterns. Plants include greater and lesser spearwort, water soldier, water violet and southern marsh orchid. Great crested and palmate newts are in some of the pools, and toads are common. Where is it? Mallard Way, Doncaster, DN4 8DB. Grid SE 589 007.

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Northumberland Wildlife Trust and People’s Postcode Lottery

People’s Postcode Lottery manages multiple society lotteries promoted by different charities including Postcode Green Trust, a charity registered in Scotland (SC042544) and regulated by the Gambling Commission under licences 000-030268-R-311787-004 and 000-030268-N-311788-005. For details on each week’s society lottery visit www.postcodelottery.co.uk/society. Ticket price £2, with 5 draws each month and minimum £10 payable in advance. For a full list of prizes available visit www.postcodelottery.co.uk/prizes Maximum ticket prize is 10% of draw proceeds up to £400,000. Players must be 16 years or over. Only available to play with postcodes in England, Scotland

and Wales. Not available in NI. Conditions apply. See www.postcodelottery.co.uk Postcode Lottery Ltd is regulated by the Gambling Commission under licences 000-000829-N-102511-009 and 000-000829-R-102513-008. Registered office: Postcode Lottery Ltd, Titchfield House, 69/85 Tabernacle Street, London, EC2A 4RR. Company reg. no. 04862732. VAT reg. no. 848 3165 07.

“Spring is upon us, so what better time to start playing People’s Postcode Lottery than during this wonderful season, and you will also be helping to support our vital conservation work in the Region.”

Mike Pratt, Chief Executive, Northumberland Wildlife Trust Ph

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Over the past eight years, thanks to players of People’s Postcode Lottery, £694,940 has been raised for Northumberland Wildlife Trust. By playing you support hundreds of good causes.

Find out more at www.postcodelottery.co.uk


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Roebuck 135 March - July 2015

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