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A round up of the top countryside, conservation, wildlife and forestry stories as chosen by the CJS Team.
Kennet & Avon Canal's water vole havens get national commendation -
Canal & Water Trust A unique solution to fixing 200 year old canal banks on the Kennet & Avon Canal has been commended by top ecologists for its innovative water vole-friendly approach. We've been commended by the Chartered Institute of Ecology and
Environmental Management (CIWEM) for our work to balance the needs of
our historic canal, boats, visitors and those of the UK’s fastest
declining mammal. We have pioneered a technique to repair deteriorating canal banks
using a fabric called Nicospan, which is installed on posts below the
waterline to rebuild and protect the bank, leaving water voles and other
wildlife with access to their natural habitats. So far sites along a nine mile stretch of canal bank have been fixed
in this way, recycling dredged material to rebuild the canal banks, at a
total cost of £1.7 million.
Defra's data reserves to be released – National Biodiversity Network Defra's data reserves will be released to create opportunities for
people in the UK making their living from food, farming and the
environment.
Salmon make welcome return to the Calder – Heritage Lottery Fund Ribble Rivers Trust and the Environment Agency are celebrating the
exciting discovery that salmon fry are present in new locations in the
Calder river system for the first time in decades. The news follows five years of the charity working in the Calder
Catchment to remove barriers to fish migration, enabling salmon and sea
trout to migrate from the sea to their preferred spawning grounds high
up in the river system. The Trust undertakes fish surveys in the Ribble Catchment every
summer and this is the first time their fisheries scientists have found
salmon upstream of Padiham. The new locations so far include Colne
town centre and Towneley Park in Burnley. After years of work by the Environment Agency to improve the Calder’s
water quality, work began in 2010 on Padiham Weir with funding from the
Environment Agency and others to make it passable to all fish species in
all flow conditions. Subsequently, Ribble Trust worked on more
barriers on Pendle Water and Colne Water using Defra’s Catchment
Restoration Fund.
Record-breaking bird settles into new home at RSPB Hesketh Out Marsh
- RSPB
Arctic
tern Image: Graham Catley It’s smiles all round for staff and volunteers at RSPB Hesketh Out
Marsh after efforts to create a safe home for a record-breaking bird
have proven to be successful.
Study shows grey squirrels are quick learners – University of Exeter They may be viewed by some as an invasive species or a commonplace
pest of public parks, but a new study from the University of Exeter has
shown that grey squirrels are actually quick learners capable of
adapting tactics to improve efficiency and reap the best rewards. To test the animals’ intelligence and mental flexibility researchers
invented a task involving a box with 12 sunken wells, four of which were
hollow. Of the four, two contained hidden hazelnuts. The five squirrels observed in the study (named Simon, Arnold, Sarah,
Leonard and Suzy) were all given training prior to the task so they were
proficient at using their paws or teeth to peel back the layer of paper
hiding a nut inside the wells. The hazelnuts were placed in the wells diagonally across from each
other, meaning that the least efficient way for the squirrels to locate
the food was to check each well in a clockwise or counter-clockwise
sequence, and the most effective was an ‘integrative’ approach where
squirrels checked only the two diagonal wells that contained food,
ignoring the two empty wells. In the study, published today (6 July) in the Journal of Experimental
Psychology: Animal Learning and Cognition, all of the squirrels showed
clear improvement over successive attempts with the box, becoming more
efficient in adjusting their behaviour to adapt to the task. Lead author of the study, Pizza Ka Yee Chow of the Centre for
Research in Animal Behaviour at the University of Exeter, explained:
“This was only a small study but the results are quite remarkable – the
squirrels learned to pick the diagonally opposite well if the first one
they picked contained a nut. They made a decreased number of errors as
they learned and progressively changed their tactic to increase
efficiency and obtain the hidden rewards.” ‘Serial Reversal Learning in Grey Squirrels: Learning Efficiency as a
Function of Learning and Change of Tactics’ by Pizza K. Y. Chow, Lisa A.
Leaver, Ming Wang and Stephen E. G. Lea is published in the Journal of
Experimental Psychology: Animal Learning and Cognition.
New nature skills hub for UK’s largest wildlife volunteer project –
The Wildlife Trusts
The Wild Skill Group outside the new Volunteer Training Centre
credit Becky Corby Sir David Attenborough pays tribute to The Wildlife Trusts’ 40,000
nature volunteers at exemplar centre Sir David Attenborough will officially open the UK’s largest wildlife
Volunteer Training Centre today (7 July), celebrating the thousands of
nature enthusiasts in the UK who give their free time to help protect
and care for the natural world. The new hub will be a boon for the 400 volunteers who give 35,000
hours each year to Leicestershire and Rutland Wildlife Trust’s Rutland
Water nature reserve, the largest wildlife volunteer project in the
country. In the past 25 years volunteers have dedicated 691,512 hours
or 86,439 days or 237 years to Rutland Water nature reserve. From osprey guarding and surveillance, bird-ringing to dry
stone-walling and hedge-laying to wildlife-recording, the new Volunteer
Training Centre, at Rutland Water Nature Reserve, will provide an
extraordinary range of opportunities for people to gain new skills and
enjoy time outdoors. It will offer training and support for volunteers
in nature conservation, countryside and heritage skills. Active contact with nature can help prevent and cure health problems.
People who live near and experience green spaces have a 50% chance of
being more healthy, both physically and mentally, and are 40% less
likely to become overweight or obese. The Wildlife Trusts’ volunteers
are getting back in touch with the natural environment, helping it to
recover. This contact with nature also makes a big difference to many
people’s lives.
Sick squirrel sparks pox fear – Lancashire Wildlife Trust
Image:
Red squirrel severely affected by the pox (Lancashire Wildlife Trust) Experts are calling on the public to become “squirrel aware” to
prevent the spread of a devastating disease among local red squirrels. Concerns have been raised after a red squirrel was found suffering
from the pox that almost wiped out the population in Merseyside and West
Lancashire in 2008. The squirrel was taken to a local vet with an advanced case of the
pox and had to be euthanized. It was the second case of the pox in
Blundellsdands this year. “When it is passed to a red squirrel, it is fatal and the squirrel
usually dies within two weeks. The disease can look like myxomatosis in
rabbits, with lesions developing around the eyes, mouth and paws. “The squirrels find it difficult to eat and drink and therefore
become very dehydrated and lethargic. It is a terrible disease.” The last outbreak of squirrel pox in 2008 resulted in the red
squirrel population plummeting by 80per cent.
Too many businesses unaware of impact of declining natural capital –
The James Hutton Institute Corporate awareness around the value of Natural Capital is growing,
but not as fast as the risks. All too often, natural capital is still
invisible in business decision making The Natural Capital Initiative, a partnership between the Society of
Biology, British Ecological Society, Centre for Ecology & Hydrology and
the James Hutton Institute, has launched the ‘Valuing our Life Support
Systems’ report at a summit which saw researchers, business leaders and
policy makers come together to discuss the valuation and stewardship of
our natural capital. Natural Capital is a term used to describe the parts of the natural
environment that produce value to people; it is our ‘stock’ of waters,
land, air, species, minerals and oceans. This stock underpins our
economy by producing value for people, both directly and indirectly. NCI partnered with the Parliamentary Office of Science & Technology
(POST) to launch the report; a synthesis of key messages from the
natural capital summit in November 2014. The report sets out how the valuation of natural capital is gaining
traction with UK business and is being incorporated into policies and
strategies. It highlights the need for natural capital concepts to be
coherent and based on evidence, and developed within a robust ethical
framework.
Climate Change Minister Signs International Agreement – Keep
Scotland Beautiful Scotland has signed up to an international partnership of Governments
committed to ambitious action to tackle climate change, Climate Change
Minister Aileen McLeod announced on 1st July 2015. Dr McLeod, who attended the World Summit: Climate and Territories
event in Lyon, signed the Under 2 MoU, which brings together state,
regional and devolved governments willing to commit to either reducing
their greenhouse gas emissions 80-95 per cent below 1990 levels by 2050
or achieving a per capita emissions target of less than 2 metric tons by
2050. This agreement means Scotland joins an ambitious group spanning four
continents and eight countries with a total population of approximately
109 million residents and a collective GDP over $4.5 trillion.
England Coast Path from Lyme Regis to Rufus Castle: comment on proposals
– Natural England On 8 July 2015, Natural England submitted a report to the Secretary
of State for the Department of the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
(Defra) setting out our proposals for improved access to the Dorset
coast between Lyme Regis and Rufus Castle, Portland. All representations and objections will be considered before the
Secretary of State makes a final decision about the report. Click Here to read the Lyme Regis to Rufus Castle overview (PDF, 789KB, 40 pages)
New research sheds light on future seasonal extremes – Met Office A more detailed view of how England and Wales climate is expected to
change out to 2100 has been revealed in new research from the Met
Office. Published in Nature Climate Change, the research paper adds new
insights to the UKCP09 climate projections - which provided information
on how the UK climate might change in future based on 30-year averages. The newly published paper goes further by providing detail on how
this trend interacts with the year-to-year variability in our climate
system to affect individual seasons. David Sexton, lead author of the new research, said: "The original
headline UKCP09 trends tell us how typical seasons might change, but our
new research provides a more detailed picture of the range of seasonal
temperatures and rainfall we could see in a given year. The paper suggests revised headlines for UKCP09 would be that we can
expect an increasing chance of warmer winters, with fewer colder ones
and we can also expect an increasing chance of dry summers, but only a
modest reduction in the chances of very wet summers.
DWT adds Dartmoor 'jewel' reserve – Devon Wildlife Trust 70 hectares of wildlife-rich land close to one of Dartmoor’s most
popular recreation sites is set to become a brand new nature reserve
thanks to a partnership between Devon Wildlife Trust and the Forestry
Commission. Bellever Moor and Meadow has been leased to Devon Wildlife Trust by
the Forestry Commission under a 25 year management agreement. The
Forestry Commission identified the opportunity for the land to be
managed more effectively for wildlife and approached Devon Wildlife
Trust to propose the partnership agreement. It will be open to the
public to explore and enjoy for free, 365 days a year. And like all of
Devon Wildlife Trust’s nature reserves, it will be managed as a haven
for local wildlife.
The first GM oilseed crop to produce omega-3 fish oils in the field
- Rothamsted Research Scientists at Rothamsted Research announce the first year results of
the field-scale trial of Camelina oilseed plants genetically engineered
to make omega-3 fish oils in their seeds. Omega-3 fish oils specifically long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids
(omega-3 LC-PUFA) eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid
(DHA) are acknowledged by the medical community to be beneficial
components of the human diet. The primary dietary sources of EPA & DHA
are marine fish, either wild or farmed (aquaculture). Although some
types of omega-3 fats are available from other sources in the human diet
(such as flax seeds), the nutritionally-beneficial omega- 3 LC- PUFA EPA
& DHA are only available from marine sources. Fish, like humans,
accumulate the omega-3 fish oils by feeding on other organisms in the
marine food chain or, in the case of farmed fish, through fishmeal and
fish oil in feed. Farmed fish is a rapidly growing sector, and today over half of the
fish consumed worldwide comes from aquaculture. As the production of
fish through aquaculture increases so does the need to find alternative
sources of omega-3 fish oils. Rothamsted's new data - which demonstrate
an important proof of concept that a crop plant can be engineered to
synthesise these beneficial fatty acids in seeds - provide hope for
sustainable land-based sources of omega-3 fish oils, thereby releasing
pressure from the oceans. Dr Olga Sayanova, the senior Rothamsted Researcher who developed the
GM Camelina plants, commented: “We are delighted with the results of our
first year field trial. Finding a land-based source of feedstocks
containing omega-3 fish oils has long been an urgent priority for truly
sustainable aquaculture. Our results give hope that oilseed crops grown
on land can contribute to improving the sustainability of the fish
farming industry and the marine environment in the future." Reactions to today's Budget from the
Chancellor of Exchequer
Budget 2015 – transport – CPRE
Budget: Chancellor’s Budget a major blow to rural family businesses
– CLA
Budget snub to climate change action, as Chancellor adds more fossil
fuel to the fire – Friends of the Earth
Defra Minister declares Broads National Park branding “common sense”
– Broads Authority Minister Rory Stewart today [8 July] said that Government officials
were “more than comfortable” with the move to call the Broads a National
Park. The Defra Minister in charge of National Parks added that the
title was a “common sense term” which allowed the public to understand
the protected status and special qualities of the Broads. Mr Stewart was responding to questions raised by Broadland MP Keith
Simpson who tabled a half hour debate at Westminster Hall focusing on
the branding and direct elections of Broads Authority members. Mr Simpson questioned the Minister about whether the bill announced
in the last Queen’s speech concerning direct elections was to be taken
forward, arguing for more accountability among members of National Park
Authorities and the Broads Authority. He also asked the Minister what
the legal status of the Broads was in the light of the recent branding
initiative which applied to the area only, pressing the Minister for a
clear statement on these two issues. Mr Stewart said that “Defra does not wish for the Broads Authority to
be controlled by National Park legislation” because of the Authority’s
additional navigation responsibility and the fact that the Broads is not
subject to the Sandford Principle like other members of the National
Parks family. The Authority has already made it clear that it will not be adopting
the Sandford Principle, which requires greater weight to be given to
conservation rather than recreation if there is an irreconcilable
conflict between the two. Instead its three purposes, including
navigation, will continue to carry equal weight. “We do recognise the power of the national and international National
Park brand and the value that using it for the Broads can bring but this
should not detract from navigation responsibilities,” said Mr Stewart. Mr Stewart also praised the work of the Authority in balancing its
environmental, tourism and navigation interests and quoted Ted Ellis in
calling it a breathing space for the cure of souls.
Bird scientists go batty in Norfolk - BTO New research from the British Trust for Ornithology (BTO) just
published in the international journal Biological Conservation, shows
how data collected by an army of volunteer citizen scientists have been
used to map bats in unprecedented detail. The 'Norfolk Bat Survey' began
in 2013, and has since been extended to some neighbouring parts of East
Anglia by popular demand. The Survey’s organisers have taken advantage of advances in
technology to map bat distributions, and activity on a scale never
before seen. Bat monitoring has traditionally been challenging, because
most species are nocturnal, wide-ranging and difficult to identify.
Developments in passive bat detectors, which automatically trigger and
record passing bats, along with software for semi-automating the
analysis of resulting sound files, have allowed BTO scientists to
overcome these obstacles. The Norfolk Bat Survey relies on a network of ‘Bat Monitoring
Centres’ from which members of the public borrow passive bat detectors.
With 786 1-km squares (about 15% of Norfolk) covered over two years, the
Survey has generated over 600,000 bat recordings, making it one of the
most extensive high-quality datasets for bats from anywhere in the world
after only two seasons. The project has improved our understanding of spatial patterns of bat
distribution and activity of all species, from the near-ubiquitous
Common Pipistrelle to the locally scarce Leisler’s Bat for which the
number of records has increased from 10 to almost 300. The study also
reveals how bat activity varies through the year. For example, the
project shows how several species disperse after breeding into areas
that they are not reported from earlier in the season. Dr Stuart Newson, BTO Senior Research Ecologist commented “It has
been really exciting to have an opportunity to work in partnership with
local bat groups, local and national organisations and local libraries
to develop this project and improve our understanding of bats. Stuart
added “This project was initially set up because of a personal interest
in bats, but as a result there is tremendous scope now for extending a
survey of this design to other parts of the country and abroad, where
there are many observers and a freely available reference library of bat
calls for training identification software.”
Mar’s millennia of
mountaineers – National Trust for Scotland Archaeologists working on the National Trust for Scotland’s Mar Lodge
Estate in Aberdeenshire have uncovered evidence that people were active
in this mountainous landscape thousands of years earlier than previously
thought. Excavations at sites deep in the Cairngorm glens have produced
radiocarbon dates which demonstrate a human presence as far back as
8,100 BC, with some places being revisited over many thousands of years.
Wildlife organisations call to arms to help Devons bees
- Buglife Buglife and other organisations involved in Devon Local Nature
Partnership are appealing to Devon’s residents to do one simple thing to
help bees and other pollinating insects this National Pollinator Week. Wild bees and other insect pollinators are faced with a perfect storm
of pressures which have all led to their decline, these include: a loss
of wildflower-rich habitats through the intensification of farming,
urban development, and the increased use of pesticides. As a
result half of the UK’s 27 bumblebee species, two-thirds of our moths
and over 70% of our butterflies are in long-term decline. Andrew Whitehouse, South West Manager at Buglife said “The South West
remains a stronghold for some of the UK’s most threatened bee species.
But, over the past 50 years we have seen the local extinction of many of
Devon’s special bees including the Large garden bumblebee (Bombus
ruderatus). Some are precariously holding on, such as the Six-banded
nomad bee (Nomada sexfasciata) which has all but disappeared from the
UK, except for a last remaining site in South Devon”. Andrew said “We need to take urgent action to reverse the declines in
our bees, butterflies, hoverflies and moths. By making space for
wildlife in our gardens we can give Devon’s pollinators a helping hand.”
Brightly coloured day moth seen on Tiree: First record of a six-spot
burnet on the island - RSPB
A
brightly coloured moth has been recorded for the first time on Tiree by
RSPB Scotland. Although six-spot burnet moths are common across much of
England, Wales and Ireland they more thinly distributed across
Scotland.
A team from RSPB Scotland carrying out insect survey work on the
island came across the moth. Six-spot burnets are often mistaken for
butterflies due to their colouring and because they are active during
the day. The moths are a dark blue black colour with a metallic sheen.
They have six bright red spots on each of their forewings, and their
hind wings are completely red. James Silvey, Nature Recovery Officer at RSPB Scotland said: “The
moth was on the ground basking in the sunshine as we walked past so it
was easy to see all six of the spots on each wing. Six-spot burnets are
found in the Outer Hebrides and in some coastal areas of Scotland so
it’s exciting that we’ve seen one on Tiree. They’re about during the
summer between June and August and are attracted to a range of flowers
including thistles.”
Jonathan Dimbleby steps out to open new route on Coast Path –
National Trails Jonathan Dimbleby has marked a significant milestone in the history
of the South West Coast Path today, by officially opening a new stretch
between Strete and Strete Gate in South Devon. The event follows years
of local residents and groups campaigning to take the route off a busy
road. Thanks to Natural England and Devon County Council for providing the
majority of funding and a contribution from Strete Parish Council, along
with the collaboration of local landowners and the South West Coast Path
Association, this hotly anticipated project is finally complete and a
route that has never before seen views of some of Devon’s finest
coastline, can now be accessed by the public. Broadcaster and local resident, Jonathan Dimbleby, is passionate
about the coast close to his home in Moreleigh, South Devon, and is a
keen supporter of campaigns to protect public access to beautiful
places. He said:“I was very pleased to accept the invitation from the
South West Coast Path Association to open this new and important section
of the Coast Path. As a local resident I enjoy regular walks on the
South Devon coastline which has everything, from sandy beaches and
secluded coves to rockpools and dramatic cliffs. Walking the South West
Coast Path is the best way to experience this natural beauty and it’s
vitally important that this access is maintained. This new section at
Strete represents the fantastic work of the South West Coast Path
National Trail Partnership to secure the best possible route as part of
its 630-mile National Trail.” The opening event, organised by the South West Coast Path Association
to thank the core funders of the project, was also a celebration, as the
Charity unveiled its new website and a new fundraising event, the South
West Coast Path Challenge taking place throughout October. This project represents one of the charity’s original aims to
campaign for the best possible route for walkers, close to the coast and
off road. Strete has long been considered the most hazardous road
sections on the entire 630 mile route, and there are no comparable road
sections remaining. Scientific papers Felda, C. K. et al (2015)
Disentangling the effects of land use and geo-climatic factors on
diversity in European freshwater ecosystems. Ecological Indicators.
doi:10.1016/j.ecolind.2015.06.024 Mammides, C., Chen, J., Manage Goodale, U., Wimalabandara Kotagama,
S., Sidhu, S. & Goodale, E. (2015) Does
mixed-species flocking influence how birds respond to a gradient of
land-use intensity? Royal Society Proceedings B. DOI:
10.1098/rspb.2015.1118 Vilmia, A., Karjalainen, A. M., Nokelac, T., Tolonena, K. & Heinoa,
J. (2015)
Unravelling the drivers of aquatic communities using disparate
organismal groups and different taxonomic levels. Ecological
Indicators. doi:10.1016/j.ecolind.2015.06.023 Patricelli, D. et al. (2015)
Plant defences against ants provide a pathway to social parasitism in
butterflies. Royal Society Proceedings B. DOI:
10.1098/rspb.2015.1111
Furnessa, R. W. (2015) Density dependence in seabirds:
Great Skuas Stercorarius skua start to breed at a younger age when
conditions are better. Ringing & Migration DOI:
10.1080/03078698.2015.1059631
Krosby M. et al. (2015)
Climate-induced range overlap among closely related species. Nature
Climate Change. doi:10.1038/nclimate2699 Sexton, D. M. H. & Harris, G. R. (2015)
The importance of including variability in climate change projections
used for adaptation. Nature Climate Change. doi:10.1038/nclimate2705 McCollin, D., Hodgson, J. & Crockett, R. (2015)
Do British birds conform to Bergmann's and Allen's rules? An analysis of
body size variation with latitude for four species. Bird Study. DOI:
10.1080/00063657.2015.1061476 Dicks, L. V. et al (2015)
How much flower-rich habitat is enough for wild pollinators? Answering a
key policy question with incomplete knowledge. Ecological
Entomology. DOI: 10.1111/een.12226
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