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Headlines from week beginning 23 May 2016 |
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A round up of the top countryside, conservation, wildlife and forestry stories as chosen by the CJS Team.
Key motivations for citizen scientists revealed – University of York A study part-conducted by researchers at the University of York shows
that ‘helping wildlife’ and ‘contributing to scientific knowledge’ are
among the key motivating factors for citizen scientists.
Citizen scientists are members of the public who volunteer their time
to contribute to scientific research. There are millions of volunteers
across the UK who give their time on a regular basis. Understanding Motivations for Citizen Science, led by the University
of Reading’s Department of Geography & Environmental Science in
partnership with the University of York’s Stockholm Environment
Institute (SEI) and the Centre for Floods, Communities and Resilience at
the University of the West of England, investigated reasons why 147
citizen scientists gave their time to gather information for such
research. Primary motivations were named as ‘helping wildlife in general’ and
‘contributing to scientific knowledge’, with other motivations including
enthusiasm for the subject, enjoyment, and skills development. Organisational factors relating to feedback and good project
management were also shown to be vital to maintaining participation. Interviews with stakeholders in citizen science found that they were
motivated by advancing science and improving policy and management but
also held altruistic motivations around education, engagement and
generating impact for their participants’ lives. Alison Dyke, Community Scientist at SEI, said: “Citizen science is a
growing field and has been developing in terms of assuring data quality.
As it is increasingly used to contribute to evidence, it’s really
important to think about how the motivations of the scientists,
policymakers and project leaders who design and lead these initiatives
can be aligned with the motivations of the participants.”
Police appeal after
shocking extent of red kite persecution – North Yorkshire Police Police are urging members of the public to support them in the fight
against red kite persecution, after another bird was found shot last
weekend. On the morning of Sunday 22 May, a walker on Hall Lane,
Blubberhouses, found an injured red kite, in distress and unable to fly.
They contacted a wildlife charity, and the bird was taken to a
specialist avian vet in Harrogate. Examination revealed the bird had been shot and had a shattered wing.
Sadly, its injury was so severe, it had to be euthanized. The shooting
may have taken place a few days before the bird was found.
John Muir Pollinator Way, Scotland’s first B-line - Buglife
The John Muir Way is a 134 mile long opportunity for creating and
connecting important grassland meadows for pollinating insects and other
wildlife. Suzanne Burgess, Conservation Officer with Buglife, said: “By
identifying and mapping these new opportunities this will aid in the
future development of projects that will provide real benefits to our
declining populations of pollinating insects of bees, wasps, hoverflies
and butterflies, as well as other wildlife that these habitats support.”
Nature meets new technology as wildlife challenge goes mobile! –
Surrey Wildlife Trust
Image: Surrey WT Nature lovers can now have wild inspiration at their fingertips as
Surrey Wildlife Trust launches its new 30 Days Wild mobile phone app. The free 30 Days Wild phone app offers users more than 100 ‘Random
Acts of Wildness The Trust is urging everyone to get outside and go wild this June by
taking part in its 30 Days Wild challenge. The initiative is backed by
new research that proves contact with nature really is good for our
mental and physical wellbeing. The free 30 Days Wild phone app offers users more than 100 ‘Random
Acts of Wildness’ - simple actions people can take to help or connect
with nature during the month of June. “We’re really excited about getting people of all ages across Surrey
engaged with nature every day in June – whether you take time out to
smell a wild flower, listen to birdsong, go pond dipping or explore a
wild place,” said Surrey Wildlife Trust’s Charlotte Magowan. “This new
app makes it so easy – you’ll never be short of ideas!”
Critically endangered mussels moved to ark facility – North York
Moors National Park Authority Vital work to safeguard Yorkshire’s last remaining population of
freshwater pearl mussels (FPM) was carried out last week on the River
Esk. Twenty adult mussels were taken from the River Esk to a special
captive breeding facility at the Freshwater Biological Association in
the Lake District. This captive breeding facility provides an ‘ark' to
conserve dwindling populations of the freshwater pearl mussel and to
rear juvenile mussels through captive breeding for reintroduction to
their native rivers. Further details of the captive breeding facility can be found here: https://www.fba.org.uk/ark The River Esk is the only river in Yorkshire with a FPM population.
The population is estimated to be comprised of approximately 1,000
individuals and is in drastic decline. Pollution, choking of the river
bed by sediment build up, a deterioration in fish numbers and habitat
degradation are all reasons for the FPM population decline. Simon Hirst, River Esk Project Officer with the North York Moors
National Park Authority, said: “Hopefully the adult mussels will breed
in the Lake District, and in seven or so years we will be able to
re-introduce these mussels back to the River Esk. FPM are an important
indicator species; if we get conditions right in the river for them, it
will have positive knock on benefits for a range of other wildlife such
as otters, Atlantic salmon, dippers and kingfishers.”
#2 minute litter pick – Dartmoor National Park Authority
Image: Dartmoor NPA Bude resident, Martin Dorey, started the movement a couple of years
ago after becoming frustrated by the amount of litter on our beautiful
south west beaches. His aim was to encourage visitors and locals to take
pride in their surroundings, raise awareness of the litter problem and
to be proactive in dealing with the detritus. The solution was a very simple idea - place large A frame boards,
with litterpickers, at various beachside locations and ask people to
take 2 minutes of their day to get involved and litter pick the beach.
By only asking for 2 minutes of their time it wasn’t a massive intrusion
on their day, but, with thousands of people visiting the beaches, all of
those 2 minutes would soon add up.
A greener, cleaner and secure energy future for the UK - RSPB Using pioneering mapping approaches, the RSPB has assessed whether
the UK’s 2050 climate targets can be achieved using high levels of
renewable energy whilst avoiding sensitive species and habitats
The RSPB says the transition to renewable energy must be backed by
better use of spatial planning to avoid conflicts with nature
conservation, major progress in key areas such as energy efficiency and
low carbon innovation, and investment in better ecological data Their new report ‘The RSPB’s 2050 Energy Vision’ outlines three
potential long-term energy scenarios that meet the UK’s climate targets
in harmony with nature, as well as ensuring energy security and
affordability The RSPB has developed ten recommendations for how this energy future
could be achieved, and is calling on governments across the UK to follow
its recommendations to ensure wildlife is protected in the UK’s low
carbon transition The report is available on the RSPB’s website
at www.rspb.org.uk/energyfutures
Scientists talk sense on moorland fires, says BASC BASC has welcomed a scientific report published by Swansea University
which calls for sensible discussion over the use of fire to manage
moorlands.
The paper, ‘The role of fire in UK peatland and moorland management’,
has been co-authored by leading international experts on land management
and published in the peer-reviewed Biology Journal of The Royal Society. It cautions against polarisation by using unbalanced and unsupported
reporting of data, while suggesting informed debate based on weight of
evidence could lead to improved land management. Tim Russell, BASC’s director of conservation, said: “This paper is
very reasonable and its balanced content is a welcome addition to the
ongoing debate about the management of moorlands, particularly those
used for grouse shooting. Read the paper here: Davies, G. M. et
al (2016)
The role of fire in UK peatland and moorland management: the need for
informed, unbiased debate. Philosophical Transactions B.
DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2015.0342
Scientists provide native willows for arboretum at Heartwood Forest
- Rothamsted Research Willow breeders at Rothamsted Research source native species from the
National Willow Collection to plant at new arboretum
Scientists from Rothamsted Research have selected nine species of
willow, native to Britain, to plant in an arboretum at the nearby
Heartwood Forest. Owned by the Woodland Trust, the 350-hectare Heartwood
forest includes a ten-hectare arboretum in which local volunteers have
planted around 60 native species of trees and shrubs. Identifying
species is notoriously hard in willows, and willows sold by plant
nurseries are often hybrids rather than pure species, lacking the
guarantee of UK origin that the Woodland Trust requires. To find native
British species to plant, the volunteers contacted the willow scientists
at Rothamsted Research, which receives strategic funding from the
Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC). The scientists selected willows and made cuttings from the National Willow Collection at Rothamsted Research, which is one of the largest collections of willow in the world and is part of the ‘Cropping Carbon’ programme at the Institute. The team chose nine species, including the eared willow (Salix aurita) and the bay willow (Salix pentandra). The volunteers planted the cuttings in the arboretum in March and they are sprouting vigorously.
Keeping the wild in wildflower - Plantlife Why Plantlife is urging caution when sowing wildflower seed in the
countryside
The headline-generating declines of bees, butterflies and birds have
caused many look and wonder what we can do to help our green
countryside. But therein lies the problem. It's unnaturally green - with little
colour from wild flowers. And it is the decline of wild flowers that lies behind the plummeting
numbers of pollinators and farmland birds. Many landowners, keen to do their bit, reach for the wildflower seed
mix. And, in the short term, sowing nectar or seed mixes can support
some ailing populations of wildlife. But, argues Plantlife, this is more
like providing a quick sugar hit rather than a healthy long-term diet
for our countryside:
This May, Plantlife is sending their new guidance to hundreds of
organisations, businesses and landowners across England, Scotland and
Wales with a plea for a more balanced approach to managing the
countryside and the health of our wildlife. Dr Trevor Dines sums it up: “It's simple really - it's about
achieving conservation for all nature. In our rush to save wildlife, we
sometimes forget that our wild flora is an integral part of that
wildlife. To relegate wild flowers to a simple nectar or seed mix is to
miss the point that they are as much a part of our natural and cultural
heritage as butterflies, birds and bees, and deserve as much respect.
For example, there is a world of difference between enjoying otters in
your local zoo and a chance encounter with them in the wild; there’s
also an inherent magic in stumbling across an unexpected drift of
Ragged-Robin and orchids in a wildflower meadow that you just don’t get
if these things are planted. Plantlife is not advocating no wildflower seeding but simply taking a
more balanced approach.
Read the guidance and access the policy advice.
Adventure through the forests on Forestry Commission England’s new wild
running trails - Forestry Commission Forestry Commission England is launching a pilot series of off the
beaten running routes as part of their on-going partnership with Sport
England. The 5 and 10k trails have been mapped at 4 sites by wild
running enthusiasts and authors of guidebook ‘Wild Running’ Jen and Sim
Benson, allowing visitors to adventure into the woods and go wild.
Whilst many visitors use their local forest for running, until now
Forestry Commission England has not developed any specialised running
trails. Using insight from England Athletics to understand the
motivations of different types of runners, these trails have been
specifically designed for those who actively seek escapism and are
driven by a sense of freedom. The routes are available from the Forestry Commission England website
where readers can view maps, print directions and upload a .gpx file to
their GPS device if they wish. The site also has a wealth of other
information including top tips, the benefits to running in the forest,
playlists and top trails for running.
Icelandic Killer Whales Spotted in the Moray Firth!
- Sea Watch It’s a very special time of year for a group of dedicated wildlife
enthusiasts in the North of Scotland. Volunteers for the research
charity Sea Watch Foundation are conducting their annual ‘Orca Watch’.
Carefully planned to coincide with a yearly arrival of orca (more
commonly known as killer whales) in the Pentland Firth, the team are
poised to collect data about whales, dolphins and porpoises that utilise
the waters in front of them. This year there has been an unexpected turn, with a group of six
killer whales also showing up at the same time in the Moray Firth, some
60 miles south of the strait that divides Orkney from mainland Scotland.
The animals were spotted just after 5pm on Monday evening by Sea
Watch Regional Coordinator, Alan Airey. Alan is no stranger to recording
some of the more striking whales and nimble dolphins as he regularly
provides data on bottlenose dolphins using the area as well as minkes
and occasional humpback whales. On this occasion, Alan was able to
notify other observers over social media and local wildlife trip boat
operator, North 58, was able to head to the area to check out the
action. Having seen the photographs on Facebook, the Icelandic Orca Project
commented to say that this may well be the furthest south along the East
coast of the UK that killer whales from the Icelandic population have
been recorded; this was later confirmed in email correspondence with Sea
Watch’s Sightings Officer, Kathy James. “Although this sighting is
now the furthest south that individuals from the Icelandic population
have been confirmed, other killer whale sightings have occurred in the
Moray Firth and further south on many occasions. It may well be that
amongst these, were unidentified Iceland killer whales. One must
remember that clear photographic evidence is required to recognise
individual orcas” says Kathy. “We don’t know very much about the movements of killer whales around
Britain. Members of a pod that has numbered up to fourteen can be seen
annually around the Hebrides of west Scotland, mainly in summer.” added
Dr Peter Evans, Founder and Director of Sea Watch.
Remember the farm for £1 offer from National
Trust?
Wannabee shepherds flock to get glimpse of Parc Life
- National Trust Hundreds of applicants hoping to secure a unique £1 tenancy offer at
the National Trust’s 145-acre coastal farm in North Wales will have
their first chance to explore the landscape, buildings and their new
potential home today (Wed 25/5). The conservation charity’s announcement that Parc Farm on the Great
Orme in Llandudno would be let for less than the cost of two
second-class stamps sparked international interest and thousands of
enquiries from across the globe. National Trust General Manager William Greenwood said: “The volume of
interest has been incredible. People clearly want to give nature a
helping hand and ensure this special place is healthy, beautiful, rich
in wildlife and culture and is enjoyed for ever for everyone. It seems
to have really caught the public’s imagination, and we’re really looking
forward to welcoming some of those potential applicants to Parc Farm for
the official viewing day today, to give them a taste of just what that
one pound buys.” Soon after the announcement last Wednesday the National Trust
switchboards were jammed by wannabe shepherds, and staff in Wales
offices were dealing with more than 100 enquiries an hour. The
incredible life-changing opportunity captivated people from as far away
as Australia, Brazil and Tokyo.
Launch of our 2016 Park Protector Award -
Campaign for National Parks Once again, to celebrate and support the fantastic work being done in
National Parks, we are launching our Park Protector Awards, supported by
Ramblers Holidays Charitable Trust. We’re giving heritage lovers, environmental groups and
conservationists the opportunity to win a £2000 bursary and recognition
for their work if they are delivering projects, campaigns or activities
in one or more of the National Parks in England and Wales. Entries
should either conserve or contribute to the biodiversity of an area,
restore the natural or built heritage or successfully protect a region. To win the award, you need to: demonstrate impact, excellence in
management and delivery, innovation such as using new technologies,
engagement of volunteers and development and dissemination of best
practice. Fiona Howie, our chief executive said “Throughout our National Parks
there is fantastic work taking place and by people who love the Parks.
This is a great opportunity for organisations to promote and showcase
the projects that make our National Parks so special.” The nominations are open until Sunday 3 July 2016. Find out more and enter
here.
Natural England is now blogging - Natural
England Natural England has launched a new blog to give readers insight into
its work.
Whether it’s opening up a stretch of the England Coast Path,
protecting pollinators, or conducting research on the dormouse, Natural
England helps to protect England’s nature and landscapes for people to
enjoy. Staff are involved in wide-ranging work, from managing England’s 140
National Nature Reserves and designating National Parks, to working with
farmers on agri-environment agreements and issuing licences to protect
species like the great crested newt. Through the blog, staff will share updates about this work and
stories from out in the field. Andrew Sells, Natural England’s Chairman, said: Natural England is full of passionate people and I’m constantly
impressed by the stories our staff have to tell and the vital work
they’re involved in. Natural England’s world is wonderfully diverse and
this blog is a great way to share it.
Beavers released at secret Devon location -
The Wildlife Trusts Two beavers have been released to join an existing wild colony on the
River Otter in Devon. This successful - and sanctioned - release is a
crucial progression in the story of England's wild beavers. The new
arrivals will add to the genetic diversity of the existing wild
population.
England’s only breeding wild population of beavers has grown thanks
to the release of two further animals at a secret location in East
Devon. One adult female and one adult male beaver were released on Monday
evening on private land close to the River Otter. The release was
sanctioned by Natural England and was made by Devon Wildlife Trust as
part of the River Otter Beaver Trial – a five year project being led by
the charity which is studying the impact of England’s only wild beaver
population. Devon Wildlife Trust’s Peter Burgess oversaw the operation and
explained why the release of more beavers was made: Follow the progress of the beavers and see video footage of their
release at the
Devon
Wildlife Trust website.
New Forest School launched in an unusual location
- Derbyshire Wildlife Trust A new Forest School has opened this Monday on the site of Hope
Construction Materials’ cement works in Hope, a location most people may
be surprised by. The cement works has operated here for over 86 years but the company
also has a leisure area alongside the Works including a golf course,
fishing lakes and social club, as well as the woods where the school was
launched. The Forest School’s location next to an operational industrial
site does not detract from the beautiful birdsong you can hear at the
outdoor classroom onsite! The Forest School sessions are all run by Derbyshire Wildlife Trust
and as a result the site will becomes the Trust’s most northerly
education centre. Demand is so high that all the school slots are
already oversubscribed, showing the thirst for outdoor learning and a
reconnection with nature. Keith Rowland, Quarries Manager at Hope Works added: “We already have
an active and far-reaching community relations programme and a long-term
partnership with the Wildlife Trust. Our wooded area gave us an
opportunity to do something about the disconnection between children and
the outdoors.
Handover of Eye Green nature reserve -
Wildlife Trust for Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire and Northamptonshire From 5 September 2016 the Wildlife Trust for Bedfordshire,
Cambridgeshire and Northamptonshire will no longer be managing Eye Green
local nature reserve. The wildlife value of the site has been, and will continue to be,
diminished due to an increase in housing development close to the site. We do not receive a financial contribution from the owners
(Peterborough City Council) towards the management. Due to the cost of
managing the site, including the management of antisocial behaviour on
the reserve, we have taken the decision to surrender our lease. As a
local charity we have to focus our limited resources on the areas and
projects where we can best protect and enhance the local wildlife and
environment in and around Peterborough. We are working with Peterborough City Council to ensure a smooth
transition and we will help them to work with the reserve wardens and
the local community to manage the nature reserve in the future.
Project Wolf’ helps restore Highland woodland
- Trees for Life Project Wolf – a unique new conservation programme in which
volunteers replicate the natural disturbance effects of Scotland’s
extinct predators – has been launched in the Highlands near Loch Ness by
Trees for Life.
Project Wolf is being trialled at Dundreggan Conservation Estate in
Glenmoriston. It involves volunteers operating in teams of three
‘wolves’, regularly walking through the ancient woodlands during the
night and at dusk and dawn, creating disturbance that will keep deer on
the move. “Grazing pressure on young trees by too many deer, today undisturbed
by natural predators, is the major threat to Scotland’s native forests.
This is starkly apparent in the surviving Caledonian Forest, where many
remnants consist only of old and dying trees because young trees cannot
survive the relentless browsing,” said Alan Watson Featherstone, Trees
for Life’s Founder. “Project Wolf – an innovative answer to this
challenge – is supporting our reforestation work by creating a
‘landscape of disturbance’. By walking through Dundreggan’s woodlands at
unpredictable times, the volunteers mimic the effect of wolves in
keeping deer on their toes and less likely to spend time leisurely
eating seedlings and young trees. This will encourage new trees to
flourish – giving them the chance to form the next generation of forest
giants that are desperately needed if the Caledonian Forest is to
survive.” “Project Wolf is backed by a growing body of research which shows
that predators have a much wider impact on their prey than just the
animals they manage to hunt and kill. In many ways, the fear that the
presence of predators generates in prey animals is just as important as
their direct impacts,” said Doug Gilbert, Trees for Life’s Operations
Manager at Dundreggan. New infrastructure to help people of all ages and abilities make more
journeys by foot and bicycle is to be created throughout Scotland. The measures will be delivered thanks to funding from the Scottish
Government; involving a partnership of local authorities, government
agencies and charities. More than 150 projects will be funded in an
ongoing and long-term effort to enable more people to choose to walk and
cycle more often. The projects include bold initiatives to overcome significant
barriers such as dangerous junctions and busy roads. Innovative
solutions to smaller obstacles to navigating our streets and roads are
also an important part of the programme. These improvements will
make it easier for people to be more active and choose to cycle or walk
for every day journeys - bringing significant benefits to health and
well-being as well as helping to reduce Scotland’s carbon emissions. The funding is administered by the sustainable transport charity,
Sustrans, through their Community Links programme. Over 50
organisations including all 32 Scottish local authorities, National
Parks, Community Trusts, the NHS and Scottish Canals submitted
applications for proposed projects and have been informed of their
success. In total, Sustrans will award over £18 million through the Community
Links programme during the coming financial year. Applicant
organisations have to match fund the allocation from Sustrans – and
often invest more – resulting in a total of £41.5 million to be invested
in cycling and walking projects.
New guidance supports tidal energy and helps protect wildlife
- Scottish Natural Heritage Guidance for those assessing the risk of marine wildlife colliding
with underwater turbines has been published today (Thursday) by Scottish
Natural Heritage (SNH). SNH has produced the guidance to help developers, consultants and
regulatory bodies, to promote a standardised approach to collision risk
assessment for tidal energy projects. Developers can be asked to include a collision risk assessment as
part of their Environmental Impact Assessment and Habitat Regulations
Appraisal. The guidance includes three models which can be used to
estimate the number of animals likely to collide with tidal arrays. Dr Chris Eastham, marine renewables adviser for SNH, said: “High
energy tidal environments are ideal for renewable energy projects, but
they are also important for a wide range of marine wildlife, from
mammals and fish, to diving seabirds. Tidal turbines pose a collision
risk to wildlife and it’s important to understand the degree and extent
of this risk. We’ve still much to learn about the ways animals react to
turbine arrays in our seas and the whole topic of assessing the risk of
collision is still in its infancy. This guidance will provide greater
confidence in impact assessments and help protect our marine wildlife”.
Herefordshire Wildlife Trust take on traditional wildflower meadow as
their newest Nature Reserve
Known as ‘Little Marises’, the flower-rich meadow lies between two
existing nature reserves – Cethins Meadow and Canon Tump Common – in the
Black Mountains Valley, near to Michaelchurch Escley. The meadow is
filled with wild flowers in early summer, such as common spotted
orchids, ox-eye daisies and eye bright. It is also a wonderful place to
spot meadow butterflies and day-flying moths. The meadow is just under two hectares and is divided into two fields
by a traditional hedgerow and mature trees. It also includes the source
of the Slough Brook; just a trickle through the meadow. Sites like this are hugely important as the UK has lost around 97% of
its wildflower meadows since the 1940s. These meadows are created though
being managed traditionally – cut for hay annually then grazed with
sheep or cattle – rather than being ‘improved’ with fertilizers which
creates a more uniform pasture with one or two grass species and few, if
any, flowers. This management, which will be continued by Herefordshire
Wildlife Trust, allows a diversity of flower and grass species to thrive
which in turn allows insect, small mammal and reptile species to
flourish. These animals provide food for birds and larger mammals while
the surrounding hedgerows and trees provide their shelter. The meadow was purchased by Herefordshire Wildlife Trust in May 2016,
with funds from the Herefordshire Conservation Development Trust.
Blanket bog restoration project scoops major European conservation award
Dove Stone in the Peak District has been awarded the Natura 2000
Conservation Award in recognition of the work to restore threatened
blanket bog habitat The RSPB and United Utilities have been awarded the 2016 Natura 2000
Nature Conservation Award for an ambitious habitat restoration project
at Dove Stone in the Peak District. The project, ‘Demonstrating Success in Blanket Bog Restoration’, is
aimed at restoring around 2,500 hectares of moorland back to natural
blanket bog, an international scare habitat, with the help of a
dedicated team of volunteers. Since 2010, the RSPB and United
Utilities have worked to restore blanket bog at Dove Stone in
partnership with tenant farmers. The project involves planting
vegetation on large areas of bare peatland, including planting over
70,000 individual handfuls of sphagnum moss, and repairing eroded
gullies. Dave O’Hara, the RSPB’s Site Manager at Dove Stone, said: “We are
delighted to have won the Natura 2000 Conservation Award but it’s
important to say that it wouldn’t have been possible without the help of
our dedicated volunteers. Although this is a European award, this is a
very local project, which has depended on the dedication of local people
who have braved the elements week in, week out to help start to return
this part of the Peak District to its former glory.” Ed Lawrance, Wildlife Warden at United Utilities, said: “It’s
wonderful that the project has been recognised in this way. I
think the judges were genuinely impressed at the success of the
partnership and the commitment of all those involved. Not only that,
we’ve demonstrated what can be achieved thanks to all our volunteers and
this success could be used as a template and replicated around the
world.”
Scientific Publications Setchfield, R. P. & Peach, W. J. (2016)
The influence of crop tiller density on the breeding performance of a
cereal-nesting specialist. Journal of Applied Ecology.
DOI: 10.1111/1365-2664.12704 Russell, D. J. F. et al (2016)
Avoidance of wind farms by harbour seals is limited to pile driving
activities. Journal of Applied Ecology. DOI: 10.1111/1365-2664.12678
Hodgson and Koh:
Best practice for minimising unmanned aerial vehicle disturbance to
wildlife in biological field research. Current Biology. DOI:
10.1016/j.cub.2016.04.001
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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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Image:
University of York
Scotland’s
first B-lines project, the John Muir Pollinator Way, has identified
opportunities for creating, enhancing and managing important grassland
habitat along the entire route of the John Muir Way and almost 2 miles
either side, that will not only provide important foraging habitat for
pollinating bees, hoverflies and other insects but also homes for other
wildlife. Opportunities have been identified at school grounds,
cemeteries, hospitals, golf courses and public parks and sites currently
designated for conservation including Local Nature Reserves and Wildlife
Reserves.
The
Ranger team at Dartmoor National Park have recently joined forces with
the local charity 
This
new research shows that the UK has the potential to deliver up to four
times the UK’s current energy consumption from renewable sources with
low risk to wildlife
Image:
BASC
Ragged-Robin
(image: Beth Halski, Plantlife)
Orca
993 is amongst the group of Icelandic killer whales photographed in the
Moray Firth. (Photo by Pippa Low, North 58° Sea Adventures via Sea
Watch)
Beaver
release (c) Nick Upton/naturepl.com
Little
Marises meadow, image: Herefordshire Wildlife Trust
Blanket
bog restoration project scoops major European conservation award
