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Headlines from week beginning 28 March 2016 |
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A round up of the top countryside, conservation, wildlife and forestry stories as chosen by the CJS Team.
The Hebridean Whale and Dolphin Trust (HWDT) is delighted to learn
that the Scottish Government is honouring its commitment to provide
habitat protection for the harbour porpoise. Last week, on 23 March, the
Scottish Government announced that a Special Area of Conservation (SAC)
for Scotland’s smallest cetacean, the harbour porpoise, will be
designated in the west of Scotland, following an 8-week period of public
consultation. HWDT has engaged with the SAC designation process over many years, providing scientific evidence to support site selection, and we are encouraged that it is finally progressing. Our dedicated survey work, carried out every year over the last decade, has demonstrated that the Hebrides as a whole is an exceptionally important area for this species on both national and European scales. We support both the scale and location of the proposed SAC and hope that all stakeholders will take the opportunity to respond to this consultation to voice their views (click here), so that the best possible outcome can be reached for both harbour porpoises and for coastal communities.
Emergency services urge rural community to adopt
geolocation apps - Scottish Land and
Estates Scotland’s emergency services have joined forces to encourage people
living and working in rural areas to help them locate their exact
position, in the event they call for help. By downloading an app to their smartphone or smartwatch, they can
give emergency call handlers their exact Ordnance Survey grid reference
and all three emergency service control centres can use these “Eastings”
and “Northings” to plot their location, reducing the time taken to
respond to incidents, improving the service provided to the public. Accurately identifying a rural location, particularly remote
locations several miles from a listed road, can be problematic and
people who work in remote or rural areas are being encouraged to use
these ‘geo-location’ apps, many of which can be downloaded and used for
free, such as the ‘OS Locate’ app, produced by Ordnance Survey. Chief Inspector Stuart Simpson of Police Scotland's Contact, Command
and Control Division and a member of the Scottish Partnership Against
Rural Crime (SPARC), said: “By giving the Eastings and Northings, the
geo-locator apps provide an easy way for people in rural areas to give
their location when calling the emergency services. This information can
then be used by the control centre operators to plot the exact location
and direct the police officer, fire crew or ambulance to the incident.
We hope that this would improve the contact from and reporting of
incidents from those who live, work or visit our rural areas.”
Following the departure of Storm Katie on late on Monday (28/3)
morning, site inspections have revealed damage to several trees across
Bedgebury National Pinetum and Forest, near Goudhurst, Kent.
Patrick West, Bedgebury Manager, said, “The damage to trees
following storms like Katie just goes to reinforce why the work that we
carry out here at Bedgebury is so important for the international
conservation of conifers.” Other notable trees that were damaged in the collection included
Calocedrus, common name incense cedar, and Fitzroya cupressoides, named
after Captain FitzRoy of Darwin’s HMS Beagle, which is listed as
endangered in the IUCN (International Union of Conservation of Nature)
red list of threatened species.
RSPB Big Garden Birdwatch results: Mild winter boosts sightings of
smaller garden birds
More than 519,000 people across the UK took part in the 2016
Birdwatch counting a bumper 8,262,662 birds In excess of half-a-million people joined in the world’s largest
garden wildlife survey turning their eyes to the garden to watch and
count over eight million birds during the 37th RSPB Big Garden Birdwatch
– witnessing some exciting and interesting changes among our most
popular garden birds. The tiny long-tailed tit has flown into the Big Garden Birdwatch top
10 – the first time in seven years – after the average number seen
visiting gardens across the UK increased this year by 44 per cent. The
highly sociable species is likely to have benefitted from the mild
months leading up to January’s Birdwatch, making an appearance in over a
quarter of participants’ gardens. RSPB experts are linking the increase in sightings of long-tailed
tits, as well as other smaller gardens birds such as coal tit and great
tit, to the mild weather in the months leading up to the 2016 Birdwatch.
Small, insect-eating birds like long- tailed tits are particularly
susceptible to the cold as the food they rely on is hard to come by in
frosts and snow so milder conditions are likely to have contributed to a
higher survival rate. Dr Daniel Hayhow, RSPB Conservation Scientist, said: “This year’s
survey was another brilliant year for the Big Garden Birdwatch. More
than half-a-million people took part counting a bumper 8.2 million
birds, proving us with valuable data which helps to build a better
picture of how our garden birds are doing."
£1million secured to train young people for green employment
- Avon Wildlife Trust One million pounds has been awarded to the Avon and Gloucestershire
Wildlife Trusts to train 1,100 18-24 years olds in community engagement
and conservation skills, and work with more than 7,000 young people over
the next five years. A real boost to help tackle youth unemployment, the
Natural
Estates project will empower young people living in social housing
to gain new skills relevant to finding jobs. Through training,
volunteering and entrepreneurial projects, they will contribute to the
green economy and create a brighter future in their local communities, Working in partnership with six social housing providers as well as
local authorities, youth support organisations, schools and colleges
this five year project led by Avon and Gloucestershire Wildlife Trusts
will support young people living in social housing to become a catalyst
for significant change in the way their local green space is managed. The Natural Estates project will work with more than 7,000 young
people aged 11 -24 living in deprived areas with high unemployment. Over
200 participants will be trained as Garden Mentors and learn how to
consult their communities and lead environmental change that will
benefit everybody. Green spaces across the social housing sites will be
transformed, improving the environment for people and wildlife. In
addition 1,100 participants will gain real world skills and experience
to help them secure employment and improve their life opportunities for
the future. “Young people have so much to offer, and to gain, from the Natural Estates project.” Explains Janice Gardiner, Programme Manager at Avon Wildlife Trust. “We need young people to get involved and help us attract their peers to the project. The opportunity for training and skills development to make creative changes on their doorstep will have long term positive impacts on the health and wellbeing of all the residents, and on wildlife. We want to inspire young people to make a difference on their own patch.”
Committee calls for a comprehensive review of national planning policy
- UK Parliament A comprehensive review of the National Planning Policy Framework
(NPPF) should be carried out before the end of this Parliament, says the
Communities & Local Government (CLG) Committee in its report,
'Department for Communities and Local Government’s consultation on
national planning policy'. The Committee's inquiry into the Department for Communities and Local
Government's
Consultation on proposed changes to national planning policy (PDF 495MB)
found that there has not been sufficient robust, objective and
evidence-based monitoring, evaluation or review of the
National Planning Policy Framework (PDF 1.98MB) since its
publication in 2012. The Committee calls for an overall review of the operation of
national planning policy to pull together the various significant pieces
of work in this area, including the Local Plans Expert Group report, the
Housing and Planning Bill, and the technical consultation on the
implementation planning changes. Clive Betts MP, Chair of the Communities and Local Government
Committee, said: "We welcome many of the proposals in the Government’s
consultation. However, particularly at a time of significant change for
the planning and housing sectors, it’s important that people are
reassured that the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) works
effectively and that it supports sustainable development in their
communities. The Government needs to ensure there is confidence in the
planning system by carrying out a comprehensive review of the NPPF by
the end of this Parliament". Further information:
Report: Department for Communities and Local Government’s consultation
on national planning policy
Inquiry: Consultation on national planning policy Communities and Local Government Committee Reactions:
National Trust welcomes CLG committee report into government’s
planning reforms Commenting on the publication of the CLG committee’s report today
(Friday, April 1) on changes to the government’s controversial National
Planning Policy Framework (NPPF), Ingrid Samuel, Historic Environment
Director at the Trust, said: “The changes to the NPPF are just one part
of the biggest shake-up of planning since the NPPF itself was
controversially introduced in 2012. We share the committee’s concerns
about these further reforms. They’re too piecemeal, rushed and confusing
so we welcome the call for a thorough, evidence-based review of the
effectiveness of planning policy. We know from the big campaign
over the NPPF that the public want a planning system that is able to
deliver the homes we need but not by carelessly allowing our countryside
to be sacrificed. So we’re particularly pleased that the committee is
calling for a different approach on the small sites proposal and the
housing delivery test which are particularly worrying. These two
measures from DCLG could see the constant expansion of rural towns and
villages into the countryside and developers being able to pick and
choose more greenfield sites over brownfield. Some greenfield sites may
be needed for housing but this has to be done through the Local Plan to
protect the natural environment and avoid developers being able to
bypass the local community. It’s important that the government
gets any reform right rather than rushing into changes. The wording in
the consultation was often high level and lacking in detail so ministers
should listen to MPs and agree to consult again on the precise wording
of changes to the NPPF. We look forward to working with DCLG to get the
final wording right.”
CLG select committee calls for review of National Planning Policy
Framework - CPRE The Communities and Local Government select committee has today
published its report on the Government’s consultation on proposed
changes to national planning policy. The report analysed and commented
on the evidence collected by the committee, which included oral evidence
from Shaun Spiers, chief executive of the Campaign to Protect Rural
England (CPRE). The select committee’s report emphasised that a significant number of
local authorities still did not have an up-to-date local plan. Its main
recommendation was that there should be a comprehensive review of the
National Planning Policy Framework before the end of this parliament.
However, there were other elements of the report that CPRE consider
important:
Small bird, big message - BirdLife New study confirms common birds are powerful indicators of threats
from climate change. From Europe to the US the trends match as
scientists expected, the data showing coherent and substantial changes
in detriment to cold-adapted species. You might be familiar with the rapid chittering of its alarm call: a
remarkably loud voice for such a small bird. A common sight in many
gardens, the little Wren, cocking its short, stubby tail and flitting
from twig to twig, is also known for its restless nature.
According to new research
published today in Science journal, the tiny brown bird is sending a
bigger message. One that makes its restlessness certainly seem more apt. An international team of researchers led by Durham University, UK,
and including scientists from the RSPB (BirdLife in the UK) and BirdLife
International found that populations of bird species expected to do well
due to climate change had substantially outperformed those expected to
do badly over a 30 year period from 1980 to 2010. The study shows that common bird populations in Europe and the USA
are messengers of climate change as they are pronouncedly responding to
alterations in temperatures. The Winter Wren, the American Robin, which
we see in our garden or local woodland are therefore precious indicators
of their ecosystems, and of our planet’s climate. The research, conducted in collaboration with the RSPB and the United
States Geological Survey (USGS), is published today in the journal
Science and it is the first real demonstration that climate is having a
similar, large-scale influence on the abundance of common birds in
widely separated parts of the world. The common birds we share between
countries and continents seem to be sharing with us a common message
about climate change. Access the paper: Philip A. Stephens et al.
Consistent
response of bird populations to climate change on two continents.
Science 01 Apr 2016: Vol. 352, Issue 6281, pp. 84-87 DOI:
10.1126/science.aac4858
Creating Wildflower Super Highways -
Yorkshire Dales Millennium Trust A new community driven project aims to create wildflower super
highways and wildlife hubs across the Yorkshire Dales to provide
connected pathways, shelter and food for wildlife all year round. By empowering communities and helping people to engage with and
conserve their local wildlife, the new Meadow Links project aims to
build ‘stepping stones’ between existing fragmented wildlife havens to
enable the movement of species. Local charity Yorkshire Dales Millennium Trust (YDMT) will work in
partnership with Buglife, Yorkshire Dales National Park Authority
(YDNPA), Natural England and community groups on this initiative to help
wildlife thrive. Tanya St. Pierre, Meadow Links project officer at YDMT, said: “As
part of this project we’d like to work with community groups in the
Yorkshire Dales to create ten flagship meadows. We’ll help groups to
create a wildlife meadow in their own community space, provide funding
for equipment and ‘Sow, grow and mow’ practical training sessions to
enable groups to maintain their meadows in years to come. So if you have
a group of willing volunteers and an accessible public space about the
size of a tennis court, we’d love to hear from you.” Homeowners and landowners are also being called on to help create 30
additional wildlife patches that will act as stepping stones at
strategic points to extend the wildflower highways. These patches can be
any shape or size, from linear hedgerows and verges to small back
gardens, and could incorporate bird boxes, hogitats (hedgehog habitats),
ponds and wildflower areas to support wildlife. Tanya added: “Since the 1930s we’ve lost 97% of the UK’s hay meadows.
Iconic Dales’ birds such as the curlew have declined by 42%, 60% of
England’s flowering plants are decreasing and overall a staggering 60%
of UK wildlife is declining. The wildlife patches will give nature a
helping hand by connecting fragmented habitat and providing important
feeding and nesting sites for our wildlife. Prizes will be awarded for
the most innovative design features and best overall wildlife patch, so
keep photo diaries of what you’ve done!” Conservation work undertaken through the Meadow Links project will be
mapped and recorded onto the ecological networks and connectivity GIS
systems for the YDNPA and Buglife’s national B-Lines database. This will
help provide a clear picture of the work done, and the areas where
further action needs to be taken to create a cohesive and resilient
network for wildlife.
Higher risk to swans from lead poisoning -
Wildfowl & Wetlands Trust The health of swans in Britain is being affected by lead poisoning at
lower doses than previously recognised, suggests new research by the
Wildfowl & Wetlands Trust (WWT) and the University of Exeter. The study
investigated levels of lead in the bloodstream and found they were
related to reduced body condition of whooper swans.
The swans’ body weight is critical for getting them through cold
weather, and for giving them the strength to migrate from Britain back
to Iceland in the spring and then breed successfully. 260 whooper swans were caught and tested by WWT in Lancashire and
Dumfriesshire. The study showed significantly lower body conditions in
birds whose blood lead level was above 44 micrograms per decilitre –
lower than previously recognised thresholds of 50-100 micrograms per
decilitre. 10 per cent of the swans in the study had lead levels above the level
associated with significant loss of condition. The study shows how
sensitive birds can be to lead poisoning as health effects can be seen
at even relatively low levels of this toxic substance. Apparently
healthy swans may in fact be suffering from the effects of lead
poisoning. The swans are exposed to lead by eating spent shot, left on the
ground after shooting, which they mistake for food or grit. A classic
symptom of lead poisoning is paralysis of the gut making digestion of
food ineffective and leading to loss of weight and energy reserves. WWT Senior Ecosystem Health Officer, Julia Newth said: “We know from
this and previous studies that a high proportion of whooper swans are
affected by lead poisoning in the UK. Perhaps we shouldn’t be surprised
to find negative impacts at lower lead levels than previously thought as
global research on a range of species recognises that there is no such
thing as a safe level of lead.” Access the paper: J.L. Newth, E.C. Rees, R.L. Cromie, R.A. McDonald, S. Bearhop, D.J.
Pain, G.J. Norton, C. Deacon, G.M. Hilton,
Widespread exposure to lead affects the body condition of free-living
whooper swans Cygnus cygnus wintering in Britain,
Environmental Pollution, Volume 209, February 2016, Pages 60-67, ISSN
0269-7491, http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.envpol.2015.11.007. And finally it may be 1 April but this is no
fool's tale:
Escaped raccoon caught on camera - Scottish
Natural Heritage A raccoon has been spotted in the wild near Garve in Ross-shire.
Members of the Blackwater Wildlife Recording Group caught the animal
on camera on 17 March. The camera traps were set to capture images of
the elusive Scottish wildcat, as part of the Scottish Wildcat Action
Project winter survey in the Strathpeffer area. Raccoons were deliberately introduced to Germany in the 1930s and the
population in Europe has now grown to over a million. In the U.K.,
raccoons aren’t established in the wild, but sightings have been
reported since the 1970s. SNH Wildlife and Non-Native Species Manager, Stan Whitaker, said:
“Raccoons could cause millions of pounds worth of damage per year to
the Scottish economy if they became established here. They could also
cause significant damage to our native wildlife by preying on birds,
small animals and amphibians. Raccoons aren’t dangerous, but they may
give you a nasty bite if cornered. The racoon that has been recorded is
an adult and roughly the size of a domestic cat. Ideally, we would
like to trap this raccoon and rehome it in a zoo or wildlife park, if
possible.” But this one? Well, we'll let you
decide….
Moving the Avebury stones for British Summer Time
- National Trust Published : 01 Apr 2016 Avebury stone circle is the world's largest prehistoric monument, a
World Heritage site set in the heart of Wiltshire. This ancient site was
primarily used as a time-keeping device that worked in a similar way to
a sundial. Unfortunately, the adoption of British Summer Time has
disrupted the accuracy of the site, creating a weighty challenge for our
team of rangers.
Scientific Publications Che-Castaldo, Judy P. & Neel, Maile C.
Species-level persistence probabilities for recovery and conservation
status assessment. Conservation Biology DOI:
10.1111/cobi.12728 Brammer, Jeremy R. et al The role of digital data entry in participatory environmental monitoring. Conservation Biology. DOI: 10.1111/cobi.12727
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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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Abies
grandis - Bedgebury seed collecting - Pacific northwest coast 2015
(image: Forestry Commission)
Long
tailed tit collecting insects from hawthorn bush, (Image: John Bridges,
RSPB)
Winter
Wren trying to tell you a message about climate change. Original image:
Frank Vassen, flickr
Raccoons
have been identified in Scotland as one of the top 50 invasive,
non-native species most likely to be introduced and cause negative
impacts. They are currently kept as pets and zoo animals, and there have
been several escapes in the last few years. Raccoons are native to
North America, where they are considered to be a major nuisance, causing
damage to buildings and gardens and foraging in rubbish bins. They also
carry wildlife diseases, such as rabies. 
