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Headlines from this week. |
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A round up of the top countryside, conservation, wildlife and forestry stories as chosen by the CJS Team.
Police go online to
mark Wildlife Crime Awareness Week – North Yorkshire Police North Yorkshire Police are urging members of the public to join
officers in supporting national Wildlife Crime Awareness Week. The week runs from 19 to 25 October 2015, and is an opportunity for
people to get involved in the fight against wildlife crime - both
online, by raising awareness, and offline, by acting as the 'eyes and
ears' of the police, particularly in rural areas.
Ecological intensification increases farm yield, research shows –
Centre for Ecology & Hydrology Creating wildlife habitats by removing up to 8% of agricultural land
from production has little effect on - and can even increase - crop
yield,
The experimental study, published in the Royal Society's Proceedings
B journal, provides the first direct evidence for the ecological
intensification of agricultural systems, an approach that aims to
enhance ecosystem services such as pollination and crop pest management
across commercial farms. Wheat crop on an arable farm in England (credit: Paul Fisher) The research team, led by Professor Richard Pywell of the Centre for
Ecology & Hydrology, removed lower yielding and awkward field edges and
corners from food production in order to create wildlife friendly
habitat on a 900 ha commercial arable farm in central England. Habitat enhancements included small patches sown with wildflowers,
legumes and grasses to provide flowers for pollinators and refuges for
predators of crop pests. Access the paper at: Richard F Pywell
et al. Wildlife-friendly
farming increases crop yield: evidence for ecological intensification.
2015. Proceedings B. doi: 10.1098/rspb.2015.1740
Record breaking numbers of pink-footed geese at Montrose Basin –
Scottish Wildlife Trust
As part of the Icelandic Breeding Goose Census, which aims to count
all of the geese in the UK, the team of dedicated volunteers at Montrose
Basin, led by Montrose Basin Ranger, Anna Cheshier recorded a staggering
85,632. 25% of the UK's pink-footed geese population are
currently at Montrose Basin (Scottish Wildlife Trust) On average, 60,000 pink-footed geese descend on Montrose Basin each
year, after making a colossal 1,200km migration from Iceland. In 2014, a
record 78,970 geese arrived at Montrose Basin, beating the previous
record of 65,060 set in 2010. Last year’s Icelandic Breeding Goose Count
estimated the pink-footed geese population to be 393,170 - 90% of which
were recorded in the UK. Currently, nearly 25% of all the pink-footed
geese in the UK are at Montrose Basin.
School Children show their 'Wild' side at Films Award Ceremony -
Avon Wildlife Trust
Bristol primary school children showcased their own wildlife films at
an award ceremony held at M Shed on Sunday 18th October. • Young filmmakers showcase their wildlife films at Awards at M Shed The Wild Schools Film Challenge is an innovate project organised by
Avon Wildlife Trust and supported by Rolls-Royce and in partnership with
Bristol Natural History Consortium's Wild Encounters project. Over the
last year 1000 pupils from 30 schools have engaged with the project. Wildlife TV presenter Miranda Krestovnikoff hosted the award
ceremony, which gave the budding young film makers the opportunity to
present their films to their families, schools and industry experts. The overall winner for the 2015 Wild Schools Film Challenge was the 'Nature is Everywhere' film made by pupils at St Peter's Church of England Primary School.
Report explores recovery of habitats and species in Scotland’s new
Marine Protected Areas – Scottish Natural Heritage A new report has shown that once damaged, nationally and
internationally important marine wildlife and habitats may take tens or
even hundreds of years to recover. The study, commissioned by Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH), reviewed
factors that may help or limit the recovery of habitats and species such
as horse mussel and maerl beds, common skate and native oysters. It also
considered ways to help address any declines. The findings will help the Scottish Government and SNH take action to
look after the Scottish Marine Protected Areas (MPA) network. This will
include action for Nature Conservation MPAs, which were put in place
last year, partly to help support the recovery of marine habitats such
as flameshell and maerl beds. Published studies on the recovery of marine habitats and species are
quite limited, but this study found that there is potential for recovery
to occur if conditions are right. It also found that there is a lack of
basic knowledge about the biology of some habitats and species, which is
important for understanding how they might be able to recover. The need
for further research in these areas was highlighted. Read the report here
Scotland’s remotest regions recorded using Google map technology –
National Trust for Scotland One man has recorded some of Scotland’s highest and remotest regions
using the Google Street View Trekker, providing breathtaking 360O degree
views that can be seen with the click of a mouse. Simon Goodall wildlife film editor (NTS) Simon Goodall, the National Trust for Scotland’s wildlife filming
editor braved blizzards, rain and wind to capture stunning views of the
Trust’s countryside properties. Street View cameras are more often
associated with urban roads and streets, mounted onto cars to record but
Simon used a Street View trekker, supplied by Google, to capture his
unique footage.
Yorkshire environment project wins national award – Environment
Agency Wild Trout Trust praises Upper Aire habitat scheme
An Environment Agency-led project in Yorkshire has been recognised by
the Wild Trout Trust at its 2015 Conservation Awards in London. The Upper Aire Land Management and Habitat Project won the award for
best large-scale habitat enhancement scheme. The Environment Agency has been working in partnership over the last
five years to tackle diffuse pollution in the Upper Aire catchment,
which runs through the Yorkshire Dales National Park. Working with the
Yorkshire Wildlife Trust and the Yorkshire Farming and Wildlife
Partnership has enabled the project to tackle the issues with landowners
and farmers. The most common causes of water pollution are rain water that runs
off agricultural and urban land, and the discharges of waste water from
industry and sewage overflows. Starting with demonstration plots to prove the benefits, the project
has worked with 15 landowners to carry out work such as fencing buffer
strips, visited over 50 farms to advise on nutrient management and
planted 27 hectares of woodland.
Ground-breaking mapping project reveals 50 years of land use change
along the coast – National Trust Original survey carried out in 1965 to highlight the impact of
development on our coastline has been updated to reveal land use changes 94% of coastline considered to be ‘pristine’ 50 years ago is now
protected through the National Trust or through the planning system While three quarters (74%) of the coast remains
undeveloped, urban/built-up areas have increased by 42% (17,557
hectares), adding the equivalent of a city the size of Manchester to our
coastline
One of the biggest mapping projects of the 20th century has been
repeated fifty years on by the National Trust to understand how the way
that land is used along the coast has changed since 1965. The report, released today by the conservation charity, finds that
overall the modern planning system has worked with development contained
and directed to the most suitable locations. However, it also warns
against complacency and highlights the need, too, for a marine planning
system that effectively manages the competing priorities at the coast. On 11 May 1965, concerned about the potential impact of development
and industrialisation on the coast, the National Trust launched the
fundraising campaign, Neptune. That summer, as part of the Trust’s
efforts to focus public attention on these threats, geography students
from the University of Reading were appointed to survey how land was
being used at the coast. In addition to establishing land use, the survey sought to identify
coastline considered to be ‘pristine’ and in need of long-term
protection from development and poor land management. Now, five decades on, the survey has been repeated by geographers at the University of Leicester. They were commissioned by the National Trust to revisit the pioneering mapping project to determine the location and nature of land use change along the coast and establish how successful the Neptune campaign had been.
Public demand bigger bike budgets – Sustrans Bike Life, the biggest survey ever conducted on attitudes to cycling
in the UK, shows that three quarters (75%) of people want national
governments to invest more in making cycling safer. We commissioned independent research, along with seven leading cities
across the UK, which has revealed that the 11,000 people questioned
wanted on average £26 per person to be spent on cycling annually, as
part of the £300 per person currently spent on transport.
Pick up a polecat – Tracking the polecat’s comeback – The Mammal
Society This magnificent animal was almost exterminated from the UK by
persecution. In the early 20thCentury, polecats remained mainly in
mid-Wales. However, the good news is they have been staging a
comeback. The National Polecat Survey is now asking members of the
public to help by sending in records of any sightings. This will
allow the current distributions of the recovering population to be
mapped, and help to pinpoint where conservation efforts should be
targeted.
Polecats are part of the mustelid family and so are closely related
to weasels and stoats. Their main prey in Britain is wild rabbits. Their
most striking feature is the mask-like pattern of dark and light fur on
their face. They are elusive animals that use a wide range of
habitats, but they can sometimes be spotted crossing roads, particularly
at night. Dr Johnny Birks from The Mammal Society says, “The British population
of polecats was historically decimated to protect poultry and game birds
like the pheasant. Thanks to a decline in numbers of gamekeepers and
partial legal protection, persecution of polecats has gradually
diminished, allowing the population to recover. This is very
exciting news as elsewhere in Europe the animal remains in trouble.”
Wasp species, new to the UK, discovered on a stroll to the car park
- RSPB It has taken two years to publish, but experts have concluded that a
wasp caught in a chance sweep of a butterfly net at the RSPB’s
Broadwater Warren nature reserve is a type of wasp never before recorded
in the UK. It was back in 2013 as Tony Davis of Butterfly Conservation was
undertaking a moth monitoring programme at Broadwater Warren when he
came across an ichneumon wasp specimen; a parasitic wasp,
Lymantrichneumon disparis, now known to be a genus and species new
to Britain. Tony said: “I’d finished my work and was leaving the reserve but
couldn’t resist one last sweep on my net and that’s when I found the
wasp. I knew it was something special, but I could never have guessed it
was an entirely new species to the country.” Dr Gavin Broad is an expert on ichneumonid wasps, employed by the
Natural History Museum. The specimen was sent to him for identification.
It has no common name and no other specimen has yet been found. Dr
Broad believes the find was a recent colonist from continental Europe.
He said: “It’s not uncommon to find parasitic wasps new to Britain, but
to find a new genus for the country that is large and showy is very
unusual and good evidence of change in our fauna. I knew almost
immediately what this wasp was as I’d recently been looking at some
Japanese specimens of Lymantrichneumon disparis. It was rather
surprising to see one from Britain! Inevitably, it took me quite a while
to publish on this.”
UK National Parks, partners sign joint statement promising closer
coordination - National Parks Twenty-one of Britain's leading conservation and environmental bodies
have reaffirmed their commitment to safeguard the future of the
country's finest heritage. Partners have signed up to a range of shared
outcomes through a Joint Statement that will support the sustainable
management of, and public access to: archaeological sites, monuments,
landscapes, and buildings. The signatories want to see an
improvement in the conservation and interpretation of the historic
environment and cultural heritage within the UK's National Parks. Tony Gates, chief executive of Northumberland National Park Authority
and UK Policy Lead on the Historic Environment, said: "This is a
landmark for the natural and cultural heritage of Britain's finest
landscapes. Right across England, Scotland, and Wales, from the
Cairngorms to Pembrokeshire and the South Downs, the organisations that
are charged with the responsibility of conserving our past now look to
even closer working and assured future." Peter Charlesworth, chairman of National Parks UK, said: "The Joint
Statement on the Historic Environment is a demonstration of the
partners' continued shared commitment to protect the wealth of cultural
heritage in our National Parks." Duncan Wilson, chief executive of Historic England, said:
"National Parks include many areas prized for their remoteness,
tranquillity, and their importance to nature conservation, but despite
their apparent wildness, the landscapes we see today are also cultural
landscapes, telling the story of thousands of years of human interaction
with nature. It gives me great pleasure to be signing the National
Parks Joint Statement on behalf of Historic England and in doing so, to
renew our commitment to collaborate with those charged with managing and
protecting these most treasured landscapes."
Lakes and Dales decisions create largest area of English National Park
land - defra Environment Secretary Elizabeth Truss announces the decision to
extend the Yorkshire Dales and the Lake District.
Yorkshire, Cumbria and Lancashire will share the largest area of
almost continuous National Park land following the decision to extend
two of England’s most celebrated National Parks, the Yorkshire Dales and
the Lake District. The announcement by Environment Secretary Elizabeth Truss today
(23/10/15) will see the Yorkshire Dales grow by nearly 24% and Lake
District by 3%. This will virtually join up these beautiful spaces,
boosting rural tourism in the area, supporting rural businesses and
potentially adding millions more to the £4 billion already generated by
visitors to our stunning National Parks each year. The announcement, which will protect these landscapes for future
generations, was made as the Secretary of State visited Wensleydale
Creamery, based in the Yorkshire Dales National Park and home of the
protected Yorkshire Wensleydale cheese – one of many successful
businesses within National Parks. Commenting on the decision to extend the Parks Environment Secretary
Elizabeth Truss, said: " The Dales and the Lakes have some of our
country’s finest landscapes, beautiful vistas and exciting wildlife.
They are part of our national identity. I am delighted to be able
to announce this extension which will join these two unique National
Parks and protect even more space for generations to come. National
Parks are fabulous national assets that welcome over 90 million tourists
and contribute to our vibrant rural economy – we are committed to
helping them thrive." For further information including maps and
next steps, see the
decision page. And plenty of reactions:
Natural England welcomes the decision to extend the Yorkshire Dales and
Lake District National Parks The Secretary of State Elizabeth Truss MP has today (23/10) confirmed
extensions to the Lake District and Yorkshire Dales National Parks.The
confirmed variation to the Lake District National Park will include an
additional area of land totalling approximately 27 square miles,
situated in Cumbria. It will include land:
These new areas join the ranks of some of the country’s most highly
protected landscapes and amount to the most significant addition to
England’s National Parks since the confirmation of the South Downs in
2009. Speaking in the Yorkshire Dales National Park today, Natural
England’s Chairman Andrew Sells, added: "I very much welcome the
Secretary of State’s decision to extend the Yorkshire Dales and Lake
District National Parks in line with the recommendations made by Natural
England. The Chancellor’s Northern Powerhouse depends upon the ‘natural
capital’ provided by our iconic National Parks. They represent some of
England’s most treasured natural assets. With international appeal,
their stunning landscapes stand out as a beacon to the people who come
to enjoy them whilst their intrinsic value drives the communities,
businesses and biodiversity they support. Extending these today confirms
their great importance and provides them with the recognition they
richly deserve."
Extension to the National Park - Lake
District National Park Defra has today announced an extension will be made to the boundary
of the Lake District and Yorkshire Dales National Parks, following a
recommendation from Natural England. In the Lake District this will include an area in the east from
Birkbeck Fells Common to Whinfell Common, and an area in the south from
Helsington Barrows to Sizergh Fell, and part of the Lyth Valley. The
total extension will account for around a three per cent increase in
size in the park (Yorkshire Dales’ extension is around 24 per cent). We are supportive of the extension to the Lake District National Park
as we believe it will create a boundary line that is most appropriate
for the landscape. We welcome the opportunity to maintain and improve
the environment in these areas, particularly rights of ways, for the
benefit of everyone who enjoys the Lake District and surrounding areas. We consider the extension a long-overdue measure from when the
boundaries were initially set in 1951, when the Lake District National
Park was created. At that time, they were set to follow local political
administrative boundaries, rather than the more natural geography of the
landscape. However, resources must be put in place to fund the management of
this additional land, and we look forward to clarifying exactly how this
will be implemented ahead of the extension coming into effect in 2016.
Thumbs up to expansion of Yorkshire Dales National Park
- Yorkshire Dales National Park The Yorkshire Dales National Park will be increased by nearly a
quarter in the next year following the announcement by Environment
Secretary Elizabeth Truss today (October 23) that its boundary is being
extended. The news means the area covered by the National Park will expand by
nearly 24 per cent while the Lake District National Park will increase
by three per cent –changes involving 188 square miles. Extending the boundaries of these beautiful and internationally
iconic areas should provide a welcome boost for rural tourism in the
area, support rural businesses and potentially add millions more to the
£4 billion already generated by visitors to the National Parks each
year. Yorkshire Dales National Park Authority Chairman Peter Charlesworth
said: “We are thrilled and delighted these stunning landscapes have been
recognised as worthy of national park status. The decision is
particularly welcome after the tremendous work of so many people from
these communities who fought so hard for national park status. It is
marvellous that, even at a time of financial austerity, Government have
recognised the equality of these landscapes and designated them as
national parks.” The Authority Chief Executive David Butterworth said: “Now the
hard work starts. We will be listening to and learning from the local
communities, farmers, landowners and businesses to enable us to develop
productive, long-term relationships with all these parties. Working
together with others, the National Park Authority is determined to play
a leading part in making the most of the wonderful opportunities this
decision offers for both the landscape and local economy.”
National Parks extension welcomed - CPRE A longstanding campaign by CPRE, Campaign for National Parks, the
Friends of the Lake District and the Yorkshire Dales Society to join two
national parks, protecting several important landscapes, has come to
fruition with the announcement that the extension will go ahead. CPRE and fellow campaigners welcomed the news of the Lake District
and Yorkshire Dales National Park extensions, saying it was a fantastic
that the Government has finally demonstrated its commitment to the
long-term protection of England’s finest landscapes. “It is great to hear that the Secretary of State, Elizabeth Truss,
has agreed this extension, forming a ‘bridge’ that includes iconic
landscapes such as the Orton and Howgill Fells in Yorkshire and large
tracts of common land in Cumbria. This announcement has been a long time
coming,” said Emma Marrington, senior rural policy campaigner.
Delight at Defra announcement that Lake District and Yorkshire Dales
National Park extensions have been given the green light The Campaign for National Parks is delighted with the announcement
from the Environment Secretary Liz Truss confirming the extensions to
the Lake District and Yorkshire Dales National Parks.
Isle of Wight farm set to help birds and butterflies flourish
- National Trust
The view from Dunsbury Farm towards the Needles (Image: National
Trust / John Miller) Neighbouring the farm is the wildlife rich chalk downland of Compton,
home to 33 species of butterflies including the Adonis blue, Common blue
and Chalkhill blue, and an oasis of wildflowers such as the
internationally rare early gentian and at least seven species of orchid. A key vision for the farm is to help create the right farmland
habitat for wildlife to flourish. The Isle of Wight is home to the UK’s
only endemic population of the rare Glanville Fritillary butterfly, and
Compton Bay is the traditional stronghold of that population. The
Trust will work in partnership with Butterfly Conservation to create the
right conditions to safeguard the habitat of this beautiful insect. It
relies on crumbling cliffs, and the downs behind the coast provide
additional breeding habitat. The acquisition of Dunsbury is crucial to
the future of the Glanville fritillary as the Isle of Wight coast
continues to change. Plans will also be developed to help
farmlands birds, once a common sight, return to the land. These include
the linnet, Dartford warbler, stonechat, meadow pipit, skylark, gold
finch, bullfinch, hedge sparrow, grey partridge and yellow hammer. Mixed farming, with livestock such as cattle and sheep, together with
growing cereals such as wheat, will be important to provide diversity
for wildlife. Farming will be un-intensive, with light grazing, wide
field margins and stubble fields left to provide winter food for birds.
The Trust hopes to achieve this by combining it with their farm at
Compton, working with the farm tenant to produce a viable unit. Walkers
will then be able to experience more wildlife as they use the network of
footpaths across the farm.
Britain just got bigger - for some of our birds
- BTO New research, just published in the scientific journal Bird Study,
shows that many of our birds have expanded their geographic range in
response to climate change. A new analysis, using data for 80 species of British birds and
derived from the BTO/JNCC/RSPB Breeding Bird Survey, has shed new light
on the speed and pattern of climate-induced shift in range, additionally
revealing some unexpected patterns.
The net result of these contrasting patterns is that the geographical
ranges of British birds have expanded over the past 15 years. The
observed patterns of range shift are much lower than predicted from the
observed 108 km northwards shift documented in mean annual temperature,
suggesting that our bird species are experiencing warmer climates than
before, which may have consequences for their conservation longer term. While Britain just got a little bigger for those species that have
been able to adapt to the short-term influence of a changing climate,
the future looks less certain and there is a real need to carry on with
long-term monitoring of Britain’s birds in order to understand the
future impacts on biodiversity. Read the paper: Dario Massimino ,
Alison Johnston , James W. Pearce-Higgins
The geographical range of British birds expands during 15 years of
warming. Bird Study. DOI: 10.1080/00063657.2015.1089835
Scientific publications Macreadie P. I. et al (2015)
Losses and recovery of organic carbon from a seagrass ecosystem
following disturbance. Royal Soc. Proceedings B.
DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2015.1537
Watson J. E. M. et al (2015)
Bolder science needed now for protected areas. Conservation Biology.
DOI: 10.1111/cobi.12645 Nimmo, D. G., Haslem, A., Radford, J. Q. Hall, M. & Bennett, A. F.
(2015)
Riparian tree cover enhances the resistance and stability of woodland
bird communities during an extreme climatic event. Journal of
Applied Ecology. DOI: 10.1111/1365-2664.12535 Baxter-Gilbert, J. H., Neufield, C. J. H., Litzgus, J. D. &
Lesbarrères, D. (2015)
Road mortality potentially responsible for billions of pollinating
insect deaths annually. Journal of Insect Conservation. DOI:
10.1007/s10841-015-9808-z Balotari-Chiebao1, F., Niinimäki, T. & Laaksonen, T. (2015)
Proximity to wind-power plants reduces the breeding success of the
white-tailed eagle. Animal Conservation. DOI: 10.1111/acv.12238
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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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new
research from the Centre of Ecology & Hydrology shows.
The
Trust, can announce a record breaking number of pink-footed geese at the
Montrose Basin Visitor Centre and Wildlife Reserve following an official
count on Sunday. 
Winning pupils from St Peter's Church of England Primary School
with Miranda Krestovnikoff (Avon Wildlife Trust)
Pictured
from left are: Richard Aylard from the award sponsors, Thames Water;
Pete Turner from the Environment Agency; and Shaun Leonard from the Wild
Trout Trust.
Sunset
over Wembury Point, near Plymouth, Devon. Credit National Trust
Image
courtesy of the Vincent Wildlife Trust
Yorkshire
Dales National Park, Mallerstang Dale (image: Natural England)
The
165 hectare Dunsbury Farm is the third major coastal acquisition of the
year as the Trust celebrates 50 years of its Neptune Coastline Campaign.
Nuthatch
by John Harding/BTO
