UKBAP BiodiversityNews-55

Biodiversity News
Contents - News - Features - Local & Regional - Publications - Events
Issue 55
Autumn Edition
If you would like to receive Biodiversity News via email, or

know of somebody who would, please contact us at
biodiversitynews@defra.gsi.gov.uk
www.jncc.gov.uk/ukbap
In this issue
Autumn
Editorial
News
Biodiversity 2020 published
Scotland Biodiversity Strategy update
Update on NIA competition
Non-Native Species Newsletter launched
Scotland has worlds first greenspace map
NTS plans for squirrel census
HLF announces fund to protect some of

UKs best-loved views
10
Features
Fruit-full schools project
13
GiGL London Underground habitat
15
Scotland uses Twitter to track geese

Arrival
17
Olympic Park Biodiversity Action Plan
18
Killiecrankies Pine Martens take

to the screen
21
Pilot Study: Using natural history to learn about the

natural environment
22
Young Ologists
24
Roost project
25
Business estate wins

Biodiversity Benchmark
26
Wildlife Trusts fish petition
28
Alien invertebrates in UK glasshouses

Wood-pasture & parkland in UK
Local & Regional

Northern Ireland does
Beachwatch Big Weekend 2011
34
Skelton Grange Environment Centre
36
Somersets got Wetland Talent
40
Kent Heritage Trees project branches out
42
Diamonds are forever: Carrickfergus Borough Council 43

and Woodland Trust to create a
living, lasting legacy.
Denmark Farm Conservation Centre creates wetland
ecosystem treatment system
45
Keeping south Somerset orchards alive
46
Yorkshire Dales Local Biodiversity Action Plan
48
Country mile project
50
Invasion of giant hogweed on River Usk
52
Publications
Towards more sustainable living...
54
A Field Guide to monitoring nests
54
Malcolm Smiths Life with Birds
55
Events
Cumbria Wildlife Trusts photo competition
56
Natur Cymru writing competition
57
29
BCSG & PSGB Gardeners of the Forest

Symposium
58
30
NBN Conference
58
GBOB-GBOF Conference 2011
59
Local & Regional

Central Scotland Forest Trust acts as building block for 32
Green Network Initiative
Future Price Limits: Challenges & Opportunities of the 60

Developing Agenda
RSPB Dorset Events
61
Please note that the views expressed in Biodiversity

News are the views of the contributors and do not
necessarily reflect the views of the UK Biodiversity
Partnership or the organisations they represent.
Editorial
Season
Welcome, Croeso, Filte... to Issue 55 of Biodiversity News!

I would firstly like to give my immense thanks to everyone for their great contributions. This being my first
edition as Editor, I want to emphasise how Biodiversity News thrives on your input, which is most
invaluable for helping us to communicate and share up to date issues, events, developments and knowledge
of biodiversity over our four countries.
This season there has been a real variety of articles; from Londons Olympic Park Biodiversity Action Plan to
innovative orchard initiatives, childrens outdoor learning projects, and even community-spirit beach cleanups.
I have been impressed by the enthusiasm and great deal of biodiversity enterprise taking place, which are
exhibited through these articles. I do hope you will enjoy reading this issue and that there is something to
capture everyones interest.
For the front-cover photo competition there was a high calibre of entries; I am delighted to announce the
winner is Phillipa Sheldrake, for the beautiful Snow Bunting she photographed on the Lizard peninsula, in
south Cornwall. Please make your way through to the back page where you can see all the runners up
photos. Just before the back, also take a look at the publications; and it might be an idea to start inking into
your diaries some of the great handful of events this season.
As always, we wish to disseminate as widely as possible biodiversity matters taking place in the UK so
please recommend Biodiversity News to anyone who you think will be interested.
Finally, I want to acknowledge and thank my predecessor, Sophie, who I think has left a brilliant legacy with
the past years Biodiversity News. I am very much looking forward to being Editor over the year ahead and
hope to keep up the great work. Also welcome to all our new readers this season, and I encourage you to
send in any feedback on our publication.
Gauri Kangai
UK Biodiversity Policy Unit, Defra, Zone 1/16, Temple Quay House, 2 The Square, Temple Quay, Bristol BS1
6EB, biodiversitynews@defra.gsi.gov.uk
Click on the boxes to see previous issues this past year

54summer
53spring
52 - winter
News
Autumn
Biodiversity 2020: A strategy for Englands wildlife

and ecosystem services published
Defra
The Governments new strategy to halt the overall loss of Englands biodiversity was published in August
2011. Biodiversity 2020: A strategy for Englands wildlife and ecosystem services will guide Governments
conservation efforts over the next decade. The strategy sets out how the Government will take forward the
commitments made at the Convention on Biological Diversity conference in Nagoya, Japan in October 2010.
The strategy brings a shift in emphasis towards a much larger-scale, more innovative and more integrated
approach to biodiversity conservation, through the Nature Improvement Areas initiative. The strategy also reflects the Governments ambitious commitments in the marine environment, for example to be managing and
harvesting fish sustainably by 2020.
Action is set out under four overarching themes. These are:
A more integrated large-scale approach to conservation on land and at sea
Putting people at the heart of biodiversity policy
Reducing environmental pressures
Improving our knowledge
Launching Biodiversity 2020, Minister Caroline Spelman said: Our wildlife is not only something that we
should value because its nice to look at. Nature underpins our very existence, giving us clean air to breathe;
clean water to drink and healthy food to eat. The strategy published today sets out how we will stop the loss
of species and habitats so that this generation can be the first to leave our natural environment in a better
state than it was left to them.
Scotland Biodiversity Strategy update

Gareth Heavisides, Scotland Biodiversity Strategy Team
Scotlands Biodiversity Strategy: Its in Your Hands was published in 2004. Most would agree that the document stands the test of time but recently there have been significant policy developments on the international
stage. In October 2010 the UN agreed a set of revised goals, known as the Aichi Targets and earlier in 2011
the EU published a revised Biodiversity Strategy.
To make sure that Scotland is well placed to meet the new challenges laid down by the UN and the EU, we
are refreshing the Scottish Biodiversity Strategy. This was the key item on the agenda at the recent Scottish
Autumn
News
Biodiversity Committee, which is chaired by Stewart Stevenson, the Minister for Environment and Climate
Change. This meeting kicked off the formal review process. Over the coming months work streams will be
refined and a formal consultation is scheduled for summer 2012.
Nature Improvement Areas: Update on the NIA competition

Defra
th
On 14 July the Minister, Richard Benyon launched a competition to identify 12 Nature Improvement Areas at
a meeting of the England Biodiversity Group. The competition is part of series of actions at a landscape
scale to improve biodiversity, ecosystems and our connections with the natural environment identified in the
Natural Environment White Paper, published in June 2011, and taking forward recommendations identified in
the Lawton Review, Making Space for Nature (2010).
Nature Improvement Areas are large, discrete areas that will deliver a step change in nature conservation,
where a local partnership has a shared vision for their natural environment. The partnership will plan and deliver significant improvements for wildlife and people through the sustainable use of natural resources, restoring and creating wildlife habitats, connecting local sites and joining up local action.
This competition is being run by Defra and Natural England with the Secretary of State taking decisions on
the successful bids following advice from an independent panel, chaired by Sir John Lawton. Winners will
receive a share of the 7.5m over three years that Defra and NE have pledged in grant support; a commitment from Defra, NE, EA and FC to work together to support the development of each NIA; shared evidence
from Defra agencies; dedicated programme support from NE to administer the programme and provide collective support to successful NIAs, and participation in a shared learning and best practice network from
NIAs.
The competition for applications for the first 12 Nature Improvement Areas closed on 30 September 2011,
and 76 partnerships submitted applications to become Nature Improvement Areas the applications covered
wide areas of England and included a considerable range of landscapes and habitats, such as farmland, wetland, heathland, grassland, woodland and covered both urban and rural landscapes.
The applications were assessed by a national panel chaired by Professor Sir John Lawton and including Sir
Graham Wynne, former chief executive of the RSPB, John Varley of Clinton Devon Estates and Ruth Chambers from the Campaign for National Parks. Twenty applications that will go through to a second stage have
now been identified.
Autumn
News
Environment Minister Richard Benyon said: I am delighted by the number of applications that partnerships
have submitted, which shows the huge enthusiasm and support for this key project. NIAs will help us deliver
large scale and valuable benefits for both wildlife and people.
The 12 successful NIAs will start work in April 2012.
Introducing the new newsletter on Non-Native Species

Grey squirrels, Himalayan balsam, Japanese knotweed, New Zealand pygmyweed, Killer Shrimp, the American mink and thousands more...
They are more than often all around us and affect our lives, including even our diet...
What are non-native species?

Non-native species are those species which have been introduced, either deliberately or accidentally, by humans. Invasive non-native species are a real threat to biodiversity and people; in fact they are one of the top
five most significant causes of biodiversity loss on a global scale. They have the ability to spread and cause
damage to our environment, the economy, our health and the way we live their economic cost is at least
1.7 billion in Great Britain each year.
Want to find out more?

Launched in August 2011, the non-native species newsletter published by the Non-Native Species Secretariat, is aimed at a broad audience it promotes better sharing of information, encourages partnership working, and intends to give greater awareness of latest developments concerning invasive non-native species
(INNS) in Great Britain. The newsletter will supplement the annual stakeholders forum, usually held in May.
The Non-Native Species Secretariat newsletter provides local groups an opportunity to share experiences of
tackling invasive non-native species problems in their area.
Please follow the link here to read the first ever newsletter; it will be published roughly every six months with
the next issue to be released in December. No subscription is required.
News
Autumn
World's first national greenspace map reveals extent of

Scotland's green space
Greenspace Scotland
Scotland's Greenspace Map is a world first for Scotland. No other country has mapped its greenspace in
this way. Scotland's Greenspace Map brings together greenspace data from all 32 Scottish local authorities
to show the location and type of all of our urban green spaces - our parks, playing fields, allotments, play areas and gardens. For the first time, information about all of the open spaces in Scotland is available in one
place.
This means we can now provide a definitive answer to the question of how much greenspace do we have in
urban Scotland? 1,112 square kilometres - that's equivalent to nearly 160,000 football pitches. Or to put it in a
more Scottish context, if we combined all of our urban parks, play areas, allotments and gardens, they would
cover an area twenty times the size of Loch Ness!
This map also provides a baseline. Future updates mean we will be able to track changes in the amount and
type of greenspace.
Scotland's Greenspace Map is available as a public view interactive map. Using place names or postcodes,
users can search the map and use simple navigation and zoom tools to find out about the extent and type of
greenspace in their area. For professional users who need to interrogate and analyse the data, the map is
available as Geographic Information System (GIS) data.
The development of Scotland's Greenspace Map was led by Greenspace Scotland, with funding support from
Scottish Government, Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH) and Forestry Commission Scotland. The map was
made possible through the support of all 32 Scottish local authorities.
Julie Procter, Chief Executive of Greenspace Scotland, said: "Scotland's Greenspace Map is a first for the UK
and, we believe, a world first. The map is a significant achievement for Scotland and a powerful demonstration of how effectively national and local Scottish organisations can work together on projects of national importance. Nowhere else in the world can people check out their local greenspace at the click of a button. Behind that simple action lies several years of work with local authorities to develop consistent data, and collaboration with partners to collate the information and develop ways of making the data widely accessible;
Greenspace Scotland has been the driving force to make it happen."
Autumn
News
The map was launched by Stewart Stevenson MSP, Minister for the Environment and Climate Change.
Speaking at the event at Victoria Quay, Edinburgh, the Minister said: "It is vital that Scotland remains at the
forefront of innovation on environmental planning and policy if we are to remain an attractive and environmentally progressive place to live and work. Scotland's Greenspace Map provides a powerful resource that
can now be used at a regional and national level to support the strategic management, planning and investment for greenspace. It aids spatial planning for improved health and regeneration, and is already being used
to support development of the Central Scotland Green Network. At a time when finances are tight, this map
will provide significant savings through data sharing and the wide access to it."
Susan Davies, SNH Director of Policy and Advice, commented:
"We have an amazing variety of parks and public gardens in Scotland - and with Scotland's Greenspace
Map, anyone can now easily find every single one of them. Getting out and enjoying nature, even if it is just
popping across to a small park across the road, is so important to our health and wellbeing. Green spaces
also contribute to a healthy environment and to our economic development. Gathering all the information necessary for this map was a huge undertaking, which we were delighted to help fund, as the map will be useful
to the public, as well as to help councils develop planning and environmental policy."
greenspace scotland
News
Autumn
Trust plans for squirrel census
Sarah Cuthbert, National Trust for Scotland

Conservation charity, the National Trust for Scotland, is planning to carry out a squirrel census at all its properties over the next year.
The census forms part of the charitys red squirrel conservation plan, which it shared in early October during
Red Squirrel week.
The Trust, which plays an important role in conserving many of Scotlands iconic and threatened species, has
red squirrel populations at many of its properties from the red squirrel stronghold of Brodick Country Park
on Arran, to areas where the species are competing with their grey cousins, such as the Threave estate in
Dumfries and Galloway.
Establishing the extent of both red and grey squirrels at its properties will help give a picture of the distribution
of both species across Scotland. There is continuing concern that grey squirrels are continuing to expand
northwards as well as further into Dumfries and Galloway, putting red squirrels at risk.
The conservation plan also advocates more sensitive woodland management, focussed grey squirrel control
and even the use of warning signs for motorists in some areas, to the possibilities of red squirrels on the
road, and the use of road bridges in some locations too.
Nature Adviser, Mr Lindsay Mackinlay, said: People are rightfully concerned about the future of polar bears
and tigers on this planet, yet what many folk often forget is that some of Scotlands very own species are also
in trouble. One of those is the red squirrel.
A lot of organisations and landowners are deeply concerned about the future
of red squirrels in Scotland and are working hard to save the species. It seems
only right that the National Trust for Scotland also continues to work hard to
conserve one of our most iconic mammals. We find it shocking that there is a
very real possibility that we may not see these delightful animals at places like
Killiecrankie or Mar Lodge in the future. This plan sets out what were prepared
to do to help red squirrels in Scotland. We hope the public will support us in
this work.
The plan is available here.
National Trust for Scotland
News
Autumn
Heritage Lottery Fund announces 18.3m to protect some of the

UKs best-loved views
Katie Owen, Heritage Lottery Fund
st
On August 1 , the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) announced 11 earmarked first-round passes totalling 18.3m
made through its Landscape Partnership (LP) programme. This investment will enable the conservation of
some of the UKs most distinctive landscapes by supporting schemes that provide long-term social, economic
and environmental benefits for rural areas.
The schemes involve a number of different landscapes including ancient woodland, reedbeds, marshes,
dunes and former industrial land. Alongside conservation work, there will be a wide range of training opportunities on offer such as apprenticeships for disadvantaged young people, courses on hedgelaying and drystone walling and traditional dance and music sessions.
The landscapes receiving HLF support, including the first located in an urban area, are:
The Island of Lindisfarne spectacular coastline in North Northumberland known as The Cradle of
Christianity; home to a range of built and natural heritage, with rare plants species including the delicate Lindisfarne helleborine and wildlife habitats for breeding birds and mammals such as the grey seal.
Morecambe Bay the largest inter-tidal area in the UK, straddling Lancashire and Cumbria, with four
estuaries joining in a horseshoe-shaped Bay. A range of training opportunities, including archaeological fieldwork, oral history workshops, surveying, habitat management and restoration, guide training
and sustainable farming, will be developed in order to give local people a greater sense of ownership
and knowledge to maintain the area in the future.
The Glens of Antrim nine spectacular glens on the Antrim Coast running down into the North Channel. HLFs initial support will enable the Causeway Coast & Glens Heritage Trust to encourage sustainable tourism alongside conserving and restoring natural and built features and offering local people a
series of free and subsidised training places on subjects as diverse as fishing practices, hedgelaying
and traditional dance and music.
Gower an unspoilt, much-visited peninsula to the west of Swansea and one of the first ever designated Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB). HLFs development funding will facilitate plans to
control invasive species and manage small woodlands and wet fields in partnership with local landowners. A programme of 12-week training courses will be available to disadvantaged young people with a
number of accompanying apprenticeships also on offer.
The Wandle Valley a green corridor in a dense urban area with the River Wandle flowing from Croydon through to Wandsworth and the River Thames; the area is in urgent need of conservation work with
plans in place to return it to a healthy ecosystem. Wandsworth Borough Council, acting as lead partner, also recognises the need to involve local communities in the scheme and will offer opportunities to
explore the river and how it connects to the history of the area.
10
Autumn
News
The Lomond Hills a distinctive natural landmark of two volcanic sills with some of Scotlands oldest
examples of small-scale mining and limestone quarrying. The Lomonds are one of the last largely untouched upland landscapes in East Scotland, made up of natural heritage sites and habitats, including
woodlands, moorland and species rich grasslands, plus a host of wildfowl and passerine birds and
other species such as water vole, red squirrel, red grouse and green tiger beetles.
The River Tay a rift valley below Perth, with Tay LP, centred on the River Tay, being the single largest area of reedbeds in the UK; combined with extensive inter-tidal mudflats, subtidal sandbanks and
salt marshes, it makes up an important breeding site, particularly for the rare bearded tit (the only place
in Scotland where it breeds), water rail (a highly secretive small bird), and marsh harrier.
The South Dorset Ridgeway a picturesque stretch of land between Dorchester and Weymouth dating from the Neolithic and Bronze Ages. A five-year scheme will focus on three main landscape types:
Ridge and Vale; Open Chalk Downland; and Chalk Escarpment. Dorset AONB is developing extensive
plans to protect this ancient ceremonial area, restore grassland, heathland, arable and woodland flora
and fauna, and provide learning and bespoke training opportunities in local heritage skills.
Stiperstones and Corndon Hill two upland ridges, crossing the Welsh-England border, which bear
witness to the Shropshire Hills long history of mining and quarrying; in the surrounding habitat, curlew,
snipe, lesser horseshoe bats, dormice and spreading bellflower, all thrive. Local people will be encouraged to get involved and learn more about protecting the environment with a number of training opportunities on offer to them, including a new apprenticeship scheme.
The Suffolk Heritage Coast a narrow coastal strip stretching from Felixstowe to Kessingland, with
low-lying shingle beaches and estuaries one of the fastest-eroding stretches of the coast in the
UK. A three-year scheme aims to conserve and manage the area, and look at how the local coastal
communities co-exist with their cultural and natural heritage, particularly as they have been subject to
rapid and significant change. There will be a wide range of training opportunities with 200 volunteer
coastal wardens learning how to protect archaeological sites and survey habitats such as vegetated
shingle and salt marsh. The scheme will also tell the story of distinctive and much-loved buildings such
as Orford Ness Lighthouse and the Martello Towers and how Dunwich town was lost.
The Lower Derwent Valley located along the River Derwent between Matlock and Derby, this part of
Derbyshire allegedly inspired the nursery rhyme Rock-a-bye Baby, and was the birthplace of the factory system that became the model for industry all over the world. The role the landscape played in this
industrial development will be an important focus of the scheme; other plans include uncovering the
earlier Bronze Age, Roman and Medieval history hidden in the wooded slopes of the valley.
Over the past seven years, HLF has helped protect spectacular scenery in 56 different parts of the UK. With
this investment of 90m, key partnerships have been forged between public and community bodies enabling
people to tackle the needs of their local landscapes in a co-ordinated and practical way. HLFs latest support
11
Autumn
News
is also set to attract a further 8.1m of match funding from other external sources, making a cumulative total
of 26.4m for this round of decisions.
Dame Jenny Abramsky, Chair of the HLF, said: Landscapes speak to the heart, inspiring people in all sorts
of ways: be it poetry-writing, architectural design or even just the pleasure of looking at a beautiful
view. Sadly, they can often be taken for granted which is why the Heritage Lottery Fund, as one of the UKs
biggest funders of the natural heritage, believes the way forward is to put local communities in the driving
seat so they can take care of the places that are the backdrop to their daily lives.
Our Landscape Partnership programme has been a truly ground-breaking initiative, making a significant contribution to the way many organisations work together on landscape-scale conservation.
Richard Benyon, Environment Minister, said: These sites are among the best of British views. The Heritage
Lottery Fund is helping encourage partnerships across the country to protect and improve some of our most
cherished landscapes. This funding will allow people to come together and learn valuable skills which will
benefit the environment around them, protecting wildlife and maintaining our cultural heritage for years to
come.
12
Features
Autumn
Fruit-Full Schools project
Stuart Parks, Learning through Landscapes

Fruit-full Schools is an exciting pupil-led, community orchard project in schools managed by the national charity, Learning through Landscapes, in partnership with Common Ground and Garden Organic, and funded by
the Big Lottery Fund, the City Bridge Trust and other partners. The project gives children exciting, hands-on
learning experiences and increases their understanding of the benefits of local food and heritage. Sustainable orchards are being created in 200 schools across the UK, increasing the stock of rare heritage apple
varieties with at least 2000 new trees being planted, many of which have been grafted by the pupils themselves.
In July, schools submitted their final orchard designs, taking into account considerations such as community
use, curricular links and increased biodiversity. By planting orchards the schools will increase the biodiversity
of their grounds by attracting new species of invertebrates, birds and fungi. This will make a huge difference
to the participating schools, especially those located in urban areas such as Hackney. Learning about organic
principles, the pupils have researched beneficial insects and the plants required to attract them, with many
planning to manage un-mown swards around their trees to increase invertebrate populations. This means it
wont be long until these schools will be buzzing with activity from hoverflies, lacewings and bees. Special
attention has been paid to the solitary Mason bee due to their excellent pollination ability and preference for
fruit tree blossom, with pupils planning to use reclaimed material to make bee boxes to place in and around
their orchards. Several schools are also planning to keep honey bees on their sites, with local apiarists keen
to train up staff and pupils.
There has been a focus on Englands
rich and varied fruit heritage and so heritage apple varieties have been selected,
many of which are very rare varieties that
are in danger of being lost. Varieties selected have included the Claygate Pearmain, Blenheim Orange, Lord Lambourne, Strumur Pippin, and one school
even opted for the rarest apple tree in
the world the Bardsey apple, originating from Bardsey island, off the Lln Peninsula in Wales.
Learning through Landscapes
13
Autumn
Features
As well as using the fresh produce in canteens and food technology lessons, schools will be looking at how
they can redistribute it to their local communities, especially those groups who dont have access to affordable, organic produce. Theyll also be thinking of ways in
which they can create income streams through an enterprise scheme in year 4 of the project, creating products
as diverse as apple juice and soap!
The project has demonstrated that creating an orchard in
your schools grounds is very achievable, and even
schools with little space may be able to host 5 fruit trees
(minimum requirement for an orchard) on dwarfing rootstocks says Lewis McNeill, Project Officer for schools in
London and the South East. Apples can be very hardy
and we worked with schools to select local varieties
where possible, ensuring the trees are suited to local soil
Learning through Landscapes
and climate. The trees need plenty of water and weeding in the first few years, but once established need
very little work compared to the high yields they produce. Pruning will then form the bulk of the work and this
is a great opportunity to involve members of the community who can share their skills.
Learning through Landscapes run a large number of INSET and training sessions for schools to make more
of their outside spaces; one of these focuses specifically on how orchards can provide excellent, immersive
learning experiences for pupils and the technical information needed. Please see www.ltl.org.uk for a full
range of CPD (Continuing Professional Development) opportunities for schools.
To find out more about Fruit-full Schools, access free resources and see how you can get involved with your
local school, visit www.fruitfullschools.org.
14
Features
Autumn
GiGL London Underground habitat

Suzie Jackman, London Underground
Chlo Smith, Greenspace Information for Greater London
With more than one billion passenger journeys every
year, the London Underground is an essential part of
the daily lives of those who live and work in the capital.
It sometimes provides the only green people see in
Londons highly urbanised environment, and provides
easy access to greenspace in areas of deficiency.
Most of the London Underground is over ground;
stretching from Buckinghamshires Chiltern Hills in the
west to Essexs Epping Forest in the east. London Un-
London Underground
dergrounds land acts as a green corridor allowing species to move around London and thrive on its relatively undisturbed land. A 2006 ecology survey identified
many legally protected species and much of our land, is within sites of importance for nature conservation.
London Underground published its first Biodiversity Action Plan (BAP) in 2007, with a review in 2010. Much
changed in those three years but what hadnt changed is the fact that biodiversity is still in decline globally
and in the UK.
To prevent further decline, Natural England, and other conservation bodies, are moving from protecting small
-scattered pockets, to managing much larger swathes of land. We at London Underground, as part of our
2010 BAP, are considering how we can support landscape scale-conservation. The idea that we should identify and prioritise areas of our land for habitat enhancement, to help further improve green space connectivity
and increase the amount of BAP habitat in London, was born. But how to do this?
GiGLs habitat suitability maps provided the answer.
Where GiGLs habitat suitability maps intersect with London Undergrounds own ecology survey information,
these areas are being prioritised for enhancement or restoration by London Underground during maintenance.
Making the use of habitat suitability maps business as usual is crucial to the success of our 2010 BAP.
15
Features
Autumn
A detailed implementation plan has been developed to help do just that. The plan will identify the most appropriate UK Habitat Action Plan (HAP) habitat for London Underground property, given that management of
some habitat types, for example burning of heathland, conflicts with the ability to run a safe and efficient railway.
Model habitat management plans will be an output of the habitat suitability maps too. For example, what does
acid grassland look like? How should it be maintained? London Undergrounds internal company management system will be updated with the right processes, guidance and training to ensure employees understand
what is required of them. This includes instructions on how to monitor improvements and keep ecology information up to date the most important piece of the puzzle for both London Underground and GiGL.
The habitat suitability maps identify sites across London which include an area with biological suitability for
maintaining, improving or extending a BAP habitat. This is based on existing biological data and expert consultation.
With nine habitats and three different management suggestions the dataset is complex but it can be interrogated and the results simplified to provide what the user wants to know. Once a site is highlighted by the BAP
habitat suitability maps, how suitable it really is for enhancement depends on functional factors and the exact
location of the habitat within the site. These factors need to be considered by other means; other GiGL partnership, or partners own, datasets can be used to help filter information further. Ultimately, decisions will be
based on local site knowledge.
We cross-referenced a map of London Underground sites with the habitat suitability sites in a geographical
information system. It was then possible to select information from the BAP habitat suitability data where it
may be relevant to a London Underground site and append it to that sites details.
The end result is a single layer of mapped data
based on the London Underground sites familiar to the user, but incorporating new information about potential BAP habitat suitability for
consideration at a local level.
For reference:
Greenspace Information for Greater London (GiGL)
is the capital's environmental records centre - we
collate, manage and make available detailed information on London's wildlife, parks, nature reserves,
gardens and other open spaces.
London Underground
16
Features
Autumn
Less honking, more tweeting!

RSPB Scotland uses Twitter to track geese arrival
RSPB Scotland
Its traditionally used to follow friends, famous faces and keep abreast of current affairs but this autumn,
RSPB Scotlands using Twitter to track the arrival of thousands of wintering geese.
The conservation charity is asking people to tweet sightings or pictures of the birds using the hashtag,
#goosewatch. Every year, as part of their migratory journey, hundreds of thousands of geese feed and roost
on lochs and estuaries across Scotland.
Reports of sightings are already coming in through the social networking site, with RSPB Loch of Strathbeg
recently reporting a large flock over the reserve. Large flocks have also been recorded on the charitys reserves at Vane Farm, Mersehead and Loch Gruinart. The most commonly sighted species include the pinkfooted goose, the greylag goose and the barnacle goose. Last year, the reserve recorded one of the biggest
flocks in the UK with up to 70,000 geese using the reserve as a night-time roost.
Strathbeg geese at dawn Duncan Goulder
Pink-footed geese at dawn Duncan Goulder
Louise Smith of RSPB Scotland: The arrival of the geese is very much a highlight of Scotlands wildlife calendar, and the first are due any day now. By using twitter to report sightings, we can track their progress
online and get an idea of where the large flocks are stopping across the country so the more people who
are watching the skies, the better!
Wintering geese traditionally start to arrive in mid September, with numbers reaching their peak in October.
RSPB Scotland is inviting anyone with a Twitter account to share their goose sightings or pictures by using
the #goosewatch hashtag.
Those without a Twitter account can email sightings through goosewatch@rspb.org.uk.
17
Features
Autumn
Sporting Nature
Jacqui Stearn, London 2012 Programme Manager

Spectators arriving at the Olympic Park next summer will walk into a landscape that is not only a stunning
setting for the excitement and glamour of the worlds greatest sporting events, but will be buzzing with bees
and butterflies, competing for nectar.
OLYMPIC PARK FACTS AND FIGURES
-
102 ha of new Metropolitan Open Land
45 ha wildlife habitats
More than 650 bird boxes installed
300k wetland plants grown
8.35 km of waterways within and adjacent to the Olympic Park have been restored.
Green Infrastructure Legacy

The Olympic Delivery Authority (ODA) has worked tirelessly with British Waterways, the Environment Agency
and Natural England to deliver regeneration with green infrastructure at its heart.
The creation of the Lea Valley Regional Park in January 1967 realised the first stage in the creation of a continuous spine of wildlife-rich spaces along the River Lea, from Ware to the northern portion of the Olympic
Park. The Olympic Park is the second stage of the ambition to re-create rich wildlife habitats at a landscape
scale in the Lea Valley (see maps overleaf - the Olympic Park is outlined in red).
This focus on the River Lea, a tributary of the Thames, acknowledges the natural signature of the landscape,
transforming what was, as recently as six
years ago, a heavily polluted water course.
The re-profiling of the river has designed
natural resilience into the landscape to resist
a 1 in 100 years flooding event, and help to
protect 4,000 existing homes. The Sustainable Urban Drainage Systems (SUDS) and
swales which provide channels for drainage
have already been colonised by amphibians
and other wetland species. Tall stands of
reeds and wet woodland are well established, filtering water as it drains into the
View towards Athletes Village across wetland ODA
18
Autumn
Features
river and supporting Reed Bunting and other wetland birds. The Kingfishers have nested in the newly created
Sand Martin wall and vice versa.
Designing in adaption to climate change through species choice has also been key, including the more formal
South Park where the London 2012 garden themed by the four continents, will be represented at the Games
next year. The whole Olympic Park will also play an important role in regulating the temperature of the surrounding urban fabric.
Map 1: the Olympic Park (outlined in red) in relation to the Lea Valley Regional Park (taken from Olympic
Park Biodiversity Action Plan)
The blueprint for habitat creation and management is the Olympic Park Biodiversity Action Plan, which is now
a planning obligation. Although the majority of the area covers the North Park, there are some areas in the
South Park around the Olympic Stadium too, including the installation of bat boxes within the Stadium.
Already in place in the Olympic Park are new east-west crossings of the River Lea and to the waterside.
These will provide natural connections to the river, wetland and meadows, enabling local people to enjoy the
natural health service on their doorstep, and the social benefits that brings. Whats to come is the less tangi-
19
Features
Autumn
ble elements of natural connections, already hinted at by
the work of the London Wildlife Trust and the Field Studies
Council on the Greenway walking and cycling route, which
runs from Victoria Park south east, past the Olympic Stadium. Together they provide nature-based learning and
volunteering opportunities, based at the ViewTube a
community meeting space and cafe that provides extensive views over the Olympic Park.
The future management of the Olympic Park, the first in
the history of the Games to have a Biodiversity Action
ODA
Plan, is the responsibility of the Olympic Park Legacy

Company (OPLC). When it re-opens as the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, it will be the biggest park to have been
created in Europe in 150 years. It will enable the OPLC to
demonstrate to developers, landowners and policy makers, the economic and social benefits of designing in nature. With less than a year to go to the start of the Games,
the Olympic Park is looking magnificent and should be
seen as an example of how the aspirations of the Natural
View towards Stadium across wetland Peter Neal
Environment White Paper to strengthen the connections
between people and nature, can become a reality through major development.
Legacy Learning
A great deal has been learned through delivering these
sustainable Games. This learning has been collected
by the ODA as case studies for focusing on Biodiversity
in the Olympic Park, and on its Green Infrastructure
role. Both of which will be useful to planners, landscape
architects, developers and of course, the host nations
for future Olympic and Paralympic Games. The Legacy
Learning website,
http://learninglegacy.london2012.com/ was launched in
October 2011.
The Olympic Park's wildflower meadows in bloom

with cornflowers, marigolds, Californian poppies and
prairie flowers, which have been carefully designed to
flower at their peak during the London 2012 Games
ODA
20
Features
Autumn
Killiecrankies Pine Martens take to the screen

National Trust for Scotland
The National Trust for Scotland is deploying state-of-the-art video technology in their efforts to conserve one
of the countrys rarest mammals.
Rangers at the National Trust for Scotlands Killiecrankie Visitor Centre have been using sophisticated motion
activated trail cameras as used in the BBCs popular Autumnwatch programme - to record the presence of
two pine martens who have taken advantage of the peanut feeders at the centre. They are hopeful the pine
martens will also make use of some newly erected artificial den boxes that will encourage the elusive omnivores to nest and breed.
Pine martens used to be found all over Britain but their numbers are now recovering. They are still scarce
with their strongholds mainly in the Highlands and west coast of Scotland, including here at Killiecrankie.
said Louise Medine, a naturalist working for the Trust in North Perthshire. Were now trying to increase their
numbers, and with the help of our volunteers weve created artificial dens and distributed them across the
land we manage in the hope that the pine martens will use them to shelter, rest and hopefully breed and raise
young in.
The discovery of the two pine martens has shown that the conservation charitys strategy is working and the
Trust is stepping up its efforts by using the high-tech cameras to more closely monitor the activities of the distinctive mustelids (members of the weasel family) with their dark brown coats and yellow-cream bibs.
Its really exciting to see these rare and elusive creatures benefiting from our conservation efforts. said
Louise. Pine marten sightings have also been recorded over at Ben Lomond and my colleagues there are
now building artificial den boxes to support their local population, so were hopeful that many more of our visitors will be able to learn about these secretive animals and view them in their natural habitat either in the
flesh or via the cameras.
Pine Martens National Trust for Scotland
21
Features
Autumn
Pilot Study: Is it real?
Using natural history to learn about the natural environment

Grace Kimble, Institute of Education and Natural History Museum
The International Year of Biodiversity (2010) was a catalyst for learning activities. In January 2010 a survey
was circulated to collate lessons learned by educators during the year. 40 organisations responded; thanks to
the readers of Biodiversity News who contributed to research. Many educators recommended greater partnership working. Two areas showed excellent examples of partnership: the Bristol Natural History Consortium
and the Tayside Biodiversity Partnership. Educators also emphasised the importance of real experiences,
both of handling models and specimens, and exploration in outdoor environments.
Historically, sound logic underpinned a sequence of learning activities that alternated learning in local parks
with visits to natural history collections. In 1954, Jacqueline Palmer (teacher at the Natural History Museum
NHM), demonstrated and recorded pupils learning when they linked collections to learning in local parks.
Schools were offered six sessions as standard.
In the current context, the opportunity for repeated school trips is far reduced. Is it possible to blend indoor
and outdoor learning in one day, linking access to sustained observation of natural history handling collections, with the chance to observe species, often fleetingly, in real life? Organisations with collections and outdoor natural sites often cover similar curriculum objectives, but only share resources in some instances e.g.
Bristol City Museum and Avon Wildlife Trust.
Consequently, a pilot study focussed on
integrated natural history collections with
outdoor environment education. This pilot
compares learning in a Year 5 London
class who had access to British wildlife
collection from NHM, plus Wildlife Garden
exploration (Group 1); with a Year 5 London class who only had access to NHM
Wildlife Garden (Group 3). The aim of this
study was to ascertain the impact of handling a natural history collection on childrens perception of the experience.
Kevin Webb
22
Autumn
Features
In the pilot session, a museum educator explained what natural history collections are and why they are important for scientists. Pupils used microscopes to examine specimens in detail. They made a map documenting where they found species, after seeing the Kensington and Chelsea Biodiversity Action Plan map, and
visiting the wildlife garden.
Quotes and comments from children
in Group 1 show their opinions on the
value of natural history collections to
be unanimously positive in terms of
whether children can learn from collections. They talk about the interest
generated through handling collections: we could look at the animal or
plant and learn how they look like or
Cassandra Murray
what they have on their body, Buan,

10; likewise, parent comments rein-
force this. Children were asked to complete a pre-visit activity about prior knowledge. A boy and girl wore microphones throughout the session, and they were also given post visit activities asking their opinion.
Parents were asked to record the childrens comments after the trip. The teacher discussed the session before and after, and visits to the classes were carried out a week after the trip, where more evidence was collected about childrens understanding and enjoyment.
The next stage of this research involved improving the existing resources and developing the sequence in
which children take part in inquiry, using specimens and living species, and how best to introduce specimens
that are real, but not alive! Pupils became more accustomed to the specimens and how they could be used to
learn about adaptation, throughout the session. More evidence is needed to ascertain the impact of combining indoor and outdoor real experiences of specimens and species, and an action research model will be
used to further investigate this over the coming months.
Future studies will look at using local history collections and outdoor sites to develop partnership between
museums and environment sites for childrens understand about local species adaption. Authentic memorable learning about familiar species will set the foundations for pupils to learn about the social importance of
biodiversity as they progress.
I would be very interested to hear about effective examples of natural history collections being used alongside outdoor learning: contact gkimble@ioe.ac.uk.
23
Features
Autumn
YOUNG OLOGISTS
Moray and Highland children take action to save rare wildlife!

Ellen Packham, Wild things!
Thanks to fantastic support from the Heritage Lottery Fund Scotland, environmental education charity Wild
things! can now offer children in Moray and the Highlands the chance to get closer to Scotlands nature. The
Highlands are home to 40% of the UKs rare and declining species. Surprisingly little is known about the biodiversity of the region, and few people have the skills to expand our knowledge to help with conservation efforts.
The Heritage Lottery Fund Scotland has just given two year funding for a new Wild things! project: Young
Ologists. This new project will introduce children to natural habitats in their local area so they can understand
the distinctive wildlife and rich biodiversity of these magical places.
Accompanied by experienced, knowledgeable and friendly leaders, each child will have the opportunity to
become an 'ologist' for the day. They will practice at a hands-on level some of the conservation techniques
used by: mycologists (fungi), herpetologists (amphibians), entomologists (insects), lepidologists (butterflies/
moths) and apiologists (bees), phytologists (plants), zoologists (animals) and ornithologists (birds). Enjoyable
project activities will include using a hand lens to observe detail, identifying wildlife tracks and signs, and
hunting for unusual mini-beasts. Children will identify species and learn how to submit a biological record.
Their involvement will help to expand our knowledge of Scotland's
biodiversity and support much needed conservation action.
Young Ologists will help to increase awareness about the wide
range of environmental sciences, their practical applications in the
field, and potential for future careers. It will support the delivery of
the biodiversity and interdependence section of the Science Curriculum for Excellence by enabling pupils to develop the skills of
scientific enquiry through practical techniques in the field.
Colin McLean, Head of the Heritage Lottery Fund in Scotland,
said: Our environmental heritage offers a rich resource for education and it is wonderful to see it being used by Young Ologists in
such an innovative way. It is providing powerful and memorable
experiences for the children, making learning fun and opening their
eyes to the natural world which surrounds them. Young people are
Wild things!
24
Autumn
Features
the future custodians of our heritage so their passion for it is vital if we are to keep it from being lost forever.
This exciting project will create a new generation of people who appreciate and care for Scotlands nature, to
ensure its survival in future years.
For information, contact: Ellen Packham. Tel: 01309 690450 Email: Ellen@wild-things.org.uk
Roost: the new bat roost mitigation resource

Kelly Gunnell, Bat Conservation Trust
Buildings provide important homes for bats and people alike but as buildings change we need to find ways to
accommodate all their inhabitants. The need to mitigate and compensate for impacts to bats in building and
development works is an important part of bat conservation and the European Protected Species legislation.
However, making mitigation work for all concerned can be costly and exasperating to building owners and
ecologists alike.
From an ecological perspective, the frustration is that even
the best thought-out and designed bat roost mitigation may
not succeed. Bats can be fickle and our understanding of
them is incomplete. Each species has its own unique preferences for temperature, roost size, access points and proximity to suitable landscape features and vegetation. These
requirements can also change regionally and seasonally. Determining all these criteria and putting them together for a
successful mitigation strategy is immensely challenging.
Combine this with a lack of systematic follow-up and monitoring and you can see why the realm of bat roost mitigation
has remained more of an art than a science.
The Roost website
The licensing procedure has made it difficult for builders, ecological consultants, architects and homeowners
to keep track of the mitigation measures used in the past and whether they were successful. To address this,
the Bat Conservation Trust has developed a new web resource called Roost which enables users to upload
information about roosts, mitigation strategies and explore case studies. Users can browse case studies using a number of criteria, make comments and access information on general design principles and resources
for bat roost mitigation and compensation. The aim is that Roost will become a knowledge hub for anyone
undertaking or involved in bat roost mitigation. In the long term, the collected information could provide a
25
Autumn
Features
wealth of insight into what it takes to make a successful and attractive replacement roost.
If you know of, or have been involved in a bat roost mitigation project, please consider submitting it as a case
study to Roost.
Roost was launched in September 2011 (http://roost.bats.org.uk).
Quote from Pat Waring, Director of Ecology Services; an ecological consultancy that undertakes bat mitigation work: Up to date information is essential to make the best decisions; this is true for many things including bat conservation. Having all that information in one place is a real bonus. The new Roost website provides this information all under one roof, in a form that is very user-friendly.
Business Estate Wins Biodiversity Benchmark

Alison Clarke, MEPC Hillington Park
Hillingdon Park Donald Fraser
Hillington Park, Scotland's largest business location, has become the first such estate in Britain to be
awarded a Biodiversity Benchmark by the Wildlife Trusts. The Benchmark is designed to 'manage, measure
and improve environmental performance' in a wide variety of commercially-developed sites.
MEPC, the majority landlord at the historic 75-year-old estate on the Glasgow and Renfrewshire boundary,
has in recent years pursued a policy of continuous environmental improvements, which included initiatives
that recognised the potential for encouraging local wildlife to thrive at Hillington Park.
Confirming the award, Peter Dorans, Corporate Relations Manager for the Wildlife Trusts, said: "Only a handful of organisations have achieved the standard of site management which meets the requirements of Biodi-
26
Features
Autumn
versity Benchmark. The Benchmark is a process which enables any organisation which owns or manages
land to assess its impact on the natural world, improve its contribution to the environment and demonstrate its
commitment to biodiversity. It is designed to ensure that sites are managed to the highest standard.
To be the first to achieve it in a sector where there may be more limited opportunities for biodiversity enhancement on such sites, further enhances Hillington Park's success. I have informed the chief executive of
the Scottish Wildlife Trust of the award."
Dotted around the Hillington Park estate are numerous small green sites, which have been deliberately used
to support various kinds of wildlife activity. Protective nesting boxes for small birds; precious wild orchids conserved; a wetland area allowed to remain; a moth recording project; uncut grassland for over wintering insects and seedpod development for birds, are among the initiatives which helped win the award.
MEPC has also enabled local schoolchildren to create a new woodland, with some 30 saplings provided by
the Woodland Trust. And, this summer, a new wildflower meadow is being established, to encourage bees
and other insects. More such projects are likely to follow.
Grant Edmondson, managing director of MEPC Hillington Park, welcomed the award: "This is a tremendous
endorsement of the work which has been led by our marketing and customer manager, Alison Clark. I am
truly delighted, as no other business park in Britain has previously won such an accolade."
Alison commented, "We have been working on this project since 2008, and to have attained such a prestigious award demonstrates our commitment to the environment, benefiting all those who work at Hillington
Park."
Congratulations have also been received from Chris Palmer, the
ecologist who has supported MEPC's efforts at Hillington Park: "This
is fantastic! Great news. To be the first site of this kind anywhere in
the UK to get the award deserves a genuine reaction of 'Wow'.
"Three of the tit boxes are now occupied by blue tits. And I saw a
whitethroat on the south side of Mossland Road - another bird for the
Hillington list!"
Donald Fraser
MEPC have employed local landscape consultant Barrie Scholefield as adviser, while Land Engineering are
the landscape gardeners.
Further information: Alison Clark, 0141 883 5760
27
Features
Autumn
Wildlife Trusts ask the public to show their support for

Marine Protected Areas
Wildlife Trusts
This summer, The Wildlife Trusts launched their campaign, Petition Fish, to put pressure on Government to
create Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) and give the UKs marine wildlife the protection it so urgently needs.
The passing of the Marine and Coastal Access Act (2009) and the Marine (Scotland) Act (2010) placed a
duty on the UK, Welsh and Scottish Governments to create a network of MPAs by 2012. The Wildlife Trusts
have launched their campaign, Petition Fish to show public support for MPAs and ensure a strong network is
created to protect our seas and help restore them to their full potential.
Trusts are collecting signature scales on large fish at events and Trust visitor centres around the UK. Efforts
were stepped up during TWTs National Marine Week (30th July-14th August), which saw both inland and
coastal Trusts hosting a range of activities which highlighted the importance of protecting our marine wildlife.
Wildlife Trusts
Everyone can also show their support by signing Petition Fish online, as well as following TWTs online campaigner, Bernard the Gurnard, on both Facebook and Twitter to keep up-to-date with the campaign. You can
also view Bernards animation about the importance of MPAs at www.wildlifetrusts.org/bernardthegurnard.
We have one year to create a strong network of protected areas for marine wildlife in the UK. A year to demonstrate the importance of healthy, well protected seas that can continue to support the demands we place
on them for food, resources and climate regulation. We are already receiving strong public support for the
campaign and will continue to rally everyone who believes our UK seas need protecting, taking their message
to Government in 2012 to secure the Marine Protected Area network. Show your support through our online
campaign www.wildlifetrusts.org/petitionfish.
28
Features
Autumn
Alien invertebrates in UK glasshouses

Andrew Cuthbertson, Fera
Within the UK there are various species of 'alien' invertebrate plant pests that, should they occur, can damage and cause much economic loss in glasshouses. These pests, including the South American leafminer
(Liriomyza huidobrensis), thrips (Thrips palmi) and the sweetpotato whitefly (Bemisia tabaci), are notifiable
and subjected to a policy of eradication if found on propagators premises or plants moving in trade, and of
containment/eradication if outbreaks occur at nurseries. These non-indigenous species can cause severe
damage to plant material and in some cases transmit numerous plant viruses, many of which are also nonindigenous to the UK. Due to increasing levels of chemical resistance being reported these pests are becoming ever more difficult to control. In combination with increasing public awareness regarding effects of chemical pesticides on the environment and possible residues on food, this results in a requirement for alternative
non-chemical methods of control to be developed.
Although the whitefly species, Bemisia tabaci, is a regulated pest in
the UK, through maintenance of a Protected Zone for European and
third country populations, the pest is regularly intercepted on imported plants and planting material, leading to local outbreaks. These
are subject to statutory eradication using a variety of control measures appropriate to the infested crop. Over the past 10 years a
greater number of B. tabaci interceptions at growing sites have been
on material from the Netherlands, than any other country. However,
since 2007 there has been a significant increase in interceptions on
material from Germany (however it must be noted that because the
The non-indigenous whitefly, Bemisia
tabaci Andrew Cuthbertson
supplier is based in Germany, the material may have originated from

elsewhere, for example, Kenya). The majority (57% in 2009) of inter-
ceptions at nurseries on growing crops were on poinsettia, followed by lantana (10%), hibiscus (9%), dipladenia (6%) and tarragon (5%). The majority of the interceptions for lantana, hibiscus and dipladenia were associated with material from the EU, especially the Netherlands and Italy. The majority of interceptions on tarragon and other herbs were on material from Israel. Cross-contamination can occur in European auctions; it is
therefore very difficult to pinpoint the original sources of infestation. However, all propagators in Europe
should know where the material has come from and what it has been treated with (to allow resistance management strategies to be used). To-date, B. tabaci is not established in the wild in the UK.
Much Defra funded research in previous years has been undertaken at The Food and Environment Research
29
Features
Autumn
Agency (Fera) in York on the development of Integrated Pest Management strategies against B. tabaci. The
aim of this work is to continue providing horticultural consultants and protected horticultural growers with sufficient information on which to base commercially viable decisions in regards to invertebrate pest control. The
work has concentrated on the use of entomopathogenic biocontrol agents namely nematodes (Steinernema
feltiae and S. carpocapsae) and fungi (Lecanicillium muscarium and Beauveria bassiana). This work has
identified the most susceptible life-stage of B. tabaci to the entomopathogenic agents, the environmental conditions required for optimal biocontrol agent efficacy and also the potential for the biocontrol agents to be
mixed with conventional insecticides. Good efficacy has been achieved against B. Tabaci; complete eradication of the pest however, has not yet been obtained. Further research to fine tune the application of the control agents within the glasshouse environment is required, and also the interaction of the entomopathogenic
agents with conventional natural enemies needs determining.
For further information concerning integrated pest management strategies for non-indigenous invertebrates
contact: Dr Andrew G. S. Cuthbertson (andrew.cuthbertson@fera.gsi.gov.uk) or Miss Michelle Powell
(michelle.powell@fera.gsi.gov.uk), The Food and Environment Research Agency, York YO41 1LZ.
Wood-pasture and parkland in the UK

Suzanne Perry, Natural England
When the UK Biodiversity Action plan was revised, some new habitats such as Traditional Orchards were
recognised, and others were revised. For wood-pasture and parkland, the reference to lowland was removed
from the title since it was by then recognised that the habitat exists in both upland and lowland situations.
Our understanding of the importance and cultural value of the habitat in upland situations has increased considerably in recent years.
The diverse origins of the habitat, along with its dynamic nature, present significant challenges when seeking
ways to define and locate the habitat with clarity.
A revised definition and description has been developed
for this UK priority habitat, and should shortly be available through the UKBAP website; this was the first task
of the UK Wood-Pasture and Parkland Habitat Advisory Group.
The revised definition states that wood-pasture and parkland are mosaic habitats valued for their trees, especially veteran and ancient trees, and the plants and animals they support. Grazing animals are fundamental
to the existence of this habitat. Specialised and varied habitats within wood-pasture and parkland provide a
home for a wide range of species, many of which occur only in these habitats, particularly insects, lichens
and fungi, which depend on dead and decaying wood. Individual trees, some of which may be of great size
30
Autumn
Features
and age, are key elements of the habitat, and many sites are also important historic landscapes.
The new Habitat Advisory Group was born out of a mutual need to share information, experience and knowledge; its intention is to help prevent duplication and isolation, and provide an effective mechanism to communicate and inform. The complex nature of the habitat requires input from organisations with an interest in its
ecological, biological, historical, cultural and landscape aspects.
The group will work together, including others where additional knowledge is required, to actively promote a
wider understanding of this habitat, using its strong links with those specialist communities with an interest in
the habitat. It will liaise with relevant species and habitat groups, providing a link between the Government
and the voluntary and private sectors, as well as increasing information exchange and improving effectiveness through better working between the four countries of the UK.
The immediate priorities of the group are to:
Provide advice to enable agri-environment and forestry grant aid schemes to deliver more effectively for
this habitat;
Publish a habitat inventory for the habitat in England, and develop inventory projects in Scotland,
Wales, and Northern Ireland, using common mapping criteria; at present, a published inventory does
not exist for this habitat despite having been a priority BAP habitat from the beginning of the BAP process;
Increase knowledge and awareness of the habitat with rural advisers through guidance documents and
training, to enable to deliver improved habitat conditions through appropriate management;
Improve the links between this group and its habitat with grasslands and agroforestry;
Identify the ecosystem service and C-sequestration value of wood-pasture and parkland.
Representatives from the organisations, including the City of London, Countryside Council for Wales, Forestry Commission, English Heritage, Scottish Natural Heritage, the Tree Council, the National Trust, Natural
England, the Woodland Trust and the Northern Ireland Environment Agency, feel the value of the group will
be in establishing a UK framework for the wood-pasture and parkland habitat.
Our preferred method of working will be to establish task and finish groups, to complete discrete projects
and by having the ability to co-opt individuals with the necessary expertise and knowledge to contribute.
31
Local & Regional
Autumn
Central Scotland Forest Trust acts as

building block for Green Network Initiative
CLOUDS GREEN LININGS AMONG THE SILVER?
Issued by The BIG Partnership on behalf of Central Scotland Forest Trust.
More than 150 attendees at environmental charity, Central Scotland Forest Trusts (CSFT) bi-annual forum
were told of a silver lining emerging from the unsettled economic climate, with potentially positive outcomes
for the environment.
The aim of the conference was to reaffirm the concept of the Central Scotland Forest (CSF) against the backdrop of the Central Scotland Green Network (CSGN).
Addressing the conference, Simon Rennie, Chief Executive of CSFT, highlighted the ecological silver lining
hidden behind the clouds of the economic downturn, explaining that whilst unemployment rates and the increasing cost of living are putting a strain on many, those same people could indirectly benefit from positive
impacts on the environment.
Simon said: The UK is entering a
unique period in living memory in
which todays generation is facing
a decrease in living standards and
general wealth compared to that of
their parents generation.
This in
turn could stimulate a social trend

of decreased resource consumption and increased use of local and
natural recreational facilities as
people reduce their expenditure on
fuel consumption and organised
leisure activities. Our hope is that it
Chief Executive, Simon Rennie, delivering his address at the Forest Forum
conference CSTF
may also lead to increased community involvement and volunteering.

Similarly, as food prices rise relative to income, there is likely to be an increasing demand for allotments and
community growing initiatives. These factors combined may realistically be expected to have a positive impact on the carbon footprint of the population.
32
Autumn
Local & Regional
The conference discussed the personal development opportunities available through volunteering, and the
impact this could have on the future skills profile of the population. Simon said, While times of plenty are
comfortable, we need to look harder for positive opportunities when jobs are hard to come by. Wed like to
put out a positive message that people can contribute to their local community whilst simultaneously gaining
skills and experience and positively influencing their level of future employability.
The Minister for Environment & Climate Change, Stewart Stevenson MSP, also gave a keynote address at
the conference, outlining the importance regional partnerships will play in delivering the CSGN.
The CSGN initiative was confirmed in the second National Planning Framework published in June 2009, to
create a step change in environmental quality across the whole of Central Scotland over the next 40 years,
and is the biggest greenspace project of its kind in Europe.
The Minister emphasised the significance of organisations such as CSFT in their role as catalysts for turning
the CSGN into action on the ground, and acknowledged the obstacles faced by the private, public and third
sectors in achieving their goals on a daily basis.
Simon Rennie, Chief Executive of CSFT, added: The economic and political landscape can change very
quickly but the decisions made just now about forestry and wider environmental management will have a long
-term impact on the development and regeneration of Scotlands central belt.
Other keynote speakers on the day included CSFTs Chairman, David Crawley, Senior Environmental Planner for Land Use Consultants, Susanne Underwood and Group Manager at Glasgow City Council, Cathy
Johnston.
For further information about CSFT, please visit www.csft.org.uk or contact Jen Hood or Roanna Katz on
0141 333 9585 / jennifer.hood@bigpartnership.co.uk / Roanna.katz@bigpartnership.co.uk.
33
Autumn
Local & Regional
Northern Ireland does Beachwatch Big Weekend 2011!

Amanda Wilson
A weekend in September, hundreds of volunteers across Northern Ireland and the rest of the United Kingdom
took to beaches in a bid to turn the tide on marine litter! Volunteers close to home have worked enthusiastically to remove thousands of items of litter from the beaches in Carrickfergus, Larne and Newtownabbey. Beachwatch Big Weekend began on the Friday morning when volunteers from the Northern Ireland
Tourist Board were joined by members of the public at Ballylumford Harbour beach, where they removed
over 600 items from the rocky shore. Later that day, 14 pupils from Ulidia Integrated College and their
teacher Sandra Patterson, assisted the Marine Conservation Society (MCS) volunteers at the sandy beach
on the Belfast Road, battling the rain storms to collect over 300 pieces of litter on a strip of 100 metres. On
Friday evening, Carrickfergus Borough Council staff joined the MCS volunteers and removed another 400
items of litter from beside Carrickfergus Castle!
The Saturday saw 59 volunteers, including staff from Newtownabbey Borough Council, scouts from 1st Jordanstown Scout Group, the NIEA and environment minister Alex Attwood, clean up Hazelbank Park in Jordanstown. Northern
Ire-
land Water staff were next

to support the cause, at
Loughshore Park in Jordanstown on Saturday afternoon!
On Monday morning, 21
young volunteers from Kilcoan Primary School tackled the litter at Portmuck
Harbour
Minister Attwood and Deputy Mayor, Victor Robinson, with volunteers at Hazelbank beach Stephen Stewart
in
Island-
magee. Finally,
pupils
from
Larne
Grammar
School and children from the Larne YMCA removed a staggering 483 wet wipes from Sandy Bay in Larne.
In total, 202 local volunteers have removed 6,278 items including an almost-life-size teddy donkey, a massive
piece of foam insulation, a broken head torch, 27 tyres, 738 wet wipes, a swimming award badge and 3 pairs
of very sandy underwear! This data will help the Marine Conservation Society to target their litter campaigns
34
Autumn
Local & Regional
more specifically. For example, last years data has proved very useful
in convincing Environment Minister Alex Attwood to introduce a plastic
bag levy! It will also help the government here in Northern Ireland, to
assess the damage caused by combined sewer overflows across the
province.
Amanda Wilson, organiser of the local beach cleans said, Im delighted
that weve had such a great turn-out at all the beach cleans this
year! The survey data collected makes a massive contribution to marine conservation. It also gives us a better idea of how our local litter
problems compare to other parts of the UK. Amanda wishes to thank
all the volunteers and also Newtownabbey, Carrickfergus and Larne
Borough Council for their support during Beachwatch Big Weekend and
for providing equipment.
Minister Alex Attwood discussing

marine issues with Deputy Mayor,
Victor Robinson Stephen Stewart
If you would like to participate in future clean-ups, please contact Amanda at manda_wilson@hotmail.co.uk.
35
Autumn
Local & Regional
The power of partnership: Skelton Grange Environment Centre

John Bark, British Trust for Conservation Volunteers (BTCV)
After its explosive demolition in 1995, Skelton
Grange Power Station on the southern outskirts
of Leeds might have become no more than an
area of scrub wedged between a sewage treatment plant and a scrap metal yard. Instead,
the 10 acre site beside the River Aire has been
transformed for local wildlife and people, by
British
Trust
for
Conservation
Volunteers
(BTCV) working in partnership with National

Grid, who have supported BTCV at Skelton since BTCV Skelton Project
1995 by providing the land and making contributions to running costs.
Crucially, National Grid has been BTCVs key partner in the creation of the Civic Trust award winning building
that houses Skelton Grange Environment Centre, an educational project which acts as a focus for biodiversity
work in this industrial suburb, three miles from Leeds City Centre.
Let there be light

When the Skelton Grange project began it was housed in a 20
year-old portable cabin that clearly wasnt going to last much
longer. The quick, low-cost option would have been to replace it
with something similar, but BTCV was able to come up with a far
more exciting solution, thanks to National Grids partnership and
the support of Leeds City Council: a low-energy eco building, purpose-built for teaching, with two classrooms, four meeting rooms
and a workshop that would provide a place where people of all
BTCV Skelton Project
ages could learn about their local environment and take practical
action to improve it.
Designed by LEDA (Leeds Environmental Design Associates) with additional funding from Big Lottery Fund,
Biffaward, Green Leeds, Clear Skies and Yorkshire Water, the new building was opened in 2003. Constructed from recycled or recyclable materials and cheerfully decorated for child-appeal; it boasts huge double-glazed windows that flood rooms with so much sunlight, artificial lighting is rarely needed; rain water is fed
36
Autumn
Local & Regional
from the roof into the toilet cisterns; power for the centre comes from wind, sun and geothermal energy, supplemented with waste heat generated by a nearby underground high-voltage electricity cable. Even the finishing touches are recycled: flower baskets adorning the potting shed in the nearby growing area are made
from builders helmets.
Power to thrill
With this wonderful facility, BTCV Skelton Grange has been able to:
Inform and support over 100,000 local people about environmental issues
Let children Go Wild in the Woods through Forest Schools held in the Centres small woodlands
Organise play schemes to keep 5-14 year olds occupied; pond dipping, minibeast hunting and den
building during the summer holidays
Invest in training and skills for over 200 volunteers leading to

paid work and further education
Give 160 16-25 year olds the opportunity to volunteer full

time in the environmental sector.
Run a School Green Gym at local primary schools engaging

children in an hour a week of physical activity.
Organise training courses for teachers, nursery workers,

childminders and environmental professionals for Learning
Outside the Classroom.
Win BTCVs Green Hero Award for Best Local Partnership
Star in a national BBC Breakfast News item on the benefits of outdoor learning
The biodiversity dynamo

Alongside its educational activity, the centre has taken practical steps to improve local biodiversity. Since
1992 BTCV has managed the Skelton Grange Wildlife Area; 10 acres of wildlife corridor and bird flyway
alongside the River Aire. New wildflower meadows, ponds, hedgerows and areas of woodland have resulted
in a healthy range of native wildlife for an urban area, including foxes, stoats, weasels, rabbits, hedgehogs,
bats, house sparrows, starlings, sparrow hawks, kingfishers, herons, frogs, toads and newts.
Ongoing support from National Grid, WREN (Waste Recycling Environmental Limited), Yorkshire Water and
most recently a Big Lottery Grant from Natural England through the Access to Nature Programme, has enabled BTCV to involve people in managing the site for biodiversity and understanding its value. A formal biodiversity management plan funded by a grant of 13,500 from The Veolia Environmental Trust, awarded
through the Landfill Communities Fund, has enabled BTCV to continue to carry out work to improve the site
37
Autumn
Local & Regional
and monitor the results using wildlife surveying sessions. The aim is to support a whole range of species
across a mosaic of habitats, including improved forage and possible roosting sites for the Common Pipistrelle
bat (Pipistrellus pipistrellus), a priority species on the Leeds BAP and UK BAP.
Based on initial surveys during 2009, the work has included:
Laying new stretches of hedge
Protecting flower-rich grassland from encroachment by weeds

and scrub
Preserving existing plant and animal species by maintaining

areas of semi-open ground
Improving grassland biodiversity through mowing
Clearing invasive species such as Himalayan Balsam
Maintaining ponds to support a healthy breeding population of

Common Toads
Snakes head fritillary (Fritillaria meleagris) at Skelton Grange BTCV

Skelton Project
Encouraging starlings to feed close to suitable breeding sites
The Nature of Industry Biodiversity Heritage Project, begun in April, 2011 will teach volunteers the biodiversity and land management skills needed to maintain and improve wildlife and habitats identified in UK and
Leeds Biodiversity Action Plans, and help more people, in particular children, learn about the former industrial
and current natural heritage of the Skelton Grange area.
The site has also hosted Bee Involved, a series of community days run by the Friends of Skelton Grange,
part of BTCV's Community Network . These aim to improve the wildlife area at Skelton Grange as a habitat
for bumblebees and other pollinating insects.
An electric partnership
National Grid has been a great local and national advocate for
BTCVs Skelton Grange project. They have enabled it to work with
thousands of individuals, schools and other community groups as
well as other private sector organisations, local Government and
MPs. Working with BTCV, they have produced leaflets and display
boards and facilitated the charitys presence at national and regional shows and events and relevant networks. This profile has
enabled the project, encouraged by National Grid, to work with
many other partners.
As well as directly giving over half a million pounds to BTCV, National Grids team based at Skelton Grange
38
Autumn
Local & Regional
has provided invaluable technical and management support and have recently supported an environmental
youth volunteering project led by BTCV Skelton Grange in partnership with other charities.
A further
200,000 contribution in cash and in kind helped BTCV to secure match funding from the youth volunteering
charity v, enabling 160 16-25 year olds to volunteer full time in the environmental sector.
The project has earned wide recognition for its excellence: a Civic Trust Award, EcoCentres Award, Leeds
Workplace Health Award, ABC Leeds Quality Mark Award, Learning Outside the Classroom Award and finalist in the Utility Week Awards Community Project category.
Power to the people

Over 16 years, Skelton Grange has become a place where people can learn to value the natural world, gain
new skills, get fit, stay healthy and have fun in pleasant and natural surroundings. The partnership thus provides an exemplary demonstration of how a very large organisation and a small local initiative can, through
trust and strong shared values, work together to multiply the effectiveness of local enthusiasm and commitment to bring lasting benefits to the local community and wildlife.
For further information visit www.skeltongrange.org.uk or contact skelton@btcv.org.uk.
39
Autumn
Local & Regional

Somersets got Wetland Talent!
Yatton councillor wins 1,000 for his work at the Strawberry Line and Biddle Street
SSSI
Mark Simpson, Wildfowl & Wetlands Trust (WWT)
At a special wetland conference this week,
Councillor Tony Moulin received the Marsh
Award for Wetland Conservation and a
prize of 1,000.
Wildfowl Wetland Trust (WWT) gives the
Marsh Award to recognise the good work
and talent of people who create and look
after wetlands.
This spring, WWT asked for nominations
Jo Winyard of the Marsh Christian Trust presents Tony Moulin with
The Marsh Award for Wetland Conservation. Left to right: Faith
Moulin, Tony Moulin, Jo Winyard, Rob Shore (WWT) WWT
from all over the country for the wetlands

that people enjoy visiting and think benefit
their community. WWT then searched out
the people behind the scenes. Of those shortlisted, the judges chose Tony Moulin in Yatton, North Somerset
for his role in managing and enhancing the Strawberry Line and Biddle Street Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI).
WWT Head of Wetland Conservation, Rob Shore, presented the prize with Jo Winyard of the Marsh Christian
Trust. He explained: In parks and green spaces across the country, wetlands quietly look after us. People
enjoy walking there, children play and learn about the natural world and they are a haven for wildlife. Whats
more, they store floodwater, protecting our homes and businesses; and they keep our waterways clean, providing us with the clean water that is vital for our survival.
So we set out to find the unsung heroes who look after the wetlands. The wetlands at Biddle Street on The
Strawberry Line are such a place, and Tony Moulin is a fine example of why the people who manage them
deserve recognition.
Tony Moulin said: "I am very grateful to receive this award and for the encouragement, help and inspiration of
many people over the past twenty years. In particular I am thankful for all the people who have supported the
achievements of Yatton and Congresbury Wildlife Action Group (YACWAG) in making a difference and enaContents - News - Features - Local & Regional - Publications - Events
40
Autumn
Local & Regional
bling people to enjoy and learn about our local wetland wildlife. I truly believe that volunteers working locally
have an impact which cumulatively has a global significance. People have a lot to gain through getting involved - we never know what the results of our work will be but it gives us hope and this award will help me
spread that message".
The Biddle Street wetlands on the Strawberry Line are a patchwork of rhynes, ponds and ditches that are rich
in water insects and plants. Tony Moulin has worked hard to manage it so that it looks great and is well used
and loved by the local community.
Rob Shore continued: Tony shows that one person with a passion really can make a difference. We hope
that he is an inspiration to others. Since the start of the industrial revolution it is estimated that as much as
90% of the wetlands in England have been lost and we are now paying the price with more floods, less wildlife and land that is less resilient to drought. Anybody with a garden or any business with a bit of land, however small, can make a difference by creating wetland habitat.
The Marsh Award 2011 goes to the person who is judged to be mainly responsible for managing the wetland
in recognition of their unsung contribution to creating a
wetland for everyone to enjoy.
The things WWT looked for to help judge the award
were:
Accessible to as many people as possible
Attractive and brings a wide range of benefits to the
people who live nearby
Home to a wide variety of wild plants and animals
Managed by someone who makes a real difference by
Tony Moulin at the Biddle Street wetland WWT
caring for the wetland, and/or improving the benefits it
provides to local people. They could do this either themselves or through organising and inspiring others.
The Marsh Award for Wetland Conservation was presented at the Wetland Futures conference on 28 June; it
is part of a portfolio of awards run by the Marsh Christian Trust www.marshchristiantrust.org.
For more information, contact Mark Simpson on 01453 891138 or email mark.simpson@wwt.org.uk or
prteam@wwt.org.uk.
Follow us on Twitter: @wwtconservation
www.wwt.org.uk
41
Autumn
Local & Regional
Kent Heritage Trees Project branches out

John Bark, British Trust for Conservation Volunteers (BTCV)
Kent is a treasure-store of heritage trees beautiful, centuries-old links to the nations past, and a rich source of biodiversity. In fact, with 20,753ha of Ancient
Semi-Natural Woodland, Kent was Englands top county for old trees in the Forestry Commissions National Inventory of Woodland and Trees 1995-1999.
Ten years on and the countys heritage trees are faced by constant threats from
property development, roads and intensive farming. Yet many are still to be identified and catalogued. The need to find and protect trees that provide a mosaic of
micro-habitats such as decayed heartwood, trunk cavities and water pools for
some of Britains rarest species, has led to a major environmental project focussed on Kents fine stock of heritage trees.
BTCV Kent
The five year Kent Heritage Trees Project, managed

by BTCV with 652,400 from the Heritage Lottery
Fund, aims to involve the local community in a host of
activities to celebrate, protect and enjoy Kents oldest
and most notable trees.
Since its launch in February 2011, the project is already well on the way to its goal of recruiting and
training 330 volunteer heritage tree surveyors (no experience necessary) and will include guided walks
and talks, visits to heritage tree parks, community
awareness open days, biodiversity and heritage tree
BTCV Kent
ecology courses, and a heritage tree walks leaflet.

The schemes latest development is the launch of an online recording facility, which will enable members of
the public to play their part in the projects extensive tree survey. On the heritage trees project website
(www.btcv.org/kentheritagetrees), people can now register any heritage trees they discover and plot the
trees position on a map.
Virginia Hodge, Project Officer for BTCV, said: Were looking for people to help us find the countys heritage
42
Autumn
Local & Regional
trees and the new online system provides a really simple way of doing it.
Over the next five years were hoping to find and record 10,000 heritage trees, so please let us know about any in your local area.
Maybe you have a local tree with a story to tell, an old tree, a tree
planted to commemorate something, or maybe a tree notable for
some other reason. If so, wed love to hear about it.
The survey results will be available to view on the website. Data col-
BTCV Kent
lected will also be sent to the Kent and Medway Biological Records Centre, Woodland Trusts Ancient Tree
Hunt, Tree Register, Kent County Council and Tree Council.
As well as the tree survey, BTCV will be running workshops ranging from tree identification to creative arts,
woodland photography and more. To find out more or to book a place, visit www.btcv.org/kentheritagetrees.
BTCV is running these courses in partnership with Kent Adult Education.
For more information, contact Virginia Hodge on 01233 666519 or email: v.hodge@btcv.org.uk.
Diamonds are forever:

Carrickfergus Borough Council and the Woodland Trust to create a
living, lasting legacy
Stephen Daye, Carrickfergus Borough Council
Whitehead in County Antrim is set to sparkle with a precious new addition. Land on the doorstep of the seaside village will be the Northern Ireland venue for a new Diamond Wood to mark the Queens 60 years on
the throne.
Sixty new Diamond Woods - each 60 acres in size, plus hundreds of smaller Jubilee Woods, are being created across the UK as part of the Woodland Trusts ambitious Jubilee Woods project. The aim is to plant sixmillion trees and to involve millions of people in the planting.
The County Antrim gem just over 60 acres of improved grassland has been made available by Carrickfergus Borough Council and sits amid a patchwork of fields and pockets of woodland to the north of Whitehead.
The Mayor of Carrickfergus, Alderman Jim McClurg, says: The creation of this Diamond Wood brings a special opportunity for everyone to make a personal and lasting contribution to the landscape, while marking an
43
Autumn
Local & Regional
historic event. Working with the Woodland Trust, we hope that as many people as possible members of the
public and schoolchildren will take part in a series of events next spring.
Within as little as 10 years the trees will be towering over the tallest of walkers, and well have a flourishing
woodland, rich in wildlife. We envisage a fantastic natural resource for the benefit of local people and, of
course, visitors en route to the Antrim coast.
The project will commemorate the 2012 Diamond Jubilee, marking Queen Elizabeths 60th year as monarch.
Next to Queen Victoria in 1897, she is the only British sovereign ever to celebrate a Diamond Jubilee.
The Woodland Trust hopes to encourage other landowners to plant their own Diamond or Jubilee Wood, and
is offering help, advice and in some cases funding.
The Trust is also offering thousands of free Jubilee tree packs to schools and community groups. Designed to
help groups enhance local shared spaces, the community tree packs come in two sizes: 105 trees (suitable
for a small grove or hedge) or 420 trees (for planting on one acre of land). Groups can choose to plant for
wildlife; for wood fuel; year-round colour; or tasty treats.
To find out how to get involved, please contact the Woodland Creation team on 0845 293 5680 or visit
www.MoreTreesMoreGood.org.uk/jubilee.
Mayor of Carrickfergus, Alderman Jim McClurg, with Patrick Craig, Director

of Woodland Trust (Northern Ireland) Woodland Trust
44
Autumn
Local & Regional
Things can only get wetter at Denmark Farm

Denmark Farm Conservation Centre, Biological Design
Denmark Farm Conservation Centre, near Lampeter, Ceredigion in Wales, is developing truly bright green
holiday accommodation ready to welcome nature loving tourists in 2012.
The capacity of natural processes to renew and clean water is amazing; soil filters water on its way to wells
and springs, with plants and microorganisms acting as a biological purifier. At Denmark Farm Conservation
Centre, we are harnessing these natural attributes to create a Wetland Ecosystem Treatment (WET) System,
in anticipation of increased sewerage loads when our new guest accommodation is completed.
A WET System has specially designed and constructed ponds and earth banks, densely planted with wetland
trees and marginal plants. As wastewater flows through, it is both purified by microbiological action and transpired by growing plants. In the process, a beautiful, species-rich wildlife habitat is created, including a willow
resource that can be used for basketry, hurdles, garden features or fuel, depending on the coppice cycle.
Additionally, a WET System requires minimal imports of resources the sites soil (rather than quarried
gravel) filters the wastewater, fossil fuels are only consumed during construction and there is no ongoing
electricity use. In fact, the whole process increases in efficiency over time, as new soil builds up and root
systems extend both of which also increase carbon dioxide storage as biomass, whereas conventional
treatment systems need regular maintenance and energy inputs.
Denmark Farm before the WET System has

been created
Mature WET System created by Biologic Design
Biological Design
Malcolm Magee, Denmark Farm Co-ordinator, says: The WET system will serve the whole Denmark Farm
Visitor Centre, including new visitor accommodation, designed with sustainably in mind and incorporating
45
Autumn
Local & Regional
many eco-friendly features e.g. biomass heating system, high level insulation, green roof, electricity from
photo-voltaic supply, rainwater harvesting.
This ecosystem approach fits our philosophy of working with, rather than against nature. And the beauty of it
is that we have fewer costs and many benefits. So why arent these systems more common? One hurdle
may be lack of familiarity, which is where we come in. Our WET System is the first in Ceredigion and one of
only a few in Wales - so far! As a demonstration site, we can show statutory bodies, trainees and visitors the
potential for farms and other industries that have liquid organic waste. With biodiversity benefitting too, the
future looks bright for wetland wildlife.
This project is part funded by the Ceredigion Social Enterprise Growth Fund.
If you would like more information about Denmark Farm Conservation Centre please get in touch:
info@shared-earth-trust.org.uk / 01570 493358.
Keeping South Somerset Orchards Alive

Joy Williams, Somerset Biodiversity Partnership
The Somerset Biodiversity Partnership is Keeping South Somerset Orchards Alive, thanks to a grant of
38,000 from the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) and a further 7,000 from Partnership members. The award
has allowed the Partnership to employ an Orchard Project Officer to deliver the two-year project. Charlotte
Thomas, an experienced adviser from the Somerset Farming and Wildlife Advisory Group (FWAG), has been
providing advice on traditional orchards over the last eleven years so is ideally suited to the role.
The project is focussing on an orchard hot-spot of 28 parishes in South Somerset. A high proportion of traditional orchards were identified in this area from the Peoples Trust for Endangered Species (PTES) recent
survey and inventory of traditional orchards.
Orchards are an important part of our Somerset heritage and countryside. As well as providing people with
fruit and places to enjoy, they are a haven for wildlife, offering food and shelter for birds, small mammals, insects, lichens and plants. However, Natural England estimates that nationally, 63% of orchards have declined
since 1950. This trend has been reflected in Somerset and many of our remaining orchards are also in need
of restoration. The PTES survey revealed that 61% of traditional orchards in Somerset are in poor condition
so one of the main aims of the Keeping South Somerset Orchards Alive project is to reverse this decline.
Commenting on the project, Nerys Watts, Head of HLFs South West team, said: Somerset is famed for its
46
Autumn
Local & Regional
apples and its cider production so HLF is delighted to be able to support this important project, which will help
in a very practical way to preserve the orchards that remain, and the traditions associated with them, and will
also encourage the development of new orchards for the future.
The project will keep orchards alive by raising their profile in the local community, and increasing awareness
of the heritage and wildlife value of orchards. Orchard owners are being offered free visits and advice on all
aspects of management, by FWAG and Somerset Wildlife Trust. Training courses will be provided for owners
and volunteers who would like to get involved in surveying orchards, planting new ones or restoring neglected
orchards in their local area.
Community orchards are another important aspect of Keeping South Somerset Orchards Alive. Local people
will be supported to plant, manage and enjoy community orchards as places where our orchard heritage can
be celebrated with traditional events such as Wassailing, Blossom Festivals and Apple Day.
School children are being encouraged to explore some of the traditional orchards on their doorsteps to learn
about the variety of orchard wildlife and fruit. As part of this activity, members from the Orchard Project were
pleased to be involved in the 2011 Kingfisher Award scheme where the theme was Orchards. The Kingfisher
event encourages children to learn about the natural world and its links to food and wildlife.
Children from six primary schools in the project area visited a traditional orchard at the National Trusts Barrington Court, where they enjoyed activities such as building
bug hotels, pressing apples for
juice and identifying bird calls, as
well as learning about bees and
pollination, moths, butterflies and
the small mammals you might
find in an orchard.
Back at school, the children developed what they had learned in
the orchard into stories, pictures
and models to present at an
award ceremony in July where
Charlotte was one of the judges.
The trophy was awarded to
Building a bug hotel - one of the activities during the Kingfisher Award orchard visits Joy Williams,
47
Autumn
Local & Regional
South Petherton School, with Kingsbury Episcopi School coming a close second. Orchard trees were provided by the project for one of the prizes.
Children from South Petherton Primary School with

their display at the Kingfisher Awards Joy Williams,
Somerset Biodiversity Partnership
Another school display at the Kingfisher Awards

Joy Williams, Somerset Biodiversity Partnership
Schools are being encouraged to plant fruit trees in their school grounds for the benefit of wildlife and to keep
local varieties alive.
For more information about the Keeping South Somerset Orchards Alive project, please contact: Charlotte
Thomas, Orchard Project Officer, on 01823 355427 or email cmthomas@somerset.gov.uk or go to
www.somerset.gov.uk/orchardproject.
Why do we have a Local Biodiversity Action Plan?

Kate Wilding, Yorkshire Dales National Park Authority
The LBAP continues to provide the Yorkshire Dales National Park Authority with a focussed mechanism for
implementing national policy at a local level, in a way that delivers real achievements on the ground.
We have recently launched the new ten-year LBAP for the Yorkshire Dales National Park, Nature in the
Dales: 2020 Vision which targets nationally important BAP species and habitats within the Yorkshire Dales
National Park and setting achievable and practical objectives to improve their current condition.
The LBAP is steered by the Yorkshire Dales Biodiversity Forum consisting of representatives from locally
interested groups and individuals, including local natural history societies, the Environment Agency, National
Trust, Natural England and the Yorkshire Wildlife Trust.
The main objective of Nature in the Dales: 2020 Vision over the next two years is to assess the state of all
48
Autumn
Local & Regional
the LBAP species in the Yorkshire Dales National Park, providing baseline data for new species and an update on existing ones. In order to achieve this, the Biodiversity Forum has called for volunteers with expertise,
such as those in local natural history
groups, to help with the survey and monitoring task ahead. So far we have had a
good response, and through volunteer
involvement this year have re-surveyed
15 historic sites for priority plant species,
and found five sites previously unrecorded with the Botanical Society of the
British Isles. Volunteers with previous expertise and good species identification
skills are required for the bulk of the surIngleborough from Scar Close YDNPA
veying and monitoring work, however

there are some opportunities for those
with a general interest in wildlife to get involved. Recording the condition of the LBAP habitats is achieved
through agri-environment scheme monitoring and through a ten-year programme of surveying across the
whole park.
The previous LBAP in the Yorkshire Dales National Park was a catalyst for a number of projects which have
contributed to a significant improvement in the quality of the biodiversity
of the area, which may well have been
harder to initiate without a locally targeted plan.
These projects included the Limestone Country Project, Red Squirrel
Conservation, Haytime Project, Bats
under the Dales, Juniper Conservation, Malham Peregrine Watch, North
Pennine Black Grouse Recovery Project, Parish Wildlife Project, Raydale
Project, Ribble Crayfish Conservation
and Breeding Facility, and the York-
Lower Barden Reservoir YDNPA
shire Dales Road Verge Project. Several of these projects have drawn to an end, but many were so success-
49
Autumn
Local & Regional
ful that the work still continues in some capacity into the next LBAP.
Details of these projects can be seen in our Nature in the Dales 2000-2010 A Celebration booklet.
The application of the LBAP process across the National Park is reliant on a co-ordinated approach to delivering actions, with people passionate about wildlife conservation from all sectors, working together for the
common good. The LBAP provides a local focus for a large number of people to be involved in the safeguarding of some of the nations biodiversity, within one of its most important landscapes.
For further information on the current or past biodiversity work of the Yorkshire Dales National Park Authority
and to view a copy of our LBAP, please visit our website: www.natureinthedales.org.uk.
Country Mile project

Vaughan Grantham, East Riding of Yorkshire Council
The Country Mile Project is a joint venture between East Riding of Yorkshire Council, North Yorkshire County
Council and British Trust for Conservation Volunteers (BTCV). The project aims to bring important road
verges into positive management to conserve and enhance their biodiversity value.
The Country Mile Project is funded by the LEADER Coast, Wolds, Wetlands and Waterways (CWWW). The
LEADER programme is being financed by the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development and Defra,
as part of the Rural Development Programme for England. The project covers the LEADER CWWW area
which includes parts of the lowland plains of Holderness and the Vale of York, as well as most of the Yorkshire Wolds, the most northerly chalk escarpment in Britain.
Much of the area covered by the project is dominated by intensive arable farming, making verges important
because they have escaped the intensification of agriculture. They provide an important refuge for many
species of plants, insects, birds and small mammals; the chalk grassland verges of the Wolds support characteristic plants such as Devilsbit Scabious, Bloody Cranesbill and Pyramidal Orchid, as well as the Marbled White butterfly. The project area is also a stronghold for Barn Owls the verges provide important feeding areas for them. Fundamentally though, they form important corridors, improving the habitat connectivity
with other semi-natural grasslands. They can also have historic and cultural importance as some are old
Drove roads and are unusually wide.
The importance of many road verges in the area has previously been recognised through the designation of
Verge Nature Reserves (VNR) in the East Riding and Special Interest Verges (SIV) in North Yorkshire.
50
Autumn
Local & Regional
Within the project area there are 52 VNRs and 30 SIVs.

Management of the verges is imperative to maintain their interest if verges are left unmanaged the vegetation can become rank and invaded by scrub. In these cases, the rich flora steadily declines until they are lost
altogether. Some verges are also under threat from fly tipping and the spread of non-native species.
Throughout 2011 the project has organised a programme of practical management work on designated
verges. During the winter, scrub clearance was carried out on seven verges; the main cutting of vegetation
was in autumn when 31 verges were cut. All the arisings were removed from the sites to prevent a build up
of nutrients and maintain the low fertility conditions essential for the grassland flowers.
The project has developed a Voluntary Verge Wardens scheme which has recruited 55 Voluntary Verge Wardens and established 10 different local groups. The wardens keep an eye on their local verges and report any
problems. They also help with practical habitat management, litter collection and monitoring wildlife on the
verges. Volunteers receive a bi-annual newsletter and have been given training in health and safety and
plant identification.
It is hoped that the Country Mile Project will continue so that with more volunteer participation, the number of
verges in wildlife management can be increased.
Verge Nature Reserve on the A166 in the Yorkshire Wolds, East Riding of
Yorkshire Trevor Appleton
51
Autumn
Local & Regional
Giant Hogweedinvasion on the River Usk

Stuart Craxford, Technical Officer for Environment Agency Wales Biodiversity Team
Riparian areas of the lower River Usk are infested
to varying degrees with the invasive plant, giant
hogweed (Heracleum mantegazzianum). The problem mainly extends from the Crickhowell area to
the tidal limit at Newbridge-on-Usk but the plant is
also found in small numbers close to the mouth of
the Usk in Newport. The invasive nature of the
plant leads to degraded habitats, both in biodiversity terms and aesthetically. There is also reduced
recreational value due to public health concerns
associated with the plant its sap can cause severe blisters which are sensitive to sunlight. Parts
of the designated Usk Valley Walk are badly affected by giant hogweed, as is access for fishermen.
Representatives from the partners involved, including Jane

Davidson, former WAG Environment and Sustainability
Minister National Trust
This is an escalating problem with the potential seed bank in the ground increasing year to year.
I decided to look into the problem about ten years ago in
order to assess the scale of resources needed to try and
control this invasive plant. As it happened, we had some
MSc students looking for projects around that time and I
managed to persuade Angela Harris from the University of
Glamorgan to take on this exciting work. Well, perhaps not
that riveting, but a very worthwhile topic nevertheless. Angelas work included mapping the extent of the giant hogweed distribution along the River Usk; trying to establish the
amount of control work going on at that time; and estimating
Giant Hogweed on River Usk, Abergavenny
Stuart Craxford
the cost of eradicating the plant. Although some control

work was going on, it was ad hoc, and nobody knew who
was doing what and where. Angelas work provided valuable baseline information and gave us an idea of the
scale of the problem.
It was obvious that this issue was too big for one organisation to take on. Following the initial feasibility
study, I set up a collaborative project (2005-06).The Environment Agency funded the first phase of a co-
52
Autumn
Local & Regional

ordinated control programme which included survey and mapping
and the development of an appropriate control strategy. Other
principal partners included Brecon Beacons National Park Authority, Countryside Council for Wales, Keep Wales Tidy, Monmouthshire County Council and the National Trust. The process involved substantial consultation with riparian owners and interested parties. Existing and new information was used to map the
extent of the problem in the Usk riparian corridor.
Flowering Hogweed Keep Wales Tidy
Control work on the ground was started in the spring of 2006, with efforts centred on the Crickhowell and
Abergavenny areas. Five control teams, working in close collaboration, carried out herbicide treatment of giant hogweed. The aim is to stop seed production at the upper extent of the infestation and prevent the seeds
entering the river and spreading the problems downstream.
In subsequent years I organised a number of forum events (2007 and 2009) which allowed interested parties
such as riparian owners, fishing groups, walkers, etc. to be kept informed of the progress of the project and to
feed back any relevant information. More recently, the Wye and Usk Foundations have come onboard and
their control team has filled in gaps created by the loss of key personnel from other contributing organisations.
Work is progressing well, but with giant hogweed seeds in the ground being viable for up to ten years, this is
a long-term strategy. There are already benefits for conservation, recreation and for flood defence maintenance issues better access and reduced health and safety issues are good news for all river users.
This is proving to be a very successful, collaborative project and is a good example of a number of partners
working together to achieve a common goal. It has generated a
lot of media interest and has been featured on BBC Wales TV
and Radio news. Jane Davidson, Environment and Sustainability
Minister, has shown a keen interest in the project and used it to
launch the GB INNS (Invasive Non-Native Species) Strategy in
Wales.
This article first appeared in Natur Cymru, the quarterly magazine
which flies the flag for the wildlife and nature of Wales. Subscriptions
cost 15 a year by direct debit. Details at www.naturcymru.org.uk
Giant Hogweed flower head Steve Smith,

Brecon Beacons National Park
53
Summer
Autumn
Publications
Publications
Towards more sustainable living...

From United Nations Decade on Biodiversity Newsletter
An Ecosystem Services Approach to Water and Food Security is a synthesis report involving some 20 organisations recently published by The International Water Management Institute. It highlights the need for a dramatic revision of agricultural practices in order to introduce integrated systems to protect the multiple services
that agro-ecosystems actually need to provide. The report is also an illustration of the wider point; that the
understanding of ecosystem services needs to be embedded at all levels in society around every aspect of
human life, welfare, economic activity and development. This in turn should have net positive benefits for biodiversity. The report is supported by UNEP (United Nations Environment Programme) and its key underlying
message is that healthy, resilient ecosystems are essential to ensure water availability for agriculture. This
will require a revolution in how we treat agro-ecological environments and the watersheds which support
them.
Food security and ecosystem services were two of the primary themes in Octobers Ministerial Meeting
hosted by the Indian Government in Delhi in advance of next years UN Conference on Sustainable Development Rio+20. This new report highlights that building ecosystem resilience and thereby increasing long-term
productivity and sustainability will underpin future food security bringing these two agendas much closer
together. As Rio+20 preparations take on the wider questions of the development of a green economy we
might expect to see natural diversity and its incumbent services become a very central theme. The more we
see nature as an ally to be nurtured and protected, because of what it gives back to support the human managed environment, the more we can hope for a sustainable future for people and the natural world.
A Field Guide to Monitoring Nests

by James Ferguson-Lees, Richard Castell & Dave Leech
From BTO (British Trust for Ornithology)
A BTO Guide, July 2011, Illustrated Paperback, 272 pages, 24.99
Earlier this year in July, the BTO (British Trust for Ornithology) was delighted to announce the publication of
the definitive guide to finding and studying the nests of British birds. This new book has been produced as an
aid to those involved in monitoring nests for research and conservation purposes. Written and illustrated by
experts, the guide contains a wealth of information for 146 British and Irish species, together with introductory
sections on fieldcraft monitoring. Available from BTO Sales (www.bto.org/shop)
The well-illustrated text, coupled with key information on breeding ecology derived from BTO datasets, delivers an impressive amount of information on 146 British and Irish breeding species. The material has been
54
Summer
Autumn
Publications
Publications
selected to support those involved in nest recording, as well as those wishing to

develop their skills in this area. Introductory sections cover general techniques for
finding nests, good practice guidelines and review the current legislation surrounding visits to the nests of wild birds.
James Ferguson-Lees and Richard Castell are two of Britains leading experts in
the field of monitoring nests, having seen and studied the nests of all 146 species
covered by this book. Their wealth of field experience delivers a level of information beyond that seen in other publications on this subject. Dr Dave Leech is a
Senior Research Ecologist at BTO, and also an experienced nest recorder. His
analysis of BTO nest record datasets has delivered much of the supporting information presented in this book.
Life with Birds a Story of Mutual Exploitation

by Malcolm Smith
Whittles Publishing 2011, 172 pages, 18.99
Book Review: Geoff Gibbs (originally from Natur Cymru magazine)
The author was formerly Chief Scientist at the Countryside Council for Wales,
and has always been an enthusiastic communicator about wildlife, for a wider
audience than most of us have aspired to reach. In Life with Birds (not to be
confused with The Life of Birds by David Attenborough), he ranges widely
across the field of direct human-bird interactions. If you want to know where
eiderdown comes from, how a grouse or pheasant shoot is run, what happens
at a cockfight, the scale of illegal hunting of birds in the Middle East, how birds
are farmed for food, what carrier pigeons carried, which birds live in cities, the
scale of birds as pests in agriculture, birds on rubbish tips, birds in art, poetry
and superstition then you find it all here, and a lot more besides. The book is
illustrated with 20 pages of colour photographs. Further reading is listed on a
half-page and there is no index.
Malcolm has researched all these topics and often gone straight to primary sources all over the world to get
an accurate story. Many of us with a keen interest in birds will know a lot of this already, but Im sure any
reader will find something new. Who would have believed that as recently as 1977, pigeons were carrying
blood samples to a lab in Plymouth. This is in Chapter 4. Lets hope the falconers (Chapter 2) kept their birds
on a tight rein!
55
Events
Autumn
Get snapping and enter Cumbria Wildlife Trusts

autumn/winter photograph competition
If youre handy with a camera, why not enter Cumbria Wildlife Trusts wildlife photograph competition?
Cumbria Wildlife Trust is urging keen amateur photographers to enter its wildlife photography competition.
They are asking you to enter your Cumbrian autumn and winter wildlife shots into one of five categories.
The categories are:
1. On Cumbria Wildlife Trusts nature reserves
2. Wildlife portraits
3. Wildlife in your garden
4. Flowering young photographers 11-17 years
5. Budding young photographers 10 years and under
Category prizes include photography books from the photographing duo, Steve and Anne Toon and John
Morrison, plus vouchers from Wilkinson Cameras in Kendal and Carlisle and the Trusts own nature reserves
guide.
An overall winner will be chosen from the category winners who will win a photo session with local photographer Val Corbet on one of the Trusts nature reserves. In addition you will have your photo made into the
Trusts Christmas card which is sent around the country to the Trusts friends and associates.
Entry requirements:
Please submit printed photos (not digital format) sized from 6x4 to 12x 8
If you are sending more than one print, please number them (eg. 1 of 3, 2 of 3)
Please label your prints correctly with your name, address, telephone number and the category entered
Please include a description of when and where the photograph was taken
Digital manipulation beyond cropping is not allowed.
Full terms and conditions can be found at the Trusts website or are available at the Trusts offices in Kendal
on request.
Send your entries by Thursday 10 November to:
Cumbria Wildlife Trust, Plumgarths, Crook Road, Kendal, LA8 8LX
56
Autumn
Events
Natur Cymru Inspired by Nature Writing Challenge

The challenge is to write a 1000 word article on a subject of environmental or wildlife interest in Wales which
inspires you. The purpose of the competition is to stimulate debate and encourage contributions from anyone
with a passion for the natural world in Wales.
Articles will be judged by a panel that will be looking for:
originality of content
use of plain language (Welsh or English)
the degree to which the article engages the reader and captures the imagination.
In writing the article entrants should be targeting an audience that is interested in wildlife and the environment
but not necessarily an expert.
The winning articles will be selected by a panel of judges including Gillian Clarke, the National Poet of Wales,
and published in the Summer 2012 edition of Natur Cymru.
Prizes will be...
1st prize: 500 cash donated by WWF Cymru.
2nd prize: a 500 place on the nature writing course at T Newydd, the National Writers Centre.
3rd prize an overnight trip for two to Skomer Island donated by The Wildlife Trusts of Wales
4th prize: a 2 hour boat trip for 2 people donated by Dolphin Survey Boat Trips assisting the research of the Cardigan Bay Marine Wildlife Centre
5th prize: a 2 course meal for two at the Glasshouse Caf in the Welsh Wildlife Centre in Cilgerran
donated by The Wildlife Trusts of Wales
Articles, along with illustrations (optional), are to be submitted by email to info@naturcymru.org.uk by 31st
March, 2012.
If you have any questions about the competition please e-mail to Huw Jenkins:
huw.naturcymru@btinternet.com.
Please note, the competition is only open to subscribers of Natur Cymru magazine. If you would like details
on subscription, please click here.
57
Events
Autumn
Bristol Conservation and Science Foundation (BCSF) Annual

Symposium
& Primate Ecology and Forest Conservation (PSGB)
Winter Meeting
01 December 2011
Bristol Zoo Gardens
This autumn BCSF and PSGB are jointly hosting a symposium with the theme Gardeners of the forest which
is aligned to the UN International Year of Forests. It will to bring together experts on both primate and forest
conservation to assess the role of primates for ecosystem functions and forest regeneration, as well as the
nature and speed of global deforestation, and to explore how appropriate species conservation programmes
and alternative land management practices can go hand in hand to preserve primate populations and their
forest ecosystems.
The event will also link to the European Association of Zoos and Aquaria (EAZA) Ape Campaign, aiming to
reinforce the vital roles of forest to the survival and wellbeing of people everywhere and the importance of
apes within these fragile ecosystems.
For more info contact Charlotte Bryant
NBN Conference 2011

18 November 2011
Royal Society, London
The core interests of the National Biodiversity Network are concerned with the collection of biological and biodiversity data in the UK. The annual conference this year has the theme of Evolution or revolution? The impact of technologies on biological recording. The conference will focus on the tools and resources available
through the NBN and the services offered by the new look NBN Gateway. There will be an introductory keynote speech from Richard Benyon MP, Minister for the Natural Environment and Fisheries.
For more details and the days programme: NBN Conference 2011
58
Events
Autumn
Global Business for Biodiversity Symposium

and Global Business of Forests Conference 2011
28 November 2011
IET London, Savoy Place
The conference will consist of two primary streams: biodiversity and forests in response to 2011 also being
the International Year of Forests. The conference programme is being designed to explore policy developments alongside emerging perspectives from business, governments, NGOs and on science governance.
The conference will showcase how business can be more effective stewards of biodiversity and gain business benefits and competitive advantage as a result.
This years event will include keynote contributions from Caroline Spellman MP, UK Environment Secretary,
and along with many high-level business contributors there will be speakers from the UN Convention on Biological Diversity, UNEP and United Nations Forum on Forests (UNFF).
The high-level support reflects the importance of the issues the symposium aims to explore; there will be lots
of net-working opportunity between delegates, leaders and partners the format is designed to allow delegates to get close to the issues and ask questions directly to ministers and world-leading business executives.
Executive speakers contributing from major international and national corporations, will include PwC, Puma,
BASF, Danone, UPM, Shell, Trucost, DOW and PepsiCo. Conference sponsors include Aldersgate Group,
the city-based sustainable and environmental think-tank who will host the after-event drinks reception.
The joint symposium will also include the first public airing of the latest report from TEEB (The Economics of
Ecosystems and Biodiversity). The new TEEBBE report examines how Business and Enterprise will need to
contribute to the management, safeguarding and investment in the worlds natural capital, ecosystems and
biodiversity. Among the other sessions focusing on business-related development, there will also be a special
session chaired by Prof Robert Watson, Chief Scientific Adviser to Defra, who will be reporting back and discussing the direction of the first coordinating meeting on IPBES (The Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystems Services), which convened this September in Nairobi, Kenya.
For full details of the event programme see the website. The on line registration for the combined GBOBGBOF event is now open.
59
Events
Autumn
A CIWEM CMS Conference:
Future Price Limits
The Challenges & Opportunities of the Developing Agenda

The Chartered Institution of Water and Environmental Management
Communications and Management for Sustainability
15 December 2011
Brunei Gallery, SOAS, London
The election, the change of Government and their review process of many of the organisations involved, and
the long promised Water White paper due in the late autumn, have provided a less than ideal backdrop to the
important price review process which is due to be completed in 3 years time. The Periodic review process
(PR09) was successful in taking on board a number of significant changes; climate change, catchment solutions and long term planning that have important sustainability and environmental benefits. PR09 as a process also demonstrated the effective use of an adaptive management cycle in planning and managing a key
resource and clear understanding of the need for sustainable outcomes to incorporate and integrate economic, societal and environmental objectives.
This conference is planned to support the Future Price Limits consultation and reflect on what direction Government are giving to water policy. This process is moving well beyond the economics of asset-based management. The Government and Ofwat have signalled a stronger role and emphasis to be place on customer
engagement, the resolution of supply issues and the funding of the Water Framework Directive - for which
water company investment is the major source of funding.
The aim of this conference is to outline the major themes that will be developed over the next three years as
the Future Price Limit process is taken forward. It will do this by exploring the perspectives of key stakeholders in this process from the Government, the economic regulator, the customer, and the environmental
perspective, as well as a number of key programme themes.
Click here to access the webpage where the conference programme and registration form can be found.
60
Events
Autumn
RSPB Dorset Events
November 2011March 2012
Picture Arne Photo Contest
Upton Wild walk- birds, binoculars and biscuits
Capture your favourite part of this stunning nature re-
10am-12:30pm: Thurs 3 November, Thurs 17 No-
serve and enter our free photography competition.
vember, Thurs 1 December, Thurs 15 December,
This year there are 3 categories: Wildlife, People and
Thurs 5 January, Thurs 19 January
Landscape.
Guided wildlife walk around the park ending with a
Full information at www.rspb.org.uk/arne, and our re-
hot beverage in the hide.
ception centre - or contact the reserve office,
1 per person. Meet at the Education centre, Up-
01929553360, arne@rspb.org.uk.
ton Country Park, near Poole.
Deadline Sat 31 March.

Wellies and Waders at Arne walk
Winter wildlife safari at Arne
Wednesdays 10am 12 noon, October March
10am-12 noon Sat 5, 12, 19 and 26 November
Just turn up for a chance of seeing the UK's largest
A private tour with a guide, on a motorized buggy
winter avocet flock just yards in front of you! Find out
to off-limits parts of the reserve to track down
about the masses of winter wildfowl, waders and
some of the amazing wildlife that use the harbour
other wildlife that can be found in the harbour during
in the winter.
the colder months. Spoonbills to grebes - divers to
40 if all three are RSPB members, otherwise 50.
winter ducks!
3-person limit per trip so book early, 01929
Free (donations welcome). Tel: 01929 553360.
553360.
Hands on with hazel, Garston Wood work party
Autumn colours and fungi walk
09:30am-4pm: Sun 6, 27 & Wed 16 November, Wed 7
Sun 6 November 10.30 am-12 noon
& Sun 18 December, Wed 11 & Sun 22 January, Wed
We'll look for mysterious mushrooms among the
1, 22 & Sun 12 February, Sun 4, 25 & Wed 14 March
myriad of colours of fallen leaves of Upton Country
Therapeutic hazel coppicing! A chance to help staff
Park, near Poole.
and members of our South Wiltshire Local Group with
Event 1. For more information ring Sarah-Jane,
vital woodland management. Training/tools provided.
07703 607630.
On Wed 14 March we finish with a barbecue as this is

the last work party for the season.
Full details from our Arne reserve office, 01929
553360.
Walk on the wild side

Thurs 10 November 10 am-12 noon
Wildlife walk around Bournemouth Gardens, free
hire of binoculars available.
Free. Meet at Coy Pond, Bournemouth Gardens.
Tel: 07703 607630.
61
Events
Autumn
Christchurch Winter Wildlife Cruise
Christmas robins Winter wildlife walk
9:30am meet for 10am-12 noon Sun 13 November,
Sun 4 December 10.30 am-12 noon
Sat 10 December, Sat 14 January
Join us on a warming winter walk looking for
Wildlife cruise around Christchurch harbour. Meet at
Christmas robins.
ferry flag on Mudeford Quay. Wrap up warmly as
1 event charge. Meet at Education centre at Up-
open boat. Booking essential with Mudeford Ferries
ton Country Park near Poole. Tel: 07703 607630.
on 07968 334441.
Adults 12, Children (under 13) 6 and RSPB mem-
Up close! Come to Radipole optic demo
bers 10.
Sat 10 and Sun 11 December
Beginners guide to bird watching

Fri 25 November 10 am-4 pm
10 am-11 am & 1 pm-2 pm: 'How to use binoculars';
11 am-12 noon & 2 pm-3 pm: 'How to identify garden
birds easily'.
Free entry to Knoll Gardens, Wimborne.
Tel: 07703 607630.
Want binoculars you feel comfortable with? A telescope or digiscope that feels 'tailor made?
Whether beginner or upgrading - our fully trained
advisors are here to help. "Expert advice and an
excellent selection is available every day but a
wider range is available at these special events."
Michelle Williams, Retail Manager.
Free event. Tel: 01305 778313.
Warm up for Christmas walk

Sun 27 November 2 pm-4 pm
Winter birds at Arne walk
Forget the Christmas rush wander around our re-
10am-1pm: Sat 17 December, Sat 21 January
serve with us enjoying the wonderful wildlife of Radi-
From spoonbills to hen harriers, firecrests to the
pole Lake. Then we've mulled wine to get you in the
UKs largest wintering flock of avocets - Poole Har-
Christmas mood and there's an opportunity to shop.
bour is the winter magnet for birds. Complimentary
Free event. No need to book. Tel: 01305 778313.
soup/drinks to help you warm up.

Members 3, non-members 6,children free. Book-
Pull a Pine for Christmas at Arne work party
ing essential, 01929 553360.
Sat 3 December 10 am-4 pm

A free Christmas tree is our 'thank you' for helping us
A wander in Radipole's winter wonderland
pull out small pines that threaten our heathland habi-
Sun 18 December 2 pm-4 pm
tat. Hot food/drink for sale plus Christmas goods from
Wrap up and join us to see the best of Weymouth's
our RSPB travelling shop. Make festive decorations
winter wildlife - this could be your last chance for
from natural materials.
some peace and quiet before the frenzy of Christ-
Tel: 01929 553360.
mas!
Members 2, non-members 5, children half price.
Booking essential, 01305 778313.
62
Autumn
Events
Raptor weekend at Arne
Big Garden Bird Watch at Radipole
Sat 7 and Sun 8 January 10 am-4 pm
Sat 28 January 10 am-12 noon
Just turn up! Well have guides in hides and at special
Come along, brush up on your garden bird ID be-
viewing stations looking out for all the birds of prey.
fore doing your 2012 Big Garden Bird Watch. Take
But the real focus will be the majestic marsh harriers
home an ID chart/survey form.
and hen harriers!

Radipole's bittern bonanza walk
Sat 21 January 2.30 pm-4.30 pm
Probably your best chance of seeing the elusive bittern (seeing them is always a bit of a challenge). We'll
also look for their more common relatives - grey herons and little egrets.
Members 2, non-members 5, children half price.
Booking essential on 01305 778313.
63
Runners up Photos
Autumn
Pholiota alnicola, the alder scalycap mushroom, taken at the

base of a birch tree in Inshriach Forest, Cairngorm National
Park Michael Usher
Netted Carpet Moth caterpillar, found in the Lake District John Hooson
Pink-footed Geese at dawn Duncan Goulder
Anita Burrough
Touch-me-not Balsam John Hooson
Crab apples at Denmark Farm, near Lampeter, Ceredigion, Wales Mara Morris
64

UKBAP BiodiversityNews-55

Uploaded by

Document Information

Original Description:

Original Title

Copyright

Available Formats

Share this document

Share or Embed Document

Sharing Options

Did you find this document useful?

Is this content inappropriate?

Copyright:

Available Formats

UKBAP BiodiversityNews-55

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

Biodiversity News

Contents - News - Features - Local & Regional - Publications - Events

If you would like to receive Biodiversity News via email, or

Scotland Biodiversity Strategy update

Update on NIA competition

Non-Native Species Newsletter launched

Scotland has worlds first greenspace map

NTS plans for squirrel census

HLF announces fund to protect some of

GiGL London Underground habitat

Scotland uses Twitter to track geese

Olympic Park Biodiversity Action Plan

Killiecrankies Pine Martens take

Pilot Study: Using natural history to learn about the

Business estate wins

Wildlife Trusts fish petition

Alien invertebrates in UK glasshouses

Local & Regional

Skelton Grange Environment Centre

Somersets got Wetland Talent

Kent Heritage Trees project branches out

Diamonds are forever: Carrickfergus Borough Council 43

Keeping south Somerset orchards alive

Yorkshire Dales Local Biodiversity Action Plan

Country mile project

Invasion of giant hogweed on River Usk

A Field Guide to monitoring nests

Malcolm Smiths Life with Birds

Natur Cymru writing competition

BCSG & PSGB Gardeners of the Forest

GBOB-GBOF Conference 2011

Local & Regional

Future Price Limits: Challenges & Opportunities of the 60

Please note that the views expressed in Biodiversity

Contents - News - Features - Local & Regional - Publications - Events

Welcome, Croeso, Filte... to Issue 55 of Biodiversity News!

Click on the boxes to see previous issues this past year

Contents - News - Features - Local & Regional - Publications - Events

Biodiversity 2020: A strategy for Englands wildlife

A more integrated large-scale approach to conservation on land and at sea

Putting people at the heart of biodiversity policy

Reducing environmental pressures

Improving our knowledge

Scotland Biodiversity Strategy update

Nature Improvement Areas: Update on the NIA competition

Contents - News - Features - Local & Regional - Publications - Events

Introducing the new newsletter on Non-Native Species

What are non-native species?

Want to find out more?

Contents - News - Features - Local & Regional - Publications - Events

World's first national greenspace map reveals extent of

Contents - News - Features - Local & Regional - Publications - Events

Contents - News - Features - Local & Regional - Publications - Events

Sarah Cuthbert, National Trust for Scotland

National Trust for Scotland

Contents - News - Features - Local & Regional - Publications - Events

Heritage Lottery Fund announces 18.3m to protect some of the

Contents - News - Features - Local & Regional - Publications - Events

Stuart Parks, Learning through Landscapes

Contents - News - Features - Local & Regional - Publications - Events

Learning through Landscapes

Contents - News - Features - Local & Regional - Publications - Events