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Headlines from week beginning 14 September 2015 |
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A round up of the top countryside, conservation, wildlife and forestry stories as chosen by the CJS Team.
A Celebration of British Wildlife The British Wildlife Photography Awards proudly announce the winners
for 2015. The Awards celebrate both the work of amateur and
professional photographers and the beauty and diversity of British
wildlife. Winning images are chosen from thousands of entries in sixteen
separate categories including a special film category for Wildlife in HD
Video and three junior categories to encourage young people to connect
with nature through photography. “The British Wildlife Photography Awards has become one of the most
anticipated events in the wildlife photography calendar. The bar in
wildlife photography has already been raised to unimaginably high levels
of sophistication, innovation and artistic vision, yet the standard
somehow continues to get better and better. This latest collection of
images is testament to the sheer level of interest in wildlife in
Britain and, above all, the remarkable abilities of our wildlife
photographers”. Mark Carwardine, zoologist, writer, photographer and
broadcaster.
Paul Wilkinson, competition judge and The Wildlife Trusts’ head of
Living Landscape, said: “Photographers around the UK continue to be
inspired by this competition and enter fabulous imagery which
demonstrates a passion for, and a connection to, our wonderful wildlife.
Each work illustrates the many different ways in which we can connect
with wild places and wild creatures. Worlds collide in Barrie
Williams’ beautiful and evocative image, which demands a double-take,
affording a unique insight into the habitat and behaviour of gannets.
The British Wildlife Photography Awards continue to offer the natural
world with the recognition, and reverence, it deserves.” "Sea cliffs provide a haven from potential predators, a place for
birds to breed, hunt and safely raise the next generation. This
vertigo-inducing shot shows guano-stained rocks, the bustle of lower
ledges with birds packed tightly and gannets hunting over the inky seas
below. The judges felt it was the unique perspective of this shot and
its ability to reveal something new about seabird life that made it such
a firm favourite." Matt Swaine Editor, BBC Wildlife Magazine.
David Pressland, “Toads on Roads”, North York Moors National
Park, North Yorkshire, England
And if you'd like to find out more about Toads on Roads then
read the article in CJS
Focus on Volunteering (Feb 15 edition) about the Toad Crossing
patrol at Osmotherly.
And the rest of the news:
Five innovative conservation, heritage and amenity projects in England
and Wales shortlisted for our Park Protector Award Five innovative and important conservation, heritage and amenity
projects are in the running for the Campaign for National Parks’
prestigious annual Park Protector Award, sponsored by the Ramblers
Holidays Charitable Trust.
Parks Alliance takes major step forward thanks to National Lottery grant
- Heritage Lottery Fund
The Parks Alliance, the UK’s voice of parks, has been awarded £9,600
by the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) to establish a not-for-profit
membership organisation that represents the people and organisations
that create, maintain, invest in and use the public green spaces at the
heart of UK life. The project, called ‘Creating A National Voice for
Parks’, will provide the basis for establishing a wider and connected
community network of those who support the aims of The Parks
Alliance. The HLF grant will enable The Parks Alliance to research best
practice membership models and recommend the best membership model to
achieve financial sustainability.Speaking about ‘Creating A National
Voice for Parks’, Mark Camley, Chairman of The Parks Alliance, said: “We
know how much people value parks as 68 per cent of users consider
spending time in their local park essential to their quality of
life. This project will take us one step closer to ensuring parks in the
UK are enhanced and their contribution to quality of life is
protected. It will help all those organisations associated with parks
and green spaces to prosper, and all those involved in maintaining and
creating parks and green spaces will gain new skills and insight.”
Desperately Seeking Speedwell! - Plantlife Ground breaking project aims to return rare wildflowers to Norfolk
site of international importance. The Brecks is one of the top four classic places in the UK for wild
plants. It is home to more than 120 nationally rare and threatened
wildflower species that enjoy the unusual and dry 'continental' climate
of this region. Despite this being an internationally recognised botanical hot spot,
characterised by an unusual combination of mobile, sandy, chalk-rich
soils which support plants that rarely occur elsewhere in the UK, most
of Breckland's wildflower 'specialities' such as Sickle Medick (Medicago
sativa) and Tower Mustard (Turritis glabra) are
disappearing. This is because of a decline in suitable habitat which has arisen
from changes in land management practices and a loss of tra Tower Mustard has declined by 70% since the 1930s and Spring
Speedwell (Veronica verna) is known to be located at only 13
sites in Breckland. Image: Spring Speedwell © Fornax/CC BY-SA 3.0 Wall Bedstraw (Galium parisiense) has declined by 45% since
the 1930s as the ancient walls it often calls home have been cleaned,
rebuilt or demolished. Tim Pankhurst, Conservation Manager at Plantlife says "The Brecks is
known as a Mecca for its rare wildflowers and Barnham Cross used to be
one of the best places to see Breckland species. Despite best efforts
this is no longer the case - intervention is needed to halt the decline
facing this culturally important habitat, here, and beyond the project
site."
Putting nature at the heart of plans for farming and for water –
Cumbria Wildlife Trust Image: Longhorn cattle (credit: Helen Davies) Environment sector sets out visions for farming and for water in two
influential publications Voluntary organisations have come together to produce ambitious
visions for England’s farmland and the country’s water. Wildlife and
Countryside Link (Link) - a coalition of 46 voluntary organisations –
has produced two significant publications. Farming fit for the Future
and Water Matters put restoration of the natural environment at the
heart of plans for the future management of farmland, rivers, lakes and
wetlands in England. Link’s Director, Dr Elaine King, said: “Farming and water are so
closely linked. We therefore want the Government to take an integrated
approach to ensuring that our land and water can provide us with life’s
essentials: healthy food, clean drinking water, protection from
flooding, secure livelihoods and access to beautiful green and blue
spaces with thriving nature. The overarching themes addressed in Water Matters and Farming fit for
the Future include pollution, climate change, long-term planning, and
restoring wildlife and the countryside.
Latest stage of a £500 million project to reduce visual impact of
electricity infrastructure in protected landscapes Plans to reduce the visual impact of electricity infrastructure in
nationally protected landscapes across England and Wales have reached a
new landmark, following decisions by the project’s independently chaired
Stakeholder Advisory Group.
Using a £500 million allowance made available by Ofgem until 2021,
National Grid plans to reduce the visual impact of sections of high
voltage overhead lines in these locations. A range of different ways of
doing this has been considered in each location. Reaction: Fiona Howie, Campaign for National Parks Chief Executive, welcomed
the announcement: “After what has been a very rigorous process, which we
have been delighted to be part of, it is exciting to know which areas
have been prioritised for next steps. There is still a long way to go
but this major projects will have a real impact on the ground in terms
of removing visually intrusive overhead power lines and pylons in some
of our most treasured landscapes. Whilst elsewhere:
Lake District threatened by the largest planned electricity
infrastructure project in the UK The Open Spaces Society is one of a number of organisations* that are
supporting Friends of the Lake District’s campaign against National
Grid’s proposals for a 24km long powerline using 50m tall pylons in the
west of the Lake District National Park. This would be a huge
infrastructure project anywhere in the UK, but to have this length of
overhead line running through one of England’s most unique, important
and well-loved landscapes would be damaging in the extreme to the
character of the Lake District National Park. National Grid have said
that, because there is already a line of pylons in the area, new pylons
would not be damaging to the landscape; however, the proposed pylons
will be nearly double the height of the existing pylons. In a public consultation last year, National Grid presented an option
where the cables could be run south of the new power station by going
offshore. This was the most popular option in the consultation responses
as it avoided damage to the landscape and wildlife of the National Park
and was also highlighted as the best option for the environment in
National Grid’s own Environmental Statement. However National Grid has
chosen the onshore south with tunnel route as NuGen, the Moorside power
station developer, effectively vetoed the offshore route on technical
grounds (which are disputed) leaving the onshore south route as the only
option on the table. At the moment, National Grid is refusing to discuss undergrounding of
the powerline in the west of the Lake District and has only put forward
different overhead line routes as “mitigation”. None of these
alternative routes would avoid damaging the unique coastal landscape of
the Lake District National Park. This “mitigation” is no mitigation at
all if we are offered no alternative to overhead lines. * The BMC, Campaign for National Parks, CPRE, Friends of the Lake
District, John Muir Trust, Open Spaces Society, Power Without Pylons
Support for Friends of the Lake District's pylons concerns over pylon
plans in the west of the National Park The Campaign for National Parks is one of a number of organisation
that are supporting the Friends of the Lake District’s campaign against
National Grid’s proposals for a 24km long powerline in the west of the
National Park.
Crisis in global oceans as populations of marine species halve in size
since 1970 - WWF Marine species around the world, including populations of fish
critical to human food security, are in potentially catastrophic decline
according to research published today. Many species essential to commercial and subsistence fishing – and therefore global food supply – are significantly depleted due to over fishing. Global population sizes of the Scombridae family of food fish that includes tunas, mackerels and bonitos have fallen by 74 per cent. Declining stocks of bluefin and yellowfin are of particular concern. Some species found in UK waters, including the vulnerable porbeagle shark and the critically endangered leatherback turtle, have also undergone precipitous declines.
While over-exploitation is identified as the major threat to ocean
biodiversity, the study finds that climate change is causing the ocean
to change more rapidly than at any other point in millions of years.
Rising temperatures and increasing acidity levels caused by carbon
dioxide are further weakening a system that is already severely degraded
through overfishing, habitat degradation and pollution. Download the full Living Blue Planet 2015 report here (PDF)
You can read more about seagrass
habitats and conservation in an article by Dorset Wildlife Trust
in our CJS Focus on Marine and
Coastal Environments here.
Almost 300 of England's most important wildlife sites at risk from
fracking - RSPB
The RSPB has warned that almost 300 of England’s most important
wildlife sites are at risk from fracking after completing a full
analysis of the areas of land that Government have offered to energy
companies to explore for oil and gas. The analysis showed that 293 Sites of Special Scientific Interest
(SSSIs) have been included in the 159 oil and gas licences that the
Government have offered to energy companies to date. An SSSI is a
conservation designation given to a protected area in the UK, often
protecting a certain species or habitats. Martin Harper, RSPB Conservation Director, said: “In February Amber
Rudd, Energy and Climate Secretary, specifically promised to ban
fracking within all SSSIs, but this promise seems to have been
forgotten. We simply don’t understand why SSSIs, some of the UK’s best
and most sensitive wildlife sites and landscapes, aren’t being offered
full protection from fracking, when National Parks, World Heritage Sites
and Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty are being excluded from fracking
completely. The Government still has a chance, before these
fracking licences are finalised, to fulfil its promise and protect SSSIs
– and the RSPB is urging them to do so.” Fracking could result in habitat loss and fragmentation, in noise and
light disturbances and even chemical pollution, all of which could harm
wildlife, watercourses and habitats. Fracking needs planning permission but the RSPB does not believe that
the existing legal protections for Sites of Special Scientific Interest
are strong enough to protect them from damage that can be caused by
fracking. It believes it would be simplest for the Government to
completely rule out fracking in, under or near sites in order to prevent
any possible damage to them. The total area of SSSIs within
the licences blocks totals 10,722 hectares, which is less than one per
cent of the total area offered to fracking companies.
Rare seabird makes a comeback in West Country
- Natural England Thanks to two seabird conservation projects, the rare storm petrel
has this year made a comeback in the West Country, breeding at new
locations on the Isles of Scilly and for a second year on Lundy.
The removal of rats from both St Agnes and Gugh on the Isles of
Scilly, and from Lundy, is the result of a successful partnership
between a wide range of conservation organisations and is part of a
global effort to restore island seabird populations. As well as storm
petrel, the work has benefitted Manx shearwater, guillemot and puffin.
On Lundy puffin numbers have increased from 13 in 2000 to 80 in 2013,
and shearwaters from 328 occupied burrows to 3,451 in the same period.
On the Isles of Scilly last year, Manx shearwater bred successfully on
St Agnes and Gugh for the first time in living memory.
On the Isles of Scilly, Senior Seabird Ecologist Vickie Heaney said:
“I have monitored St Agnes and Gugh for storm petrel nest sites for 15
years, and never had any response. They successfully nest on the nearby
seabird island of Annet, which has no rats, but as their eggs and chicks
would be predated on St Agnes and Gugh it appears they did not attempt
to breed. After witnessing the prospecting behaviour of adult storm
petrels over the years, we were thrilled to hear them calling back for
the first time from six sites on St Agnes in July when they should be
sitting on eggs. In order to prove successful breeding we returned to
these sites in early September and were over the moon to hear the calls
of hatched chicks from the within the nest sites.”
Leaf-mining moths threaten horse-chestnut trees in Scotland and Ireland
- CEH A leaf-mining moth, which damages the UK’s iconic horse-chestnut
trees, has been recorded for the first time in Ireland and Scotland. In
response, a team of scientists have launched ‘LeafWatch’ a mobile phone
app and are asking for help from the public to map the northwards
spread. The moth, called Cameraria orhidella, is on the advance. It first
arrived in the UK, in London, in 2002 and had reached Newcastle in 2010,
where it temporarily stopped. However, last year it was reported in
Dublin and Belfast and, for the first time, was spotted in Scotland.
With the LeafWatch smartphone app anyone in the UK or Republic of
Ireland can now record damage caused by the leaf mining moth and help
scientists to monitor its spread. Dr Michael Pocock, organiser of the Conker Tree Science project and
an ecologist at the UK’s Centre for Ecology & Hydrology, said, “New
records of damage caused by the leaf-mining moth are really valuable to
help us understand the way it is spreading. We are interested to know
where it is, and where it isn’t. We need people to get involved right
across the country and so created this citizen science app so that
anyone can contribute to science.” The first Scottish record of the leaf-mining moth came last September
when it was noticed near Loch Tay by Dr Nigel Straw, an entomologist at
Forest Research, who has been tracking the moth’s spread over the past
decade. No other records have been confirmed in Scotland so far.
Although records can be made from anywhere in the UK or the Republic of
Ireland, the scientists especially welcome records of presence (and
absence) of the leaf-miner from Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland and
the Republic of Ireland, and the north and south-west of England. All
records will contribute to the Conker Tree Science citizen science
project, running since 2010, which has already produced scientifically
valuable results.
New trees for Peak District - Peak District
National Park Thousands of new trees are to be planted in the Peak District
National Park through a partnership with the Woodland Trust.
The Peak District Small Woodland Creation Scheme will run from
October for the start of the 2015/16 planting season with potential for
a further two years. The aim is to establish a total of at least eight
hectares (equivalent to ten football pitches) of woodland each year,
with each hectare containing up to 1,000 native trees. The new areas will be planted at no cost to landowners or farmers as
all trees, tree guards and associated fencing will be supplied or funded
through the scheme. Eligible locations include farm shelterbelts
and woodlands providing opportunities for wildlife, recreation,
landscape enhancement and small scale wood fuel provision. “There are many additional benefits for the national park, including
important new habitats for upland birds and improvements to the
landscape.’’ Native tree species including beech, small leaved lime, field maple,
English and sessile oak can be planted, depending on location, exposure
of the site and soil conditions. Alternative species include alder, bird
cherry, goat willow, mountain ash, silver birch, holly, whitebeam and
crab apple, as well as shrubs like hawthorn, guelder rose, hazel and
dogwood.
New guidance supports the tidal energy sector and helps protect marine
wildlife - Scottish Natural Heritage Guidance from Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH) to help the offshore
renewables industry ensure the right development goes in the right place
goes out to public consultation today (18/9/15). High energy tidal environments are attractive to marine mammals, fish
and diving birds, and are used as locations for tidal stream energy
projects. Operational tidal turbines may pose a collision risk to marine
wildlife. For single turbines the risk may be low, however for larger
turbine arrays, the risk may increase. SNH has produced guidance to support developers undertaking collision
risk assessments, and is launching a 12-week public consultation to
gather industry and interested parties’ views. The guidance describes three models which can be used to estimate the
number of animals likely to collide with tidal arrays. It also provides
a step-by-step process of estimating animal densities at collision risk
depth. Chris Eastham, the SNH officer who led the project, said: “Our role
is to provide advice and guidance to developers, consultants and
consenting authorities on potential impacts of marine energy
installations and how these might be avoided or minimised. “Our current knowledge of how marine wildlife interacts with tidal
turbine arrays is limited, but this guidance will provide greater
confidence to developers undertaking collision risk assessments and,
importantly, help protect our marine wildlife”. Consultation closes 10 December 2015. Read the documents and take part here.
Scientific Publications: Gramza, Ashley, Teel, Tara, VandeWoude, Susan & Crooks, Kevin.
Understanding public perceptions of risk regarding outdoor pet cats to
inform conservation action. Conservation Biology. DOI:
10.1111/cobi.12631 Norum, JørgenKvernhaugen, Lone, Karen, Linnell, JohnD.C., Odden,
John, Loe, LeifEgil & Mysterud, Atle.
Landscape of risk to roe deer imposed by lynx and different human
hunting tactics. European Journal of Wildlife Research DOI:
10.1007/s10344-015-0959-8
Wang, Yicheng, Önal, Hayri
Optimal design of compact and connected nature reserves for multiple
species. Conservation Biology. DOI: 10.1111/cobi.12629
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CJS is not responsible for content of external sites. Details believed correct but given without prejudice. Disclaimer: the views expressed in these news pages do not necessarily reflect the views or policies of CJS. |
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Winner:
Botanical Britain, category sponsored by CJS - Tim Hunt “Fairy Moss”,
Penryn, Cornwall, England 
This
year we're giving an honourable mention to Documentary Series simply
because it's local to us.
View
of Bute Park, one of the many parks funded under the Parks for People
programme
ditional
grazing regimes. Many local birds, and invertebrates dependent on this
habitat such as woodlark, grey carpet moth, lunar yellow under-wing moth
and the brush-thighed seed-eater beetle are threatened by its decline.
Porbeagle
shark (Lamna nasus) captive, Nova Scotia, Canada, (image digitally
manipulated) Copyright:© naturepl.com / Doug Perrine / WWF
Langford
Lowfields is one of 9 RSPB reserves at risk from fracking (Image: Ben
Hall, RSPB)
image:
Peak District National Park
