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Headlines from week beginning 22 May 2017 |
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A round up of the top countryside, conservation, wildlife and forestry stories as chosen by the CJS Team.
New Active Spaces partnership will protect open spaces and tackle
physical inactivity across the UK - Fields in
Trust A new Fields in Trust protection programme will create a legacy of 50
permanently safeguarded outdoor spaces across the UK and tackle physical
inactivity. The Active Spaces programme funded by The London Marathon
Charitable Trust will protect recreational land and encourage people,
particularly the most inactive communities, to participate in physical
activity, sport and play. This is the first UK-wide funding programme delivered by The London
Marathon Charitable Trust. The innovative Active Spaces partnership will
safeguard the future of green spaces across the UK The Trust has set
aside £675,000 in 2017/18 to safeguard 50 green spaces in perpetuity and
to fund activation programmes on those sites. Through the partnership
with Fields in Trust, the green spaces will be protected from
development by funding from The Trust. In addition, each site will be
awarded a grant of up to £5,000 by The Trust to fund programmes that
inspire the local community to get active. Programmes can include any
activity including walking, cycling or coaching on the use of outdoor
gym equipment. One chosen site in each home nation (England, Northern Ireland,
Scotland and Wales) which demonstrates the most significant impact will
receive a major grant of £25,000 for its activation programme.
Landowners and communities across the UK can now apply online to protect
a site and to secure funding for activation programmes. Sites will be
selected for support following an assessment of the proposed activation
programme. Find out more and
apply online to protect a site.
Litter raises money for local charities -
Keep Scotland Beautiful Our latest report shows that a social experiment to tackle littering
in Paisley has helped to clean up the town centre streets and raised
hundreds of pounds to support local good causes. The innovative project, undertaken on behalf of The Wrigley Company,
and Renfrewshire Council, set out to test visitors to the town centres’
littering behaviours. Members of the public were encouraged to use
specially branded bins which highlighted the good causes that were set
to benefit if they disposed of their rubbish in them. The experiment, undertaken over a 15-week period, monitored the
existing litter levels in the area before installing the highly visible
charity branded bin wraps. It then put local people to the test to see
if they would use the bins more frequently if a good cause was set to
benefit. A 16% increase in litter being collected was reported and
surveys in the local area also found that 61% of people felt that making
bins more prominent would increase usage. Our Chief Executive commented, “Keep Scotland Beautiful recently
reported that local environmental quality throughout Scotland is
deteriorating. We all have a shared responsibility to do more
collectively and individually to protect our local environments. By
focussing on preventing litter being dropped in the first instance this
reduces the need to clean up a local area. This innovative project is a
perfect example of how we can encourage more people to carefully
consider their littering behaviour and make it easy for them to do the
right thing.”
Feasibility study: translocation of species for the establishment or
protection of populations in northerly and/or montane environments Climate change is predicted to have substantial impacts on
biodiversity, in some cases driving species to extinction when they are
unable to track suitable climatic conditions. This is a particular
threat for alpine species, given both the strong control on them exerted
by climatic conditions and the increasing isolation of alpine species at
higher altitudes. Translocations have been proposed as a technique for
helping to conserve such species, if threatened during climate change. Download the report (PDF)
Wildlife Challenge Goes Mobile With Inspirational App!
– Surrey Wildlife Trust Nature lovers can now have wild inspiration at their fingertips as
Surrey Wildlife Trust launches its latest 30 Days Wild mobile phone app. The annual 30 Days Wild challenge is being billed as ‘sunshine for
the soul’ this year. The charity is urging everybody, everywhere to get
closer to nature every day this June – and feel happier and healthier as
a result. The free 30 Days Wild phone app generates 101 ‘Random Acts of
Wildness’ - simple actions people can take to help or connect with
nature every day 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
listen to birdsong, have your meeting or lesson outside, go pond dipping
or climb a tree,” said Surrey Wildlife Trust’s Charlotte Magowan. “The
mobile phone app makes it so easy – you’ll never be short of ideas!” The nature challenge has been supported by international film star
Dame Judi Dench this year, who made a surprise cameo appearance in
Surrey Wildlife Trust’s 30 Days Wild video! The much-loved Surrey
actress, who is patron of the Trust, took time out from her filming
schedule to record a message appealing to us all to get out and go wild
in June. “Surrey Wildlife Trust would like you to do something wild on
every day in June,” says Dame Judi in the video. “Just get out and do
something every day – just go wild!”
First ‘Chough’ Chick Born in Kent for 150 years!
– Wildwood Trust
Image: Wildwood Trust The chough, a member of the crow family, is one of the rarest birds
in the UK and was driven to extinction in Kent well over 100 years ago.
The chough has a long-standing association with Kent and still lives on
in the coat of arms of CanterburyCity and the University of Kent, and in
Shakespeare's King Lear (Act iv – Fields near Dover, Scene 6) where he
introduces the chough in his description of the Dover Cliffs.
8
things we’ve learned from the first year of the Polli:Nation survey
- OPAL Last year saw the launch of
Polli:Nation,
a large-scale national survey that is providing answers to important
research questions about the health and status of pollinating insects
across the UK.Polli:Nation Project Officer Vanessa Barber reports back
on an eventful first season. Pollinators are struggling. Half the UK’s bumblebee species, two
thirds of our moths and 71% of our butterflies are in decline. But we
can all do something about it. Polli:Nation
is all about empowering people to take action to protect their local
bees, flies, butterflies and other pollinating insects. This time last
year, we asked the nation to count pollinators in their garden, local
park or schoolyard and to pick a 10 x 10 metre patch, recording the
different habitat types and plant species. We received 474 survey submissions from across the UK and have just
finished analysing the mound of data collected - here’s what we’ve
learned. 1. Daisies were the most common species of flower participants
spotted… but you’re far more likely to find pollinators buzzing around
bramble, buddleia or umbelifers 2. Sunshine + ‘floweriness’ = more pollinators 3. Honeybees take number one spot in our ‘Species Quest’ 4. The most common habitat reported was short grass – showing huge
potential for improvement 5. Our participants counted 5,513 flies, beetles, bees, butterflies
and other pollinating insects 6. Two thirds of participants were inspired to take action to improve
their patch 7. In total, Polli:Nation participants put 20 days’ worth of time
into surveying their local pollinators and habitat, covering a total of
42768 m2 8) Pollinators still need your help! You can contribute to our research by becoming a citizen scientist
and surveying your school grounds, park or garden for pollinators. If
you would like to part in this season’s survey, everything you need to
get started can be found
here For further details of the findings please read the full
Polli:Nation results 2016 report. (PDF)
Royal Bank of Canada donates Chelsea garden to Martin Mere
- Wildfowl & Wetlands Trust Royal Bank of Canada and the Wildfowl &Wetlands Trust announced that
the Royal Bank of Canada Garden from the 2017 RHS Chelsea Flower Show
will be donated and relocated to the WWT Martin Mere Wetland Centre in
Lancashire following the show.
This year marks the 150th anniversary of the Confederation of Canada,
and designer Charlotte Harris drew inspiration from the vast and
ecologically vital boreal forest and freshwater lakes of Canada. The
garden seeks to create a space inspired by this landscape rather than to
recreate it; a wilder garden folds around man-made elements, crafted
from materials evocative of the boreal. Following its showcase at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show, the Royal Bank
of Canada Garden will be relocated to the Wooded Wetlands development,
which opened at WWT Martin Mere in August 2016. The new attraction was a
complete redevelopment of the North American area of the waterfowl
gardens and features waterfowl species found in the boreal zone. WWT Chief Executive Martin Spray CBE said: “We’re thrilled to receive
the opportunity to give visitors a taste of the great Canadian
wilderness right here in Britain. Martin Mere is about enjoying
beautiful nature, and appreciating how these natural landscapes look
after us wherever we are. It really is an awe inspiring garden – we’re
very grateful to Royal Bank of Canada for continuing their longstanding
support of WWT’s wetland conservation through their Blue Water Project”.
Back to health for the River Clyde - Scottish
Government Water quality improves significantly. Investment in the River Clyde has helped to tackle pollution and
restore habitats, Environment Secretary Roseanna Cunningham has
confirmed. The Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) which monitors the
water quality in Scotland’s lochs and rivers has reported the Clyde is
in significantly better health than expected thanks to investment by
Scottish Water, SEPA, farmers and local authorities. Between 2010 and 2021, Scottish Water will have invested more than
£600 million in wastewater treatment works and sewerage systems in the
area. The Scottish Government’s Water Environment Fund (WEF)
which is administered by SEPA has helped restore natural habitats by
removing fish barriers and concrete channels to allow fish to reach the
upper reaches of the Clyde catchment. The WEF fund has already invested
£3.1 million in river restoration projects near Hamilton and Shotts,
with more investment planned for this coming year. These efforts have resulted in:
Columbia Sportwear® becomes the official outfitter of the National Parks’ rangers and staff - National Parks Today (24/5), Columbia Sportswear and the UK’s National Parks
announced a first of its kind five-year partnership, making Columbia the
official outfitter of the National Parks’ rangers and staff – the people
who protect and promote some of Britain’s best-loved landscapes. Columbia has committed to outfitting upwards of 2,000 National Park
staff for five years, including 300 rangers, providing high quality
clothing that’s ‘tested tough’ and designed to keep them warm, dry, cool
and protected in Britain’s toughest conditions. Jacquie Burgess, Chair of National Parks UK says, “Columbia
Sportswear is showing a strong commitment to the UK’s National Parks
with this partnership. Providing clothing for more than 2,000 staff is a
very significant contribution, supporting the very heart of our
work. Columbia will take a leading role in helping to increase public
understanding of our wonderful National Parks by sharing the stories of
our people and our Parks over the coming five years.” Steve Curl, Chair of National Parks Partnerships LLP, the
organisation that facilitates corporate partnerships on behalf of the UK
National Parks, says, “We applaud Columbia for this enlightened
investment in the UK’s National Parks. This is a high-value partnership,
enabling us to focus our resources towards looking after these special
places for now and for future generations to enjoy. We have been hugely
impressed by Columbia’s environmental and ethical commitments as well as
their genuine enthusiasm for the UK’s National Parks and their plan for
support over the next five years.”
Volunteers give Highland beaches a makeover -
Scottish Wildlife Trust Two scenic beaches north of Ullapool in the North West Highlands have
been treated to a makeover by almost 50 volunteers through our Living
Seas project.
More than 300 bags of rubbish were gathered from two beaches at Dun
Canna – enough to fill a 25 cubic metre skip. Most of the rubbish was
made up of fishing nets and ropes, plastic bottles and caps, as well as
old toys and food packaging. The two beaches which have been cleared are on either side of an Iron
Age fort nestled on a headland on the shore of Keanchulish Estate. They
have become covered and clogged in predominantly plastic waste, netting,
containers, ropes and even old metal fish tins that date back to Soviet
factory ships from the 1970s and ’80s. Living Seas Communities Officer Noel Hawkins said: “Marine waste is
an ever increasing issue. Not only does it spoil beautiful locations but
it’s also a serious threat to marine life, and can injure pets and
visitors to the beach. Access to the beaches at Dun Canna involves a
mile and half long walk over hills and fields so removing the rubbish is
a challenge, but we saw this as an opportunity to bring together
different people and groups to try and tackle the situation. Many of
those who came along were shocked by the sheer scale of the litter.
Hopefully taking part in beach cleans encourages people not only to come
and help but also to look at how much plastic they use and how it is
disposed of.”
SNH revokes licence on Raeshaw Estate after suspected wildlife crime
offences - Scottish Natural Heritage Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH) has revoked a licence to control wild
birds at Raeshaw Estates as a result of on-going concerns about wildlife
crime. Police Scotland is now investigating the potential offences on the
Scottish Borders estate. SNH imposed a general licence restriction on Raeshaw Estates in 2015
on the basis of clear evidence provided by Police Scotland that wildlife
crimes had been committed on the estate. The estate challenged the
restriction through a judicial review, but the restriction was upheld in
March this year. During a compliance check this month, SNH staff found multiple
instances of breaches of conditions of an individual licence that had
been granted to cover essential management activities on the estate.
These breaches may also constitute offences under the Wildlife and
Countryside Act, so SNH has reported the details to Police Scotland. General licences allow land owners or managers to carry out certain
management actions with minimal bureaucracy, largely relying on trust
that land managers will carry out activities legally. This includes
controlling common species of wild birds to protect crops or livestock.
However, those land managers in which SNH has lost confidence may have
their General Licences removed, as was the case at Raeshaw. The estate
is then allowed to apply for individual licences to control wild birds,
which gives SNH more control and oversight of the activities being
carried out. Robbie Kernahan, SNH’s Head of National Operations, said: Response:
RSPB Scotland responds to news of revoked licence at Raeshaw Estate Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH) has today announced that it has
revoked a licence to control wild birds at Raeshaw Estate as a result of
on-going concerns about wildlife crime. In response, RSPB Scotland’s
Head of Investigations, Ian Thomson, said: “Unfortunately, this comes as
no surprise at all in relation to this particular estate. These latest
multiple breaches found by SNH on the Raeshaw Estate can be added to a
long list of confirmed poisoning, shooting and illegal trapping cases in
this area dating back over more than a decade. “The fact that there is an ongoing criminal investigation here,
despite the sanctions previously imposed by SNH, echoes a pattern of
repeat offending that occurs in a significant number of areas of
Scotland where intensive grouse moor management is the main land use. “While we welcome SNH’s revocation of the individual licenses issued
to this estate’s employees, it is clear that current legislation and the
available penalties are no deterrent to the continued criminal targeting
of protected wildlife. The time has come for a robust regulatory regime,
including the licensing of gamebird shoots, where wildlife crimes with a
proven link to estate management could lead to a loss of shooting
rights.”
Wildlife groups call for partnership with shooting community over
licensing of gamebird hunting - RSPB Wildlife conservation organisations are calling for a progressive
partnership with the shooting community, to develop a licensing scheme
for gamebird hunting in Scotland. The Scottish Raptor Study Group (SRSG), the Scottish Wildlife Trust
and RSPB Scotland want to see a regulatory system introduced that helps
tackle wildlife crime while delivering a range of public benefits, and
would like to see the shooting industry play a full role in this
approach. The call follows the Scottish Parliament’s Environment, Climate
Change and Land Reform (ECCLR) Committee’s consideration this week, of a
petition calling for gamebird shooting in Scotland to be licensed -
which was lodged by the SRSG. The committee recognised that the illegal persecution of birds of
prey remains a widespread concern and has voted to write to the Cabinet
Secretary, Roseanna Cunningham MSP, recommending that the Scottish
Government commission an inquiry to explore how such a licensing system
could work. All three wildlife groups welcome the ECCLR Committee’s decision and
its view that a fresh approach to address the issue of persecution and
the associated unsustainable land management practices is required. Scientific Publications Krupke, C. H., Holland, J. D., Long, E. Y. & Eitzer, B. D. (2017)
Planting of neonicotinoid-treated maize poses risks for honey bees and
other non-target organisms over a wide area without consistent crop
yield benefit. Journal of Applied Ecology
DOI: 10.1111/1365-2664.12924
Orwin, K. H., Mason, N. W. H., Jordan, O. M., Lambie, S. M., Stevenson, B. A. and Mudge, P. L., Season and dominant species effects on plant trait – ecosystem function relationships in intensively grazed grassland. J Appl Ecol. Accepted Author Manuscript. doi:10.1111/1365-2664.12939
Prevedello, J. A., Almeida-Gomes, M. and Lindenmayer, D. B.,
The importance of scattered trees for biodiversity conservation: a
global meta-analysis. J Appl Ecol. Accepted Author Manuscript.
doi:10.1111/1365-2664.12943 Hume, A. M., Chen, H. Y. H. and Taylor, A. R.,
Intensive forest harvesting increases susceptibility of northern forest
soils to carbon, nitrogen and phosphorus loss. J Appl Ecol. Accepted
Author Manuscript. doi:10.1111/1365-2664.12942
Helen Hoyle, Anna Jorgensen, Philip Warren, Nigel Dunnett, Karl
Evans,
“Not in their front yard” The opportunities and challenges of
introducing perennial urban meadows: A local authority stakeholder
perspective, Urban Forestry & Urban Greening, Available online 25
May 2017, ISSN 1618-8667, DOI: 10.1016/j.ufug.2017.05.009.
Fernández, N., Navarro, L. M. and Pereira, H. M. (2017),
Rewilding: A Call for Boosting Ecological Complexity in Conservation.
CONSERVATION LETTERS. doi:10.1111/conl.12374
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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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Conservationists
are celebrating as the first ever baby chough chick is born at
the Wildwood Trust conservation centre. Expert conservationists at
the Canterbury based charity say this is the first ever chough to be
born in Kent in at least 150 years. Lost to Kent for centuries, the
magnificent chough, which adorns the Canterbury City's coat of arms and
civic regalia, can once again be seen back in the county synonymous with
this wonderful bird.
Royal
Bank of Canada garden (image WWT)
300
bags of rubbish collected during a beach clean at Dun Canna © Noel
Hawkins via Scottish Wildlife Trust
